Big Breakfast and Dart River

Wednesday, February 23, 2000:  Big Breakfast and Dart River

Doug and I emerged from our room for breakfast.  Isabel and Gordon were busy in the kitchen making us breakfast.  Already set out were the usual beverages:  coffee, tea, orange or tomato juice; and typical Bed and Breakfast faire:  dry cereal, yogurts, granola, toasted bread and English muffins. We proceeded to prepare and eat our bowl of yogurt and granola, when Gordon began bringing out plates of hot food from the kitchen.  Such typical English Faire:  Eggs, pan fried ham slices, sautéed mushrooms and stewed tomatoes.  Gordon sat down and carried on a conversation with Doug; neither never really including me in the conversation, so I proceeded to eat and eat.  Gordon’s eyes would glance over to my plate and the dwindling plates of food offered.  By the end, I had nearly cleaned off all the food Isabel worked so hard to prepare for us.  Every morsel was perfection itself.  Never had I had such a tasty breakfast.

At about 10:10 am, Isabel assisted me in calling my home to touch base with my kids.  We were successful.  I spoke with them for about 5 minutes.  All was well at home.

Doug and I packed our bags and set up again across the street at Number Twelve.  We sunned on the deck until we were picked up by a taxi to take us to a park for a bus to Glenorchy for a Dart River Jet Boat Safari.

When we reached Glenorchy, we had some time before our safari.  After we lunched on the best lamb I’d ever tasted at the Glenorchy Café, we took a short nature walk to the water, down a little trail.  We came to a rolling river and searched for trout.

3:00 pm:  Dart River Jet Boat Safari:  We put on our life preservers while listening to the rules of the boat ride.  Just before boarding, a professional photographer took our photo (to be purchased at the end of the ride, if you want).

The ride was full of fun and thrilling.  If we wanted our boat driver to go faster, we just had to raise an arm and make a horizontal circular motion, as if swinging a lasso above your head.  We did this a few times, to the annoyance of some of the other passengers.

While on the boat, I looked down at my hand to see little gnats landing on my hand.  When I shooed them away, I looked down to see spots of blood where the gnats had been, and hey, they kind of stung.  I mentioned it to our driver.  He said that the sand flies here bite.  Ugh!  Just when I thought I’d survive a vacation without insects feasting on my blood….

Well, speaking of feasting, we dined at a Beefeaters Restaurant.  Very good.  More beef for me.