Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 73122
We did travel all the way to Kuala Lumpur from my local station in Surrey by train, bus & ferry.
Believe me, suffering the Chinese trains on the Trans Siberian from Moscow to Beijing was our punishment for all climate transgressions, past and future.
23rd Feb 2020 6:40 am
Gareth Site Moderator
Member Since: 07 Dec 2004
Location: Bramhall
Posts: 26779
Epic journey Del. You must be homesick by now?
23rd Feb 2020 7:37 am
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 73122
Not really. Tassie is the most Brit-like place we’ve been too so it’s a bit like driving round a combo of central Wales, Dumf & Gall, Mull of Kintyre, etc. Now in a cabin in Strahan on the west coast of Tassie, the only reason you’d think you weren’t on holibobs in Keilder on Sea is the Aussie news on TV and a bleedin noisy kookaburra in the field opposite.
TBS, yes starting to think about getting home and the practicalities of going via Singapore & Hanoi in the light of Coronavirus. Though SWMBO is getting annoyed at me planning the next trip, deffo back to Aus and prob 6 to 8 months. Flight route out figured out as is long term hire car via Hertz.
23rd Feb 2020 7:54 am
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 73122
Evening folks, been a bit of a quiet few days, not much happened.
Will post more pics later bit here’s the view from the farm lodge type place that’s home for the next two nights.
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Very nice, once this chap was evicted!!
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We were going to the Invergorden dam tomorrow but the prospect of about 300kms on narrow & twisty roads doesn’t fill us with joy. Might head to N of Hobart instead.
26th Feb 2020 9:15 am
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 73122
Greetings all, will properly update later but on Bruny Island (S of Hobart) for food & booze tour!
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29th Feb 2020 12:47 am
Gareth Site Moderator
Member Since: 07 Dec 2004
Location: Bramhall
Posts: 26779
Looks like Wales Del! That’s a stick insect I think?
29th Feb 2020 6:54 am
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 73122
Preying Mantis I think. It was evicted using a big glass and magazine, not sure it was that happy outside.
It is a bit like wales, at the mo with much, much better weather.
Too much food, too much booze, resisting the urge to undo belt & top button.
29th Feb 2020 7:08 am
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 73122
Bit of a catch up on pics. Firstly a few pics from Crable Mountain area. We were only going to go up for a little look-see but ended doing a couple of hours hike round Dove Lake. Too much driving around has lead to too little exercise, so bit of a hike sorted that out.
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Temperate rain forest.
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Who put that tree in the way?
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Great views from the car as well, plus a lot easier on the weary bones.
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Down to Strahan, didn’t do much as we were a bit knackered, side effect of hiking I tell SWMBO. Not impressed with the local ferry at the fish & chips “barn”.
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And we saw our first platypus when out running in the local park up to a waterfall. It was a nice break, didn’t see the bill, no pics as too dark and totally ruined our pace.
Copper mine on the way from Strahan across to Hamilton where we stayed next. It was a big drop and decided best not approach the end of the platform too closely.
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We did intend to go out running the day after we saw the platypus, but it was truely ‘orrible rain so walked up to another waterfall off the road.
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And then to the farm we stayed at. Wild weather, we saw 5c on the car gauge and snow fell up high, but great views from the rather nice cabin.
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Great welcome from the local farm dogs, and warning signs re the local wildlife.
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Saw some wallabies but sadly no wombats.
We did buy their “we give you the ingredients, you cook it” steak package, it’s not going to win Masterchef for presentation but boy was this, plus lots of other stuff, a feast. Topped off with a bottle of Margaret River (WA) red and a Barossa Valley red, both scrummy and well discounted at the “local”, well 50km away, grog shop.
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Yesterday, Friday was a street food market in a Hobart park.
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Lots of choice, but what we really fancied wasn’t exactly an Aussie speciality.
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Today was a food & booze tour of Bruny Island, S of Hobart. Good day, well stuffed. Best parts? Oysters, really lovely, and the local honey. SWMBO didn’t know she liked honey, she now likes Tassie honey.
Oyster pic I earlier post, these were the G&Ts that went from blue to pink on the application of tonic. Nice party trick.
