Road Trip...

DSIL#1 - "I have a couple of Stamp Albums you can have - come for Lunch"

I must admit I could get used to having a view like this from my Kitchen window.

And the 'Couple of Albums' turned out to be BIL's extensive Collection of First Day Covers.  

Apparently, we now collect other peoples Stamp Albums....

So that is how we found ourselves having an unplanned weekend away in Ballarat.

 

Ballarat is only 90 mins from home but we decided to turn this into an early Birthday treat and stay overnight at the RACV Resort.

So, having nowhere to go but Home and all day to get there, we took the opportunity to visit the Creswick Woollen Mill.

We wandered into the past looking at the old tools, and weaved our way through a portion of the 100 meters of the World's Longest Picnic Rug

 (Guinness Record 6-10-2011)

We read about their advances in Fire Blanket Technology for the CFA

and walked past silent looms. 

(The blankets are now woven in Waverley Mills Launceston TAS and finished at Creswick.)

All that was left was to spend way too much time in the Mill Store.

Checking out the beautiful Woollen Blankets and clothing.

And who could resist a basket full of Alpaca Offcuts.....

Return to Sender ..... I wish

Have you ever ordered something on-line and it either takes FOREVER to arrive IF it arrives at all?

This week we had a parcel delivered that was clearly not ours.
The only similarity was that it was the same Street and Number.

I wrote on the envelope that it needed to be sent to SOUTH AUSTRALIA and put it back in the Mail.

This was a litany of errors starting with the sender not placing a Return Address AND leaving BOTH tracking labels on the Parcel.  

There was no way I could contact them.  I had the tracking numbers so I could see what was happening - just hope the recipient did too.

This parcel ended up in a loop of arriving at my place - going back to the mail sorting only to come back to me.

I tried to return it via the mail box and 2 Post Offices. On the 3rd visit, they took one look at me and the parcel, mumbled something about once the stamps are cancelled it can't be on-forwarded and decided to put it into a new envelope and try again.

I presume it arrived safely.  

Or it is bouncing around every other State in the Country that has the same Street Name as Ours.  

I will never know.

Cake Decorating

 At approx. AUD 110.00 per 1kg* Cocoa Butter is not my first choice for Cake Decorating but today's Workshop gave us the opportunity to try it out.

(With a HUGE Thank you to our demonstrator for supplying the Cocoa butter)

After having traced the provided Image onto our Plaques we then melted the Cocoa butter over hot water and coloured it with dusting powder.

(A small amount of Cocoa Butter went a long way!)

Then the fun began.

Painting our Christmas Bird. 

The Cocoa Butter flowed beautifully leaving a waxy finish which could be worked on indefinitely with a warm finger if needed.

By the end of the day, everyone had learned a lot and we had a table full of Christmas Robins.

I can imagine beautiful artwork on a cake using this medium.  

My only advice - Don't leave it near a heat source!

*Price & Image from Savour Melbourne

 (Home of The Chocolate Queen Kirstin Tibballs) 

May

May 3rd :
This tiny little ball of fluff is Logan.

The newest member of the Family - 

I think  DS#2 is going to have his hands full!

May 16: Happy Anniversary - 

This year we managed a Weekend Getaway to Healesville. 

Lunch at The Yarra Valley Chocolaterie & Ice-Creamery and Dinner at RACV Banyalla Restaurant.

We were going to go to Healesville Sanctuary but Sunday's weather was so wet we doubted that even the Ducks would be out!

If Spring is time to clean the House, then Autumn must be the perfect time to clean the Computer...

19,961 Files taking up 93.32 GB.

And that was just so I could continue with the Great Photo Purge of  2024!

May 25

This giant Meccano Set is a Storage Hoist for DS#2's Garage.

In a perfect world with perfect conditions it may have 'just' taken a weekend.

but a solid week of work and a few headaches later, not only had the Christmas Tree and other rarely used items been hoisted up to the ceiling. 

He also had extra access ports into the roof 

(No more Tradies traipsing through the house!)

May 27

Our Street has been far from tranquil these past few months, with new Townhouses being built so lots of Tradies trucks as well as a regular Bus service.

