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MEMBER BULLETIN BOARD => PHOTO PAGE - MEMBER PHOTOS & BEE-MOVIES HERE! => Topic started by: Understudy on October 30, 2007, 05:19:40 pm

Title: A few tassie pictures
Post by: Understudy on October 30, 2007, 05:19:40 pm
Well here are a few photos of some of the stuff we have done in our brief time in Tasmania.

The 102907 album is the day we arrived and took a bit of time recovering.
The 103007 is us going to the Royal Botanical Garden.

I went and cooked up some Kangaroo on my first night. That is great stuff.
http://www.brendhanhorne.com/coppermine_dir/thumbnails.php?album=110 (http://www.brendhanhorne.com/coppermine_dir/thumbnails.php?album=110)
http://www.brendhanhorne.com/coppermine_dir/thumbnails.php?album=111 (http://www.brendhanhorne.com/coppermine_dir/thumbnails.php?album=111)

Sincerely,
Brendhan
Title: Re: A few tassie pictures
Post by: reinbeau on October 30, 2007, 08:42:39 pm
Of course it's spring there, isn't it?  Rhodies blooming in October  :)
Title: Re: A few tassie pictures
Post by: tillie on October 30, 2007, 10:41:16 pm
So much fun that you are sharing your trip with us!

Linda T in Atlanta
Title: Re: A few tassie pictures
Post by: Understudy on October 31, 2007, 06:24:08 pm
http://www.brendhanhorne.com/coppermine_dir/thumbnails.php?album=112 (http://www.brendhanhorne.com/coppermine_dir/thumbnails.php?album=112)

Well another fabulous day in Tassie.
Janel and I went over to Franklin park and played a little chess in the park. I won but barely. When the hell did she learn to play chess with any decency?

After that we took a long walk up to the Cascade Brewery. In the US this would be a small but not a micro brewery. The brewery in incredible. They make beer and very good beer at that. They also make an assortment of fruit beverages and sodas. The place produces almost no waste in it's manufacturing process. And best of all you get to sample their wonderful beers when it is over.

Some notes on Tassie. They have bees, the honeybees are normal, the bumblebees fully grown are mutant size. You don't yield you give way. American Soda (Coke, Pepsi, etc) is expensive. However it contains no HFCS. Yes, it does taste different. Almost no artifical colors or at least a minimum of them. So things will look a little different.

Don't tip it's rude. Food is expensive enough without that anyway. You need reservations for almost everything. Food is sweet never spicy. If someone gave these people had cayene pepper they would explode.

 If you rent a car, their version of a large car is a four door mid size in the US.
Remember gas is by the liter. Don't get excited when you see gas for $1.30.

The place has no lizards or squirrels. Skinks they have but not the little lizards we are use to.

In resturants you may have a water station. The thing that look like an open wine bottle with no label is water. You go and get it and some glasses. You don't get ice. They don't do ice. It's cold enough without it.

They have payphones, which is great because my cell phone doesn't work here. Thye have 8 digit phone numbers. The phone numbers look like this 5555 0000. If you are makin a toll free call it's 1 300 not 1 800.

It's cold here even in summer if you are from south Florida. If you are from any place else the weather seems great.

The birds are beautiful (lorikeets), but they are also loud and awake before sunrise. Cuteness wears off real quick at 4:30 in the morning. The Magpies are huge and carry away small children.

They don't care that you are from the US(which is wonderful). They wonder why the hell you would want to come to Hobart. :)

Sincerely,
Brendhan
Title: Re: A few tassie pictures
Post by: Understudy on November 01, 2007, 07:17:41 pm
Pizza does not come with Tomato sauce in Tassie.

Bacon is a food group.

There are no pennies. Anything below five dollars comes in coin format. You can end up with a very heavy pocket this way.

We did a tour of the Cadbury Chocolate factory. However they are so paranoid you can't take pictures. We did a small boat tour of Hobart Bay. The food was nice.

Battery Park is magnificent. You wouldn't want to live there 25 years ago. Now you can't afford to.

http://www.brendhanhorne.com/coppermine_dir/thumbnails.php?album=113 (http://www.brendhanhorne.com/coppermine_dir/thumbnails.php?album=113)

Sincerely,
Brendhan

Title: Re: A few tassie pictures
Post by: abejaruco on November 02, 2007, 02:58:51 am
Quote
Anything below five dollars comes in coin format. You can end up with a very heavy pocket this way.

 :)In Europe (continental) anything below five euros € comes in coin format. And we end up wearing drooping trousers. (Short time, because coins disappear in a flash).

