Thursday, March 29 – Back to Launceston

Today was, in a little way, the start of the long journey home. Though we don’t make the big trip until Saturday, we are starting to move closer and closer to the inevitable. 

Chris saying goodbye, Kingfisher Cottage, Binalong Bay

This morning we had our usual breakfast on the deck and then packed up to hit the road by 9:30.

Binalong Bay, TAS

We planned to take a different route back to Launceston today but first, a quick detour up the hill behind Lisa's cottage for a better beach view.

Then back to The Shop in the Bush so I could buy the t-shirt that I had looked at. Not for me, but for my sister, who had seen the picture and begged me to get it.

Burns Bay, TAS

Those preliminary tasks out of the way, we got back on the southern route and detoured to a peninsula on the other side of the Bay of Fire, where we enjoyed the scenery 

There are sand dunes to climb as well. We lingered for a while, enjoying the sun and sea breeze, before we had to get back into the car and leave this beautiful place.

Peron Dunes, Akaroa, TAS

Close up view, Peron Dunes. Not Namibia.

Peron Dunes

Then we settled in for the long drive back to Launceston. The southern route was flatter and less curvy than the northern route we’d taken on Monday. There were many more farms along the way as well.

I think I also had some views of my eyelids; it had been a lot of activity these past few days! Good thing Lisa was driving.

Eventually we reached the main highway, the north-south road connecting Launceston to Hobart. We headed north, through a construction zone, and made a stop at a sauce shop for a souvenir or two.

Scallop-Curry Pie, Tinnie's Pies, Launceston

In Launceston, we stopped at Tinnie’s Pies for a scallop-curry pie which was a local delicacy. It seemed small, but it was actually quite heavy and filling. 

Thus fortified, we pushed on to town where we stopped at the post office. 

We’d heard from several wineries that Australia Post sells shipping material which would work for our wine check system. It turned out that they didn’t sell the Styrofoam inserts, but they did sell a somewhat equivalent packing system using cardboard. After looking at it, I was convinced that we could make it work. So, we spent a few bucks and then went out to look for more wine, of course!

Velo Wines, West Tamar Highway, TAS

We drove northward from Launceston along the west bank of the Tamar River, and the wineries started appearing. 

Of course, they were calling to us, so we stopped in to a few. This one had a really nice looking restaurant. Too bad we are full.

View from Tamar Ridge Cellar Door 

The views of the valley were also intoxicating. Strategic purchasing was needed to keep the number of wines down to a manageable level, but we did OK and then headed back to town to settle into our overnight accommodations.

Lisa dropped me off at the Hertz downtown, so I could pick up or rental car for tomorrow, and then she and Chris headed to the hotel. It was more of a house than a hotel, and after I picked up the car and joined them they told me that there was somewhat of an issue... 

The key is in a lockbox attached to the front door, but the front gate that leads to the front door is seemingly locked! Uh oh, now what? There’s no front desk to call, and nobody at the booking agency answered Lisa’s e-mail. So, she climbed the fence into the front courtyard, retrieved the key from the lockbox, and voila, we were in!

Beautiful old house, one we were inside! Two stories, vintage furnishings, stained glass windows, a full kitchen with breakfast food provided, and adequate off-street parking. It only had one bath and we were pretty sure that it was supposed to have two, but we’ll manage. 

Downtown Launceston, TAS

So we settled in and had some time to wander the town for a bit. We needed some snack food, and appreciated the chance to stretch our legs. We walked to a grocery store across town, stopping here and there to take in the sights.

The Old Umbrella Shop, Launceston, TAS

We did a little shopping at an old-fashioned variety store.

After we returned from the foray into town, it was time to try to pack up some wine. The wines that wouldn’t be packed had been previously chilled, so they were opened in order to facilitate the process.

The post office materials were pretty robust – there was an inner cardboard packing system that supported the wine bottles, and they protected the ends of the bottles very well. Then after wrapping up two bottles individually in the inner system, you were supposed to wrap the two bottles in an exterior box that would be sturdy enough for postal shipping. 

Instead, I just put the individually wrapped bottles into the wine check case, and they fit quite well. I figured that I’d carry them on for our flight tomorrow, but the package could be checked easily enough for the international flight.

We had enjoyed our wine and snacks, but eventually we headed to dinner at a place that had been recommended by Jan. It seemed at first that they were full, but then they suddenly found us a table. The food was good, but the service was a little off, and the fumes from the open kitchen were pretty intense and a little overwhelming. Between all of that, we weren't as hungry as we had hoped, so it wasn’t as great a dinner as it could have been.

Back to the hotel for a good night’s sleep, and then we are parting ways tomorrow. Lisa drives to Hobart in the morning to fly home to Brisbane, and we have most of the day to kill before our evening flight back to Melbourne.