Boog's Blog

First to a major attraction.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_Victoria_Market

Three parts to the set up. Deli and fish, excellent, where I had a very fine bratwurst that lasted me the whole day. Fruits and veggies. Large market divided into organic and inorganic. Apples in season, many of the same varieties we get at home, a few other varieties purchased for dessert this evening.

Third part is the tourist market. A bust,at least for us. Walmart quality. Salamanca market in Hobart is a totally different experience, mostly artisan goods,successfully designed to extract our funds.

Smoking. After kiwi land and tas. Sad to be back in a heavy smoking city. Oz does not regulate smoking like the nanny state islands. The air here is noticeably worse. Not terrible but noticeably worse.

Dinner
Smokey bay oysters,fresh
Whitebait
Fish soup
Coq au Vin
Moreton bay bug salad

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thenus

First to a major attraction.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_Victoria_Market

Three parts to the set up. Deli and fish, excellent, where I had a very fine bratwurst that lasted me the whole day. Fruits and veggies. Large market divided into organic and inorganic. Apples in season, many of the same varieties we get at home, a few other varieties purchased for dessert this evening.

Third part is the tourist market. A bust,at least for us. Walmart quality. Salamanca market in Hobart is a totally different experience, mostly artisan goods,successfully designed to extract our funds.

Smoking. After kiwi land and tas. Sad to be back in a heavy smoking city. Oz does not regulate smoking like the nanny state islands. The air here is noticeably worse. Not terrible but noticeably worse.

Dinner
Smokey bay oysters,fresh
Whitebait
Fish soup
Coq au Vin
Moreton bay bug salad

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thenus

Crossing at average of 27 knots, 250km. Holds 500+ cars. We are on deck right of ten.

Melbourne is a coffee and food town. Many choices. One included a very good dry cider with out multi grain salad,quinoa based. Boulard's dry cider from Normandy.

Federation square, place for architecture, cathedral, tourist office, train station, free Wi-Fi. Starting to catch up with uploads.

After a stroll along the south bank, flaming torches, crowds, many location location restaurants we end up with a very poor choice. Looked good but was not. Booked a better place for tomorrow.

First we had to decide on route to the ferry. Long and scenic or half the distance on a middling interest road.

Long route. Goes through st. Helens, and near the bay of fires. Another of the extremely fine sand beaches with some good rocks. Need a geologist Or research to find out why the sand is so different here.

St. Helens is a charming town most reknowed for game fishing and to us a super IGA market. Short ride out to Bilibong bay where I again got to put my feet into the surf of the Tasman sea. NZ and Tas.

Sand in order of ranking. Nice,st.Tropez,NZ Tasman sea, bilibong bay tas. ,Jones beach, friendly beaches tas. Amazing sand on the latter,looked like water when we first approached the undisturbed portions.

To avoid a particularly windy section we took the road through the central valley. Similar to ours except drier with sheep and other farm animals. Did not see any agriculture.

Overnight ferry, no connection for a while. Pictures to flickr now delayed a few days. Should be better in Melbourne.

See Spirit of Tasmania website for boat details.

Wildlife report after a few days in Oz.
Wallabies, possums,kookaburra, un-named parrots, small bird with funny tail, brown bird that makes a loud noise. many lizards as there are many here. No zoo or wildlife park visits as yet.

After the long walk yesterday today is for a series of shorter ones as a way to explore a number of parts of the area. Robyn, ranger at the visitors center, pointed out her favorites in order of choice. Good basis for a plan.

Sleepy bay and lighthouse first. Good cove with ferrite rocks instead of granite. Lighthouse walk with great views of the bays and mountains. boardwalk for a change. Had enough of boulders and tree roots yesterday to last us for today.

Freycinet is located on a peninsula running north south. Narrower in the north. One side is the eastward facing Tasman sea. West side has the spectacular bays such as Coles, wineglass and great oyster. Sand on friendly beaches, that is their name.Tasman sea side, finer than Jones Beach on Long Island. Surprisingly few birds, almost deserted, runs for miles.

Lunch break for leek and potato soup in Coles Bay. Short walk along a path leading to the bay.

Hotel notes. After the fabulous Henry Jones in Hobart we chose a sister property hoping for the same but different. What we have here is closer to Ventana in seeing and approach with a good standard of service but not in the special league of the Henry.

Here WiFi is $5 for 10 min. More an attitude and approach of charges for all. Henry did it right with included unlimited. Bistro here ok but again not in the league of the outstanding food of Hobart.

The setting on Coles bay is as advertised, rustic beauty. Balcony view of the water and purple tinged granite hills make for a view worth getting up a few minutes early for.

The Lodge itself is gorgeous, air again is pristine and wildlife abundant. Possum at our screen door. Kookaburras evening and morning.

Long and tiring walk up and over wineglass bay lookout climbing and descending feldspar infused granite crystalized after the magma cooled. Purplish. Then through the first path, a forest of many ferns including the hard fern referred in kiwi land as Chinese plastic fern.

Very good path generally with many many many rocks. A few dangerous sections. while ascending and descending steep sections thought of incline plans,normal forces and the bio mechanics that seem to make going uphill easier and safer.