Is 3 degrees Celsius cold? Yes, and there is frost on the ground too. Awoke in my Colorado-ish suite at the Mole Creek Guesthouse. My 4 TV channels are exciting viewing. Had headed mattress pad again. :) The shower was very good also (and the hairdryer also.) The brekkie (aka breakfast) was interesting -- cinnamon sugar omelette? The cereal was good. Went looking in the creek in the back yard for the platypus but because it was so cold he was probably in a hole somewhere, I would be.
I think I choose the wrong way to get to Cradle Mountain - about 70 kms of winding roads. I thought I would give up at one point. Even made myself car sick driving on the road -- no shoulder and no guard rail and straight down if I run off the road. Saw a wallaby running into the bush (aka the woods). On the way, it warmed up to 11 degrees.
Stopped at a lookout and then hauled it up to the Cradle Mountain Park. Left my car at the visitor center (where they sell thermals and heating fuel right beside each other -- is that a hint?) and took Lee’s Shuttle to Dove Lake (he let me ride in the front, he was a flirt). Got some great photos out the window -- he explained about the trees not being able to have deep roots due to the lack of topsoil. The trees die and then they can’t cut them up as it is a National Forest.
Three ladies and I got off at Dove Lake for the 2 hour walk. You know it’s serious when they ask you to sign in and sign out when you are through (just like Wineglass Bay yesterday). When we arrived it looked like a rainbow over the mountains. This so reminded me of Milford Sound in New Zealand and most of the Glens we saw in Scotland.
I started around the walking tract, but about 20 minutes in, the drizzle started. Took some photos, wised up and walked back to catch the shuttle and my 4 + hour drive back to Hobart. Probably the smartest thing I have done all week.
On the shuttle back, we saw a couple of wombats and the beautiful moor like scenery. This could be the UK.
This was a new van company I haven't seen yet -- not as "wicked" as wicked camper
On the drive to Sheffield (the less windy way back) I had this view in my rearview mirror.
Sheffield is the town of murals -- most businesses had them on the sides of the buildings:
Also, couldn't figure out why this man had these in the back of his car
Saw the sunset on my way back to Hobart. The traffic was rolling down Highway 1. Hit Hobart at dark. As usual I got in the incorrect lane and ended up going downtown. Thankfully I remembered the correct road and got to it quickly.
Checked in Salamanca Inn at Salamanca Square. This was an apartment like hotel, with a sitting room/bedroom kitchen and a handicapped bathroom (thank goodness I don’t need one). Very nice but not as hospitable as Clydesdale Manor. This was a plush hotel with internet and right around the corner from all the main tourist restaurants. Also there is supposedly the biggest outdoor market in Australia (and of course I have to leave early in the morning -- good thing for my pocket book).
Wandered down the Salamanca Area to La Porchetta and had a wonderful bowl of spaghetti bolognese.
For some reason I woke up at 4:00 in the morning and couldn’t go back to sleep. I hoped everything was ok at home. I normally wake up if something is wrong, but when I called home all was well.
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