Monday 16th

Got to breakfast about 8.45am – very crowded and got even more crowded after 9am. Got chatting to another English couple from Bromley – Patsy and Anthony – again another set of quite well travelled English people. Anthony was retired and had been a Civil and Mechanical Engineer. We were enjoying chatting so much that we didn’t notice time passing and suddenly realised it was 9.45 and we had to check out by 10am. Hurried goodbyes and rushed back to finish packing and load car.

As we got to the lobby to check out Pat and Mike were there doing the same so we started chatting again. We then effectively drove in convoy to Strahan. We did a quick side trip to look at Mackintosh dam and lake, and stopped for coffee at Roseberry. It was a chilly day – only 8C when we left Cradle Mountain – with odd showers as we drove. As we got towards Strahan we stopped at a viewpoint over the beach where we could just see Sorell Lighthouse and huge sand dunes.

Got to Strahan at 1.30 and our room wasn’t ready so we went off and had lunch in what appeared to be the only place not owned by the hotel. Went back and checked in and then went back out down to Visitor Centre and timber shop. We’d decided not to do the boat trip (too long for us at 5 hours) or the train trip – too expensive at AU$178 each. Instead we drove to Macquairie Head along 15k of dirt road and then walked out up the beach until we could see Hell’s Gates. Very interesting and invigorating with a brisk wind. Drove back into town and went to Regatta Point where the railway starts.

Returned to the hotel and did some more washing as Les had discovered sauce spilt on his jacket from the previous evening meal. When Anne went across to bar to get change and soap powder she asked about internet access – the first good deal – two hours broadband wifi  for AU$10.  Anne had shower and washed hair.

Once the washing was dried we drove down to the Esplanade intending to go the Fish & Chip restaurant. Unfortunately this was absolutely heaving with a queue for tables. Even though we were told that the tables turned over fairly quickly, we decided it would be easier to take food away so we took back calamari and Blue Trevalla. Les popped across to bottle shop for a couple of beers. Ate food in room and then went across to the bar taking our laptop. Even though it was 8.15 the bar was virtually empty. We sorted out the internet access, did the online check-in for our Singapore Airlines flight and started to look at our emails – sad news – Roy Anderson had died on the 10^th. We asked Kevin to send flowers or make a donation on our behalf. Nothing much else of interest in the 48 emails. At this point Pat and Mike came in and we spent the rest of the evening chatting to them until 10.30. They had done the cruise (their room had been ready when they arrived at the same time as us) and were planning to do the rail trip tomorrow.

Not many photos, and none of Strahan itself, as it was grey, windy and cold most of the time.