So we got
to Station Pier a little early and had to park around the corner for an hour or
so. Which was just as well, as we had to check in and collect boarding passes
BEFORE getting to the freight entry. Awkward much with a big rig?? Just
something to get used to, I guess. At least we could make and have a cuppa
while we waited! Dunc stayed with Bertha while the kids and I walked back to
get the passes. I had two VERY excited kids leaping and bounding along a jetty.
Driving on
board was eye-opening. I was a little concerned with the headroom, but we fit
perfectly. And we got pole position to leave the next day!
Our room
was cozy but perfectly comfortable. We only stayed long enough to dump our
stuff and explore the ship before departure. Being last on, we didn’t have much time before that happened!
We had an
incredibly late dinner at 8.30 at the bistro, which seemed to be the only place
serving food?! I’m surprised Angus lasted that long… Those families doing to the trip may like to
take advantage of the trick of the gentleman who was served before us – he got
one adult meal and piled his plate enormously high for his whole family to
share from. We all bought our own…
I had
difficulty falling asleep with the motion of the ship (I wasn’t feeling sick, but I was thinking about all
the stuff on Bertha that I hadn’t secured for that sort of motion)
and at 1am we had 2 loud thumps. I knew we hadn’t hit a rock, but I was seriously wondering if we had hit a whale or
something. It was loud enough to wake Lexie, who then felt sick. End result was
that I slept from 3.30am to 5.10am in a single bed next to a 10yo. Joy.
By 7am we
were off the Spirit of Tasmania and awaiting customs. I thought I was so good
in disposing of the remaining grapes on board, but I had totally forgotten the
potatoes and onions in the pantry. Doh! Lucky thing the customs woman is an
expert at this stuff.
Dunc drove
on very little sleep to our booked site at a caravan park in Longford, just
outside of Launceston. It took us about an hour – just long enough to stop for diesel
and the most delicious bacon and egg sandwich in the world.
We were all
tucked into our perfect site at Longford by 10am, when I could barely string 2
words together.
2 comments:
Well done guys..it's good to see your powers of organisation have been "challenged"..it's all part of the fun!..Merry Christmas & Happy New 2014 travels from the van't Riet's in the UK.
Thanks Richard! Was lovely to talk to you the other night. :) Love to all in the UK xxx
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