Hannah and Snuva have been looking forward to having their special girls-only long weekend for ages. You see, Scott and Disa had been given a gift certificate to Freycinet Lodge as a wedding gift by a group of their lovely friends. They didn’t take much convincing to make it an even longer weekend so Snuva and the Han-ster could spend even more time hanging out alone. The stay at Freycinet had been booked months ago for Sunday and Monday evening, and finally the Friday when they were leaving the girls alone arrived. What the girls got up to is a secret, but here’s what Scott and Disa did. . .
We left work a bit early in order to pack the van. It was a rather different mix of supplies than a normal trip away with Snuva as this time we would be staying at two different national parks and in very different types of accommodation: van camping, camping in the Penitentiary on Maria Island, and staying at Freycinet Lodge. But at this point on a Friday afternoon, our main aim was to get on the road!
Food, bedding, and clothes were quickly tossed into the van, veggies were cut up in preparation for Saturday evening, Disa’s lists were found to be MIA (obediently waiting for your arrival back at the office!), etc. Around 6 pm we were on the road. Our first stop as Sorrell for petrol, supplies Disa already realised she’d forgotten (cooking oil and face wash), and dinner. Petrol and supplies were soon accomplished, and the next item was to find somewhere for dinner. But where to dine in Sorell? We wandered around the main street until we came across The Pink Cadillac, a ‘60’s style’ restaurant that sported a rather more modern (and yummy) sounding menu then we suspected existed in the 60’s. Disa ordered the Cruiser (chickpea and lentil burger with plum and mustard chutney) and Scott had the Roadster (lamb burger). They were beautiful! Freshly cooked, chickpea and lentil burger beautifully spiced and obviously made on the premises, chips crisp and hot. Yum!
Our Sorrell needs satisfied, we continued on to the Three Thumbs State Reserve, just south of and overlooking Orford. It was dark by the time we headed up the final stretch of road. The unsealed road has been graded and compacted with new fine road base – lovely and smooth. On the way there we’d been wondering if we’d have to share the spot with anyone else or if it was obscure enough (and early enough in the spring) that we would have it alone. This question was answered as we rounded the final bend and saw someone in a red shirt walking up the road with a dog scampering about. As we approached, the man turned to us with a rather stormy look in his face, indicated we should lower the window, and demanded to know what we were doing here. I hesitated for a moment, worried he might be a ranger there to tell us to push off, but informed him we were camping. I think my voice was as reassuring as my answer. He was a fellow camper and was worried we might be hoon – the van sounded quite a lot more powerful and aggressive as it burst into the quiet of his camp.
He invited us to join him by his fire, so we quickly made camp and did just that. We chatted and watched his dog Lucy dance around. Being Tasmania, after a time we realised that Robin had known Scott’s great uncle and lived just a few doors down from Disa when she lived in North Hobart. Our duties as Tasmanians complete, we said good night and make off to the land of Nod.