Gismo Queen and her King

Bangor (TAS) to Orbost (VIC) via Bass Strait - 24/25 May

 Apparently we have travelled 999km since leaving home yesterday afternoon, although I only had to drive 560km of that.

We had grave fears about the crossing last night when the Bureau of Meteorology issued a severe weather warning for damaging winds - we've had some rough crossings in our time including being thrown around the bed and certainly didn't want to experience that again. It ended up being much better than expected - just couldn't sleep because of the uncomfortable beds! Time for new ships with new beds!

Awakened early for our first disembarkation since the ferry has been coming to Geelong but I'm afraid to say I didn't get to see any of the new terminal - just the bitumen in front of me as I drove off. We headed straight to Highton as my parents are in the Highton cemetery and I wanted to visit but it was still dark at 7am so we had breakfast first in a lovely cafe nearby. A couple of cups of coffee and a delicious breakfast fortified us and we went to visit the family (grandparents, great grandparents, cousin, aunt and uncle are all there as well). I hadn't seen them since my aunt was interred there a couple of years ago.

Then we hit the road for the drive up the freeway to Melbourne. How quickly I forget about changing lanes on a multi lane highway - let's face it, we don't have too many of them in Tassie! A bit of traffic at the new tunnel works but we ended up at Lisa's for morning tea before 10:30am. My best friend and I are doing well this year - we've seen each other every month for the last four months! Lisa had baked a feast and we enjoyed a catch up before getting back on the freeway and heading east. One more stop off the freeway - to the property where I grew up. Until we moved to Bangor, the place in Nar Nar Goon North was the only place where I have felt really connected to the country. I knew every tree, every slope, every waterway on that property and loved it. Nowadays it looks nothing like when we were there and in fact all the greenery the new owners (not so new now, after 32 years!) have planted has blocked all my views and I couldn't see anything. I don't think I'll ever come back now. The majestic gum tree in the middle of the road (we always gave people directions to our home as "the first place past the tree in the middle of the road") is still going strong. Andrew, this one is for you.

On the road again, and the miles faded away. We stopped for coffee in Rosedale and checked that there would be suitable accommodation for us in Orbost while still in Bairnsdale, before completing the last 100km just on dark. We're in a pretty nice one bedroom apartment (because I am clearly trying to pretend we are still in a caravan and I have brought lots of food to cook up ourselves), have enjoyed a delicious dinner and can guarantee that we'll be in bed pretty early to make up for last night.

posted by Tracey @ 7:25 pm