WEEK 97, HAVE SEEN A BLUE SKY THIS WEEK....
So this week, Sunday was a cold but nice day with the weather getting better and from there Monday and Tuesday were just a picture of a day with blue skies and so clear and Yesterday while coming back from town there was snow on the mountains just down from where we are so they say by the weekend we may have snow above us on Mt. Roland
So we got out and visited a few places and still are amazed by the views and so much to see about the place, We also visited a nice caravan park come bush camp down the road we will go to once this house sit is done, they have clear views of the mountains around here and they have critters in and around the park.
We have some busy weeks ahead with people coming to see us starting Monday, so have said they are coming and a few have confirmed their visit and we have planned to take them to a few places that we have found along the way, most will be a couple of days and at least two are here for 5 days or more. We are hoping the weather will be at its best during that time as we are heading back into wet weather again today with rain and fog about.
So we got out and visited a few places and still are amazed by the views and so much to see about the place, We also visited a nice caravan park come bush camp down the road we will go to once this house sit is done, they have clear views of the mountains around here and they have critters in and around the park.
We have some busy weeks ahead with people coming to see us starting Monday, so have said they are coming and a few have confirmed their visit and we have planned to take them to a few places that we have found along the way, most will be a couple of days and at least two are here for 5 days or more. We are hoping the weather will be at its best during that time as we are heading back into wet weather again today with rain and fog about.
As you see in above photos the sky came be blue and clear and with the green and rolling valleys its a site to behold. And we meet up with some of the locals and their eyes are so dark and they just burn into you and they all just ran over to the fence to see us. Its a case of no matter which road you take the views and grass is always so green. So from there we headed off to the lower village of crackpot where they have a few mazes and a township. We ended up having a hot chocolate here due to it being so cold outside, great for the kids and if you are into getting lost on the many mazes within the place. |
Aside from the Great Maze, one of the world’s largest botanical mazes, the mazes include the Hampton Court Maze, the Yellow Brick Road Maze, the Hexagonal Maze, the Cage, the Irish Maze, the Confusion Maze and the Balance Maze.
One of the main attractions at the park is the eponymous Village of Lower Crackpot, a quaint miniature village built to one-fifth scale. The Embassy Garden is another set of model buildings and icons representing locations around the world, or, in some cases, representing other worlds in the form of the buildings dedicated to intergalactic and time travel. A quirky, occasionally subversive, sense of humor is present throughout the park. The Village of Lower Crackpot includes the “School of Lateral Thinking” and interplanetary balloon aviation. A monument to whistle-blowers can be found in the Embassy Garden. Tasmazia, a maze complex, model village, Cafeteria and Gift Shop in Promised Land, north-west Tasmania. Promised Land is situated 15 km south-west of Sheffield and 40 km south-west of Devonport. Tasmazia has a total of eight mazes. You can lose yourself in the Great Maze (one of the world's largest botanical mazes), the Hampton Court Maze, the Yellow Brick Road Maze, the Hexagonal Maze, the Cage, the Irish maze and the Confusion Maze and test your co-ordination on the Balance Maze. Explore the Village of Lower Crackpot, a fanciful artwork in the form of a small-scale village. Visit the recently-opened Embassy Gardens, containing sixty buildings dedicated to over 40 countries. You can also indulge yourself in the self-serve Cafeteria and browse through the Gift Shop for locally made crafts and clothing, many exclusive to Tasmazia. |
As we drove about we saw a sign for the Devils Gate Dam and drove out to have a look and it really is a large body of water which you really cant see too much, but it would be a nice place in summer for a picnic.
The Devil’s Gate Dam was constructed in 1969 and forms Lake Barrington. The dam is part of the Mersey–Forth scheme that comprises eight hydroelectric power stations, the Devils Gate Power Station is the sixth station in the scheme and was commissioned in 1971, with a generating capacity of 63 megawatts. The dam wall is 84 metres (276 ft) high. It is one of the thinnest concrete arch dams in the world. Today, the dam, and Lake Barrington, provide the venue for recreational pursuits such as water skiing, fishing, rowing, swimming, walking and the more adventurous even abseil down the vertical dam wall. There is a basic picnic ground at the dam, accessible via Barrington on the B14 from Devonport, then via Devils Gate Rd. The picnic ground hosts a picnic table but no shelter, and is surrounded by stunning cliffs, eucalypt forest, and is frequently visited by local wildlife.
