9th Week - Thursday - Hobart

Moving day.  Off to Hobart.  We are only about 40km away.  We have decided to stay at the show grounds as there is a bus that that will take you into the CBD.  This way we don't have to worry about parking the car.  Traffic this morning didn't seem as bad as last time we drove through Hobart and we made it to the show grounds without incident.  Set up and had lunch before heading to the shopping centre near here.  Spent a couple of hours wondering around before back to our home for the next week.

9th Week - Wednesday - Bruny Island - Snug

Rained and blew a gale all night and was the coldest night yet. Found out when we got up that it had snowed on Mt Wellington (30km away by road).  We could actually see the snow.  This morning the sun peeped out.  We packed lunch and off to catch the ferry.  We had spoken to two couples who told us not to take the van over and one who said to (but this was after we had decided not to).   Boarded the ferry and were on to top deck.  Easy 15 minute journey.  Now on Bruny Island.  We headed to the topmost northern point first Dennes Point then to Killora Bay and the village of Killora.  Next was Barnes Bay before heading south to Adventure Bay.  This is where the cruises leave from but we were not doing this one.  We saw where Captain Cook landed.  We headed next to the most southern point of Bruny Island and the Cape Bruny Lighthouse which required a short walk up to get to it.  The scenery was lovely but not much different to Tassie itself.  Not sure if I would return here.  We had passed the caravan park and it looked okay but apart from a few walks around the place there wasn't much else we wanted to see or do so glad we didn't bring the van.  The ferry trip back was not as good as we were on the bottom deck in the middle and you couldn't see anything.  Back to the van for our last night at Snug.

Bit of snow on the higher peaks!

Cape Bruny

Cape Bruny

9th Week - Tuesday - Snug

Wind and rain during the night and rain this morning.  Cleared up a bit after lunch so we went for a drive to Margate, Kingston and Blackman's Bay.  Kingston was the biggest town but still only held our attention for a short time.  Drove back to Snug along the coast road and checked out the houses with views of the water.  Arrived back at the van as the rain started again.

9th Week - Monday - Snug

Moved on today to Snug.  Pulled up at the park and chatted to a guy we met back at Zeehan.  Caught up with where we each had been since we last met.  Set up and after lunch went for a walk along the beach and around the area.  They have plaques set out near the caravan park about the 1967 fires known as Black Tuesday.  62 lives were lost and two thirds of the houses were burnt.  It was a very interesting commemorative of the time and included survivor's stories.   Just lazed the rest of the day away.

Snug

9th Week - Sunday - Huonville

Woke this morning to rain but it cleared about 10am so we drove the 10 km to Franklin and went to the Wooden Boat Centre.  This is a traditional timber boat building workshop and actually has classes to build the boats.  The course runs for 7 weeks and during that time students build a wooden boat (usually from Huon Pine) by hand.  There were 2 boats there partially built so you could see what they do and one that was finished but the student had decided to make it into a sailing ship so was still there making the mast by hand.   This involved turning a square length of wood into a round length of wood!  The Centre also restores old boats for people and there were 2 there being made ship shape again.  They also run an 18 month course for the building of larger boats and you actually end up qualified to build and restore boats commercially.   We then strolled out to the wharf area and checked out the boats moored there.  Retuned to the van via the supermarket.  After putting away the groceries went for a walk around the park which has chickens, ducks and pigs.  The park is also beside a river which is meant to have platypus but unfortunately we didn't see any.  Back at the van we chatted to the neighbours and watched the clouds roll in.  We all went our separate ways before the rain came.

8th Week - Saturday- Huonville

Left Dover today in beautiful sunshine and drove and set up in Huon Valley.  Had an early lunch and then drove the 90 km to the Tahune Airwalk.  This is a steel walkway 40 metres above the ground amongst the tree tops.  You start with 112 steps (and I counted them to make sure the brochure is correct) before hitting the steel walkway which is 600 metres in length.  The highlight of the walkway is the cantilever that hangs out over the Huon River.  Returning back to the visitors centre you have covered 1.6 km.  We next did the Swinging Bridges Walk of 3 km.  You walk alongside the Huon River and then cross the river by way of a swing bridge which is 2 steel planks joined together making it about 1 foot wide with rope and nylon netting on the sides.  And as the names suggests it swings as you walk along and you look down to the river below.  I had a firm hold all the way over.  You then walk to the Picton River which you again have to cross on a swing bridge.  This one I actually only held on a couple of times as I was the only one on it.  Once Ian started crossing and making it bounce and sway more I had to hold on.  You then walk back to the visitors centre where we started the Huon Pine Track 1 km in length.  This walk was through the pine trees.  All in all an enjoyable afternoon.

8th Week - Friday - Dover

Ian looked at the radar and because of the rain looking like it was here to stay we decided not move.  We have plenty of time left so instead of packing up in the rain we stayed dry.  We spent the day doing nothing.  Oh by the way the rain blew over by 10 am and we had sunshine all day.