Picnic at Mitre 10

An intermission while I relay a story from Thursday just gone.  Steve and I were heading home from Hobart.  We stopped at the hardware shop in Sorell and Steve went in search of some Stevey sort of thing.  I stayed in my car with Jill.  I thought I could smell a sort of hot engine smell and the guy in the next car thought he could too.  I cautiously opened the bonnet.  I think I may have told you that a few months ago, while driving from Sorell to Triabunna, a long white cloud streamed from under the bonnet as I was driving and I was forced to pull over.  Somehow the radiator cap had come off.  The upshot was I had to be towed home and buy a new engine.  You can understand why I was apprehensive driving to Mildura in extreme heat.
Well, this Thursday the cap had come off again, green coolant was splashed all over the place and things did not look good.  The RACT advised yet again getting towed back to Tribes, and we waited about 3 hours for the tow truck.  We did not really have a picnic but there was plenty of time for little forages and walks for Jill.  The tow truck driver proved to be a very chatty bloke and I learned a lot about the life of a submariner.  Did you know the mariners in a sub can hear whales singing?  I was half in love with the chap by the time we got to Tribes.

Jill had a very good day.  She had the best view of the countryside from my car on the back of the truck.  And earlier she and I had re-discovered Bellerive while waiting for Steve who was having some tests in the Royal Hobart Hospital.  We decided to park at the Bellerive Battery aka The Fort.

view of Hobart and Battery Point across the Derwent River

view down D'Entrecastaux Channel - top viewing spot during the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race

I'd forgotten there's a moat around the fort

the moat's dry in some places allowing some intriguing graffiti (possibly Russian)

Jill PD and I found our way down to the road and footpath and walked towards Bellerive Beach.  It was a perfect day (given I didn't know what was to come) and there were people everywhere.

lovely to see a fisher and the blue green sea

more sea and colourful geology (for Pearl)

even more fishing with Bellerive Beach in distance

This area has been much sanitised since our Bellerive days.  There are now very civilised footpaths, viewing platforms and built stairways down to the rocks.

I was taken with the native planting - using plants I'm assembling for my own garden.

the view to Droughty Point - clouds were gathering...

I got the call from the hospital to say that Steve was ready for collecting so hurried back to the car.  There was a hold up on the bridge and we crawled along with only 1 lane open.  Thank goodness I didn't know what was going on under the car bonnet.  I'd be having conniptions. All's well that ends well.  Steve's test results are fine and my car seems fine too according to our mechanic.  Just one of those things - though the mystery of the errant radiator cap remains.

Now the Jansz wasn't to celebrate our escape from having to buy another new engine, but to celebrate Georgia's birthday on Friday.  We were even allowed to have Thai instead of pizza.

And here's a rare photo of Georgia and her children.  It was actually a sad event - the funeral of her grandmother - but these are times when families come together, and that's something to celebrate.  I love them all.  Each so different.