Edited three times because I don´t read my English grammar book. :'(
Title: Re: A few tassie pictures
Post by: Understudy on November 02, 2007, 03:18:52 am
Note to self.
Pick up International Drivers Permit before traveling to .au

Sincerely,
Brendhan
Title: Re: A few tassie pictures
Post by: abejaruco on November 02, 2007, 04:33:11 am
I´m intrigued, why the sea is so dark? Is it was torrential rain?
Title: Re: A few tassie pictures
Post by: Kathyp on November 02, 2007, 11:41:53 am
abejaruco, it's more fun if you don't edit.  :-) 

even we who have lived here can not be understood many time.  different areas have different "dialects" .  not quite as bad as the UK, but sometimes equally confusing.  if you have been brought up outside the US, or in a family that is multi-lingual, you are apt to have a interesting time of it when you attempt american english....especially in writing, where your goal is correct grammar!

that trousers and pants thing will get you every time!   :evil:

understudy.....they drive on the wrong side of the road!!   :(
Title: Re: A few tassie pictures
Post by: Understudy on November 02, 2007, 12:27:16 pm
I am in a deep water port city. The water is dark because it isn't very shallow.

They don't drive on the wrong side of the road, we do.

Sincerely,
Brendhan
Title: Re: A few tassie pictures
Post by: Kathyp on November 02, 2007, 01:40:52 pm
actually, many countries drive as we do.  law of the sea lanes.  the former British colonies other than ours and Canada, drive on the left.  don't know why..........tried to find out, but no one seems to know  :-)
Title: Re: A few tassie pictures
Post by: Understudy on November 02, 2007, 05:03:02 pm
When Napoleon went through and counquered most of Europe he change the side of the road the caravans would drive on. England wasn't conqured so they still drive on the left.

Sincerely,
Brendhan
Title: Re: A few tassie pictures
Post by: Understudy on November 02, 2007, 06:03:04 pm
We took the Mt. Wellington Bike Descent Tour. It was incredible.
Make some notes if you actually drive your car up there be aware of the following. It gets extremely windy. Hold onto your door when you open it or the wind may blow it right off the hinges. Also there is a major radio tower up there. It messes with the electronics on the cars. You car may not start.

When did a kayak of the bay which was ok but I would pass on next time.

Note to self:
The shopping carts here have all four wheels capable of turning it makes it a bit wierd at first that your shopping cart can go sideways.

http://www.brendhanhorne.com/coppermine_dir/thumbnails.php?album=114 (http://www.brendhanhorne.com/coppermine_dir/thumbnails.php?album=114)

Sincerely,
Brendhan

Title: Re: A few tassie pictures
Post by: Geoff on November 03, 2007, 05:31:38 am
G'day Brendahn & Janelle,
                                  Gee its nice to know that climate change hasn't reached Mt. Wellington yet !!!

           Geoff.
Title: Re: A few tassie pictures
Post by: Cindi on November 03, 2007, 11:31:54 am
Brenden, excellent, you are experiencing a really jam packed vacation and thanks for taking us into this part of our world.  Beautiful pictures, so nice to see.  Have a wonderful and beautiful day.  Cindi
Title: Re: A few tassie pictures
Post by: abejaruco on November 03, 2007, 06:10:05 pm
Brendham, was Napoleon in USA? ;)
Title: Re: A few tassie pictures
Post by: Understudy on November 03, 2007, 07:11:02 pm
Only for the Louisana Purchase. ;)

Leave it to the french leader to change things.
http://users.pandora.be/worldstandards/driving%20on%20the%20left.htm (http://users.pandora.be/worldstandards/driving%20on%20the%20left.htm)

Some notes on Tassie.

The hotel room doesn't use the plastic card some many US hotels use now. They still use keys. However it is a really wierd shaped key. It looks like a U.

The oven temp is in centigrade. I mentioned that so I don't burn the kangaroo or lamb.

I got my rental hot wheels car. No problems driving on the left. The problem is I keep turning on the window wipers instead of the turn signal.

They don't make U turns at intersections. That is what the round abouts are for.

Since the water in Hobart comes off Mt. Wellington the water is very cold. They don't use ice in their drinks. They really don't need to.

My wife is now keeping a small bottle of ketchup in her purse. Here ketchup is Tomato Sauce.
Tomato Paste is what goes on Pasta.

Salemanca Market is awesome. This right now is also the middle of the political season for .au . There are all sorts of interesting political views in .au . Voting is complusary. You don't vote you get a fine. Now technically all you have to do is sign in at the polling station you don't actually have to vote. You can even mark your ballot in caryon to make sure your vote doesn't count.  Elected officials must vote with their party. If they don't they are kicked out.
All this you can learn in the market while having one of 600 varieties of sausage or brawtwerst.

