Durman in Van Deeman's Land

Some pics from Brown Brothers, Ned Kelly, the Ferry and a surprise inclusion!



















The tour has moved to its final state - Tasmania - used to be called Van Deemans Land. Remember if you are reading this, post a comment - it is easy peasy.

Thursday morning before breakfast my legs were killing me from having descended the mountain yesterday so I ran up to the longest station platform in Oz - Albury between Melbourne and Sydney - where the broad gauge railway met the standard gauge. The station master timed me at 3 minutes 21 seconds to run up and back - it is nearly a kilometre, so both trains could be on a platform end to end and the passengers could transfer. Scintilating stuff eh!

Off we went in the good old coach again stopping in the lovely little town of Beechworth for some famous custard cake thing in a smashing patisserie. Then to the world famous family owned Brown Brothers for wine tasting - well we had to even though it was only 11am. It was really off the beaten track in a small village beset by the dreaded Aussie flies. This was by far the best wine tasting I have ever been to - we learnt loads of stuff about wine from a really enthusiastic young man who was passionate about the brand and extremely generous. We all bought some.

Lunch was taken in the village famous for the gunfight and arrest of Ned Kelly - can't remember the name. It was to say the least commercialised, but quiet when we got there.

Then we went down 200k down the freeway to Melbourne. I had to help navigate into the city docks because Robert our coach driver lost the plot - he doesn't believe in using the satnav. I have not mentioned the 'Coach Captain" before, but he and his wife Sheree have become an integral part of the tour with their terrible jokes and calm efficiency. They pretend they are working, but we all know they are on holiday too - don't tell them I said so!!!!!

We boarded the Spirit of Tasmania. Cabins were comfortable and about half of us booked into the A La Carte restaurant after the ferry departed. Lawrence and I were into the Brown Brothers purchases by then and after sharing two further bottles of lovely wine I was sailing, I was sailing, cross the clouds, far away. From what I remember the meal was nice. Others had to get stoppy because they took so long to serve them, but we were fine.

6.30am reveille after a calm crossing and about 6 hours sleep - someone called it drunken stupor! We are all being hosted now and I went off for a two hour cycle with my host, Peter. We got diverted into a Heritage Railway Centre where we clambered all over some very big steam engines and I explained to Peter all about a 2-8-0 and the joys of trainspotting when young. He said he did not know the extent of the site, but I don't think he will want a repeat visit for a while!! Lovely beaches around here with hardly anyone on them. Blue skies and about 23 degrees so have been sitting in the garden topping up my tan - no flies here - phewee.

Thats all for now
Hi to the Virgin two, in the even quieter zone.
Hi to Simon the rodent catcher
Good luck to Nicola for your exam next week
Happy Reading to Rachel
Hi to Lawrences mum - hope you are well in hospital

Off to dinner with June and Ken, Vlasta and Ian