Battery Point Sculpture Trail

The Bloke and I walked a section of this curated walk within the first week of our arrival but missed some parts. This was remedied when Jeanie and I made a couple of trips into Central Hobart in a effort to walk off some 'hospitality'.

The trail serves to give a guided visit to some early Hobart landmarks and their significance. It begins at the Southern end of Salamanca Place and finishes at Errol Flynn Reserve in Sandy Bay. In case you weren't aware, Errol was a son of Tasmania and gave his name to the Aussie phrase "In like Flynn" : a reference to his reputation as a 'ladies man'.

One of the early stops was an octagonal hut housing a line used to measure the Hobart tides through a hole in the rock. We immediately felt a connection in view of our time on the water and our interest in the spectacular tides of Bass Strait.

 

Each of the landmarks came with their own explanation but we spotted some additional things on the way too.

Jean was drawn, for example, to this bronze of Roald Amundsen.

 The distance of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. The finish line is along the trail.

This actual 'sculpture' depicting a propeller, was near the race finish line.

 

 The land at Battery Point was sub-divided in 1923 enabling the development of housing.

The site of boat yards where hundreds of boats were built.

 

We've been along this trail numerous times and it really seems the quickest route to walk into Hobart from the RYCT in Sandy Bay. In like Flynn!

Are we Stalkers?

A part of our morning ritual has been to check the weather. Not just to see of it will rain but really check the weather. An overall picture at first then a breakdown of anticipated changes through the day. Wind, tide, barometric pressure, synoptic situation are all assimilated to give an impression of what to expect. After that, we are free to check on news, emails etc. In reality there haven't been a lot of places we've been where internet has been unavailable.

Ever since we left home we've been curious about who else is out on the water. This is especially so so since arriving in Tasmania at the start of spring. It was still cold, the weather still in a winter pattern and we just seemed to be the only loonies moving about on the ocean. We found ourselves checking Marine Traffic, an AIS site that displays shipping movements. A number of yachts use AIS to share their location; us included. This is not for social reasons, we don't want to be unexpectedly run down by a big container ship or similar! We want to be electronically 'seen'! It does however let  viewers see, in a general sense, which yachts are traveling and where.

We also look at a site called Skipr.net that is used by predominantly cruising yachts, to log their position, record a few words about their passage to that destination and the position is visible collectively on a map. To begin with there were very few little red or green blobs anywhere on the Tasmanian coast. The Queensland coast was illuminated with little blobs. Now, North Queensland looks empty and due to the Van Diemen's Land circumnavigation being in progress as well as a club cruise from the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club (Pittwater) there are now a couple of dozen blobs all around Tassie. We've watched the boats launching from Eden across Bass Strait headed for the Wooden Boat festival and so on. It doesn't take long to recognise the boat names and there is often a boat profile and a photo. We call it boat porn!

Inevitably, you are going to actually sight some of the yachts. Two early sightings were of cruisers who were here in Tasmania early, like us. We have spent some time subsequently with the crews of Casablanca and Sheokee and we met them because we'd recognised them and their journeys from Skipr.net and then made a point of meeting them. Is this Stalking?

The most recent in this group of 'recognised' and encountered yachts is the American flagged Panta Rhei. We'd 'watched' it on Marine Traffic arrive into Australia via Brisbane after a horrid passage from New Caledonia. We knew it'd sustained some sail damage in bad weather and waited anxiously to see that they made it into harbour. We found their blog and had a sense of where they'd been. After several months they emerged on Skipr.net and had made it to Tasmania. So when we picked up a mooring in Cygnet on Tuesday and observed a handsome navy hulled yacht called Panta Rhei  adjacent to us, of course we had to invite the crew for 5ers. And yes, we did confess; we'd stalked them - as you do!

Here is a photo of Larry and Karen's yacht - Panta Rhei

The Comedy of Errors - Bollywood Style

Don't let it be said that our cultural life is being neglected while we are away. A long time friend of Chris and John who also lives in Hobart has a thespian son. Robbie would be performing in Shakespeare's The Comedy of Errors at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Hobart. Would we like to go? was the question posed at New Years Eve dinner. But of course!

