WE ARE ON THE MOVE - A QUICK REAL TIME UPDATE (28 NOVEMBER 2018)

Well, we have been sitting on site 9 at the Windsor Gardens Caravan Park for over seven  months now, the longest period we have spent in one place for almost nine years. Life has been something of a constant....Liz working and visiting her ailing mother on an almost daily basis, with your trusty scribe keeping the home fires burning.

Involvement in a number of ad hoc enquiries and investigations, and continuing work on my Surf Club's by-laws, have kept me from going completely round the bend, and with a bit of luck we may finally get out of Tasmania in blogland within a few weeks, but none of this has been a satisfactory substitute for the pleasure of our gypsy wanderings (and I'm not getting any younger!)

I have to comment that the only real upside has been the opportunity to spend more time with many friends and relatives.

Some decisions have now been taken. 

We are on the move, initially only from one site to another within the park (another couple have had a booking for the site we are currently occupying for ages). They arrive on 9 December, but we have to move this weekend. The Test Cricket Match begins here in Adelaide on 6 December and needless to say the Mobile Marshies will be eager starters, so we need to be firmly relocated before then. 

As you may imagine, this length of stay during a cold winter (and the need to be able to don a little more finery than we normally carry in the van) has meant that we have raided our storage shed for an array of winter clothes and a host of other bits and pieces to make life more comfortable. That all has to now go back, the full annex must come down, and all the trappings of an unusually stable lifestyle which are gracing our outdoor living area have to be packed away again. We have a busy three days ahead of us.

On 20 December we shall be moving down to the West Beach Caravan Park for the Xmas week, and, on 27 December, the Marshies will again be mobile, off to Junee to spend New Year with a group of our Sydney based friends of long standing.

At this stage we'll be returning to Adelaide for the foreseeable future, but not to Windsor Gardens. We have booked a site at the delightful McLaren Vale park for three weeks from 9 January 2019. 

This will see out the school holidays, after which we plan to move to the beach somewhere, but at this stage have not firmed up on a destination. 

In broad terms, we have undertaken to remain within a few hours drive of Adelaide until it is time to head north to FNQ in late June (to which we are irrevocably committed), so we now have plenty of options.....the far south coast (Victor Harbor, Pt Elliot, Middleton etc), the Riverland, Yorke Peninsula, the Limestone Coast are all on the table...... 'a virtual holiday at home.'

Of course, the length of this stay will be entirely contingent on Liz's mum. Should the inevitable happen sooner rather than later, once all the necessary arrangements and attendances have been completed, we'll be off.

So there you have it, a mix of some certainty with a large dose of unpredictability, but at least this period of stagnation is about to end. I'll finally be able to stop scratching my feet!!

TOURIST CENTRAL - STANLEY - PART 4 (THE TOWN - PART 2) (5 - 11 FEBRUARY 2018)

Cafes, restaurants, art galleries, B&B accommodation, many housed in old Stanley homes. This town is without a doubt a tourist mecca, particularly on the weekends when folk flock in individually or in sometimes quite large organised groups.


To date our stroll through 'old Stanley' has brought us to the end of Alexander Terrace where it joins Church Street just above the junction of that and Victoria Street. Not only does the statue of the soldier look down along Victoria Street, he also gazes across the junction to one of two of the larger buildings here in 'CBD central', the Stanley Hotel.

Looking back up at the eastern side of Church Street from Victoria Street, this group of buildings opposite the hotel form what is another of the most photographed sections of the town (from all sorts of angles.......I'll soon be equally guilty!)







But before we move on further north along Church Street and beyond, let me do a quick about turn at this junction.











Apart from the Post Office (the red and white sign), all the buildings along this southern section of Church Street below Alexander Terrace are completely tourist orientated.  Here we found a large art gallery, cafes and restaurants, 















one of the most popular of which is Moby Dicks. 









Apart from its odd name, which may be a reflection on the fact that in the earliest days of the settlement of this town, when whalers operated briefly out of the port of Stanley, this is a cafe with a difference.....it specialises in breakfasts. 

And unlike the relatively recent phenomenon of 'All Day Breakfasts' served at many establishments, any who darken this door after 1100 hours to enjoy the delights on offer will be sadly disappointed. It will be closed. Apart from the short operating hours, this cafe is also closed throughout the winter months. They are obviously doing something right at Moby Dicks. We did not indulge, but did note in passing that it was always well patronised.







Needless to say, parking along the narrow confines of this very popular part of town can often be somewhat challenging,









even more so when some of the groups I referred to earlier hit town over the weekend, such as this lot from a Holden Car Club. We'll leave them to mill about in indecision,  

and make our way back to the northern end of Church Street, where I have indulged myself in another shot of the group of colourful old cottages at the end of Alexander Terrace, now home to the town pharmacy, an antiques shop and a couple of cafes. 







