Big walk

Today was our favourite annual RSPCA fundraising event -- the Million Paws Walk.

In Launceston, it starts at Inveresk near the market site, goes along the flood levee beside the North Esk, through Heritage Forest and back along the levee.

Photos didn't come out very well. It's not easy trying to focus camera while trying to keep up with little dog.">



The stars of this story are Jaz (Hurry up! There are dogs ahead of us! What do you think this is! A walk!?) and Dora (There are strange dogs everywhere. Can I hide behind you?)





Heritage Forest used to be a tip, then it was turned into a park (and a competition held to pick the name).





Dora has this steady trot that she could probably keep up all day. Jaz takes the "fast out of the gate and we'll get through the later bit somehow" approach.



The little white dog at the front took a dislike to the red dog on the left. Jaz was quite happy to take them both on, but we were a bit far back for her.



About ten minutes before the end, Jaz slowed down and fell right back behind me, so I was almost dragging. We started up the levee and she picked up, although dragging a bit. I carried her for a bit, but she wasn't too happy about that.

Then they both decided to pick up the pace and start trying to pass all the walkers ahead of us.



The end is in sight!



Made it!



So did lots of other people.











Now we're off for another walk!

Cataract Gorge & Cliff Ground

Just some random photos from today. One day I'll get organised and look through the hundreds of others I have and pick out the better ones to put up. But being so many, it's a big job :|

Also, they're not always images that do well as small photos. They need to be poster sized photos! So shrink yourself down a bit...

Walkway up ahead



And back the way I've come





You can just see a part of the walkway from the first two photos (just left of the ) formed by the yellow branch).





This is the usual postcard view. This is the spring version





And there's the city, yah!

Franklin House

(Rated G incidently)

Franklin House, in Franklin Village, on the edge of Launceston. Heading south, there's about a handful of houses before the city boundary.

This was the first property obtained by the National Trust in Tasmania, when it was it was rescued about 1960.




Built in the 1830s, it's a typical Georgian "gentleman's cottage", with a central hallway that the room open off. Upstairs is a little different. Two bedrooms open off the landing, as you'd expect, but the front two rooms joins together to make one large living room, that can be divided with a wooden screen that folds back.

The other interesting room, is on the far left there. It was a school for boys, where all the proper family sent their sons.



At the rear of the house, there's an open courtyard with a wing on each side.



North side (straight into the sun, yay)



with the stable on the end





The stable window is interesting. It looks like you turn the knob and the sticks hold up the louvres.



The other wing



With the kitchen up against the house.



The gardens are quite lovely, in season.

SV May Queen

One set of photos I forgot to post from the Wooden Boat Festival. (By 'forgot' I mean I didn't get a good photo of the whole ship on the day, so I had to look through old ones to find one and I hadn't got around to it, and I also wanted to incorporate some of the information from the brochure, but I have no idea where it is and the website it helpfully uninformative, so you can make up your own words.)

Just in you were starting think all the sailing ships were modern replicas, here's the SV May Queen, a trading ketch built in 1867 and used to transport timber and stuff. "Australia's oldest sail trading vessel still afloat and on of only four wooden vessels from that era still afloat in the world."



She sat in Watermans Dock for long time, being restored. Despite the poor light, this shot gives a good overview.



At the Wooden Boat Festival (ooh, I have walked past this ship so many times and now it's open! Quick, where's a gold coin). We come in over the stern and down into the black hole.




Down in the hold. From the bow, looking along the starboard side. That light on the left is annoying.



Despite the light, it's dark down here.



With the flash on. There's a display panel on the right there.









Looking along the deck, towards the stern. The main mast is on the right. Both masts have fore & aft sails.

Just to keep things interesting

Friday was interesting, weatherwise.

The first sail was at 12.30 pm, a small school group. It was warm (having looked at the weather observations, I'll change that to hot. It got up to 30oC, unusual for late March) and there was very little wind. At first the river was smooth, no movement at all, although that changed a bit later on. As usual, we motored up under the bridge, turned around, made sail and came back down the river under sail. Some of the kids didn't think we were moving. It was hard to sure. We were moving, at 1.5 knots (2.8 kph or 1.7 mph). As a guide, the average walking speed is about 3-4 mph or 5-6 kph.


The second sail was at 6.30 pm, a group of staff from another school. By now it had come over overcast and the wind had picked up (looking at the weather obs again, it got up to 39 kph in that period, with gusts up to 63 kph). We went further up the Derwent than usual, up towards the rain. Just an occasional drop at first, then picking up until we're talking about finding the raincoats. In the meantime, the ship has been turned around and the motor turned off, and there comes the call to make sail. Just two sails though,because of the wind -- fore course and top.

Now she's moving. The water is foaming on either side of the bow. Found out the next day that we passed under the bridge, in the wind and the rain,

(file photos)

at 6.2 knots. I've heard somewhere that her maximum speed is about 6 knots.

The sun set on the way back up the river, that's where last night's photos are from. In the dark and the wind, some of the crew went aloft to furl the course "clipped on at all times", which required a lot of shouting as us down on deck had to hold the lines and let them out as required. Usually they're left to hang loose when their sail is being furled. The top sail (top gallant, which had been loosened but not used) had to wait until we were berthed. They weren't going up there in that weather.

On Saturday, the wind settled down, but it turned cold. 15.5 oC was the highest temperature recorded in the city (I'm told to expect up to 5oC colder out on the water). Speeds varied between about 1.8 & 4.4 knots. Quite normal, but so cold, even with fleecy jacket.

(And a little side note. On the second harbour sail on Saturday, there were a bunch of boys there for a pirate birthday party. I got bored at one point and took out the squirrel to take some photos. This got the usual questions from the crew near me, one of whom suggested I put him up on the spanker



which involved climbing up on the aft cabin. That got the attention of another of the crew, who decided to occupy the young boys for a few minutes by having them look for the squirrel on the ship. All to the amusement of the nearby passengers.)