surferboys nats diary

[freddyc]

That's the guys we met last night.

[surferboy]

Here we are. Waiting for the crane to lift is off the boat at Devonport



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[surferboy]

Back to
Day 9

Short run from Lorne up the GOR and freeway in the rain. Cathy wouldn't let me stop & buy a $500 2ndhand longboard. She said I have enough ornaments on the wagon already   Over the bridge and down to the port .Thanks for the directions. Had nice fish & chips from the cafe on the corner
Gates to start loading opened at 4.30 & we got onboard 6.30ish.


The ramp down into the basement was "exciting"



Caught up with whats his name & thingy & you know who & errr um & mrs err um & the other South Aussies. :D:-\ & started our Nats socializing early

& Cathy

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[surferboy]

Day 10

We're here
Since our honeymoon cruising Hawaii, Cathy has always wanted another cruise. Now I can tick that off the list.
Woke to a cool but dry morning in Devonport. Unloding was VERY exciting. (See earlier picture) (would I lie ) Cathy & I drove around the corner for the voucher breakfast at the hotel. John M1 & John VDH decided to follow the SA guys to ? ? ? ? ?. Lost after 500 metres :

Went up to Burnie and cruised back along the coast before heading down to Deloraine.

I bet that RET will be the first to guess where we visited



Got my first Hat badge for the trip. (& first snowdome... another collecting fetish)

Called into Leven Antiques in Ulverstone & picked up an electric jug (Cathys fetish) cheap & a Free 60's Perth postcard
And it's only day 1 on the island. I might need a trailer going home

Stopped for lunch just 500metres from our cabin

At the 50's diner


Les, they remembered the 4 West Aussies that had already been.
Guess where I will be having all my meals . This place is

Got to put some extra lines on my map

& Cathy

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[surferboy]

PS.  Cathy says that sailing from one state to another on a boat full of cats  DOES NOT count as a romantic cruise

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[surferboy]

Cats ?
caRs

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[surferboy]

Day 11

Blue skies. Cold breeze.
No real plan... Just head West with a map and see where we end up. After Cathy had finished the domestic duties (we haven't seen a washing machine since leaving Perth)

Cruised through Railton. The Hedgetrimmer Capital of Aust ?

They love their topiary
And their elephants. Ever since one escaped from a circus & ran off down the main street


And through to Sheffield and checked out the muraled buildings around town. Where they don't use spraycans.



And we did some shopping


Continued on down the narrow BENDY roads with a 100kmh speedlimit to the Promised Land. ( yes it is a real place ). The roads looked a lot straighter on my tourist map.
Ended up lost at The Village of Lower Crackpot


The naughty chair ?

Cathy got really lost and thought a lifesaver might come and save her



I DIDN'T

& Cathy


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[surferboy]

We were going to Nowhere Else. But they must of moved it to somewhere else   We couldn't find it

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[surferboy]

Day 12

Woke to clear blue skies & the mist rolling in over the mull of kintyre (whoops..  I mean the billabong)


I missed the BIG sign for the turnoff to the highway so we took the scenic route to Evandale for the markets

Yes we bought some more retro stuff ( it's heaps cheaper here than in WA)
Antiques inside

& lots of eclectic stalls outside


Had problems with the wagon so this nice gentleman offered to give us a ride back to Deloraine.


(Don't panic...only kidding. The wagon is cruising nicely )

The Swan river ?


The Narrows bridge ?


Our adventure has taken us to places from all over the world.
And where do we end up today ?




We thought about taking the highway back to Deloraine. BUT ..
We are on an adventure so decided to take the scenic route, with Cathy navigating.
Down a few winding roads, through some small country towns... THEN
We decided to go look at a waterfall

This road looked very short on the map


And I WASHED () the wagon yesterday



30 Kms of narrow, winding goat track   and we eventually arrived at Lilley falls



And saw the first of many mouldy Tasmanian trees




I'm going to get my map out now to add somemore new lines,
 and PLAN for tomorrow.  And have a less adventurous day

& Cathy


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[DJ]

Some nice shots.

[WA1958]

Hi Surferboy

Glad to see that the misadventures of Surferboy & Cathy still going strong

See you soon in Hobart

Damien & Dina

[surferboy]

Day 13

Woke up to another beautiful morning.
Enjoyed a relaxing cuppa sitting on the balcony. Watched the swans on the lake while Cathy cooked brekky and washed dishes and ironed my shirt that she washed yesterday.