A short distance further along the street, the grand facade and bulk of the old town hall speaks of days gone by when Stanley was the pre-eminent town in the region. Of course, as we saw earlier, the seat of local government is now located in nearby Smithton.







Right next door to the town hall, this colourfully decorated building attracted my attention for more than that reason alone. Advertisements in the front windows told of tastings of Tasmanian single malts and a significant range of them at that.




Needless to say I made an immediate sharp turn to the right was off at a gallop........and out again equally rapidly. I had not brought my cheque book!  The immaculately dressed and coiffured 'lady of the house' seemed somewhat nonplussed that I was not prepared to pay an initial tasting price of $50, and that was just the opening round. She clearly had not taken into account the fact that I was not wearing boutique apparel, RM Williams boots, and had not arrived in a Mercedes!



Ah, well, on we marched, slightly less informed about Tassie whisky, but with the Treasurer by my side at peace with the world. The next premises here on Church Street to extend its siren call was an equally well restored and maintained Stanley weatherboard, complete with dormer windows, almost a town architectural signature. 


Providore 24 is an up-market food store offering an extensive range of fine Tasmania foods. Gift baskets and picnic hampers are a store speciality, as it fresh bread baked daily. And I have to say it is a magnificent shop. We did decline the offer of a gift basket (range $110 - $55) or a personal food hamper (priced according to contents) but did depart clutching a warm, newly baked loaf (which was decidedly up to scratch).

And speaking of bread, these much more modest buildings on the other side of Church Street are home to the Stanley bakery and another of Stanley's restaurants, the highly regarded Xanders.









Just north of these, we came across yet another three Stanley buildings with history, the first of which was Touchwood Cottage, (circa 1842) an old bluestone, now home to a gallery and gift shop (with a cafe at the rear, of course!).









Immediately next door, the original Plough Inn is now a private home,  
















but what stories these walls could tell!
it any occasion










The Parish hall of the church next door (with apologies for the intrusive sunlight in this shot) is now home to the Stanley Discovery Museum, unfortunately shut at the time we were wandering by.









By now we had almost reached the northern end of Church Street (here seen looking back along the route we had taken), at the point where it intersects with Marshall Street.







Here we came across another of Stanley's early watering holes, this time the long, low Commercial Hotel. Sadly the original stone walls of this 1842 pub have been painted over,








but they remain exposed in the walls of the shed at the rear of the main building. Why would anyone think that covering these grand old stone walls with paint gives them more appeal is beyond me.








As we strolled down Marshall Street towards the water and the prominent grave stones of the old Stanley cemetery, 











we passed the aptly named 'Star of the Sea' church on the northern side of the road, a place of worship which, having been built in 1931, is a real 'newcomer to town'.








Opposite the church, 'Abbey's Cottage', where its weatherboard walls were put together in 1870, is another old building which has been lovingly maintained, and, like so many of its counterparts, is now used as a fine B&B where those on the upper floor have grand views out over Godfreys Beach.




A similar vista is available to any who visit the expansive Stanley cemetery, but of course the permanent residents here are well beyond caring! What a piece of real estate this graveyard occupies, nestled under the lee of the Nut,










and looking north right along the sands of Godfreys Beach to historic Highfield House on the distant peninsula.













In addition to a good car park and public amenities, the grassy open ground above the beach is now home to the results of the Stanley Anzac Centenary Project,











where, on the seaward side of this wall,












the names of the 86 local lads who went off to fight in the Great War and who paid the ultimate personal price, are now remembered with their details etched into the terra cotta tiles beneath the wall.







It was here at Godfreys Beach we were reminded that not all in Stanley creaks with age or reeks of history. Those lucky enough to occupy this modern beach house would be treated to delightful sea views out across the beach to Bass Strait beyond. 










And finally, one more snippet of history, this time to be found in nearby Pearse Street, where the old State Schoolhouse, circa 1866, presents yet another classic example of the Stanley stone and timber style of building.








And what's a State School without at least one favourite son, I ask?









That about wraps up our Stanley town tour. I do have a few more odds and ends to share, but that will have to wait. Indeed we have a bit more to do here before moving on. Apart from the obligatory visit to Highfield House, we spent one morning making a quick dash down the coast to nearby Wynyard, passing Port Latta en route, so there is more to come.

ANOTHER DOSE OF HISTORY - STANLEY - PART 3 (THE TOWN - PART 1) (5 -11 FEBRUARY 2018)

 A 'cliffy round lump resembling a Christmas cake'. This colourful and very apt description of the famous Stanley geological feature, the Nut, is one which is far from widely used, but believe it or not it was the first mouthed by a European.....no less a person than Matthew Flinders himself when he and Bass sighted this extraordinary feature in 1798. What a shame it doesn't snow in Stanley. Imagine a frosting of white across the top of the Nut....a cake with icing!

