ATGANI at large

Hurtling out of Brisbane and across the border into NSW, we took to the motorway and what a difference to speed-of-travel it made. Apart from the Coffs Harbour choke point (I know, being fixed, but what will happen to the Big Banana – re-sited perhaps?), if you want to drive speedily from Brisbane to Sydney, there is only one route.  New England, Thunderbolt etc just don’t cut it.  Not that we were hurrying. We even stopped at Goodwood Island near…

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As we lined up for our Deathstar flight direct from Cairns to Adelaide, we imagined what could possibly go wrong and wondered how they could possibly fill a plane on such an unlikely route, but pretty-much fill it they did and in both directions.  They didn’t lose our bags, they didn’t cancel our flight, they didn’t run late and they didn’t even mind that we’d brought our own delicious Roll’d™ Vietnamese spring rolls on board for our lunch…and they sold…

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This trip was meant to be all about the coast – and by coast, we mean beach.  In particular, Airlie and Mission were in our sights and we were sailing in their direction.  Naturally, Airlie Beach was booked out but we’d been advised that a place called Dingo Beach, just a bit further north, warranted our attention.  Following our custom so far, which is that if anyone recommends anything we tend to do it, we headed for Dingo only to…

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Seventeen-Seventy or 1770?  For reasons undiscovered, it’s lettered out in some official signs and numbered out in others – locals told us it should be in letters and then those same locals put up signs in numbers?  In any event, we discovered that this area is also called Round Hill Head.  Mardi’s sister Lesly’s family (keep up) had a shack here many years ago when it must have been one of a very small handful, but the only thing I…

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A couple of the boats that go out to whale-watch at Hervey Bay offer the possibility (no guarantee, you understand) to swim with the whales.  Years ago in Alaska, we’d had the terrifying experience of a humpback surfacing less than 10 metres away from us while we were sitting in a tiny fibreglass kayak in the middle of Glacier Bay, and the chance to be terrified again was too much to pass up.  We chose Tasman Venture, a mid-sized fast…

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Not only is the Sunshine Beach Caravan Park no longer in existence but it has been, unsurprisingly, replaced by a collection of multi-million dollar beach front houses with triple garages and fancy cars in the driveways.  All a bit dispiriting for us, though not for the undoubtedly happy residents.  Our memories are of a primitive van park directly overlooking the ocean and small children in a borrowed caravan for a week of perfect Queensland winter weather with no other buildings…

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In a time long ago and a galaxy far away, we’d brought ATGANI back to Sydney with the intention of cleaning up the van and the truck and selling it all – very firmly my intention, somewhat less Lesley’s (so you know where this is going!).  The mixed emotions involved combined with lots of activities in our normal lives, from golf in Vietnam for Trevor (brown jacket returned to its usual home, I’m afraid), travel to Brazil for the world’s…

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The big ferry from Devonport crossed the Mersey (Bluff) before it entered Bass Strait for our overnight return.  Supremely uncomfortable cabin beds combined with dining options that could best be described as food-for-fuel made for a crossing to be forgotten and never repeated, despite calm seas.  The only upside was that we were maybe the third vehicle off in Geelong.  It was 6.30am and faced with a couple of hours of peak hour traffic across Melbourne, we decided to chance…

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Wine has become a “thing” in Tassie and the major companies (think Treasury etc) are investing heavily, albeit without naming themselves in any obvious manner.  We saw thousands of newly planted vines all across the various wine districts but especially on the east coast, aiming for cool-climate wines…or maybe just harvestable grapes in the not-too-distant future?  Even most established plantings look skinny and young.  In any event, Helen and Mike flew in for a week’s play and while we missed…

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Most of you will be aware that Tasmania is desperate to have its own footy team – desperate enough to suck up to the AFL to the tune of a brand new and unaffordable stadium.  Their JackJumpers have had some basketball success (I know, who cares?), despite being named after an aggressive ant and thus their fans are called the Ant Army.  But if they really want to be the national champs, they simply have to establish the Roadkill Championships. …

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