A summer in Tasmania

[drron]

We then drove up B26 to Yolla.Some good stuff comes from around here.
..

They had a lot of carrots.
.

We had an ice cream at the Yolla Dairy shop.Very laid back place.
Nice hydrangeas over the road.
..

The old butter factory now a restaurant and function centre.
..

 

[drron]

I then headed down A10 to go to Hellyer's Gorge.
..

..

.

Now after lunch mrsdrron wasn't in the mood for too much nature.From google maps I had picked C101 to get back to B18 near Ridgley.Unfortunately the firs 6-7 Km were like this-
.

Though good gravel.but from there straight through to B!( and back to the Bass Highway and home.

 

[drron]

Thursday came and it was time to say goodbye to mrsdrron.Fortunately for her there are now flights out of DPO and the morning flight connects to the new QF service MEL-MCY.It means she didn't have to take the late night LST-BNE flight.
The flight though was one drama after an another.First the flight out of DPO was delayed an hour as the door on the Dash 8 wouldn't close.She was a little worried about the connection as it was only 75 minuts.She was travelling HLO though.She went straight to Gate 22 where the MCY flight was to leave.Fortunately close to where the Dash 8 flights come in.

The incoming flight was from CBR.She was met by this sight.
..

.

She was told to go away.
Remember this was a flight from CBR.It seems Dr.Young has had an influence in Victoria.

So flight again late but got into MCY virtually on time.Now this was the day that the positive case with the new strain.It arrived a couple hours after the presser.Yet no authority met the plane just friends and relatives at the gate.QLD has been lucky.

 

[drron]

Saturday arrives and as it is my firsy off in 12 I sleep in and finally get going about 1100.I decided to have an easy day as i have pencilled in a long walk for Sunday.I decided to meander down the Meander Valley..I started off in Hadspen close to Launceston.
First stop was a church.
..

An interesting wander around the small cemetery.
..

.

And a well known Tasmanian buried here.
.

Thomas Reibey.Born at Entally house.Educated at Trinity college Oxford and on returning to Tasmania in 1843 becoming an Anglican minister.Elected as the member for Westbury in 1874 and became Premier in 1875 only lastin 15 months in the job.
When he retired from politics he then pursued his racing interests.He had already won the Melbourne cup in 1884 with Malua-a stue of the horse stands outside the Great Western Tiers Information office.

Now I have a tenuous link to his family.His grandmother was Mary Reibey and most of us have seen her picture - it is on the $20 note.The high school I went to was built on land owned by Mary Reibey in Hunters Hill.

$20 Banknote

Information on the banknote. The polymer banknote was first issued on 31 October 1994.

www.banknotes.rba.gov.au

 

[drron]

The view from the edge of town.
..

Street scenes.
..

.

And the Red Feather Inn.Boutique accommodation and a French cooking school.
.

.

 

[drron]

Down to the South Esk river.An unfolding disaster taking place.
.

You might just note a little orange thing in the river.Two young lads were about to find out they hadn't tied their raft securely.
.

..

 

[drron]

On the drive to the next village you pass Entally House.They have developed a nice looking vineyard.
..

..

.

 

[drron]

The next village was Carrick.The Speedway was on that night.
.

But quite a few old buildings.
..

..

This doesn't look like it is being used as a hotel.A restaurant in the extensive gardens but it is closed.
..

.

 

[drron]

The Carrick Inn was advertising good food and cold beer so it sounded the place for lunch.As I arrived this parked outside.
.

I liked the sign on the back of the car.
So in for lunch.There were 3 women just finishing lunch so I had the place to myself.As I left 4 bikies walked in.I decided on a cider rather than a beer.
.

Now I was tossing up between the crispy pork Asian style salad and the pork belly.Ordered the salad but they could obviously read my mind so served me the pork belly.no problem it was the dearer dish so I got a discount.OK and prices reasonable.
.

An interesting room with lots of old photos of Carrick and an amusing Boags ad of yesteryear.
..

 

[drron]

Next door was the Anglican church which soon after it was built had Thomas Reibey as rector
..

..

..

..

 

[drron]

Quite a few beautiful buildings in Carrick.
..

..

..

..

.

 

[drron]

So now off to Westbury.You do go through Hagley but not too much their.Just out of Carrick another fine old house in the distance.
..

..

Arriving in Westbury about the first thing you see is an old hotel though now a private residence.
..

 

[drron]

Over the road from the old hotel is a sign for a vintage tractor museum.So I drove down the side street to investigate.
.

I don't think it has been open for some time.If you are in to old machinery this is the place to go in Westbury.
.

Another old Inn which has been done up and a restaurant and function centre.I have never seen it open though.
.

And a random selection of interesting buildings.
..

..

.

 

[drron]

A group of cottages that are run as a B&B.
..

.

..

A restaurant with a sign in the main street saying open until 3pm.Definitely closed just after 2pm.
.

And the RSL open 7 days.
..

 

[drron]

A lot of the buildings around the CBD do have character.
..

..

..

And a beautiful Town common.
..

 

[drron]

And some nice houses around the Common.
..

.

And a church.
..

And possibly another old Inn with a central courtyard and stables.
..

.

 

[drron]

The scene from the southern edge of town.


..

That pic features a view of tomorrow's office.
..

..

 

[drron]

Now you can't go through Westbury without stopping at the town's premier tourist attraction.
..

.

Yes the Big Wickets.
The lads were out on the park.
..

A bit of nostalgia and a part of me wanted to be out in the middle.
Another place where they have planted Sequoia.
.

 

[drron]

I did intend to start off early today but once again slept in.A nice fruit breakfast with some lovely big,beautiful Lapin cherries,huge blueberries from Forth that were really sweet and these little apricots I picked up on saturday.They might be small but real old fashioned apricot taste.
.

Finally off a little after 0900.Soon seeing views of today's office.
..

.

..

I had always wanted to climb Mt.Roland but early on always frustrated with cold wet days or the mountain in the clouds on days I had available.I had talked to several who had climbed it and thought it sounded a bit too hard.But this time I read about the easier track from Gowrie Park and young children doing the climb so decided to give it a go.I knew that I wouldn't get to the summit as the last 60 metres are a difficult scramble up over rocks and my balance problems would make that impossible.

 

[drron]

I reached the car park just before 10 and had my first bottle of electrolyte water as I knew this may be a long day.The track for the first couple of hundred metres is sealed.Often views of the task ahead.
..

..

The track narrows a little and becomes a dirt track.
.

Soon the scenery changes for the better but the track becomes steeper.
..