The town about which we are about to ramble has a number of claims to fame, excluding that remarkable natural feature with which it is inextricably linked, one we have already explored.

The website 'Discover Tasmania'  promotes Stanley as:

"a town of perfectly preserved colonial buildings, genteel cafes and quality B&B cottages, all sheltering in the imposing shadow of the Nut, an immense flat topped, volcanic plug rising 150 metres straight up from the water's edge."

My old reference friend 'Aussie Towns'  describes Stanley as, "a truly remarkable town. Not only is it steeped in the early history of Tasmania (for it was from here that the mighty Van Diemen's Land company operated) but it is also a town full of beautifully preserved historic buildings. Not surprisingly it is a classified town. 

As a bonus it has one of the most remarkable landforms anywhere in Australia: the Nut, the stump of an old volcano, towers over the town. Although the Nut can be bitterly cold when the winds are blowing it is a magnet for everyone who wants to get a panoramic view of the surrounding countryside."

We had already learnt about the winds of Stanley and although they can prove more than annoying at times, this wind does have one saving grace......the air in and around Stanley is officially recognised as the cleanest in the world, a formal measurement taken at nearby Cape Grim on Tassie's north-west tip.

So folks, all breath deeply and make the most of it! 

We did just that as we set off to explore this small, charming town (current permanent population of about 500 or so), where all that is of real historical interest lies within easy walking distance of the caravan park. 


Firstly, however, I must include a photo which I somehow omitted from the missive dealing with our walk around the Nut, one which shows the precipitous perch which is Tatlows Lookout. This was the last on our jaunt and presented marvellous views of the town and beyond, but as you can see here, the barrier is in place for a very good reason.

Strangely enough there were no signs cautioning against attempting to go outside the guard rails to get that special shot....I guess the assumption being that the danger had to be obvious, even to the most mentally challenged tourist! 





Back today's venture where we began at the Stanley marine park at the eastern end of Sawyer Bay with its small lighthouse, ship's propeller and the odd looking stele which can be seen in the foreground.

The plaque at the base of this piece of art told us that The Divine Mercy Stone had been sculptured as part of the 1989 Circular Head Arts Festival. More detailed information about it was available from the nearby Lyons cottage. This was shut when we walked by, so we are none the wiser other than to comment that this, to us, was esoteric in the extreme.













Here is another view of the park taken from the nearby boat ramp which also includes a couple of buildings of real Stanley significance, both as different as could be (the VDL Store and Lyons Cottage).

The large stone building which abuts the park is the old Van Diemen's Land Company Store, another designed and built by John Lee Archer, the civil engineer and colonial architect of the fledgling colony between 1827 and 1838.


Archer, who incidentally died in Stanley in 1852 and is buried in the impressive local cemetery, was responsible for all the government buildings during his tenure.

There hardly seems to be a town of any historical significance in Tasmania which does not have Archer's stamp on it somewhere....Parliament House, Hobart, the Ordnance Stores in Salamanca Place, the stone bridge in Ross, St Lukes Church in Richmond.....the list goes on and on.

The redoubtable Mr Archer was a man in incredible industry. In addition to all his building work he held the position of Chairman of Quarter Sessions, the Commissioner under the Electoral Act and the Assistant Commissioner of the Court of Requests. Whew!

The bluestone from which the VDL Co Store here in Stanley, impressive despite its relative architectural severity, was not locally quarried. It arrived as ballast in the sailing ships which came to Stanley in its formative years. This landmark building is now used as an up-market B&B, something of which we were to see much more in this tourist orientated town.





The second of the two old stone buildings in this area is not too far away. The Stanley port Bond Store, here seen from the end of the boat ramp jetty (with the VDL Store on the far left of the photo) rose in 1835.








With bluestone walls and an interior crafted from used Baltic pine and ballast from sailing ships, and a lime rendering which was made from crushed seashells, this signature Stanley building was, at various times after the need for a customs house had passed, used as a bacon factory and a grain store. 

It is now home to one of the town's best known restaurants, Stanley's on the Bay and by all accounts offers fine fare of a standard which would please the most demanding of trenchermen.







Almost abutting the bond store, the old town railway station (could this building have been anything else?) is now a motel,







whilst a little further on towards the docks, and facing directly out to sea over the rocky shore, this modern apartment block looks almost incongruous.

With all this under our belts it was time to meander up and along Alexander Terrace, probably the most well known 'character' street of the town, seen here from the junction with Wharf Road looking north past the marine park and the VDL Store.






I've included this annotated Google Earth shot at this point for two reasons. Firstly, it shows the relationship between the southern end of Alexander Terrace and the old dock area and the row of cottages which line its northerly route around the base of the Nut (red arrow).