I have learned if you want the good spicey food go to the indian resturants. The curries are amazing. The younger generations prefer the spicey foods however many of the resturants still cater to an older crowd which eat like the older British do. The older British do not eat spiced foods.

I got to meet a friend, Nick. I have been chatting with Nick on the IRC for almost 7 years. Nick was the person who helped my first switch to FreeBSD and away from windoze. It was a great time to meet Nick and his girlfriend Laura.

I ran into a few beekeepers in Salemanca Market. Not one had less than 200 hives. Great people across the board. Most of the hives are way the hell out there. There honies are very thick. They have some amazing tastes. They also crystalize very quickly. I slipped in a few plugs for beemaster.com.

Last night Janel and I went to something called Fashion Fantasia. A fashion show of wearable art. A great show. The outfits were all custom and avante garde.
http://www.fashionfantasia.com.au/index.cfm (http://www.fashionfantasia.com.au/index.cfm)
They won't let you take photos so I don't have any from the event.

More photos for you to enjoy.
http://www.brendhanhorne.com/coppermine_dir/thumbnails.php?album=115 (http://www.brendhanhorne.com/coppermine_dir/thumbnails.php?album=115)

Sincerely,
Brendhan
Title: Re: A few tassie pictures
Post by: hivedrone on November 04, 2007, 03:45:35 pm
Enjoyed the report.  Didn't enjoy the profanity.
Title: Re: A few tassie pictures
Post by: Understudy on November 04, 2007, 05:08:49 pm
Enjoyed the report.  Didn't enjoy the profanity.

Huh?
Am I missing something?

Sincerely,
Brendhan
Title: Re: A few tassie pictures
Post by: Understudy on November 04, 2007, 06:24:12 pm
Okay things are a bit different in Tassie:

It's not a cookie it's a biscuit.

Vegimite is um....interesting.

Road signs in Tassie are interesting.
"Slippery when Frosty"
"100 kph, it's a limit not a challenge"
You don't pass here, you overtake.
And you better stay in the left unless you are overtaking.
The sign with the number surrounded by the red circle that is the speed limit.
They have cameras everywhere, you may view them as a means of contributing to the local economy.
You don't dial 911 you dial 000
Tow services operate 24/7 and take just as long to get to you.

If you don't like the "All Blacks" you are not a bigot you are a futbol fan. The "All Blacks" is the name of New Zealand's team. Please do not confuse futbol which is soccer with Australlian Futbol which is more like American Football minus the padding. And none of which is rugby.

We drove out to Huon National Forest and went to the Tahune Airwalk. It is a gorgeous drive that is similar to driving through the north Georgia around Ellijay or Blue Ridge.
I didn't take a lot of pictures on the drive because I was more concerned about staying on the road. They don't have interstates and each car coming at you seems like an inevitable head on collision.  I tend to over compensate slightly and drive with the passenger wheels on the side of the road. This makes my wife nervous. However I am much more comfortable dealing with oncoming traffic. She will adjust.

My wife keeps reminding herself that the wind is refreshing and envigourating. Instead of mentioning the antartic winds are cold and colder.

Did I mention it's Spring going to Summer here.
Did I mention I live in a swamp.

More Pictures:
http://www.brendhanhorne.com/coppermine_dir/thumbnails.php?album=116 (http://www.brendhanhorne.com/coppermine_dir/thumbnails.php?album=116)

Sincerely,
Brendhan



Title: Re: A few tassie pictures
Post by: Kathyp on November 04, 2007, 06:37:44 pm
it sounds like you are having a wonderful time!  your pictures are great.

Quote
They wonder why the hell you would want to come to Hobart

perhaps this is what he/she was referring to.  some of us believe that hell is a literal place....portland is a literal place and probably  not much different from hell.  if it makes our more sensitive readers feel better, i would not be offended if you rewrote your sentence and substituted 'portland' for 'hell'.  double check with the other oregonians.  we wouldn't want to offend   :evil:

when do you get back??
Title: Re: A few tassie pictures
Post by: reinbeau on November 04, 2007, 06:44:06 pm
Enjoyed the report.  Didn't enjoy the profanity.

Huh?
Am I missing something?

