July flew by and other than 2 day trips we have stayed firmly secured to the dock as the Southern Ocean has unleashed its’ fury on us. The southerly and westerly winds have blown with amazing regularity at speeds of 40,50 and even 60+ knts. The locals around the marina don’t even blink an eyelid as the timber marina ices up, or the rain pelts down. The only changes that appear to happen is a few more layers of clothes are added and on the slipway adjacent to the club the odd tarpalin is erected so work can continue underneath.
Apart from that we have taken the opportunity to visit a few towns south of Sandy Bay. Whilst Cousin Helen and Daughter Tamra were here we went to the Tahune Air Walk just outside Geeveston. They have suspended a massive walkway at the treetop level and the view of the rain forests below is amazing. Throughout the area you can see these beautiful displays of fungi and ferns.
The walkway is 37 metres high in the canopy. You can see the spectacular views of the Huon and Picton Rivers from the cantilever suspended above the forest.
This is the view from the walkway.
Helen and Karen at the Tuhune Air Walk.
On the way home we drove until we could see Sleeping Beauty Mountain, use your imagination and see if you can see her!
King Tide at the Marina, Alan normally can’t reach up and touch the top of the marina poles. In the background is the Wrest Point Casino,the first casino built in Australia.In front of the dinghy racks is a 10 foot wide jetty, submerged with the king tide.
It was a beautiful sunny day as we headed south along the winding Huon Trail to Kingston. The road winds close to the banks of the D’Entreaux Channel and up over the mountains catching glimpses of Bruny Island. Driving through Kingston and onto Kettering where the Bruny Island Vehicle Ferry departs regularly taking Island dwellers to work whilst the tourist trade heads across for the National Park bushwalks, historic Lighthouse and the cheese factory and Vineyards offering yummy lunches. The bay is full of marinas and moorings home to a lot of the fishing trawlers that service the many Salmon fish farms. In the foreground of the photo are the walkways for the new marina arms waiting to be floated into position.
Continuing on our drive to Flowerpot we saw the Wattle trees out in bloom. Flowerpot is a small community 48klms south of Hobart.We were heading down there for lunch at Sue and Kevins’, they originally came from Lake Macquarie, and now live in a beautiful hand made mud brick house on the hillside overlooking Bruny Island.
Sue was off work as she had broken her arm bush walking! Alan thinks it is now a dangerous activity! Just his excuse not to walk!!
