Tasmania; just add wine.

Leaving Melbourne...very exciting. It involved a HUGE ship that I got to drive Mendoza onto, recliner chairs, a great view of Melbourne by night, poker machines, restaurants, a shop, you name it and its on the spirit. Excitement was flowing.

Arrive in Devenport a little tired but ready to go. We found free showers and went in search of things to do. The light house was great and I sang "Have you ever...ever felt like this...have strange things happened are you goin round the twist?"

Drive an hour to the most beautiful lake. We have a bit of a fish with no luck and settle in. 11pm drunk ferals turn up and ruin our camp spot. Its starts to get a little dangerous so we pack up, fast, and drive back to Devonport. Not a great start.

We slept in the car in a car park.

The next day we enjoyed a Salmon and Ginseng farm and more chocolate.

Night 2 was spent in a free and safe camp in Deloraine.

Night 3 and 4 we spent in Lake Arthur. I will not lie...camping in the rain is tough. I cried after the food box and I had an argument. Everything is wet and cold and miserable. Its hard.

Sometimes when everything goes to shit whom ever is in charge sends in some reinforcements, some relief, a little comfort. Our comfort came in the form of a couple named Garry and Renarta. This lovely couple were gold fossickers. They looked for gold for a living and made enough money in the 6 months of the year that they did it that they holidayed for the rest. Garry was big and ugly and kind with a gruff manner and bushmens sense of honour. Renatta was tough and did well to enjoy their chosen lifestyle.

Garry invited us to his fire, smoked us trout that he caught that day and gave us trout to take away with us. This coulples kindness and warmth to strangers made us feel so much better and less alone.

Thank you to Garry and Renatta for your kindness.

Today: Port Arthur and it was excellent and well worth the money.

Tonight we are in a BnB near Port Arthur and the more wine I have the better I feel!

We are going back to Port Arthur now for a ghost tour! Ahhhhh!

Love Krystal

The Victor Jiggle

Do you know what the worst thing is...when you get into your vehicle (which is your home), you turn the key, and it does not start.

Initially you look around dumbfounded...as if those near you can help. Then you look down at the key, as if it might look up at you with some words of comfort. It then dawns on you that you are not going anywhere.

This experience has happened to us all at one time or another. It happens to our friend Victor regularly. He does not do the look around for help he just gets out, pops the boot and gives the battery a little jiggle. It works and because it works he has no need to get it fixed. I must admit that I thought this was stupid the first time it happened and Victor did his jiggle. I thought to myself "Just get it fixed."

However, my perspective changed when we were on the way to the Spirit of Tasmania to sail over the Bass Strait. We got in Mendoza the ute, Mark turned they key and low and behold...nothing. Mark looked at me...still nothing. He looked at the key...no words of wisdom there and then we got out of the ute. Of course it was raining, as it is on all days when your car breaks down.

We popped the bonnet and pretended we knew what we were doing as we looked in...again nothing. Mark began to call the NRMA and then it occurred to me...jiggle it.

So Victor gave it his famous jiggle. I got in the car and turned the key and boom we had ignition! The excitement, relief and joy!

We proceeded to St Kilder for yummy pizza and then dessert which was divine. We got take away dessert for the boat ride to the Apple Isle and said goodbye to Victor and Frankie who had not only provided us with accomodation, hot showers, great company and good food but had saved the day with the Victor Jiggle.

Sonext time you get in your car and find yourself doing the look around because it will not start. Try Victors jiggle. It might just save the day.

Love Krystal

PS we have not fixed the offending battery terminal in true Victor style. We are going to rely on that jiggle.

The coolest thing that has ever happened!

Melbourne...I love you!














The coolest thing EVER happened to me today. We were walking around the Melbourne CBD in the dingy back lanes looking at the street art with M, Frankie and Victor. The street art is freaking excellent and so cool!

It's cool because graffiti is against the rules but its cool at the same time. Good graffiti is, however, art and this street art just so excellent it has become a tourist attraction. Its a full 360 degrees of the idea of graffiti. That it would be accepted by the wider public and condoned when it is normally illegal.


















So back to the story; we are walking in these back lanes and there is a group of teenagers in a group making a bit of noise. Now that we are in our late 20's we have lost that invincibility that comes with your teen years and early 30's. You know that feeling that you are awesome. So we were a bit hesitant when approaching the group to see the street art that was on the walls around them.













Then I saw it...in the middle of the group of youths...two youths were freestyle rapping!!!!

Oh My God Freestyle Rapping! It was awesome and fulfilled all 2Pac teenage fantasies of actually being a part of something like this! It was the most awesome thing I have randomly come across ever.

Mark, Frankie and Victor did not seem as excited as I was so I rang my little brother Gerard who was suitably excited. I know that Bridgid and Rob will find this story cool as they read it...as will Karrie and other high school pals.