We were hoping for a nice night. All through January we collectively worried when we might find a suitable night. This week we had a chance and we took it.

We took picnics, blankets, wine etc and had a wonderful Theatre-in-the-Round experience. It was a very polished production and the Bollywood theme with bursts of Indian music and dancing greatly complimented the humour of the evening.

 The company was great, as was the food and entertainment.

What Happens When There's a Racer on Board.

Having left the RYCT together with Onora by way of a farewell escort, we broke away to enter the D'Entrecasteaux Channel which is flanked to the East by Bruny Island. After such a busy few days we wanted to show something of these waters to Marvelous Miles and let him chill out a bit before leaving Hobart for Adelaide in preparation for the Adelaide - Lincoln Ocean race. As usual he would be racing on Kym Clarke's boat, Fresh.

Racers are never as happy as when they are tweaking the sails and chasing the 'pressure'; eyes constantly switching from water to sails and back again.

Marvelous Miles multitasking.

Sailing and fielding questions about Lincoln Week.

On the way back to Hobart, Miles saw an opportunity to hoist 'Big Red', our asymmetrical spinnaker. Then he decided he could best that by pulling out the little jib as well. It's never happened on Zofia before, so we had ourselves a small sailing lesson. We learned about barber hauling too. It's never too late to learn new tricks!

Progress on the Sausage Roll Hunt

The Bloke has been pretty keen to share his, so far, all time favourite sausage roll with his accomplices from our sojourn at Port Lincoln. It wasn't long before we were all marched up the, not insignificant hills to visit 'Jackman & McRoss' so the verdict could be confirmed.

How to build an appetite climbing hills to J and M's in Battery Point.

Jim, Jeanie and Marvelous Miles all agreed that this specimen was worthy of the reputation the Bloke was bestowing upon it.

As a farewell gesture to the crew of Onora, Marvelous made a surprise visit to 'Daci & Daci', another Hobart bakery with a colossal reputation. He returned with Pork and Fennel Sausage Rolls AND a Moroccan version for us all to eat while motoring down the Derwent.

Stand by for the verdict when the Bloke includes them in his Table of Fame.

Saluting Onora

We've been able to synchronise and meet up with Onora again after first meeting Jim and Jean at the Port Lincoln Yacht Club nearly a year ago. The anticipation of their arrival was fantastic. We had great fun for 4 days and then they had to leave to head across the ditch to New Zealand to make their flight to NY to collect a cruising award. (Read about their achievement).

In between sampling sausage rolls and other shenanigans, Jim and Jeannie needed to get refueled and make other provisioning preparations. On the fresh food front, conservatism was key. New Zealand customs would likely 'confiscate' with a fierce reputation to uphold! To that end, we were re-gifted some Melbourne roof-top honey. Truth be known, it probably should not even have been brought to Tasmania! We'll open and consume the carefully waxed vials at sea.

Onora manoeuvring to the re-fuelling dock at RYCT

Previously docked on a outer jetty, Onora certainly attracted a lot of attention so close to the clubhouse. Yes, raining again in the 2nd driest Australian capital!

Jim held a small umbrella over the bowser while Jeannie called out the fill progress from the dials below. They might have done this a few time before!

Ric and Helve Murdoch hosted us all for a stupendous feast at their home in Sandy Bay. The boys were shown the highlights by Ric. On this occasion there was a cruise ship or two in port with a warship anchored out.

Jim, the Bloke and Marvelous Miles took a walk into town to organise Customs and Immigration formalities and then popped into the Hobart office of the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM). They were on their best behaviour... no sniggering about 'Lying Bastards Dot Com', a term of endearment that springs to our lips on the arrival of unexpected weather. The BOM boys were so pleased to see 'real people' that they invited the troop upstairs to a room filled with LARGE screens. Jim was assured that the approaching pattern of 2 large high pressure systems would result in favourable conditions for their crossing of The Ditch to New Zealand based on the model that was most applicable in Tasmania at this time of year. A good omen but would it eventuate?

All too soon, it was time to leave.

