02/02/2023 from Geelong to Devonport - Tasmania

02/02/2023 from Geelong to Devonport - Tasmania

We sleep in, the children from the neighborhood left yesterday evening, but they will come back this afternoon, the little pink bikes are still next to the caravans. Today, many older campers than us are leaving the site, it seems too cold to wait until Saturday. We walk to the beach again to check on the Hooded Plover chicks and today there is a young lady there who is guarding them. Without asking us, she vividly and colorfully reports about her successful encounter with a wandering dog. Our understanding of the bird conservation action grows the longer she talks.

We receive a booklet about the beach birds of Australia, a sticker to protect the Hooded Plovers, and a map for building shelters for chicks. We are very excited and immediately consider organizing similar projects in Krakow on the lake for eagles.

Unfortunately, the weather is getting more unpleasant and since we are not allowed to bring certain perishable foods into Tasmania, we have lunch at the campsite and then leave. It's raining, no, it's pouring, and we decide to go to the ferry port. And we are not the first ones at 3:30 PM. Whatever the case, walking around the city in pouring rain is not fun, so we would rather enjoy a nice cider in the car while waiting in the queue at the port.

We leave earlier than announced by email, the employees here must have pity on the many bikers who are standing in the rain and want to drive under the roof of the office building. So we are all ahead of schedule. The food control is exciting, the young man of Indian descent asks if we have firearms, I thought about fresh geese, but he wants to look in the car, in the fridge, and asks what is in the bag. My Frank doesn't know, of course, and so we can continue. He didn't see the fresh baby spinach leaves.

Now we have to wait, because we are among the first ones to board the ferry. What's new is that huge suction cups keep the ship at a distance from the quay and only a few ropes secure the ship to the quay. The vessel finally departs around 7 PM, it is now 9:08 PM and I can still see the lights from the window. We are sitting on deck 8 and admire the ship's trail.

PS: I did not expect such calm waters in the bay after the rain and stormy winds on the mainland.

PS2: it gets quite rough at sea.

PS3: 5:50 AM arrival in Devonport.