Sunday 10th February

Sunday 10^th February

Tasmania is all GO this weekend.  And the mot du jour is…beautiful!!

Festivale in Launceston, in beautiful Royal Park.

The Wooden Boat Show, in Hobart, on the beautiful waterfront.

The Hobart Regatta, on the beautiful Domain

An Open Day at Oatlands, in beautiful Oatlands

A kayak-launching attempt at the Guinness Book of Records, on beautiful Bellerive Beach

And, as they say, probably much more more and a set of steak knives!

We have tried to fit in as much as possible and have been rushing from one end of the state to the other, from one BEAUTIFUL location to the other…and also fitting in as much family contact as possible.

The kayak launch was great fun.  I looked after Zoe and Rose and some random scampering puppies on the beach while Katy and Eva, Jeff and Leo, lined up in their kayaks for the launch.  Not sure how many there were (400-ish?) but they had well and truly enough to break the record.  It all looked very spectacular, with the kayaks lined up along (beautiful) Bellerive Beach and everyone ready to launch NOW NOW NOW!

Nobody stayed on the water for vey long because it was very windy and choppy.  Jeff lugged one of the big heavy kayaks off the beach, up the steps, along the path, and onto the street.  And Leo followed, lugging the other equally big heavy boat… I was gobsmacked; I wouldn’t have tried to lug it without help, and Leo is only seven!  He refused all offers of help, even when two big strong men came up behind him with their kayaks.  “Here, let us give you a hand,” said one of them.  Leo protested and started pulling faster, and I said, “He really does want to do it by himself.”  They were mightily impressed, and one of them said, “You’re not going to find too many challenges in life, young man!” which made a grandmother’s heart swell with pride.

I made my way speedily back into town and met Pete at the boat show, which was just wonderful, full of beauty, and full of happy crowds of people ambling from one beautiful display to the other.

(We are now in Launceston, in the beautiful Darcey house, with beautiful Darcey girls all around me, and I am being a Bad Houseguest, sitting at my computer, so I will leave further discussions of the beauty of it all to tomorrow.)