This week has put my resilience and drive to do this to the test. We had a couple of quite long days driving first across the Victorian border and onto Lakes Entrance. It was a grey miserable day so we didn't mind spending it in the car listening to an audiobook of "The Hobbit". We got into Lakes Entrance around 3 pm and went for a long bike ride along the lakes edge. That was followed by another day of driving to Port Albert which was the earliest Port in Victoria (circa 1840). Initially it supplied stock to both Sydney and Tasmania and later to the Gippsland Goldfields. Our campsite that night had pleasant views over the harbour. The wind sprang up next morning and blew up a gale all day. It felt like poor Frankie would be knocked over.
Driving was quite a challenge all day being buffeted about by the winds. I'd planned on driving to Port Phillip so we could see the fairy penguins but when we stopped at a scenic lookout around the Bunarong Marine Park Frankie decided he'd had enough and wouldn't start up again. After a rescue call to CMCA/Lumley they were able to send a mechanic out to jump start us. He advised that the battery seemed fine and it was likely a problem with the alternator. He sent us off with a whereis map to Wonthaggi Auto-Elec. It was 3pm by the time we got there and they couldn't do anything immediately but booked me in for the following morning and sent me off to the closest caravan park. Upon arrival the office was closed as it was their afternoon off, typical! I tried the mobile number on the door only to discover that my credit had run out, of course. So after topping up my credit I tried again and got message bank, hmmmm! I quickly gave her a rundown of my predicament including the fact that if I turned off the engine it was unlikely that I'd go any further. When she still hadn't called back in 5 minutes I pulled into a visitors carpark space and tuned off the engine, just as the park owner pulled into the driveway, ironic. I tried starting him up again and ...nothing. Consequently we spent a night in the carpark. We were at least able to connect to power so I could recharge the jump start pack. Unbeknownst to me it also charged the car battery and so the following morning I was able to turn the engine over and limp my way back into downtown Wonthaggi. They got straight to work and replaced the alternator which was completely cactus. Jay and I spent the morning in Maccas doing schoolwork and making the most of the free Wi-Fi. By 11am they were done and we were on the road again (sung to the appropriate tune).
We belatedly headed to Port Phillip just to see what was there knowing full well we couldn't hang around for the penguin parade or we would risk not making the boat to Tassie next morning. In the words of John Lennon "life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans". We had a brilliant afternoon at a place called A Maze'N Things. We played putt-putt, explored the Illusion house and conquered the 3D maze. Next it was onto Panny's chocolate factory. We did the tour which was well worthwhile. It started by going through the process of making chocolate from the bean to the wrapper then moved into the fun stuff, a huge mural of Dame Edna Everage made out of chocolate creams, a replica of the statue "David" full size made out of solid chocolate. Paintings "Ned Kelly" and "The Scream" reproduced in swirls of white, milk and dark chocolate adorned the walls. The worlds largest chocolate waterfall (not quite as impressive as Willie Wonkers') and a solid ton of dark chocolate. Then it was our turn to make our own chocolate swirl pattern which we collected at the end and gobbled up. Lastly Jay was able to select the ingredients for his own chocolate, he chose milk Cola, and with lot's off flashing lights and impressive noises it spat his special chocolate out the other end. At the end of a very full day we headed further around the coast into the Mornington Penninsula where we spent the night in Chelsea.
A 5am start and an easy drive around the bay brought us to the Spirit of Tasmania. It was quite exciting loading Frankie on and moving onto the ship. Dosed up on Travel Calm, regularly nibbling on crystalised Ginger and sipping on Ginger beer got me across Bass Strait without embarrassment despite fairly rough seas. Quite an achievement for someone who gets travel sick playing on the swings at Crestwood Reserve.
We pulled into Devonport, Tasmania around 6:40pm. They were quite thorough at Quarantine at that end. Jay especially liked the trained Beagles that were sniffing out contraband fruit and vegetables. A quick bite at Maccas and we set off to find a campsite I'd picked out at Gunns Plains. Do you think I could find it in the dark? I did however spot three Tasmanian Devils, possibly a Bandicoot and some suicidal rabbits before stumbling across another suitable campsite. It was bitterly cold overnight and I shivered despite winter jammies, three blankets and my special inner sheet which is meant to improve my sleeping bags cold rating by about 8 degrees Celsius. Tassie is definitely living up to it's reputation in that if we don't like the weather we just have to wait five minutes for something different.
Today we stocked up on shopping at Burnie then went to a place called "The Makers of Burnie" which showcase local artisans. We took tour of a creative paper making business and made our own paper from pulp.
Fossil Bluff near Wynyard was our next destination. Here the whole cliff is embedded with shells. The shells aren't actually fossilised which, as I understand it usually means that the original substance has been replaced with minerals which, like a cast, fill the space to preserve the shape of the original. Where they were exposed you could see that the shells looked exactly like shells you'd find on the beach today. As they become exposed the calcite bleaches and dissolves away. They certainly didn't look like 400 million year old fossils as the interpretive signs would have us believe. Looked more like a heap of mud and shells had been swept up and dumped in a cataclysmic watery event. Hmmm... wonder what that could have been? (OK I'll get off my soapbox now but I reserve the right to get back on again whenever it pleases me.)
Around the corner from Fossil Bluff is Table Cape. A short walk from the lighthouse reveals breathtaking vistas of the North West coastline. I would love to come back in spring when hectares of Tulips on the hilltop make an amazing patchwork display. Again plenty of evidence of Tassie Devils around the top of the cliff. Tonight we are in a lovely little bush caravan park at Crayfish Creek just out of Stanley which is tomorrows destination.
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