Sincerely,
Brendhan
You said H-E-Double Hockey Sticks.  Hardly profanity  :roll:
Title: Re: A few tassie pictures
Post by: Cindi on November 05, 2007, 12:39:40 am
Brendhan, no worries, I don't think that word is such a bad one.  Your reporting to us all your events have been awesome.  Thanks for taking us into that part of the world.  Have a beautiful and greatest of days.  Cindi
Title: Re: A few tassie pictures
Post by: Understudy on November 05, 2007, 06:06:12 am
Actually i think I have found the offensive item. A photo I took in Salemanca Market of a T shirt.
The slogan reads Mc**** (uncensored version).

The shirt hangs in the open at Salemanca Market.

They aren't as hung up on profanity as the US is.

Sincerely,
Brendhan
Title: Re: A few tassie pictures
Post by: reinbeau on November 05, 2007, 07:51:19 am
Oh well, no offense taken here!

Brendhan, what is vegamite?  I've always wondered, ever since Men at Work came out with that song.
Title: Re: A few tassie pictures
Post by: Understudy on November 05, 2007, 06:23:07 pm
I head home on Thursday.

Vegimite is like a jelly spread made of veggies. It isn't horrible. but it is an acquired taste. They usually put it on toast. They have wonderful debates on whether you should put it on thick or thin.

Apple and Pear stands are all over country. These people are trusting. Basically they are just open stands with bags of apple and pears and an honor box for payment. In the states this is refered to as free food.

The country side is gorgeous. No billboards.

Some notes on traffic laws. Parking signs say 1P or 2P or something like P5. It may even say 4P meter. Basically this means this 1P is parking one hour. 2P is two hours parking. Not be confused with P5 which means 5 minutes. The number is after the P not before it. If the word meter is on the sign that means you poy to park there for up to so many hours. If you don't pay the ticket is $25

Since there is a lack of artificial colors chocolate milk is still basically white. Chocolate milkshakes are also basically white. However they are heavy on the blender. They make their shakes pretty thin. If they ever had a Frosty from Wendy's they would think it was a food joke.

Lobster is not called lobster. It's Crawfish, which is nothing like the New Orleans delicacy that comes in a bite size snack.  Also it's Craw-Fish (kraw-fish) not (cray-fish). And they have no idea what a crawdad is.

My wife has been thrilled to notice the lack of Mosquitoes.

Today we drove up to Freycienet Park and Wineglass Bay. This is a gorgeous drive. It is rement of driving the Pacific Coast highway around Pacifica and Half Moon Bay. The roads are narrow and winding. In driving school they teach you to drive with one hand at 10:00 and one at 2:00. That is a recipe for disaster here. You have one hand at 12:00 and the other on the shifter. If you want to rent an automatic in tassie you pay extra if they even have one. If you can't drive a stick you are in a bit of hurt. They really don't have those down here.

The long and winding roads have a speeds of anywhere from 25k to 100k and feel like you are on an wild ride at the amusment park. It is great driving.

Small sidenote:
Tassie has very dry air. You must drink lots of water while you are here. Else you get dehydrated.

I mention this because my wife failed in this. And driving on this set of roads is like a carnival ride. She got car sick. There are no emergency lanes.

Warning it is not nice to snicker when wife is getting car sick.

The drive to Wineglass Bay is about 2-3 hours. I suggest for your first time you double it. There are many gorgeous bays and beaches along the way you will want to stop at. There are also wineries you will want to stop and sample a few glasses at.

So as we made our way to Freycienet Park we stop at one of the beaches and checked the area out. Saw some starfish and gorgeous shells.

When we finally reached Freycienet Park we went to a game reserve they have there. There is an abundance of huge ducks that hang out there. It is a prime hunting area. My wife thanked me in advance for getting us shot. Meanwhile it was off season. The ducks never let you get close but in a few pictures you might see a few of them. You will also learn every little island or growth in the lake is fake and used by hunters for camoufloge. They place tall grasses around a frame and hang out inside. And with the good aussie spirit most of the frames are made up of signs and posts that restrict certain activities.

Now wildlife in Tassie is a bit different. In the city you are not likely to see much. Maybe a Bitarong that has escaped from a nearby wildlife park and that is about it. However for roadkill you will see all sorts. We say dead Platapus, Wallibies, Wombats, Tasmanian Devils, and maybe a fox(debatable).  But live wildlife is tough. Now I know why most of it is nocturnal and avoids human contact for the most part.

Well I get the exception. I was driving back from the game reserve on a unsealed road(dirt road). And in the middle of the road is a huge Echinda. This is not some small cute little thing it's huge. So we follow it back to an empty stump took some photos and left it alone. My wife refered to it as the most tramatic five minutes of the Echinda's live. I refered to it as the perfect moment in my vacation.

As we drove through the Park we saw soem Wallybe. Even one with a baby in the pouch.

