The Falkirk Wheel

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We had seen a documentary on the Falkirk Wheel some time before our travels and just had to see it for ourselves. Near the town of Falkirk in central Scotland, the Forth & Clyde Canal used to be connected to the Union Canal by a series of eleven locks. In the 1930s, the locks were demolished and for decades there was nothing to connect these two canals. The Falkirk Wheel, the only rotating boat lift of its kind in the world, opened in 2002 and reconnected Glasgow and Edinburgh via these canals. We walked along the Forth & Clyde Canal on a crisp autumn morning

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and were absolutely awed at our first sight of the wheel.

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The wheel works on Archimedes principle of displacement. The two gondolas are full of water. When a boat enters the gondola, it displaces a proportional volume of water so that the total mass is equal to the other gondola, whether there is a boat in it or not.

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The upper gondola is lowered as the lower one rises. Fascinating!

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The shape of the wheel was inspired by the Celtic double-headed axe. It is 35m in diameter and raises the boats 24m. More than eight boats can be carried at a time, taking around 20 minutes for a one way trip. Of course, we hopped on for a return circuit.

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I wish I had taken more photos, it was truly amazing.

Rawlinna

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Toward the end of our third day on the Indian Pacific, the Nullarbor Plain, that had kept us company for so long

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started to change.

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As the sun descended to the horizon

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the sky awoke with colour.

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Soon after sunset, we arrived at a railway siding at Rawlinna Station. With 70,000 sheep on 8,000 sqkm, Rawlinna is the largest sheep station in Australia.

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By the light of a spectacular moon,

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hurricane lamps

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and fire pits,

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we shared platters of barbecued meats and roasted vegetables while our resident musician entertained us with Aussie favourites.

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The train stayed close, her warm glow welcoming us at the end of a wonderful evening.

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Cortona

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I have wanted to visit Cortona for as long as I can remember, even before “Under the Tuscan Sun” made it popular. An ancient Etruscan city, dating back to 600BC it was every bit as magical as I expected. Only a 10 minute drive from Il Castagno, we parked outside the city walls and strolled through the beautiful narrow streets

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lined with every shop imaginable.

Michael even bought a pair of shoes!

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Somewhere along the way, we caught a glimpse of the cloister of Santo Agostino convent.

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Our wandering led to Piazza Garibaldi with an obelisk dedicated to Guiseppe Garibaldi and a commemorative monument to Leonardo di Vinci.

We were lured to lunch at Ristorante Tonino by the breathtaking view.

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Unfortunately, the menu catered for tourists rather than those wishing to experience a traditional Tuscan meal.

After lunch, we walked through the Parterre Gardens, past the Monument to the Dead of World War I,

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a beautiful fountain,

and what appeared to be an amphitheatre.

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There is a marble sculpture, the Dove of Peace, by John D Kehoe who, in 1970, founded an international art study program in Cortona.

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Just past the magnificent San Domenico Campanile

we found ourselves on a tranquil tree-lined path.

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We attempted to find Bramasole, the villa renovated by Frances Mayes in “Under the Tuscan Sun”. We either didn’t walk far enough or we took the wrong turn, sadly, we never found it. Instead, we headed for the highest point in Cortona.

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It was a very hot spring day and after a heavy lunch and a vino or two, it was a bit of a challenge.

Stopping to catch our breath now and then, the sights were rewarding.

The further we got, the more determined we were to make it

and finally, we reached Fortezza di Girifalco.

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We took our time exploring the well preserved ruins of the 16th century fortress.

The panorama over the rooftop of the 14th century Convent of Santa Margherita

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across the Val di Chiana and Lake Trasimeno was spectacular.

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There would be some fascinating stories in the old walled cemetery.

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The Basilica Santa Margherita was built following the death of the patron saint of Cortona in 1297.

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The return walk to town was an easy stroll, I couldn’t resist the intriguing doorways once again.

After a short visit to the Chiesa di San Francesco, built in 1245,

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we enjoyed well earned gelati before returning to our gorgeous villa to sit with a vino and reflect on our wonderful day.

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Cradle Christmas

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We couldn’t decide what to do for Christmas this year so we decided not to do anything. Then, on Christmas Eve, we had a rethink and booked lunch at Cradle Mountain Hotel. We took Cooper on the first of many relaxing summer drives.

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We arrived in time to enjoy a pre-lunch beverage

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and, as I hadn’t been to this hotel before, I had a little look around. The bar and lounge area were very comfortable

and having the keg room on show was a novel idea.

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Beyond the Christmas tree,

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the dining room and buffets were presented beautifully.

The barbecue area was set and the chef had entered into the spirit of things.

We found a comfy spot

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with a fabulous view

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to finish our drinks before being seated for lunch.

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The menu was extensive and delicious.

Of course, we ate too much and returned to our place on the veranda to digest the food and the surroundings.

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We returned home, hot & weary, for the obligatory Christmas Day nap. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and wish you a safe, happy & healthy 2017.

across the creek

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Travelling across Bass Strait is affectionately referred to by Tasmanians as ‘crossing the creek’. The distance of 250km is easily traversed with a one hour plane flight. Alternatively, there is a ten hour ferry trip with a choice of day or night crossing. Four days after returning from our travels in Britain, we packed up the car and trailer and left Adelaide on our new adventure. The Spirit of Tasmania waited patiently in Melbourne,

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our excitement mounted as we drove aboard.

With our possessions in storage, no jobs and nowhere to live, we celebrated with a superb meal as we set sail.

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The crossing of Bass Strait was anything but smooth, my decision to splurge on a deluxe queen cabin at the front of the boat was not a good one. We were very pleased to see the sun coming up and calm waters as we approached Devonport.

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After navigating the Mersey River

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we disembarked and headed east for Launceston.

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We stayed in a holiday apartment for two weeks, then moved into a rental property while we searched for our perfect home. The rental was very comfortable

with great views,

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a manageable garden

and a park over the fence.

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We didn’t realise beforehand, it was the least salubrious suburb in Launceston. No wonder the rent was so cheap! Still, we survived and we have very fond memories of our time in Launceston.