As a wrap up I would like to thank Victor and Frankie for a great day. A run around the river, lunch, waffles, sight seeing and wonderful company.








Til next time...Krystal

Cheese, Wine and Chocolate

The Mornington Peninsula was all about Cheese, Wine and Chocolate for us!

We tasted wine at "Two Cups", "Morning Star", "Red Hill" and "Paringa" wineries in and around Mornington. This area is popular for its Pinots and also produces Chardonnay. We taisted a nice sparkling Shiraz and this is a wine that seems to be becoming more popular.

We had two cheese platters for the day; Morning Starr had very good service and nice cheese. The clear winner was Red Hill cheese that we tasted at Paringa Winery. The winery overlooks the beach and it is a beautiful view. The goats cheese was delicate and creamy and a favorite of ours.

The Chocolate shop was the best I have been to and again the service was great. We had a taisting first and then purchased some divine chocolate. We also purchased chocolate for Victor and Frankie; to pay them in kind for allowing us to use their hot shower when we got to Melbourne.

The winding roads led us to small, tucked away places that served good food and wine and this made us very happy and full. The chocolate put us on a sugar high and we giggled our way to the next food port.

The beach views driving along the coast were lovely and we found the visitor information centers very helpful.

We did see the stupid little boat houses that are all different colours on the beach at Mornington. It annoys me that photos of these little sheds win awards and are all over the promotion leaflets for the area. They are silly and annoying, a photo of them is not original and should not win awards...and that is my rant.

We arrived in Melbourne on Friday night and happily had a nice hot shower and great company for dinner.
We are looking forward to seeing Melbourne tomorrow. Krystal

The sardines are chocolate!

Wilsons Promontory

"Wilson's Promontory is the best promontory I have ever been to!" Declares M. "Well, its the only promontory I have ever been to," he decides.
"Whats a promontory anyway?" I ask.
"I do not know." says M.

What ever a promontory is Wilsons was great. It is a national park in Victoria and is the south most point on the Australian mainland.

Best Bits: beautiful beaches, great views, clear water, not to many tourists, hot free showers with a door.

Worst Bits: when M took us on a long long walk to the beach in our swimmers. It turns out it was too far and after walking for a long time we decided to give up and turn back. We made it to the beach eventually, in Mendoza the ute, not on foot.

We are getting better at the camping thing but it is all about to change. If this were a video game it is about to get a lot harder. We are going to Tasmania, which is very exciting, but we are not taking the camper trailer, Alice.

We are leaving Alice behind as it would cost us $1000 return to take it on the ferry to Tasi. ALice is staying at Victors house (thanks Victor) and we are tenting it. Staying for aprox 1 month in a tent in the wettest state in Australia. It should be interesting.

Today: The Mornington Peninsular and then...Melbourne!



Krystal

Week 1 Round Up : Tuffer than Expected!

Week 1 Round Up

distance: about 1500km!

Stops: day 1- Mossvale; day 2 - Cooma; day 3 - Eden; day 4 - Cann River; day 5: Sale; day 6 and day 7 - Yarram.

Highlights: the beautiful rainforest at Tarra and Bulga National Park; beach run and forest run at Lakes Entrance and Eden; fishing at Quarantine Bay and hot showers!

Low Points: Rain makes everything wet, dirty and disgusting. But also missing the little comforts such as a washing line, washing machine, running water, hot showers, clean toilets and constantly shuffling, repacking and unpacking!

It's definitely been tougher than expected coping with the change in lifestyle but Yarram has lifted the spirits with its beautiful rainforest walks. I leave you with a pic of me struggling with the cold "summer" at Paradise Beach, those waves were crazy.

Mark
(Wilson's Promontory tomorrow and staying overnight at a wee place called Koo-Wee-Rup!)

Avatar!

After yesterdays driving winds and rain on the coast, beautiful beaches and harsh country today was a complete contrast.

We are in Gippsland, Victoria and visited Tarra National Park.

My favorite place in the world is clearly Eugowra, coming second is Switzerland Alps and third on the list is Tarra National Park.

The rainforest was spectacular as it wrapped you up in a cold damp blanket of green moss. The ferns were huge and in their thousands and I was waiting for a Navi from Avatar to come walking out of the forest.

The National Park is very well looked after and was not touristy at all. There was hardly anyone else around as we took our time on walks; taking photos and trying to drink in the beauty of the rainforest.

For years I have taught Year 7 rainforests as a topic in Geography but seeing the layers of the canopy and the complex eco system with my own eyes was just fantastic.

The only draw back of the day was that I did not see a Wombat. I am desperate to see a live wombat so I am keeping my eyes out. Next time.

Krystal.