We finally made it to the main area of the Park. I would recommend if you ever want to go camping and hiking go here and dedicate at least 4 days. Yes you can easily spend that much time there if not more. We went simple and took the 3 hour excersion to Wineglass Bay lookout. This area is simply amazing. The path right now is not easy. It isn't handicap accesible. They are building a wimpy boring path that will be finished next month but this was much more fun. I have to admit though I was a bit discouraged by the gent who insisted on jogging up the path. Setting his watch checking his heartbeat made me feel like I was back in the states. I felt like chasing him with a pack of cigs and some twinkies yelling you forgot something. But that would mean I would have to exert myself and find a pack of cigs and twinkies.

I have to admit I was just stunned by how amazing this trip was. If this place had some heat it would be just about perfect.

More pictures:
http://www.brendhanhorne.com/coppermine_dir/thumbnails.php?album=117 (http://www.brendhanhorne.com/coppermine_dir/thumbnails.php?album=117)

One small note I mentioned before the lack of pennies. The one place they will get you with that is at the gas station. They always round up to the nearest nickel or dime. So remember that when you pump your petrol.

When you are lounging around in you hotel room make sure you have a bag of Tim Tam's. It a chocolate biscuit (cookie) that is just fun to munch on.

Sincerely,
Brendhan
Title: Re: A few tassie pictures
Post by: Cindi on November 05, 2007, 11:03:31 pm
Brendhan, right, excellent, it sounds like you and your Wife are really having a wonderful time.  I had to laugh about the warning to not giggle when wife is throwing up, heee, heee!  I was very sick when we went to Fiji for a trip, my husband learned not to giggle when I threw up either.  Kidding aside:

You are an excellent writer, Brendhan, and you take us right into sharing your trip with you and your wife.  Yeah, keep up those good writing skills, and tell us more, you still have a couple of days to account.  Continue with your fun, fun, fun, I wish it was warmer for you too, you baby!!!!!!  Have a wonderful day, beautiful life and safe trip back home.  Cindi
Title: Re: A few tassie pictures
Post by: Understudy on November 06, 2007, 09:30:03 am
Well here is an early entry into my adventures in Tassie.

The reason being I have to get up early for tomorrow's adventure. So I will toss this in before I go to bed.

Today's travel went to a town called Sorell. We drove through it yesterday on our way to Wineglass Bay. The town is literally the fork in the road for your travels. When the Tasman Highway reaches this town it forces you to make a left or a right. If you go left You are going toward Wineglass Bay. If you go right you are going toward Port Arthur.

Our first stop was Sorell Fruit Farm. Which is just opened for the U pick season last weekend. U pick fruit is a little different here. Yes you can get strawberries. As a matter of fact in November it is the only thing you can get.
Last weekend was opening weekend. You would have thought they had gleaned the fields that first weekend. There were lots of strawberries but finding ripe one's was the trick. We found plenty though.

The Sorell Fruit Farm however has all sorts of fruits that you can pick as they become ripe. So what the heck is a Tayberry. And the reason I want to know is the bees were working the blooms like there was an open bar. The fruits become more and more available as it gets close to January with that being the peak of picking fruit season in Tassie. Did I mention the seasons are reversed here.

So with a couple of bins of Strawberries, a very happy wife, and more road tripping to go we head out to road continual reminding myself at each intersection to look right left right not left right left. And look over shoulder if your walking. Because they come at you from behind.

We had the benefit today of a gorgeous sunny day, complete with a nice wind off the Antarctic just to remind you how close you are to the south seas. Actually it was warm today. So when we found this gorgeous shallow bay. You could easily walk out 500 meters and never get your knees wet. I believe this is only possible in low tide. I suspect high tide would probably add a meter or two.

This area would be remenescent of the Bahamas or Bermuda. The nice thing was since the water was shallow it was warm. The bad thing it has these little crabs. Now there is a great eco system here. Lots of bivalves that the crabs like to eat. The Sea Gulls eat the crabs. And when the Sea Gulls die other sea creatures help decompose them which the clams eat.  However there is one thing to upset this delicate eco system. Toes. That's right, little appendages on the end of your foot are a crab delicacy. They look at them like sausages and in Tassie everyone eats sausages. So here I am arguing with this crab over possession of my toes. I move my foot left the crab moves left, I move right the crab moves right. I move my foot forward he puts his claws up and whips out seasoning. Ok, not quite but it is very interesting to see these little crabs with bodies about the size of a quarter not running away from you. Best defense make a bird shadow and squack like a sea gull if the crab doesn't run away, it will die of laughter.

