Well the adventure in Tassie is coming to an end.
I head home in the morning. I could easily stay hear another 2 months and have a
different adventure everyday. Even if I went back to some of the places I have
already been.
Some notes on being a husband. Your job is that of scapegoat. It's your fault no
matter what. Even if you are right. Truth and justice have no place in a
marriage. You can be right or you can be married.
Yes, for men this is a huge blow to our ego. it is tough for us as creatures of
logic to accept this. If you want to stay married swallow your pride and
remember the wisest saying of all. "And this to shall pass."
Why mention this when describing my trip to Tassie. It is prep for what is
coming. I have learned I can break the Internet even if I am nowhere near the
computer. The car battery dies because I did or did not do anything to the car.
I could even be the sole responsibility for global warming. But I am still
married and that is what matters. (Yes, there is some sarcasm in there)
We turned in the rental car yesterday with no damage and a full tank of gas.
Our last trip is a boat trip around adventure bay in Bruny Island. I save the
best for last. Now you have to meet the bus that takes you to Bruny Island at
the Visitor Center at 7:50 am. Since we no longer have the car we will walk over.
It's not far and we have walked it before. But the walk is about 15 minutes.
Now my wife is wonderfully organized. She sets aside the money for each event
separately. It at times seems almost anal..... Okay it is, but I just had a trip
to Tassie without going into debt. So she can manage the money whatever way she
wants.
Now we get up initially at 5:30 because the lorikeets are awake and my wife
wakes up and is convinced we have overslept. I look at the clock and mourn the
half hour of sleep I was still due and will never get.
But at 6am we are up and getting ready. Shower, dress, breakfast, and all the
usual morning routine to get ourselves ready to go to the location. It is a
a quarter past seven, right on time. I ask is everything ready and we go.
Now we get to the bus station and meet with the tour captain and get signed in.
I then ask my wonderful wife whom I love very much and is not allowed to kill
me. If she has brought the money for the trip which is getting ready to leave.
In the movies this part is refereed to as dead silence.
My wife has left the money on the counter in the hotel room. Now I don't freak
out. I still have my credit card and all she has to do is pay back the credit
card when we get home(see this is why I could never be a complete simple living
type, credit cards are useful on occasion). Now I mentioned I didn't freak out.
My wife has. And it's my fault.
Yup, your faithful poster is 100% completely responsible for all ills in the
world, strike that the universe. Why is this my fault? I rushed her. Yes, the
hour plus we had to get ready this morning wasn't enough. Also I did not
explicitly go though each detail before we left this morning. I should not have
asked "Are you ready?" I should have asked if each piece of clothes was on in a
satisfactory manner, if the teeth were brushed properly, was the morning
consumables adequately digested, and did she remember to secure the funding for
the event.
So I am now getting the silent but not subtle wrath of my wife for again failing
to perform adequately as a husband , excuse me as a human being.
My comment on not having to worry because we have an adequate solution will not
remove the icey cold stares at my tender soul. Even though my solution is
satisfactory it was not the original plan. And after market plans are evil that
do nothing more than support the terrorist, contribute to global warming, and
equate to taking candy from babies.
Men who have been married for a while understand they must endure these moments
of anguish for the few moments of bliss that come between them.
And this bad mood will pass too.
So off we go toward Bruny Island. I will endure the tortures of the Spanish
Inquisition for the first part of the ride over. But I know she will be in a
better mood when the boat ride begins.
The Tassie spirit is that the adventure isn't in the finish but in getting
there. And our ride over was wonderful. We had two Tassie guides who promised to
tell us everything about Tasmania and if they didn't know it, they would make it
up. Sarcasm is an art in Tasmania used liberally and without political
correctness. It was wonderful to be among people who just aren't concerned about
minor details. My Irish background stood out like sore thumb and everyone had
fun with me. It was great. It is funny that I didn't stand out as an American
but as an Irish man.
The Bruny Island is a small island off the southern coast of Tasmania. It has a
population of about 600 many of whom work for the charter or use the island as
home for their fishing job.
The north section of the island has some very nice woodlands and sheep farms.
The south section borders the south seas and is a national park. And is battered
by the weather from the south seas. The further south you go the fewer trees you
will see. More shrubs and mosses in the southern area. But for me that was not
the best part. The incredible rock formations. They are magnificent. When you
view the photos and you realize that your faithful poster has taken over a
hundred pictures of rocks be kind. I realize you cannot go ooh and ahh over each
picture. They will never reflect the details and beauty in them and after the
first twenty or so you will probably get bored. I understand.
The water is clear but very deep so you will not always see the bottom but
watching a sea lion swim under your boat is incredible. If the whales come by it
is a religious experience. The Cromerants use the rock faces as nesting grounds.
The sea lions use them as a way station for those not worthy of a harem on the
beach. Note for the sensitive of smell. Sea lions in zoo smell like rose petals
compared to what you will smell when the wind that smell under your nose.
And it is never appropriate of your wife to comment and ask "What have you been
eating?" She could end up as fish food. But you will still love her.
The rocks, wildlife, and swells and 3 outboard mercury engines make this an E
ticket ride. If you get motion sickness you may want to take something before
you get on the boat. However it is worth it. Even if you turn so green you match
the sea. Well at least it was to me, but I didn't get sick. My twinkle in my eye
of six years did great until we started pulling thirty knots and 8 foot swells
on the ride back following some albatross. Then she just sat there and tapped
her heel on the floor like a low powered chipping hammer. I mentioned we could
go back and smell the sea lions. Yes, revenge is best served cold but since I
can be responsible for all the ills of the universe, I can at least take the
blame for the waste matter of natural sea lions.
The boat ride is 3 hours but you would never notice it unless you are turning
green in which case it may seem like three years. But hey, I was feeling fine.
And no they are not going to cater the boat ride for the squeamish. Simply
because the seas didn't get the note from PC police. When the ride was over I
felt amazed. It was simply an incredible event.
On the ride back they stopped at a lookout point. You have 239 steps to climb to
reach the top. And everyone one of them my wonderful soul mate would mention
that she lives in Florida because it is flat. And that you don't have to do this
in Florida. Now for some reason the tour captain mention there were 238 steps to
the top. Someone on our party counted them and came up with 239. Without
missing a beat out captain said "Well there were 238 last week." The whole group
laughed.
We stopped at an oyster shack also on the way back to the ferry. You get a dozen
shucked oysters for $10. They don't have cocktail, Tabasco, or any other spicy
sauce as I mentioned before. However these oysters are so good you eat them
plain. Mine didn't last the length of the driveway. I offered the empty shells
to our captain as gratitude for our wonderful adventure. Leave it to the Irish
to offer the scraps as a gift. I thought I was going hurt myself laughing so
hard. An Aussie accent makes it seem so much funnier than my nasty type.
It was a fabulous time.
Now I have to get packed remind my better half to bring the tickets because if
we get stuck here it would be my fault. Yet I am can't find the negative in
getting stuck in Tassie.
27 hours in flying sardine can now that is a test of fortitude.
More pictures with lots of rocks:
http://www.brendhanhorne.com/coppermine_dir/thumbnails.php?album=119Sincerely,
Brendhan