Customs had arrived to 'clear them out'.

The Bloke gives Jeanie a farewell hug and Jim says he is ready to go.

We led the way out from the club. Three Aussies sorry to waive farewell. It wasn't long before 'Onora, Road Harbour', powered past and showed us her stern.

We watched from an increasing distance as the well-oiled machine, that is 'Team Onora' stowed, fenders and docking lines and prepared their vessel for the trip down The Derwent River, across Storm Bay, past Capes Raoul and Tasman, then across the Tasman Sea, bound for Nelson, New Zealand.

Onora leaving Mt Wellington behind.

Our last sight of Onora, after we'd turned into the D'Entrecasteaux Channel

with Marvelous Miles aboard Zofia.

Marvelous Milestones

The 12th of February is our wedding anniversary. 38 years now. Some say that's 2 life sentences! It's also the anniversary of our completion of our Great Australian Bight crossing from Middle Island to Streaky Bay. That's a lot of stuff to recall so we enlisted some help from Chris and John who were actually at our wedding and they volunteered to represent all the other guests who attended. A big job they claimed, but someone had to do it.

Our original plan for our celebrations was to meet up at Peppermints, a waterfront restaurant that promotes the fabulous produce of the district; seafood, berries etc... It was a plan hatched some weeks before but abandoned in an instant on the news that our friends Jim and Jean would be sailing 'Onora' into Hobart to complete their 2nd circumnavigation of the world! Additionally, Marvelous Miles was arriving from Port Lincoln to celebrate Jim and Jeanie's stunning achievement.

With so much going on we shortened our time in the D'Entrecasteaux Channel by one 1 day to head back to the RYCT after first of all, being hosted for a wedding anniversary eve dinner aboard Sheokee. It was a gourmet feast and a night to remember. David prepared duck breasts in a cherry jus. I made panna cotta on a plum and cherry jus, topped with shards of almond brittle. It was proof positive that it's possible to make splendid meals in our little galley kitchens with stuff we just had lying around in our bilges and fruit baskets. The biggest treat of all though, was the gift that Pam had made, a memento of our time anchored at Dover behind Rabbit Island.

We are impressed beyond words both with the gesture and outcome.

 Sheokee and My Way2 silhuetted against the sunrise.

Waking to a Quarantine Bay glass-off, we felt sure this was going to kick off a day to remember.

Lunch was reconvened at the Mount Nelson Brasserie, a fine table with views out across the Derwent was reserved for us. Chris and John collected us from the yacht club at noon. We needed to have an early lunch to accommodate Marvelous Miles' arrival plus that of Onora mid afternoon. From our dining vantage point we should be able to spot Onora sail past. Did I mention that this was a busy, busy day?

 Celebration lunch with John and Chris

 The appearance of this yacht, although not Onora, alerted us that Lunch needed to end.

 What happens when your friends don't get into the 'selfie' moment.

Planning was almost faultless. We enjoyed the company of two of our original wedding guests with wonderful food and views of their new home town. The sight of a yacht sailing by plus a text message from Jim alerted us to skip coffee and rush back to the yacht club. Miles had arrived in his hire car from the airport only 5 minutes ahead of us and just in time to collect Onora's lines. Phew, we just made it in time to finalise all the tying off and time for more champagne!

Part of our planning for Onora's arrival was the purchase of some Chicago White Sox supporter paraphinalia. The Bloke and Jim share a birthday and the gift exchange last year resulted in the acquisition of a St Patrick's Day version of a White Sox cap. Miles had been given a cap for Xmas. All that was needed was some shirts and we'd give Jim a fun surprise.

The Bloke in his kit.

Miles switches to his shirt too!

The Bloke, Jim and Miles.

Jeanie getting stuff stowed and happy to have arrived.

 Parked in the lee of Mt Wellington.

Jim and Jean Foley.

Two time world circumnavigators on Onora, toasting their achievement!

Jim sharing technical info with John while Jeanie showed Chris around the 'Ship'.

It all came together on the day, despite fears that it was getting too complicated. Marvelous Milestones were being celebrated and we didn't want this enchanted bubble to burst!