Monday, 19 May 2025

The City

 We went into the city of Launceston last week to buy some shoes for my husband.  A parking place was very easy to find, there was one at the base of The Mall and we only had to walk halfway up it to Sketches, a shoe shop. 
There are parking meters which are not that easy to use because the light shines on the area you have to read as that is where you put your car registration and how long you will be there and so on, if the sun is shining then it's near impossible.  So I like many have an app on the phone called EPark, it's pink so easy to find, so all you have to do is open that app, put the time you wish to stay there for, eg 1 hour and if you take less time you stop the app and are not charged for time not used.  I hope you can follow.  There is a time limit also.

Jeanswest a clothing shop, well there were 90 stores in Australia all told and the fashion chain was placed in voluntary liquidation all across Australia.  This business had a decent size shop here in Launceston and we had to walk past it and we saw a lady sitting inside on the floor eating her lunch and she appeared to have cleaned most of the shop out, along the path up against the window were free items.  Sad to see another empty shop.  

The Mall was just about void of people; I took a few photos as it looked like a ghost Mall.
I can remember that once you could hardly move because of the people shopping.





Wednesday, 14 May 2025

The Hoochery

 The Hoochery in Kununurra is 4,500.5 km (2796.5 mi) from Launceston, Tasmania, Australia.
They make Rum, Gin, Whiskey, Liquers, 

Visit their website here to find out more if you wish to.
There is a lovely small video on their homepage as well and the scenery is good and you will hear the Aussie accent of the outback.

Words from The Hoochery.  "Worth the drive! The Hoochery is located on The Dessert's family farm, 13 km out of Kununurra in the heart of the Ord Irrigation Area.  With a relaxing outdoor 'Gin Garden' and a rustic 'Rum Bar' serving lunch and bar snacks, cakes and coffee, cocktails and tastings.  There is something for everyone.  Come out for tastings of our Award-winning rums or for out delicious home-made cakes."

Husband and myself visited The Hoochery on one of our visits up north in the tropics.  We went in the winter and the temperature was about 30 deg C. as it is in that area.

Love this part of Australia, and the building was ever so clean inside, with staff so friendly and yes, we bought a bottle of rum.















Friday, 9 May 2025

Batman Bridge

The Batman Bridge built in 1966 - 1968 was the first cable stayed bridge in Australia is only about 30 minutes from home with a good run.  It was named after John Batman, a Tasmanian pioneer and the founder of the city of Melbourne.

The photos were taken on different days over time.


Several years ago people used to park their caravans all in the above area, there were toilets, picnic tables and the grass was mowed and green, then the local council in the area decided that no one could park their caravans there, toilets were removed and placed in another area, even some picnic tables and chairs were removed.  Now the area is just a place to look at the whirlpools in the Tamar River in that area.  I guess the locals didn't care for holiday makers and wanted to keep the area for themselves or something like that.



Monday, 5 May 2025

Wedding Anniversary

60th Wedding Anniversary dinner at the Country Club Casino at Links Restaurant celebrated with family, no photos of family.  Sister-in-law J took the photo.

Thank you all for the lovely comments.


I've had curly hair ever since I can remember, however a few years after I was married, I grew my hair longer and used to iron it with an iron on the ironing board with a tea towel over my hair to help keep it straight.  After a few years or more straighteners came to the fashion scene in about 1980, so I used one of those for many years until about 3 years ago when I let my hair be it's natural self.
If we have curly hair we want straight hair and vice a versa. 


I've shown the Casino before, it was in February so these photos below are just a reminder and I forgot to take photos of the Restaurant once again.  I hopefully will think of it next time we go there.



The map of where the Casino is.


Monday, 28 April 2025

A Special Day.

This coming Thursday is a very special day for my husband and myself.  On May 1, 1965 we were married in the Catholic Church, the Church of Apostles here in Launceston, Tasmania, Australia at 11 am by two Priests.  

Therefore, it's our 60th Wedding Anniversary.

We were teenagers at the time and my studies were completed in my profession, but I was too young to practice, that came later.
We had 150 guests at the church and at the Wedding Reception of which my parents paid for including the drinks. 
Nearly 16 years later we had our first son followed by our second son 11 months later.
Why the delay?
Natures way!
All good things come to those who wait.

This week on the April 27, was youngest sons birthday followed on April 29, eldest sons birthday.  Two days the same age.

I will take a break from blogging for celebrations with family and friends.

Wednesday, 23 April 2025

Beauty Point, Tasmania

Beauty Point, Tasmania was established as a deep-water port, initially to serve the nearby Beaconsfield gold mine which is still there but little gold is taken these days.  Later it became a key export centre for exporting Apples.
Today, Beauty point is a small riverside town known for its port, which hosts the Australian National Institue for Maritime Studies.

Seahorses are a star attraction in Beauty Point with the world's first seahorse aquarium, Seahorse World, dedicated to breeding and protecting these fascinating creatures.

At Platypus House you can view live platypuses and echidnas.  These two creatures are unique and cannot be seen anywhere else in the world.  They are egg laying mammals actively feeding and playing during a guided tourn.  You can learn and about the biology of both mammals and how they live.



A Platypus


Sea Horses.





 



Beauty Point has red dots around it in the north.  That river is the Tamar River which goes into Launceston where I live.  On the right side of the Tamar River is Low Head the mouth of the river and Bass Strait is just to the west on the map.

Wednesday, 16 April 2025

Oatlands, Tasmania

There is a lot of history in Oatlands, Tasmania, Australia and the town with Australia's largest collection of sandstone Georgian buildings.  There are 150 of them, mostly convict built, including 87 along the main street.
Oatlands is named after the English town in Surrey.

The most prominent building in the town is Callington Mill, Australia's third oldest windmill (1837) and the centrepiece of the Callington Mill Distillery.

Oatlands developed around a military precinct in the late 1820's and it's impressive courthouse was the only Supreme Court in regional Tasmania, which meant it could deliver death sentences. Eighteen convicts were executed inside the town's large gaol, and the walls and archway are still standing.


Callington Mill the second photo taken the other day, the top one taken a few years ago.



The house (was the hospital many years ago) where I was born, in the right hand back corner was the room according to my late mother.
Below are some of the houses and centre's related to the council these days.





Interesting how the homes are built next to the footpath, out the front door onto it.






The Police Station above, the Chemist shop below.





On the map Oatlands is above Hobart with the red marking around the area.