No we haven’t left yet.

Arctic blast in Hobart! And we will probably leave on Wednesday in spite of this…

Today we spent a lot of time rushing about buying last minute things. I bought two nifty folding bikes, with accessories, ie helmets, security chain, tyre levers, pump. I negotiated with Stuart, one of my (many!) lovely sons-in-law. Stuart works in a busy bike shop in the city and I have been talking to him about this for a few weeks. He sent me a voicemessage on my iphone early in the day: “Hey Mark, it’s Julie. Gimme a ring.”
(So cute, my big bodybuilder Stuart, now to be known as Julie! As I am to be known as Mark…Don’t you love voice-to-text??)

I am thrilled with the idea of bikes; we will be able to pootle off to shops, or along country roads, when we arrive in foreign parts, rather than having to trudge around marinas faintly searching for supermarkets and bottle shops.

We also scuttled out to Moonah, to Anchor Wetsuits, where Pete bought me a newfangled lightweight rubber number, with matching boots, black with silver stripes. He came into the changeroom to help me heave it on, and cried, “How attractive you look! Sharks will LOVE you!”

The credit card got a further workout because I also bought a little Sony camera, hoping to be able to download photos onto my blog. What will I take photos of?? Birds? Pete in the bilges? Me in my layers of merino and polar fleece?? Aha wait and see!