Hobart

Seems I have struck unusually damp weather here. Fortunately a friend looked after me while getting the ute clutch done. I managed to do a 100 page photobook ( the first 18 months of my travels) and send it off for printing while it was too miserable to go sightseeing.

 Camped in the bush way up on a hill towards Kingston at The Lea Scout bush camp for a couple of days while I had a new radio installed. It does NOT pay to put in the wrong security code too often or you get locked out of the radio and a major job to get sorted. I really do need an instruction book for the ute! Good thing I needed a new radio anyway and ended up getting new speakers as well. The young blokes probably dont get too many people who want just basic speakers, and just a basic radio, but I do now have a USB hub, a CD player that doesnt 'jump' and hopefully much better reception for 'outback' radio!

Drove up to Mt Wellington. A very long narrow steep winding road to get there and so many nervous drivers who didnt leave much room. To say nothing of meeting a bus! Spectacular views but very cold and a strong wind.

 Hobart is a pretty town with lovely old buildings. Very hilly and narrow streets but some good main roads. Great fish meals along the wharf. Lovely old wooden boats.

Did try the award winning Lark Whiskey but at $160 a bottle I resisted the temptation to buy it. Then paid half that for a liqueur  in a bottle half the size! They probably do very well from all the people who come off the cruise ships and wander around the port for the day. Saw a different ship nearly every day for a week.

Stopped at  Snug CP a night then down to the camp at Gordon. Found a spot right beside the beach. What a great camp. New toilets, but no water. So many here going to the Hobart Wooden Boat Festival. Lots of boats going up the channel. Drove back up to Kettering then across to Cygnet through apple orchards absolutely laden with fruit.
Cygnet is a lovely old town. Got a few groceries, drove around the bay a bit then back to Gordon. Was given a fresh flathead to cook for lunch. Yum.
Next stop was Shipwrights Point near Geeveston. srove from there down to Southport, and Ida but decided I didnt feel like sitting for 2 hours on a little open train so back to the Tahune Airwalk. Once again not feeling like doing the tourist thing after what felt like a very long drive with some nasty potholes. Did a trip up to Kingston and Huonville as well. Beautiful bays everywhere and some wonderful old boats. Just not many places to get of the roads for photos!
Back at Hobart for a night then off towards Port Arthur.