Spirit of Tasmania

27th November

The 26th was spent reading & moving to the airbnb in Geelong, close to the port for the ferry to Tasmania next morning. 

It was luxury to have my own room - the room in the little drifter had triple decker bunks and I was on a top one, in a mixed room of twelve......with someone snoring all night. It was also disappointing as all the gas hobs were being serviced & out of action - they had multiple slow cookers, air-fryers & microwaves but I had pasta to cook! - and they send about a million messages & emails which gets incredibly annoying. 

The other thing is they have a key system through the phone, but always seem to change it the following day & then you can't just tap the number in - which I prefer. It gets confusing. In the Canberra one I tried for 10 minutes to get in the room before someone finally let me in........then I realised I had the wrong room!

I cooked my pasta, and later met the people staying in the other room, a lovely couple from Chile, Joaquin & Rosario. They were also getting the ferry next morning, to go to Tasmania for work. They had bought a car and were driving to a place called Bothwell where they had accommodation and a job on a golf course that ran events like weddings & conferences too. They kindly offered me a lift which was great!

Next morning, I noticed the tree in the front garden of the airbnb was a lemon tree - I was tempted to pick some and I did try and pull one off but it didn't come off easily. It was fortunate it didn't.......I'll explain in a minute.....

We all got into the car, packed high with all their stuff, and arrived at the port with plenty of time to spare. You're supposed to check in from 2 hours before - I was pleased that Rosario was like me and didn't like to leave it to the last minute! We were chatting and joking around, they are really fun & we got on well. I was wondering if I needed to check in separately, as a foot passenger. They laughed and said, 'You could hide under the stuff on the back seat'.......😂 'I have my own ticket guys!'

At the check in the guy was trying to guess their nationality - he thought they were Spanish. He guessed that I was Australian......everyone always assumes I am. I keep getting asked for directions to places! ha ha

So........back to the lemons......this is how my life seems to go:

When I was shopping in Aldi the day before, I was in a state of indecision about whether to buy some honey. I had bought natural yogurt a few times & I love it with a squirt of honey, but didn't want to carry another bottle around with me. I've already been lugging the huge jar of Vegemite around, plus coffee and now olive oil so was reluctant to get the honey, but in the end I went for it.

At the port they asked us, 'Do you have anything to declare?.......any fruit or salad?'

'No' we said........good job I didn't pick those lemons, I thought. It seems there are certain things like fruit and vegetables that you aren't allowed to bring into Tasmania from the mainland!

'No honey?' he said......

 .......wait....what.....No!?......really, 

did he really say honey?

you can't bring honey! but why?

I confessed to Joaquin and Rosario that I had honey in my bag - they then had a discussion about how I shouldn't declare it as I'd have to give it in and lose it.... meanwhile the guy at the port was asking Joaquin if he could check the bags in the back. 

Typical! after all that quandary about whether to buy it!

Anyway - we all got through - illegal honey stowed away in my backpack. 

I googled - 'You can't bring unfiltered honey into Tasmania because it poses a bio-security risk, potentially carrying pests and diseases that could harm the state's unique environment and beekeeping industry'

- oh well, rather than bring down the entire bee population of Tasmania, I will keep the honey safely inside my rucksack until I return to the mainland!

Being driven onto the ferry was wonderful & I left my bags in their car, while we found somewhere comfy to sit for the 10 & a half hour journey across the Bass straight. It is renowned for being rough, but I think we were lucky with the weather 

It took us 3 hours just to get into open sea, since Melbourne is so enclosed in its port

It was quite windy, and I have to say, I didn't feel too great, trying to sleep as much as possible, but it was great to have company. I tried to read my book, but it was making me feel worse. 

We chatted about books - Joaquin had read Walden by Henry D Thoreau, which I started reading in the summer. I didn't finish it as I left it in Cornwall, but I bought it again to read. I had decided not to bring it travelling though as it's a big book. 

They were both Lawyers in Chile, but had quit their jobs to travel, and not regretting it so far. He's 32, she's 29. He said he felt that to be a successful lawyer you have to live and breath it, and he had friends who were really good lawyers. He was clearly wondering if it was the life he wanted...

Like me in 2025, and Henry D in 1845, they both decided to leave the rat race for a while.

Above you can just about see the Sister ship to ours, passing in the distance.

Below you can just about see Joaquin & Rosario.....I think the light from the window was too bright.

They gave me a lift off the ferry, insisting on taking me right to my hostel! They were so lovely.....I almost wished I was going down to Bothwell with them.

They were such warm, kind, fun and full of life people - it made the beginning of my trip to Tasmania really special.

The hostel wasn't bad either. The kitchen & dining area overlooking the port

My room was for only two sharing, but no-one else arrived so I had it to myself.....

Bliss!