Monday 18^th June

One thing which struck us on our return to Tasmania was how much people love coming here.  Well not everybody… I am sure there are legions who prefer to lie next to a warm pool cocktail in hand… And that is not the Tasmanian Experience!

But on the West Coast we met many people who just loved coming here.  For example, on the Wilderness Railway we met Steve and Emily, with their two little girls who were here for their SEVENTH visit.  They live in Melbourne and have nice lives, nice jobs, nice families, but their goal is to be able to move to Tasmania as soon as job opportunities come up in their professional fields.  And another couple we met, in a queue for something or another in Strahan, in their early 230s, were raving about Tasmania.  All rugged up, Queenslanders, full of enthusiasm and here for their fifth wintry visit… Yet other people we met said they plan to retire here.  We were gratified but slightly astonished.  We expect to love Tasmania, because it is our home.  (Pete has been here for seven generations…well (ahem…) not Pete himself but his ancestors… And I probably feel even more strongly because I am a newcomer, only here since I was three.  Not quite a True Tasmanian…)  But it was amazing, and gratifying – Why thank you!  Yes it is our very own!!  You are welcome! - to meet people – outsiders - who were so enthralled with the beauty and the fascination of our island.

Our New York Travellers were due back yesterday…but where are they, I hear you cry??  I sent Pauline an email checking which day we would have lunch this week to catch up on all the goss and I got the following long, despairing textmessage:

Don’t know when will be back.  Have already been travelling 24 hours but pilot collapsed 3 hours out of LA on way to Auckland so had to dump fuel and return to America.  We have been put up in hotel at Orange County Disneyland.  The only one which could take 400 people.  Got to bed at 5am.  They will fly us as far as Auckland tonight where we will see what happens.  Arrive there 4am tomorrow.  May have to stay in NZ until they can fit all in other planes then we are on our own to get to Hobart as our Jetstar booked flight will by then have left about two days earlier.  So won’t be meeting for lunch just yet.

Our deary me!!  All too unpleasant…all those flying hours and no progress!  And staying so near and yet so far from Disneyland!!  I am quite amazed at all of this – don’t they have a spare pilot or two on board, for just this sort of emergency??  And don’t they have a spare shiny plane or two, ready to fly the poor weary 400 passengers off to where they need to go??