Cruising into Launceston to buy Cathys birthday pressie that we didn't have time for way back on day 7

First stop

Westbury Engineering. I have had ticking (popping, rattling, pinging ?) noise. Running higher octane fuel didn't help, and it started getting worse. The guys fixed the hole in exhaust gasket while we walked to the maze for a cuppa.
Hi to the FE/FC passed us as we walked back.

Cruised quietly into Launceston

And got Cathys prezzie


Nice jewellers right next to the carpark. And a nice collectable shop right next to the jeweller.
So we bought another souvenir
Talking car stuff (as you do) with shop owner and he shows me this

Which had just arrived and was still in back of shop

Opened it up. We couldn't figure out how it worked. A quick phone call to owner for instructions and we walked out with this




Had lunch and still had time to cruise

Over this bridge & through theTamar Valley


A good day


& Cathy

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[surferboy]

Day 14

Two weeks already .

We are here


Left picturesque Deloraine

Where we met some funny locals

and they build statues when they catch tiddlers in the Meander River.

Did some souvenir shopping before we left and picked up this


"Take route C137, it's straighter than the bendy C138 route" they said
This  IS a straight road in Tasmania

I'm glad I didn't take the bendy road.

We're heading to the top. I hope we can find it ?

We found it


Cathy gets to watch the scenery


I'm told it's very nice.
I don't take my eyes off the road

It's exciting if you do it at the 100kmh limit

This is my high tech C.S.C. Unit

Cornering Speed Control Unit

The faster I go around corners
The tighter it clamps onto my left leg
I'm going to have some horrible bruises by the time we leave Tassie

See you in Hobart tomorrow


& Cathy

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[NES304]

I've got a CSC too!
That's a picnic removable radio by the way...

[surferboy]

Whoops. My head was thinking Thursday, and my hand typed tomorrow
Obviously I meant todays tomorrow, not yesterdays tomorrow



Day 15

A nice relaxing day wandering aimlessley around Strahan. As soon as Cathy finishes cooking my bacon and beans for brekky, and does the dishes and brings in the washing and irons my clean shirt

Strolled up the SHORT, LEVEL pathway

to Hogarth falls

( NO gravel road )

One of the locals swore us to secrecy (so you can't read the rest of this post) and told us to keep an eye open for the sign to the "secret pathway"







and if the haunted tree allows...

You can find the secret "magical mouldy" forrest


Look beyond the the Xmas holly bush

To find the Xmas elf grotto

Can you see them ?



look CLOSER


Follow the bend on the Tea stream

It REALLY does taste like tea
and VERY carefully cross the "I dare you" bridge.


and just beyond the magical, mysterious levitating fern tree


You will find that looking into the fairy daisy ring

takes you to the magical fairy world






look CLOSER


Then we went back to our unit
because Cathy needs to throw another log on the fire






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[surferboy]

The fairies

We also spotted a Tasmanian Tiger in the forrest




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[FCRB26]

Eat em and you probably will see dwarfs and fairies.

I was given a chrysler picnic radio the other week looks the same cradle and all.

[surferboy]

Day 15 cont'd

Caught up with more FE/FCers




There's no antique shop in town,

and we've done the boat tour before, and we found the train doesn't come into town anymore, and we haven't budgeted for a helicopter flight at $350 each (although the free cup of coffee was tempting )
So it's been a cheap day.

See you in Hobart tomorrow

& Cathy


PS     Cathy said  Hi dad

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[surferboy]

Day 16

Up early to start the trip to Hobart and start the Nats weekend


It had rained overnight but it had cleared up by morning so Cathy could enjoy the panorama while I watched the road


Drove through Queenstown. Sorry it's not a very good picture, but I don't think you can get a good picture of Queenstown.


Started to worry a bit when we saw this fog approachig


But it stayed clear on the road and didn't cause us a problem

Stopped at Derwent Bridge for coffee break. Met a few Hot rodders cruising to Hobart and some old friends.


Lunch at Jacksons Emporium. Caught up with some of the West Aussies out cruising


Stopped to check out some antique stores, but couldn't find any items we wanted at the prices we wanted

At the hotel now having the "traditional" west aussie Thurs dinner



Where a very nice lady took our pictures



And the "must do" selfie


& Cathy


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[DJ]

I meant todays tomorrow ..... the haunted tree ..... secret "magical mouldy" forrest ..... mysterious levitating fern tree ..... looking into the fairy daisy ringy ..... can you see them ?..... look CLOSER

Those mushrooms must be good.