Deloraine has been classified as a National Trust town of historic significance a town on the Meander River, in the central north of Tasmania, Australia. It is 50 km west of Launceston and 52 km south of Devonport
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we went to Alum Cliffs and read the walking track notes
It was a grade 2, easy slow track with slight upgrade climb for 800 mt. Well they must have
Decided to have some fun with the tourists, as you are aware you take about 15,000 breaths a day, well I can tell you I did about 65,000 just getting up the first part, then they trick you as it goes down slowly down towards the lookout and about half way down there are seats, should have worked it out seats means rest spots. So after going down for 20 min came to lookout heavy breathing and takes about 20 min to get breath back and enjoy the view etc. only to have to climb back up the mountain taking about a further 65,000 breaths and in the end so dry and my lungs must be twice the size before I started and lets say if I cant see it from the car from now It is a stunning outlook, but my legs and body don't think so
It was a grade 2, easy slow track with slight upgrade climb for 800 mt. Well they must have
Decided to have some fun with the tourists, as you are aware you take about 15,000 breaths a day, well I can tell you I did about 65,000 just getting up the first part, then they trick you as it goes down slowly down towards the lookout and about half way down there are seats, should have worked it out seats means rest spots. So after going down for 20 min came to lookout heavy breathing and takes about 20 min to get breath back and enjoy the view etc. only to have to climb back up the mountain taking about a further 65,000 breaths and in the end so dry and my lungs must be twice the size before I started and lets say if I cant see it from the car from now It is a stunning outlook, but my legs and body don't think so
Was asked the other day, When travelling in Tasmania, do I require to carry Snow Chains?
Well the answer is, No not really if you plan to be here during winter months and want to travel to some of the snow fields, you can or just park up and take the buses they have, if you travel in your own car there will be signs telling what you need to carry into those spots and most say have snow chains, they can be bought at super Cheap stores from $200 to $350 for a large 4x4, so really will you need them once you are done or not.
I have a set and never used them, but I have seen and driven on the snow, but was lucky as no black ice and it was very light dusting. So the answer is really are you going to be into the heavy snow and drive yourself or take the safer option and get the free buses and leave car below snow line so you don't need to dig it out or replace battery or try to thaw out radiator if not filled with anti freeze,
We have a fire place here and have learnt that some wood will burn quick and not put out much heat and other woods will burn much slower and the heat they put out is amazing, so we mix and use the wood for different things, like for starting and for getting the warm heat going fast to get having a nice flame, but even more it is a lot of work to get and split the wood into useable sizes then get into the house without making much of a mess
Remember no matter where you travel around this great country, always carry plenty of change for showers and washing machines etc. plus notes up to at least 3 or 4 tanks of fuel as sometimes you will find ATM Machines are out of order and it will leave you waiting for machines to come back on line or you will be hunting for those 20 or $1 coins from someone and if at night in a small town good luck
WINTER FLOWERS
Not everything is brown and dead looking over winter here, as you see the winter flowers are out and are great to see and with the Bulbs coming up more colour will be around over next weeks
So these two photos above show the bulbs are growing and the critters don't seem to eat them, I posted as they can up a week or two back, so they are growing fast. And there are more coming up all round the fence line hopefully flowering before we leave.
Photo of The Week
So below, is the new standard Photo as the other shot has not changed at all and here this area is changing faster, but all the same will continue to check out other spot and it does change will add it back in will be the same position, so this photo taken this week, where we are staying about same day and time, so each week as the weather changes and gets well into Winter you will see the changes over the 2 months about we are here.
I think you will see the countryside change along with us, hope you enjoy this...…