10th November - dinghy tales

Monday 10^th November

Yesterday morning I was performing important duties – trying to get my nails looking OK again, after many nail-ravaging experiences over the past few weeks.  Pete called for me to look at the river so I got out my trusty camera

And then zoomed in.

What on earth was this construction, floating on by on the Derwent??  And doesn’t Hobart look pretty?obart look just so very pretty??

As does Cremorne...

SO lovely!  And so full of very happy children plus attendant adults.

When the Wakefields were with us in Langkawi the boys learned to drive the dinghy.  They became our designated drivers, when so required, and they took this job very seriously.  

They loved the whole idea of a dinghy and so now they have bought one, a big sturdy five-seater tinny.  

Gavin and some friends took the dinghy out of the sea on Sunday afternoon, to tow Hamish, Angus and their mates along on their surfboards.  It all looked very thrilling and wild.  I would have stayed on board the board, so to speak, for about ten seconds; they did much better!

Lynne is home from hospital, after four weeks of being immobilised.  She is very happy to be in her own being house on the beach but…it is very brave of her! I think I would have still been cowering in my hospital bed…

Later, after listening to the morning news on the ABC

The floating extravaganza is the new Brooke Street Pier, which was constructed further up the river and gently towed into place.  It is going to be a flash ferry terminal and will also contain…three new restaurants.  I can’t imagine that Hobart needs any more restaurants or cafés…it seems to be heaving with eateries!  Every time I try to go to a familiar building – a bank, an agency – it is full fo cheery peoel drinking coffee

9th November - crazy volatile weather

Sunday 9^th November

Cold climate flowers - so fabulous!  This time - rhododendrons from Dad and Fleur's garden

Yesterday morning – VERY hot!  We tossed the doonas off during the  night…

Moon rising over Hobart

And it was a good steady 29 degrees for most of the morning.

By mid afternoon – COLD!!

Beautiful chilly view from Pauline's house

All very stimulating, in Tasmania!

Today it is sunny and beautiful and a very moderate 20 degrees.

Thus far…

I have been taking the odd photo around Hobart.  For some reason I have always loved the Kodak building, in the middle of the main mall.  Here it is, seen from behind.  So quirky!

Last night was Girls Night Out.  We ate tapas and drank wine and laughed a lot and somehow we all ended up with glittery eyes...

Poppy (honorary daughter) Nicky Claire Marguerite Katy

Back on 2XS…all is well BUT Toby and Rosie seem to be using inordinate amounts of water… They carry two jerrycans of fresh water with them every day from SeaDive – this is an extra 40 litres.  But the water levels are still going down.  We are slightly puzzled – what on earth could two people be doing to use such a lot of water?  This is not a major concern except that Toby says it hasn’t rained at all since we left so there is no way of replenishing supplies other than the aforementioned jerrycans.  A problem for another day.

7th November - tropical pool life - kookaburras and kingfishers

Friday 7^th November

 This afternoon we went to the Chronic (Aquatic Centre…) Centre for swimming lessons.  Noise!  Light!  Chlorine in the air!  MUCH fun!  It reminded me of all the children happily frolicking in pools in the tropics.  So easy to learn to swim, when you can splash right in any old time.

When we were in Rebak Marina (happy days…) we swam in the beautiful pool with overhanging trees.  Bliss!  So lovely to float on my back looking up at the fragrant white flowers.  (I thought they were frangipani but in fact now I know they were gardenia…Maybe…) 

There was a family staying in the resort for a few weeks.  Good looking French, with an older boy and two little tackers.  The children were at the pool for many hours everyday.  Clambering out and pushing each other in.  The teenage boy would hurl the little ones in over and over until they were hysterical with the fun of it all, and then with exhaustion.  Pete watched them one day and said, “Gawd look at those kids!  Their parents don’t do much about them, do they?”  I had to tell him that whenever the parents emerged, in their stylish swimsuits, they would stand on the edge of the pool at the father would…hurl his beautiful wife into the deep end.

This morning I stalked a kookaburra.  Now I have been able to look closely at the photos I took, I can see it is a fluffy fledgling.  And very big!  The kingfishers in the tropics are much more colorful, and very much smaller…

Today’s BirthdayGirl.. Chris Wilson, my dear friend through thick and thin for MANY many years…She is off to Antarctica in January for yet another fabulous adventure and I look forward to some stunning photos.