Sat 29 Feb 2020: Launceston to Sydney

Saturday 29/2/2020 - Launceston to Sydney 

Nose blocked. Head is stuffy.

12:30am pee

4:30am poo - all those veggies

7:15am poo - get up, brush teeth, change, pack

8:00am checkout

Drive to Launceston Airport - only an hour’s drive. No traffic, few cars on the road.

Fill up petrol just before airport $29.51 1/4 tank

Drop off hire car. Just drive to car rental and park.

Walk to terminal 

Hand in key to man at counter 

Use toilets

Head to departures 

9:50am checkin not open yet

Eat hot cross bun

10:50am checkin - given boarding passes for both Launceston to Melbourne and Melbourne to Sydney legs. Will need to collect bags and check them in again in Melbourne.

Bags weigh 17 and 19kg

Go through security. JT gets a swab and pat down.

KC gets a free hot choc- via Tassie app.

Sit and wait.

They have a large souvenir shop, and 3 cafe/restaurants, check menu, but decide not to buy anything.

Flight schedule 12:35pm

Gate 1. Board plane by front steps. Seated in 8B, C, D and E.

1:25pm landed in Melbourne 

1:46pm baggage claim

Get bags and go to checkin.

But can’t drop bags until 2:30pm. So we look for seats. Not many around. LC and  sit outside in sun. 

2:30pm drop bags off.  Go through security.

Buy Maccas. Starving. Get $3 McChicken, $2 popcorn chicken, $3.30 regular fries and $1 frozen coke. LC also gets Maccas. JT and KC get subway. Take 2 panadols.

3:45pm proceed to gate 49

But plane not there yet. Staff are weighing all carry on bags. We find seats separately and sit and wait. 

4:00pm announcement to change gates. Go to gate 44. Due to engine failure in plane. 

Everyone rushes to gate 44. Stand in line and wait, but seems like it’s going to be a long wait. Announcement says boarding not till 5:00pm. Seems engineers need to check and tick off paperwork for plane with problems before they can check the plane that will be flying to Sydney.

4:38pm still waiting in line to board our flight back to Sydney 

Eta 5:20pm boarding with arrival into Sydney by 6:45pm

The rest are still in queue sitting on floor. I need a seat.

5:42pm head count??? Why??? More delays!

6:00pm in the air

7:00pm land in Sydney 

Sat 29 Feb 2020: COVID 19 started in Australia

Sat 29 Feb 2020: COVID 19 started in Australia

News started coming in about a new disease originating in China - called COVID 19

The first confirmed case of COVID-19 was reported in Australia on 25 January 2020 (Hunt 2020). By 12 March 2020, 140 cases had been confirmed in Australia (WHO 2020). A human biosecurity emergency response was issued, and a range of public health and social measures were established to contain the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The end of the emergency response was declared on 20 October 2023; however, COVID-19 remains an important issue, with a large wave occurring at the end of 2023 and into 2024 (Figure 1) (NSW Health 2024). Research including data linkage is underway to provide greater insights into the impact of COVID-19 on people in the community, workforce, and the health system.

From www.aihw.gov.au

Fri 28 Feb 2020: Shearwater

Friday 28/2/2020 - Shearwater 

Sleep in

10:00am Breakfast - ham cheese spinach tomato toastie, hot cross bun and boiled egg. Raspberries.

11:00am walk across road to check out shops

Muse Providores - buy earrings and necklaces

Walk to beach - walk right side and then all the way to left side. See wallabies. Shell picking.

Not feeling well. Runny nose. 

2:00pm crackers with cucumber, tomato, ham, cheese. Leftovers. Pasta, noodles. Pack of twisties.

Rinse shells collected from beach. Arrange them to dry.

Have a nap

5:00pm pack

Sort shells again.

Think 🤔 how am I going to pack them. Pack them in tissue and a plastic pack. Then into a mushroom bag.

8:30pm dinner- cauliflower, corn, choy, peas, coriander, canned tuna, 1/2 egg. Unfortunately, no fish and chips. It closed at 8pm and we weren’t ready yet.

Had 1/2 ice cream with 1/2 plum

Shower

Pack

Need to be up and out by 8am

Thu 27 Feb 2020: Liffey Falls

 Thursday 27/02/2020: Liffey Falls

8:54am wakeup

9:20am Breakfast - cocktail franks, boiled eggs, cucumber, bread

10:00am Out the door

11:10am Ashgrove Cheese

12:20pm - 2:00pm Liffey Falls

3:05pm Shearwater Reject Shop, Salvos and Woolworths

6:00pm Dinner. Rice paper rolls with sang choy bau mince, avocado, carrots, spinach, peas, mashed potato.

Chocolate ice cream. Watch Survivor, Goggle Box and Hughsey.

11:00pm Bed

Note: drive through Deloraine - street has miniature sculptures - only noticed them as we drove past. Didn't stop to take any photos.

Wed 26 Feb 2020: Penguin, Stanley, Tasmania

 Wednesday 26/02/2020 - Penguin, Stanley

Heavy rain fell 6-7am. Rainy wet day

I have a very sore throat

Make pancakes. Eat my pastie.

11:50am Penguin

Park on main street. Walk to Info centre. Cross street to statue of The Big Penguin. Standing 3m tall, erected to commemorate the town's centenary in 1975.