But today they blocked off the street, brought in bigger trucks and replaced 3 Power Poles.

Time to say 'Good bye' to one of the more "Interesting" characters in our street.  

This piece of fun mysteriously appeared a few years ago and ... although we haven't named him he has been very much part of our street.

Sadly his Pole is one of those being replaced.

So that's a wrap from Our Place for May.

The Rest of April

Wouldn't it be nice If the only thing you had to worry about is where the next puddle of Sunshine was?

I think he has forgiven us for going away.

So with that, it is back to whatever passes for Normal around here...

What can we pack into the final 10 days of April?

1.  (DS#2) My new desk has arrived can I get help with assembling it?

It is VERY Beautiful  …

Are you sure this is going to be big enough?

2. (DS#1) The Hedge needs trimming - 

Can you help? 

Oh and Bring the Shredder...

(I still can't work out why he planted Pittosporum down the narrow sideway....)

3.  Between a Rock and a Hard Place. 

How come I can't grow Cyclamen but my Mother can grow them in the path?

4.  Time to check out the 'new' Coffee Shop! - Note to Self...

 Remember not to turn up on Mondays or after 3.00pm !

And here is something I have never tried before... (I hope it works!)

5.  Poor Buster - I know exactly how you feel!

Day 12 - Homeward Bound

 But not before...

You Guessed it - ANOTHER Early Start!

8:40 am 

To the First Nations People it is Kunanyi.  To us it was Mount Wellington and so it is now Kunanyi/ Mount Wellington. 

At 1270 m above Sea Level, it is not the highest Peak in Tasmania, but stands watch over Hobart and from the Summit - on a clear day, you can pretty much see forever.

For us, the early morning mist shrouded the View in an ethereal blanket. 

 

Although we couldn't see those 'forever horizons' we were told about, it was still magical. 

Back down to the Hustle of a Saturday Morning, an unexpected bonus - Hobart's Salamanca Market was open, and we had just enough time to have a quick look at the many stalls. 

Then one last Tour Bus Ride - Dropping some, who were staying longer, at their Hotels before heading to the Airport - Waving fond fare-well and hugging people we may never cross paths with again.

We have seen so much yet only scratched the surface of this World Heritage Place - some of which is only available to Tour Companies like Outback Spirit.

And I have challenged my Comfort Zone on several occasions - But then, isn't this WHY we travel?

Hobart is just 1 hr 15 min flight from Melbourne or if you want to take longer The Spirit of Tasmania takes around 10 hours to cross Bass Straight to Devonport.

Outback Spirit Tours - DestinationTasmania

Spirit of Tasmania

Salamanca market.com.au

Day 11 - Bruny Island, Part Two

Standing on the Jetty at Adventure Bay, I am afraid my sense of humor escaped, and I hummed a few bars of the Gilligan's Island Theme Song. It wasn't lost on some, as we were about to embark on a 'Three Hour Tour.....'

Fortunately the Weather was Perfect as we climbed aboard the purpose built 12 .5 Naiad Boat, donned our Red Waterproof Coats and happily accepted Ginger Tablets, just in case we felt a little "Other".

And with the mandatory Safety spiel out of the way -We were Off...

The fact that we had the company of a second tour group and were not heading into the Southern Ocean alone was comforting. 

We marvelled at the coastline in all its ancient beauty

And got up close and personal with massive Blowholes

We heard stories of Adventurers Past, One who used to jump off the boat and swim through this gap - 

Eventually deciding that it wasn't such a good idea, when one day he was followed by a Shark! 

(Fortunately for him and the passengers on board, He lived to tell the tale.)

They took us out to see the Black-Faced Cormorants - 

Confidently standing atop their Rocky Perch while the Ocean boils beneath them 

We went out to where the Tasman Sea meets the Southern Ocean

Then back past The Friars, to see the Australian Fur Seals taking a break before heading back into the water.

 

I debate with myself, if I should pack my 35mm Camera when we go on holidays now.

But then you get some shots that my iPhone just can't manage.  And This is one of them!

It was an awesome Adventure and once safely  back on dry land we were treated to Warming Soup and the Most Architecturally Stunning Salad Roll I have ever seen!

Further Information:

Bruny cruises