The second reason if to try and make some sense of the three way junction of what I suspect were old cart tracks (yellow arrow) where Alexander Terrace, Wharf Road and Church Street all come together on different levels in a manner which can be most confusing for those newly arrived in town.....spoken from first hand knowledge!








This chart shows the same spot and includes the position of the caravan park in relation to the 'old town'.

The European settlement which we now know as Stanley had it genesis in the formation of the Van Diemen's Land company in England in 1825, a  company which was granted the rights by Royal Charter to a large area of land around Stanley with the intention of breeding fine wool sheep.

In October 1826 the arrival of livestock, implements, craftsmen and indentured labourers from England, along with convicts assigned locally at Circular Head, heralded the beginning of the town. The port was opened in 1827.

Despite initially being known as Circular Head, the town was given the name of Stanley after Lord Stanley, the British Secretary of State for War and the Colonies (interesting combination of responsibilities!) at the time. There was obviously something to be gained in this office....the same august gent went on to serve three terms a British Prime Minister, but I digress.

Many of the cottages on Alexander Terrace date back to the town's origins. I've been unusually selective in my presentation of them!

This distinctive white walled and red roofed two storey cottage, which can be seen in the previous shots of the marine park, has an extraordinary story attached to it, one which presents a remarkable commentary on life amongst British royalty of the time. 

This is another of John Lee Archer's buildings, an unremarkable fact in itself given his energy and industry, but discovering its original intended occupant blew me away....this elegant cottage had been built for one of King George IV's many illegitimate sons. Whether he ever occupied it (and, for that matter which one of the many of this dissolute monarch's many offspring born out of wedlock was the intended occupant?) I've not researched. But what a story, as indeed is that of the life of gallivanting and glutenous George!

The next on history's Alexander Terrace roll-call is an abode of much more modest style and original occupancy. This unprepossessing home was the birthplace of none other than Joseph Aloysios Lyons, who came into the world here in 1879. You may recall we were originally introduced to Tasmania's first (and only) Australian Prime Minister when in Smithton, the home town of his wife.

Joe's family were well entrenched in Stanley as we shall see in a moment.





As often happens on streets such as this, this large modern B&B is completely out of character with much of the remainder of Alexander Terrace, something of a shame really.

A little further north brought us to this stone and weatherboard building, where the shingle hanging out the front proclaims it to be the Bay View, c1849. Surely not......it looks as through it went up yesterday.






A series of plaques in front of the building told us something of history of this lovely guesthouse. And as you can see, Joe Lyons' grandfather was the first occupant of the much more modest Inn which stood on this site.

The story went on (obviously 'photo-shopped' to make it legible here).

To the credit of the current owners they have since put in 25 years of continuous toil to bring this grand old building back to the magnificent state it is today, and the work is still going on.






We could only hope that this wonderful view they have out over Sawyer Bay, and all the hard work they have put into this venture and the building which houses it, continues to be rewarded with full occupancy.

Just beyond the Bay View, we came to that potentially confusing road junction where Alexander Terrace actually splits, 











with the lower half continuing north as Church Street whilst the remainder of Alexander Terrace narrows dramatically.

Several sets of steep stairs allow pedestrian access from one level to the other, and in this shot the third road in this jumble comes into view, where Wharf Road just adds yet another level to the general confusion, literally. To be frank, however, we soon came to see this as just part of the charm of Stanley.








'Yelnats Cottage', circa 1848,
















two storey 'Talisker' (date unknown) 

and the more imposing white washed stone walls of  'Captains Cottage' built in 1835, all grace this northern section of Alexander Terrace,














where the roadway is wide enough for one vehicle only.

The 'Harbourmaster's Cottage' built in 1880, is another fine example of a fastidiously maintained weatherboard home, and I am sure that it is this combination of wood and stone buildings which add to the charm of this terrace.

Similar care has clearly been lavished on 'Gardinia House', with its double bay windows, which now provide the guests at this rather upmarket B&B (some rooms fetch $350 per night) with more views over Sawyer Bay below.

This has been but a small selected offering of the delightful row of private homes, guest houses and B&B's which march in a solid line north along Alexander Terrace from the old port precinct, 

before this iconic Stanley thoroughfare ends when it joins Church Street.

Here, just above Victoria Street, the memorial statue of a 'Billy the Digger' gazes forever west, past the pub, out over the more modern section of Stanley.

This aerial shot (courtesy of the Kentish Visitor Information Centre) very neatly covers the ground over which we had just trodden. Hopefully you can now recognise some of the landmarks.

And before we leave Alexander Terrace, here is a sunset shot I took of some of the cottages and other buildings along it, with the front windows reflecting the glow of the setting sun and the cliffs of the Nut becoming a burnished brown.

In the second instalment of our Stanley town tour, we shall continue north into Church Street past what is the old Stanley CBD, another much photographed part of town, before making our way down to Godfreys Beach to see what we can find there.