We made a stop at the Tasman Devil Conservation Park. They work at Rehabilitating Tassie Devils and finding a cure for the oral cancer that is afflicting the the Tassie Devil. Apparently this cancer is also contagious among Tassie Devils. Who apparently squabble and fight frequently. One of the reason for some much visible road kill is the lack of Tassie Devils who are basically the roadkill collectors in nature. I didn't dare suggest that oil, radiator, or brake fluid getting on the roadkill may have contributed to this issue. They may have fed me to one of these things.

Now Tassie Devils are a bit weird(like so much else down under). The Tassie Devil is a Possum (Okay actually it's a marsupial) but it has the tail of a possum and the build of one also. I don't mean a bush or ring tail possum. I am talking the American version that is the size of  house cat and on rare occasion is rumored to feign death in order to avoid being eaten. So this Tassie devil is a Possum that is oversized and has razor sharp teeth that can bite through bone.
It eats meat, not fruit, veggies, or the occasional one that tries to get into my beehives. It prefers it raw also. And when they are distressed and or threatened they are loud. They also on rare occasion when fighting spin wrestle on each other. Not like the cartoon character made famous by Bugs Bunny / Road Runner. But not to far off either.

The park is short and basically keeps on it's premises animals that can't be reintroduced to the wild. So they have some friendly roos and wallabies.They also have a goose with green on it's bill. They are not friendly and look similar to what I saw at the game reserve yesterday except these at the reserve were gray. These geese like to stand on one leg like a Flamingo with it's knees on properly. The whole park can be covered in a half hour. It is basically a nice little tourist trap they use to help raise money to help rehabilitate devils get them off highly addictive fruits and veggies and back on raw meat. Okay I joke about the fruits and veggies but they help those that are injured or orphaned and can be reintroduced.

We continued to Port Arthur. Now Port Arthur in it's day was a prison city. The prisoners were brought into Port Arthur and assigned one of a variety of tasks from quarry to boat building or something else. Port Arthur only held the men and boy prisoners the females went to the female factory which Janel and I went by on our bike down Mt. Wellington.

Basically Port Arthur was a self contained city in some ways. There is an interesting situation that came about because of Port Arthur and helped contribute to it's closing. It worked. They would rehabilitate prisoners and give them a trade. Many of them would leave Port Arthur able to read, write, and have a skill which they could use to earn a living. Sounds good right? The problem was the townsfolk were complaining about losing jobs to reformed prisoners. Who had a trade when they came out of prison. So what happened was they enacted a parole system and basically closed down Port Arthur.

Now my wife has basically consolidated the history of Tasmania to these bullet points.

Blah Blah Blah Van Deimen's Land Blah Blah Blah Built by convict labor in the 1800's Blah Blah Blah Destroyed by fire Blah Blah Blah.

Now that is a bit oversimplified but I love it when she let's her sarcastic side out.

Some notes on the ocean water. it is usually a bit choppy or very deep which contributes to the lack of clarity you might expect when you visit. This isn't the Bahamas. However on a nice day the water will rival anything the Bahamas has to offer. The problem is it only lasts a short time. Tasmania is surrounded by the South Sea which is a vicious section of water. Calm and serene it is not. Now imagine being some 15 year old convict stuck below deck in irons with cold antarctic water seeping in and rough seas. Maybe next time you won't steal that coat just because your freezing to death in the middle of winter in the cesspool that was London at the time.

More pictures:
http://www.brendhanhorne.com/coppermine_dir/thumbnails.php?album=118 (http://www.brendhanhorne.com/coppermine_dir/thumbnails.php?album=118)

Sincerely,
Brendhan
Title: Re: A few tassie pictures
Post by: Cindi on November 06, 2007, 09:38:47 am
Brendhan, beautiful, your stories take me right there with you and Jarnel, be reminded of your excellent writing skills, that is not a commonplace talent, yeah!!!  Have a wonderful rest of your trip, I am looking forward to your next account.  Also, have a wonderful day, safe trip home.  Cindi
Title: Re: A few tassie pictures
Post by: Understudy on November 07, 2007, 06:51:38 am
Well the adventure in Tassie is coming to an end.
I head home in the morning. I could easily stay hear another 2 months and have a
different adventure everyday. Even if I went back to some of the places I have
already been.

Some notes on being a husband. Your job is that of scapegoat. It's your fault no
matter what. Even if you are right. Truth and justice have no place in a
marriage. You can be right or you can be married.

Yes, for men this is a huge blow to our ego. it is tough for us as creatures of
logic to accept this. If you want to stay married swallow your pride and
remember the wisest saying of all. "And this to shall pass."

