Archive: Month: March 2011

On the way back from Tasmania I stopped over in Melbourne for 24 hours to catch up with my friends Heather and Katrina. It was all too short a time, but a happy one, perfected by regaining a second scrabble trophy (there are only two) from Katrina. My first ever double double word. Yes, a double double word. Not quite the triple triple word that Thomas once pulled on me (sealings, lucky guess if you ask me), but still, magnificent.

It’s really quite upsetting and frankly disturbing when good people move away. In fact, it’s one of the most upsetting parts of the whole earthquake saga. Obviously I’ve nothing to complain about really, I have some friends who are in far far worse positions…. but moving to another part of the city is really quite disruptive. Especially after moving out from the community that was 39 Fendalton road. I realise I’m repeating myself here, but still, it’s true. The friends you used to be able to just drop in on are now in another part of town. It really does take some getting used to.

After the wedding we headed off to explore the Tasman peninsula. Carole had been here before and highly recommended the walk to the Totem Pole, an absolutely classic rock climb, which, if I had fingers, guts and time would be fun to climb someday.

It was a beautiful walk out there. Now, Mick has been promising to go on “a walk” with Domhnall Glynn and I for *years*. There’s always talk of the mythical “walk”. Here, for the first time *ever* on video is captured Mick. Walking.

He takes his sunscreen very, very, seriously. Which is a good thing. There’s a whole lot less ozone down here.

Anyway, it was a lovely walk with Tall Neil (not that he’d be that in The Netherlands), Mick, Carole, Andrew, Glynn&Jayne&Isla, Eoin, Maaike and I. It was great to be out there… my feet were somewhat itchier by the end of the trip.

Here’s a video looking out over the totem pole. It would be a perfect climb to do. But methinks I need to get back climbing twice or thrice a week for a while before I’d be able to tackle something like it.

Dah dum de dum…. dah dum de deee.. What a lovely day. Domhnall and Gill hired out The Cascades Colonial, a stunning venue out on the Tasman Peninsula. The day was blue skies (most of the Irish had t-shirts on their heads to ward off the Ozzie sun (which is quite a hot sun)).

Glynn & Jayne and Isla were over… and great to see them. Mick and Tall Neil (not that he’d be called that in The Netherlands), Carole & Andrew & Eoin.. it was quite the crowd from Ireland really – as well of course as lots and lots of family and friends.

The ceremony was simple and the bride simply stunning… the didgeridoo was played as Cormac (Domhnall & Gills son) brought the rings up to the alterythingy (a bicycle & double kayak).

Heard some very interesting stories at the speeches.. won’t say much.. but Gill was (is?) banned from national parks in Australia… fantastic… I mean really.. should finished bush fires get in the way of a good 5 day tramp? I think not. And so does Gill apparently.

An eve of merriment, excellent food, live ceili band, more merriment, playing the dig round a fire… all in all it was wonderful. There were tears (mostly Domhnalls, but he’s a total softie ;), much laughter, and yup, it was great. Pictures here and here

Well, congratulations to Domhnall and Gill – and thanks for the awesome party.

How’s that for the title to a blog post. The most impressive thing I have ever done in my life.. Still, won’t start with that, will leave you in suspense for just a little while longer.

So, there was a slight mishap on the Walls of Jerusalem trip. I was innocently eating into a jelly jet-plane… when one of my two (yes, I drank too much Jolt Cola as a kid) crowns came off. Not at all a pleasant sensation.. and not something I was expecting to go through for at least 10 years. This necessitated getting to a dentist ASAP.. so off to Launceston we went.

Checking email on my nifty smartphone was a delight I admit, made even better when I got an utterly random (kinda) email from my friend Mike Carrigan saying “If you happen to pass through Launceston then you must visit my cousin Alan). So we did. I’d met Alan before at Mike’s wedding.. and it was funny to walk into his hotel and see the “Where have I seen that guy before” face register.

He was an excellent host and showed us around his place, and we had a very nice dinner and a couple of well deserved pints there. One of the themed bars was entirely made up from all of his racing equipment. Very cool.

After that it was off to the coast where I was leaving Maaike to head back to Hobart to catch up with Domhnall for his stag night. It was in, I think, the coastal town of Swansea that the most impressive thing I’ve ever done happened. Out for a quite yum seafood takeaway and then back to our oh-so-unlovely camping site (I had to get a bus the next day, and there was little choice). Decided to see whether the table tennis room was still open. It was. Unfortunately, while the bats had no rubber on them (to be expected), there was also no ball (slightly less to be expected). There was, however, one of those grabber game thingys. Best described by a picture.

Feeling lucky, and pooling our coin resources (a single dollar coin) I had a go at the game. Maaike chose Ernie as the toy she wanted (there was only one accessibly Ernie, and that was in the back right hand corner). Anyway, you can see where this is going, one coin, one shot, one MONUMENTAL VICTORY AGAINST THE MACHINE.

Perfect.

Right – so after that it was off to Hobart on an early bus and met up with Domhnall for the stag night. Some of the Irish posse (Carole & Andrew, Eoin) had arrived, and we met up with some more of Domhnalls friends and had an entirely excellent stag. It was far too enjoyable for Domhnall ;) There was climbing…

Some coffee’s (Domhnall is _seriously_ into his coffee now.. the coffee machine costs more than the entire rent on my flat for about 3 years combined.. but it does make excellent coffee (when used well)).

Then it was off to an unmarked hut for the evening – which I’d been to before (but not stayed at) the last time I was in Tassie. Unfortunately I was having too much fun chatting to actually take many pictures, so I’d highly recommend looking at Domhnall’s pictures and Carole’s post on Australia

Lots and lots of fun, a really great night.

After Cradle NP we headed on around the corner (so to speak) to The Walls of Jerusalem National Park, for a couple of days of tramping. It’s a lovely walk in, lakes everywhere and some decent hills around. I think I was expecting just a vertical canyon about, say, 3km high on every side. It wasn’t quite that, but definitely a good place to get to.

I forget the original reason why, but someone named the hill “Mt Jerusalem” and after that, every stream, hill and other landmark became similarly named. This picture is from the top of the Temple Mount (I think)

Also. there were alien pods all over the place.

The stars at night were simply spectacular, and my little camera (and astro-photography skills) definitely don’t do the place justice. We had to camp on these little wooden platforms, specially designed so that the hordes of trampers who are there won’t destroy the place. There were wire tie-downs at each corner, and you basically just strapped yourself in.

Definitely Australia though.. the trees (and wildlife) were a dead giveaway.

And a video (no sound)

updated with High Resolution image