Tasmania Week 2 : Final day…

I’ve been off line for a couple of weeks waiting for a part to repair the computer. Finally it arrived and with a large, new monitor I can now finish recording our Tasmania trip. 

The final day has arrived. It has been 2 memorable weeks and for the last day I have planned to go to Evandale markets. They are renowned for the variety of stalls, over 100, with everything you could think of.

They even had pony rides.

It is a bargain hunters paradise. But what fascinated us most was people watching.

Jack started talking to Betty and when she told him she would be 90 in a few months and had been born in Evandale. But moved to King’s Cross in Sydney for work. They could immediately compare their experiences. Jack was born in Sydney and is just one month older than her. I was fascinated listening to their stories.

But Betty had a stall to run. She had grown all the cactus and I really would like to take that beauty in full flower home. I don’t think the airline would let me take it on board.

Betty told us to look for this statue of her grandfather. She is very proud of her Evandale ancestry.

The markets closed at midday so we went for a look around the village.

Evandale today is a National Trust classified Georgian village. We took a stroll along High Street, reputedly one of the most attractive historic main streets in Tasmania, if not Australia. Admiring the colonial cottages with white picket fences and, of course lots of roses.

The National Penny Farthing Championship is an annual event.Penny Farthing Bikes are obsolete, but that doesn’t stop Evandale from celebrating one of the earliest forms of the bicycle. These antique bikes feature a large front wheel, tiny back wheel and no bike chain. The rider must power the giant front wheel with fixed pedals. Every February, thousands descend on Evansville for the National Penny Farthing Championship race.

Behind this interesting sculpture is the Clarendon Arms Hotel. A beautifully restored Georgian style hotel which was interestingly, for us, recently bought and up graded by Lydia who also owned the Red Feather inn that we stayed at for the art retreat. An amazingly energetic woman in her 70’s. We had a cool drink in the beer garden.

This was another totally unexpected surprise that was happening. All around the village music of all sorts from classical, to jazz, to rock n roll was drifting through the air. We wandered around totally entranced with the atmosphere and vibes of this final day.

The rental car had to be returned by 5pm. Fortunately the depot and airport was just down the road from Evandale. So ended our amazing 2 week Tasmanian holiday. We vowed that we will come back again. When? Who knows.

We arrived back at midnight. We were the last off the plane and descended into an eerily quiet and deserted Brisbane airport. 

Two weeks later, December 13, the Queensland borders opened to floods of tourists and also the omicron variant. 

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