An Island Christmas...

Day 2: Dec 21

Reminders of a Chevy Chase Film

The Break-In

0730 sunshine streaming into bedroom calling me to rise - peering out the window I notice mist - ahhhh, Tasmania…. Then the cold hits - six degrees - what happen to summer - did I forget to pack it? Back into bed - read a book for a bit - whoops - two hours passes. Cousin arrives - says I can come into town and pick up his car and have it for the duration of my visit. Score - trusted with car - nice! Thing is, cousin just gained learners permit and should be getting practise - so this 28 year old with a little driving experience plans to pass on some knowledge with supervised driving time.

A lift into town with Grandad to go grab the little $500 beauty. Today freedom is a Nissan Vector, almost as old as me!

We arrive - no one home - no keys hidden - that’s ok - this girl knows how to pop a window and wind her hula hips through - aloha house - there you are car keys - lets cruise the streets of Tassy!


Click, click, click - battery dead - car wont start! Time for coffee and a think!

Buying the Battery

Ok - lets try the battery charger! Stalled for a few hours we see if that works before caving in and trying a boost! Ummming and arrrhhhhing the new driver and this older one are fearful of boosting from an automatic - picturing blowing computers in the newer vehicle from which we need the kick. After a call to a blokey bloke we go ahead - ahhh starts! Next stop - Auto One for a new battery and to find out what’s wrong with the current - no pun intended!

With a new battery in place - a grateful smile to local boy Chris who was happy to help install the gear - lets go say hi to cousin T - working at the local butchery. She’s a girl who knows how to handle a knife and how to have a jibe with the boys who like to throw dirty remarks. She’s busy packing Christmas orders - so I say just a quick g’day and having planned drinks for Friday night with all the younger cousins - those between 18 - 30 - cousin B and I grab the Nissan and take off again - ah, and it starts straight away - relief!

We are heading for Latrobe - another quick stop, this time for fuel. Ulverstone. Not much happening there - just more of that same drawn out Tasmanian accent from the local servo operator.

Fuelled up we are cruising - past the strawberry farm, past the cheese factory - next stop, a quirky store famed in my family - Reliquaire http://www.reliquaire.com/. On my first visit to the store a couple of years back now, I was a little ‘freaked’ by it! My memory flashes to my first experience, entering with my brother and nephew - greeted by a store person dressed as an elf - “have some fudge!” Circus music haunts my memory as I recall managing the maze of rooms with a map. A room full of giant ferries, another with antiques and local made jewellery, another with costumes and corsetry. On this visit however, I know what to expect and I navigate the space with interest.

I make it to the counter with some sweet stationary to send to someone special. The proprietor stands by the till - holding an icepack to her face. I suddenly realise that the detective brandishing cuffs that passed by moments ago was not Christmas shopping - something sinister had gone down at Reliquaire. I tell the store owner of my hobby for telling travel tales on radio and how I’d like to interview her - she says she’d love to but now is not the time as she was shop-lifted and struck when she approached the thief. Some sympathy for her - I understand - take a card and plan to call later.

Now bound for Devonport we detour for a loo stop - Anvers will do nicely. A sweet little local chocolate factory. Past the antique chocolate moulds, a peer through the window at the viewing platform I lavish the lavatory.

Anvers

Tasting a truffle, or two we bound to the Nissan keen to make it to the shops for a few last minute Christmas gifts. And we do. Ideal goodies identified and purchased we make pace, past Penguin, to cousin B's workplace to check roster to assist plan to visit Hobart for the Taste festival starting Dec 28 - an extravaganza of food and booze - a festival too good to be true for 18 year-old cousin B.

Back into the Nissan with a few crazy country tracks on the radio - we make funny, driving friendly dance moves to a local watering spot. A gorgeous view of the river running past - I sip a pot of Cascade and shout Cousin B a cider imported from London - it seems the English ties have never been severed!
Brew down, plans for Hobart made - we head home and book accommodation in Hobart for Taste. Then back to Grannies.

Yum.Yum.Yum.Love.Grandmas leftovers. Crash.Out.In.Bed.23:00.What.A.Day.