Leaving Tassie tomorrow, heading to Sydney if the Airbus can take off after today’s excesses. Going to be strange backpacking again, we’ve bought extra baggage capacity as we’re up to 20kgs total. We left home with nice light 7kgs each.
29th Feb 2020 9:46 am
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 73122
And another day, another state. Nice & short flight from Hobart to Sydney, two trains then a bus to the IC Double Bay with lovely views of Double Bay.
Pic to go here, once back to the room when last of vino is finished.
Here ya go. Hic!
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Only things of note today were a C-17 and C-130, obviously enjoying the weekend off.
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I tried to be artistic with a shot through the emergency exit tiny window but I think it wasn’t that successful.
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Better stick to my day job, if only I could remember what that was.
Oh, and a DC-9 type thingie that’s paying homage to the Tassie Devils.
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1st Mar 2020 8:04 am
ianm27
Member Since: 02 Jun 2016
Location: Hertfordshire
Posts: 2154
You have a day job??
I thought your chosen profession was now travel and food blogger Uncle Ray's spare wheel protector
Limo Tint
Blackvue front & rear dashcam
Cruise control switch pack
Bodsy's remote for FBH
1st Mar 2020 5:46 pm
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 73122
Food, did someone say food?
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Sunny day on Monday, booooooootiful day for a bus ride to Watsons Bay then the ferry to central Sydney. Really nice weather, wall to wall blue stuff with top number of 34c.
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Crazy peeps going up the bridge, deffo not on our agenda.
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Prefer to see the bridge from the underside.
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Tuesday was a bit of a grey day so went to Bondi Beach, as you do. I don’t know if it’s on back home but here Bondi Rescue is compulsive viewing here, well it is for us. On a grey day in early autumn it’s hardly packed but good to see the place where all the rescues occurred, even spotting the rip currents. Resisted the urge to go skinny dipping.
Firstly ANZAC memorial with a small plaque for ever ANZAC member that had been awarded the VC, right up to Afghanistan.
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And the beach. It looks a lot bigger in reality, and a lot emptier.
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A few snazzy cop-mobiles. This one obviously trying to hark back to the days of The Last of The V8 Interceptors. Well until I clocked the Kia badge.
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Lots of rules, most seem to get ignored on BR.
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And no idea what’s going on here. Waaaaaaaaaay too complicated for moi.
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And the beach from the other side.
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Which brings us to today. Not a good start.
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Picked up the rental car, a Mitsu Outlander, and headed put into the Sydney traffic. We headed out over the harbour bridge, me driving so SWMBO was doing both navigation and photography. And she thinks I can’t multitask?
It started so promising.
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Then it all went downhill. This should have been a nice wide angled shot with the train, bus and the bridge. Results are, shall we say, mixed.
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After that the road got all complicated and taking pics, however artistic, was the least of my worries.
Re further down the trip, before we head back home, we’ve rehashed things a bit. Hanoi has been binned, as has any time in Bangkok. We’ve rebooked our flight from Sydney to Singapore adding a handful of days back in Sydney, up to our 3 month limit. Then a couple of nights in Singapore then home. Hopefully not bringing any little bugs back with us.
4th Mar 2020 8:27 am
ianm27
Member Since: 02 Jun 2016
Location: Hertfordshire
Posts: 2154
Great photos Del and very brave of you to comment on Mrs Del's photography skills
I guess Aussie media is full of the end of the world scenarios as our's seems to be Uncle Ray's spare wheel protector
Limo Tint
Blackvue front & rear dashcam
Cruise control switch pack
Bodsy's remote for FBH
4th Mar 2020 12:48 pm
Gareth Site Moderator
Member Since: 07 Dec 2004
Location: Bramhall
Posts: 26779
Great trip and memories for me of Sydney. It’s a great city with loads of interesting stuff.
Have you tried contacting Bobbycrispbox? He’s living there somewhere. I had a beer and a meal with him and his good lady when we were there. He’s dropped of the social media network though.
4th Mar 2020 4:10 pm
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 73122
We’re back in Sydney for a couple of weeks at the end of March, was going to contact him then.
4th Mar 2020 9:50 pm
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 73122
Moved.
Last edited by DSL on 12th Mar 2020 7:36 am. Edited 1 time in total
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