Spirit of Tasmania

I'm sitting in The Leatherwood Restaurant on the Spirit of Tasmania II, sipping New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and about to dine on Tasmanian Smoked Salmon and Blue Eyed Trevella. Let me just say that again I'm sitting in The Leatherwood Restaurant on the Spirit of Tasmania II, sipping New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and about to dine on Tasmanian Smoked Salmon and Blue Eyed Trevella. 

View From The Deck

Yes life is that good. I spent the day wandering around the Mornington Peninsula. It didn't start that way however. I woke up in my rather shabby motel room, where they were in desperate need of an Occupational Health and Safety audit. Check out the electrical set up.

Two Aircons, the Fridge,the Microwave, the Kettle and TV all from one Power Board

I went to the local disinformation office just so they could waste my time. I had a few simple requests. Firstly where to grab breakfast, I was directed to The Baths in Sorrento, it was closed. I asked about seeing a winery, maybe one with a nice restaurant, but nooooooo......... they weren't allowed to make recommendations. They couldn't even establish which ones were open and who served food, rather pointless really. I then asked about Fort Nepean, opening times, costs, that sort of thing. Couldn't help me there either. I don't like to be ageist but the woman staffing the place was well past her use by date, I'm sure she still uses a sun dial for a watch. Age wasn't really the problem however, she was just stupid. 

Anyway no thanks to the Dromana Tourist Information Office I still managed to have breakfast at the rather delightful Daisy Cafe in Sorrento. Obviously popular with the locals. The operators new everyone's name, had their coffees ready as they sat down and it had just a fabulous air about it. I parked my Vectra in amongst the Audis, Beemers and Mercs and hoped nobody would notice. Check out the view.

View from the Daisy Cafe

Then I headed out to the old quarantine station and checked out the two old forts situated on the headland Fort Pearce and Fort Nepean. The two women who were serving at the information office made up for the Einstein I had encountered earlier and were a hive of useful information. The forts have been in use since the mid 1870's and upon their completion were known as "The Gibraltar of the South". Old pill boxes, machine gun nests and observation posts litter the landscape. The sand and the foliage has reclaimed much of it. The ten year old in me would still be there now playing in the tunnels, you would have had to drag me away. The quarantine station has been in operation in one form or another since the 1850's and had many a story to tell. It only ceased operation in the late 1990's. The forts were decommissioned at the end of World War 2 in 1946. I walked a little over six kilometres to achieve this. The area is locked down to vehicles and therefore had the wonderful effect of being nearly deserted. The weather was perfect (around 20 degrees) with hardly any wind and not a cloud in the sky. I won't hear another word about rotten Melbourne weather (until of course I'm caught in some).

Big Gun

Looking Out From Fort Nepean to Queenscliff

Disinfecting Your Luggage

View From One of the Hospitals

Also located near by was Cheviot Beach where the Australian Prime Minister Harold Holt went missing in the Christmas of 1967. You cant get down to beach, the hillside still has unexploded ordinance on it. It was a little to late for me to help Harold anyway so I wasn't too put out by the exclusion. You've got to love the story of an almost 60 year old man showing off to a younger woman. I mean foolhardy and reckless all in the same (last) breath. This guy ran the country, what a way to go. 

Harold Holt

He Didn't Read This Sign

This One Either

His Memorial

Then I headed to Frankston to find a very late lunch and somewhere to print out my e ticket so I could board the The Spirit of Tasmania. Martha then lead the way to Port Melbourne and I had a fun time driving through peak hour Melbourne traffic. She didn't leave me astray. Not a wrong turn the entire distance. My e tag was going ballistic though, I think it went off six times. I shudder to think how much the trip cost me probably more than the ferry. And yes I still think Martha is psychic, as I was driving onto the dock she was playing the old Rod Stewart chestnut "Sailing". I almost couldn't see the road for crying with laughter. 

Putting the car on board was a breeze, although it is seriously weird to be driving about on a dock, then a ship.

Embarking

The ship was almost passenger free, I think there was only one other cabin occupied near mine. The accommodation was great for one but I don't think I would have enjoyed it as much if the cabin was full. 

I love sleeping on board a ship, the gentle rocking just sends you peacefully off. Plus the Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon I had with dinner helped there as well.


So I wake up tomorrow in Tasmania, can't wait.