12:12pm Leave Penguin

Drive to Burnie, but it's raining so we do a loop of the city before heading to Stanley

1:40pm Stanley

Drive up to the chair lift are. Chair lifts are closed due to high winds. Look in cafe/gift shop while KC uses toilets. They have Tassie scallop pies for $10 but too expensive?? Haven't had lunch yet, so head back to main street. Park in front of bakery. 

They also have scallop pies - might as well. Kaylene pays. Very liquidy but has at least 6 scallops in the pie. 

2:00pm Stanley Bakery. Tassie scallop mornay pies $10.

Take a quick walk up and down the street. Go to Providore shop and buy earings $20 x 2 and $30 for JT silver ball pair.

Drive back to chair lift area. Park. Use toilet. We walk up the zig zag track to the top.

3 steep paths. At the top we do the 2 km Nut circuit

3:34pm On top of the Nut

4:00pm on the way back we spot pademelons foraging.

4:30pm back down. Drink water, eat cucumber, snacks, use toilet.

Drive down to wharf area.

4:45pm Hursey Seafoods. Janet and Kaylene go in, while LC and I stay in the car. Janet v=buys a live lobster for $67.

Dinner is left over pasta with lobster

Tue 25 Feb 2020: Cradle Mountain, Tasmania

Tuesday 25/02/2020 - Cradle Mountain

7:30am Wake up

Make breakfast and prepare toasted sandwiches for lunch. JT packs corn and beans which she cooked the night before.

Have half a toasted chicken, avocado, tomato, spinach and cheese sandwich.

8:00am out the door

Drive to Latrobe

Fill up petrol in Spreyton $53.02

Head to Cradle Mountain, via scenic route 

Park in car park which is filling up.

10:00am visitors centre- show permit and get bus tickets 

10:30am Shuttle bus to Dove Lake

Shuttle bus stops at Ranger station, Snake Hills, Ronny Creek and Dove Lake.

11:00am Dove Lake

Do Dove Lake Circuit

11:22am Glacier Rock

12:30pm

Lunch at the base of the mts

1:00pm Through the Ballroom Forest

Up a moderate hill back to the boathouse

2:04pm boathouse 

2:55pm Ronny creek

Bus back to Rangers Station and Interpretive Centre 

3:43pm Pencil Pine Falls

4:00pm bus back to start, Visitors centre. Fill up water bottles. Check out gift shop. Buy pin $6.50. LC pays as she buys hand sanitizer 

4:30pm leave Cradle Mountain 

Drive back following signs to Devonport- no signal until we got to Spreyton. 

5:45pm Woolworths Shearwater - buy mince, dinner winner, frozen peas carrots corn

6:00pm checkout

6:10pm back at unit

Make chicken corn soup. JT makes choy. Lily makes pasta dinner winner meal

7:30pm eat dinner. 

8:30pm ice cream

Shower

9:30pm in bed

Mon 24 Feb 2020: Cradle to Coast Tasting Trail: Tasmania

Monday 24/2/2020 - Cradle to Coast Tasting Trail and Sheffield

A self-drive gastronomic tour across the region, highlighting cheese, chocolate, seasonal berries and numerous specialty producers in between. 

9:17am breakfast. Toasties with avocado, ham, tomato, spinach, cheese. Boiled egg and cucumber.

11:00am House of Anvers - a real chocolate sensation. Buy chocolate truffles pack, choc coasted sultanas, specialty fruit pack. Check out choc viewing area. Not much happening. KC buys us hot chocolate each - takeaway cheaper option.

Next stop

11:50am The Cherry shed - cafe, gift shop , ice cream. Just browse. Nothing much. Take photos outside with giant cherry.

12:30pm Ashgrove Cheese Tasmanian Farm - taste award winning cheeses, view the making and maturing process. Has small cafe with ice cream, but food doesn't appeal. JT buys cheeses.

1:20pm Christmas Hills Raspberry Farm Cafe for lunch. I order Raspberry and peppermint iced tea $6. LC has Raspberry and lemon myrtle tea $6. Pastry of the day - pork, apple and sage sausage rolls with salad $12 - JT. Creamy chicken and leek crepe with spinach $14.50 - MT. Grilled ocean trout fillets $22 - LC. Herb crusted blue grenadier $26 - KC. After lunch we take a walk around the lake and check out the raspberry farm. See alpacas and pick wild blackberries - sweet.

41 degree south Salmon and Ginseng farm.  Free tastings of smoked salmon $69 a kilo for smoke salmon pack. Salmon spread, ginseng spice and ginseng jam. Guided walk costs $25.

3:30pm Melita Honey Farm, Chudleigh. Free tastings and interactive displays. JT buys lip balms.

3:40pm drive to Sheffield via Mole Creek and Paradise.

4:20pm Sheffield. Town of Murals. Park on street. Walk to Info centre. Use toilets. Mural park is located at Info centre. Get map of Sheffield which has walking track to murals and sights. Too many murals.

5:30pm head back to Shearwater via Barrington and Lower Barrington

6:00pm Woolworths shopping for dinner and snacks. 

Back at unit 6:40pm can’t get in. Locked out of unit. JT goes to office but it is closed. Talks to man at the bar. He is on his own, but will send help asap.

Maintenance man let’s us in with his master key. Then tries to fix the lock. Sprays it with a lock spray (advises not to use WD40 - as it can make the lock stickier). Checks both keys. JT’s key is a bit crooked. Needs to get it changed.

7:30pm Dinner- pork with onions and tomatoes- sweet and sour style. Broccoli, beetroot, peas and piece of chicken.

Watching Survivor.

8:30pm shower, wash hair

9:30pm update diary