Why mention this when describing my trip to Tassie. It is prep for what is
coming. I have learned I can break the Internet even if I am nowhere near the
computer. The car battery dies because I did or did not do anything to the car.
I could even be the sole responsibility for global warming. But I am still
married and that is what matters. (Yes, there is some sarcasm in there)

We turned in the rental car yesterday with no damage and a full tank of gas.

Our last trip is a boat trip around adventure bay in Bruny Island. I save the
best for last. Now you have to meet the bus that takes you to Bruny Island at
the Visitor Center at 7:50 am. Since we no longer have the car we will walk over.
It's not far and we have walked it before. But the walk is about 15 minutes.

Now my wife is wonderfully organized. She sets aside the money for each event
separately. It at times seems almost anal..... Okay it is, but I just had a trip
to Tassie without going into debt. So she can manage the money whatever way she
wants.

Now we get up initially at 5:30 because the lorikeets are awake and my wife
wakes up and is convinced we have overslept. I look at the clock and mourn the
half hour of sleep I was still due and will never get.

But at 6am we are up and getting ready. Shower, dress, breakfast, and all the
usual morning routine to get ourselves ready to go to the location. It is a
a quarter past seven, right on time. I ask is everything ready and we go.

Now we get to the bus station and meet with the tour captain and get signed in.
I then ask my wonderful wife whom I love very much and is not allowed to kill
me. If she has brought the money for the trip which is getting ready to leave.

In the movies this part is refereed to as dead silence.

My wife has left the money on the counter in the hotel room. Now I don't freak
out. I still have my credit card and all she has to do is pay back the credit
card when we get home(see this is why I could never be a complete simple living
type, credit cards are useful on occasion). Now I mentioned I didn't freak out.
My wife has. And it's my fault.


Yup, your faithful poster is 100% completely responsible for all ills in the
world, strike that the universe. Why is this my fault? I rushed her. Yes, the
hour plus we had to get ready this morning wasn't enough. Also I did not
explicitly go though each detail before we left this morning. I should not have
asked "Are you ready?" I should have asked if each piece of clothes was on in a
satisfactory manner, if the teeth were brushed properly, was the morning
consumables adequately digested, and did she remember to secure the funding for
the event.

So I am now getting the silent but not subtle wrath of my wife for again failing
to perform adequately as a husband , excuse me as a human being.

My comment on not having to worry because we have an adequate solution will not
remove the icey cold stares at my tender soul. Even though my solution is
satisfactory it was not the original plan. And after market plans are evil that
do nothing more than support the terrorist, contribute to global warming, and
equate to taking candy from babies.

Men who have been married for a while understand they must endure these moments
of anguish for the few moments of bliss that come between them.

And this bad mood will pass too.

So off we go toward Bruny Island. I will endure the tortures of the Spanish
Inquisition for the first part of the ride over. But I know she will be in a
better mood when the boat ride begins.

The Tassie spirit is that the adventure isn't in the finish but in getting
there. And our ride over was wonderful. We had two Tassie guides who promised to
tell us everything about Tasmania and if they didn't know it, they would make it
up. Sarcasm is an art in Tasmania used liberally and without political
correctness. It was wonderful to be among people who just aren't concerned about
minor details. My Irish background stood out like sore thumb and everyone had
fun with me. It was great. It is funny that I didn't stand out as an American
but as an Irish man.

The Bruny Island is a small island off the southern coast of Tasmania. It has a
population of about 600 many of whom work for the charter or use the island as
home for their fishing job.

The north section of the island has some very nice woodlands and sheep farms.
The south section borders the south seas and is a national park. And is battered
by the weather from the south seas. The further south you go the fewer trees you
will see. More shrubs and mosses in the southern area. But for me that was not
the best part. The incredible rock formations. They are magnificent. When you
view the photos and you realize that your faithful poster has taken over a
hundred pictures of rocks be kind. I realize you cannot go ooh and ahh over each
picture. They will never reflect the details and beauty in them and after the
first twenty or so you will probably get bored. I understand.

The water is clear but very deep so you will not always see the bottom but
watching a sea lion swim under your boat is incredible. If the whales come by it
is a religious experience. The Cromerants use the rock faces as nesting grounds.
The sea lions use them as a way station for those not worthy of a harem on the
beach. Note for the sensitive of smell. Sea lions in zoo smell like rose petals
compared to what you will smell when the wind  that smell under your nose.
And it is never appropriate of your wife to comment and ask "What have you been
eating?" She could end up as fish food. But you will still love her.

