Richmond

Sitting in the car at Richmond, having walked all over the place. Photographed the bridge and churches, lunched on curried scallops, "done" the gaol (glad I wasn't a convict!) and looked in all the galleries and antique shops. Weather is fine again, although there is a cool wind. Can't believe how lucky we've been with the weather. Yesterday was the only really cold wet day. We got a mobile message to say our flight will be 1/2 hour late.

Market Day

Caught the shuttle bus into the Salamanca market, leaving our resort at 8.20. Did the usual pick-up from camping grounds etc and arrived an hour later. It's a huge market, mostly hand-made items, a lot of them wood turning, home-made jams, honey, paintings and photos, (no hand made books!). I bought some wooden buttons and knitting needles,Herb got some merino socks. Had coffee and toast or muffins, then went to Katmandu where they were having a sale, I got a jacket and Herb, a vest. Back in the bus via a lookout over the Derwent bridge, by then it had started raining. We heard how a ship (the Illawarra Lake) had wrecked the bridge in 1975 and it took 2 1/2 years to repair it. (It's the only river with a lake in it. The ship is still there). In the meanwhile they used several ferries for commuting and one of the owners made a fortune by selling alcohol during the crossings. 12 people died, 7 of them sailors on the bow and the others were in cars that went over the edge. One in a Holden Monaro survived and he's kept the car!

Bruny Island

A very pleasant trip to Bruny Island Caught the 11.05 am ferry and went to the northern tip where we had coffee and biscuits at a lovely new cafe overlooking the water. Ther were lots of terns which we recorded on the new SLR. Then travelled to the neck which is a very narrow strip of land joining north and south Bruny Islands. We climbed 182 steps to see the view - spectacular and still sunny. When we got to the southern tip, Bruny Cape complete with lighthouse, the sun had gone under and the landscape was dull and uninspiring. Travelled a very narrow rough road to Adventure Bay where Captain Cook landed in 1777 to get water and grass for cattle. By then it was drizzling so we had tea and cake at a little cafe and caught the return ferry. The trip fromKettering to Honart in the dark wasn't too pleasant with oncoming headlights, but made it ok with Herb's excellent driving.