2 October 2005 (Day 27 – Hobart – Sydney)
Our last day in Hobart and we even lost an hour due to the introduction of daylight savings. As the graves we visited a couple of days ago looked largely unkempt and probably never visited by anyone, Daniel wanted to return and place some flowers at each of them.
Trying to find a florist open at 9am on a Sunday morning in Tasmania is impossible. We had hoped to find an Interflora at least open so we could also send some flowers to Johanne and Lilly. Eventually we found a Woolworths that was open and bought a bunch of carnations. As it happened, the Woolworths was a short distance from the cemetery. After a visit to each of the grave sites to lay two carnations at each, we decided to go out for breakfast down at Salamanca Place.
As today is Daniel’s father’s birthday we went to a gift shop and found a shirt for him and then we found ourselves a salt and pepper grinder made out of Sassafras Tasmania hardwood – a constant reminder of our honeymoon.
We then found a nice café that served the biggest breakfast. Two poached eggs, heaps of bacon and two spiced sausages on thick toast. Yum. Whilst waiting for the meal Daniel received a call from Macca asking what time we arrived back in Sydney and if we wanted to come over to watch the grand final. As we had tickets to Sydney, why not!
Breakfast took us close to the time that we needed to leave to make the airport in time. In fact, when we arrived at the airport we had less than an hour before boarding. Whilst Daniel carried the two big bags to the check-in, Helen sorted out returning the car.
Whilst waiting in the packed terminal, we filled out the last of our postcards to send back before Helen raced out through the security check to put them in the post box.
Our last plane ride, and again Helen is booked onto the window seat, which she gives up to Daniel – although there really isn’t too much of a window to look out of and a guy the size of Daniel takes the seat in front – he did want to lay is chair back, but asked if it was okay first and when asked if he wouldn’t mind not doing it, took it in his stride.
The flight took us out over Flinders Island, past the white peaks of Mt Kosciusko and a right hand turn as we went over Parliament House. Within minutes we started to see the outskirts of Sydney.
At other airports all you could see was bush and a bit of a country town before we landed – that and it was almost always night when we landed. In Sydney, you fly over thousands of homes before you get anywhere near landing. We came in from the west, just as we had flown out 27 days before up to Hamilton. We could see Prospect Reservoir, then we could see the Harbour Bridge in the distance. With a bit of turbulence on the way down, and then a thud, we landed and we were home. Nearly!
We got a taxi back to Kings Park and went inside. We were greeted by the mad mess that we left that night packing. The remnants of the flowers from the wedding, the piles of papers for organising the wedding and our travel plans. Now we were home.
We dumped the bags then tracked down Daniel’s dad. He was at the Cumberland Community Club playing dominos on his birthday. We raced over there and gave him his present and shared a beer but by then it had all pretty much caught up with us. We headed home and crashed…. but not for too long.
We headed over to Fiona’s place where Wolffa, Macca, Fi, and a few others from Blacktown Council were preparing for the Grand Final. With a feast of beer and seafood we settled down to watch the Western Tigers defeat the North Queensland Cowboys with one very excited Wolffa running around before he crashed on the sofa (not before breaking a bottle!)
We left Fiona’s place at around 11pm and crashed in our own bed not long after.
Trying to find a florist open at 9am on a Sunday morning in Tasmania is impossible. We had hoped to find an Interflora at least open so we could also send some flowers to Johanne and Lilly. Eventually we found a Woolworths that was open and bought a bunch of carnations. As it happened, the Woolworths was a short distance from the cemetery. After a visit to each of the grave sites to lay two carnations at each, we decided to go out for breakfast down at Salamanca Place.
As today is Daniel’s father’s birthday we went to a gift shop and found a shirt for him and then we found ourselves a salt and pepper grinder made out of Sassafras Tasmania hardwood – a constant reminder of our honeymoon.
We then found a nice café that served the biggest breakfast. Two poached eggs, heaps of bacon and two spiced sausages on thick toast. Yum. Whilst waiting for the meal Daniel received a call from Macca asking what time we arrived back in Sydney and if we wanted to come over to watch the grand final. As we had tickets to Sydney, why not!
Breakfast took us close to the time that we needed to leave to make the airport in time. In fact, when we arrived at the airport we had less than an hour before boarding. Whilst Daniel carried the two big bags to the check-in, Helen sorted out returning the car.
Whilst waiting in the packed terminal, we filled out the last of our postcards to send back before Helen raced out through the security check to put them in the post box.
Our last plane ride, and again Helen is booked onto the window seat, which she gives up to Daniel – although there really isn’t too much of a window to look out of and a guy the size of Daniel takes the seat in front – he did want to lay is chair back, but asked if it was okay first and when asked if he wouldn’t mind not doing it, took it in his stride.
The flight took us out over Flinders Island, past the white peaks of Mt Kosciusko and a right hand turn as we went over Parliament House. Within minutes we started to see the outskirts of Sydney.
At other airports all you could see was bush and a bit of a country town before we landed – that and it was almost always night when we landed. In Sydney, you fly over thousands of homes before you get anywhere near landing. We came in from the west, just as we had flown out 27 days before up to Hamilton. We could see Prospect Reservoir, then we could see the Harbour Bridge in the distance. With a bit of turbulence on the way down, and then a thud, we landed and we were home. Nearly!
We got a taxi back to Kings Park and went inside. We were greeted by the mad mess that we left that night packing. The remnants of the flowers from the wedding, the piles of papers for organising the wedding and our travel plans. Now we were home.
We dumped the bags then tracked down Daniel’s dad. He was at the Cumberland Community Club playing dominos on his birthday. We raced over there and gave him his present and shared a beer but by then it had all pretty much caught up with us. We headed home and crashed…. but not for too long.
We headed over to Fiona’s place where Wolffa, Macca, Fi, and a few others from Blacktown Council were preparing for the Grand Final. With a feast of beer and seafood we settled down to watch the Western Tigers defeat the North Queensland Cowboys with one very excited Wolffa running around before he crashed on the sofa (not before breaking a bottle!)
We left Fiona’s place at around 11pm and crashed in our own bed not long after.
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