The rocks, wildlife, and swells and 3 outboard mercury engines make this an E
ticket ride. If you get motion sickness you may want to take something before
you get on the boat. However it is worth it. Even if you turn so green you match
the sea. Well at least it was to me, but I didn't get sick. My twinkle in my eye
of six years did great until we started pulling thirty knots and 8 foot swells
on the ride back following some albatross. Then she just sat there and tapped
her heel on the floor like a low powered chipping hammer. I mentioned we could
go back and smell the sea lions. Yes, revenge is best served cold but since I
can be responsible for all the ills of the universe, I can at least take the
blame for the waste matter of natural sea lions.

The boat ride is 3 hours but you would never notice it unless you are turning
green in which case it may seem like three years. But hey, I was feeling fine.
And no they are not going to cater the boat ride for the squeamish. Simply
because the seas didn't get the note from PC police. When the ride was over I
felt amazed. It was simply an incredible event.

On the ride back they stopped at a lookout point. You have 239 steps to climb to
reach the top. And everyone one of them my wonderful soul mate would mention
that she lives in Florida because it is flat. And that you don't have to do this
in Florida. Now for some reason the tour captain mention there were 238 steps to
the top. Someone on our party counted them and came up with 239. Without
missing a beat out captain said "Well there were 238 last week." The whole group
laughed.

We stopped at an oyster shack also on the way back to the ferry. You get a dozen
shucked oysters for $10. They don't have cocktail, Tabasco, or any other spicy
sauce as I mentioned before. However these oysters are so good you eat them
plain. Mine didn't last the length of the driveway. I offered the empty shells
to our captain as gratitude for our wonderful adventure. Leave it to the Irish
to offer the scraps as a gift. I thought I was going hurt myself laughing so
hard. An Aussie accent makes it seem so much funnier than my nasty type.

It was a fabulous time.

Now I have to get packed remind my better half to bring the tickets because if
we get stuck here it would be my fault. Yet I am can't find the negative in
getting stuck in Tassie.

27 hours in flying sardine can now that is a test of fortitude.

More pictures with lots of rocks:
http://www.brendhanhorne.com/coppermine_dir/thumbnails.php?album=119 (http://www.brendhanhorne.com/coppermine_dir/thumbnails.php?album=119)

Sincerely,
Brendhan
Title: Re: A few tassie pictures
Post by: Toholio on November 07, 2007, 07:29:11 am
Vegimite is like a jelly spread made of veggies.
Actually it's concentrated yeast extract and two kinds of salt. There're some other things in it but think semi-solid salty black gunk and you'll get the idea. Delicious.

It isn't horrible. but it is an acquired taste. They usually put it on toast. They have wonderful debates on whether you should put it on thick or thin.

For some reason people often put a smear on a dummy (pacifier) for babies. It's probably why we all grow up thinking it tastes fine.


Quote from: Understudy
Did I mention the seasons are reversed here.
You may have...  :-P

The reversed seasons thing drives me nuts some of the time. It's very frustrating reading beekeeping and gardening books which tell you to do things at exactly the wrong time of year. On the upside, even though I'm living in the southern part of the Australian mainland, it never gets so cold here that the bees wont be active at least a few days a week. Add in with this the number of gums which flower in winter and the many nectar heavy native plants which flower almost continuously and things don't look too bad going into winter.
Title: Re: A few tassie pictures
Post by: reinbeau on November 07, 2007, 08:08:43 am
Toholio, Vegamite sounds like something I'd really like - salty!  Hum!  ;)

Could you edit your profile and put in your location?  That way you won't be hopelessly lost.

Oh, and welcome!

Brendhan, your descriptions of your travels are wonderful - as well as your descriptions of being a husband from the husband's point of view.  You are still her knight in shining armor, the armor just needs polishing every once in awhile  ;)
Title: Re: A few tassie pictures
Post by: Cindi on November 07, 2007, 11:01:43 am
Oh Brendan.  You make me laugh my guts out!!!!  I read and laughed, read and laughed, and thought, hmmmm.....that sounds like just how my Husband feels too.

His name is Someone.  And Someone always gets blamed for something that Someone has done!!!!  He has known that one for years, hee, hee.

How could you know that everything in the world is your fault?  Now you know that one for sure.  About the money that your wife forgot to bring.  Of course that was your fault, you didn't ask her if she had everything under control.   Heee, heee.

Men do have the oddest roles in this life of the woman, now don't they.

Kidding aside.  You have created the most beautiful reading in the morning, the accounting of your travels on your vacation.  Thank you for taking the time and you have probably made many of us laugh our guts out, what more better way to start a day. Have a wonderful and beautiful day, safe trip home.  Cindi