Across

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Down, over and across…
Down -Cairns to Melbourne. Tick.
Over -Bass Strait. Tick
Sailors often farewell each other with the saying ‘fair winds and following seas’. Unfortunately, our over was straight into a southern swell of 4 to 6 metres. Normally in a large ship like the Spirit of Tasmania this is not a problem, but in a cabin almost in the ship’s bow it was ‘a little bit up and down’. Those with sea legs cope, those who are less ship shape, suffer. Nevertheless, the Spirit is a great service. We drive on at 1830 (6.30pm), have a cuppa and a shower, go to sleep and wake before dawn at 0500 (5am) ready to drive ashore at 0600 (6am) without the burden of leaving ships stations, securing inspections, toxic hazards and damage control exercises that are normal routine first day on a warship. Our only drama is the sleep part as yes, it is, ‘a little up and down’.
Tasmania mid-summer greets us bushfire free, mild comfortable weather, lush green pastures, eye catching gardens and a laid back vibe. Climate change seems increasingly inescapable on the Australian mainland, however in Tassie, climate change equates to warm sunshine and a growing population of climate refugees from the mainland. It’s easy to see the logic.
Of course the other attraction of this island state is one beautiful daughter, one loveable son-in-law and three of our five adorable grandchildren. Do you get the sense that we enjoy Tassie?
In a caravan park near Hobart, Richard shares a lively and animated chat with a fellow Avan camper. Its seems they have even more in common than a triangular shaped caravan. Like Richard, Bill is also posting to HMAS Stirling and they too are about to set out on the long drive to WA. Who would have believed there were two couples in the same caravan park, in the quaintly named town of Snug, both driving white utes, towing Avans and about to drive across the Nullarbor to take up their new posting in the west.
With our own family scattered across the nation, this trip gives us the perfect opportunity to reconnect at this special time of the year. Our Navy family too, is an Australian wide reality and it’s an unexpected pleasure to share a few war’ies (war stories) on the road.




Comments

  1. Bruvva DaveDecember 20, 2019 at 10:50 AM

    Enjoy Tassie ! It's up and down here too with concerns over drought and fires. Just enjoy it!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Word4LifeDecember 20, 2019 at 11:43 AM

    Thanks

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. BruvaDaveDecember 5, 2020 at 4:12 PM

      Enjoy your drive to Melbourne today !
      Best wishes..

      Delete

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