Turning left…..

Captains Log - 0014/ 23rd June 2024 / 0830hrs

The first mate has positioned my glass recycled tomato sauce bottle, now a water bottle, on the left side of the fridge as a statement that apparently reflects my view of the world. It is probably the tendency to wear Sea Sheppard tee shirts under my flannel shirt (I don’t own a singlet and the extra layer in Tassie winter is useful) or the constant desire to always look at an alternative point of view in conversations….to be honest, I prefer the centre - it is all about balance of course. But regardless of ideology or whatever, turning “left” can actually just mean being in a car and instead of turning right or straight ahead you actually turn left. Being a Volvo driver, you never really know what is going to happen if you are behind as the indicator is optional of course.

In this utopia period of my existence where email attendance and ship pondering is currently on hold whilst I use up that mythical long service leave thing that was a gift from corporate allegiance, I have found myself often leaving The Providore in St Helens after a coffee and white chocolate and macadamia nut cookie and turning left. Hardly ever planned, just a random moment where at the intersection the decision is made and what happens from there is anyone’s guess.

Last Tuesday I turned left and ended up at The Blue Lake on the other side of Gladstone. I remember going to Gladstone once in my ‘20’s and having a beer in the pub there. Back then the dogs outnumbered humans. Not a lot had changed in Gladstone. although I didn’t see any dogs (I expect they were all inside next to the fire with the humans). Having driven the forest roads (dirt) to get to there from St Helens (awesome) and being around lunch time I thought a meal would be in order so I wandered into the pub and was greeted by the bar lady and the one patron perched up at the bar. “No meals today, but I can rustle you up a toasted cheese and ham sandwich if you like”. Perfect. I spent a good fifteen minutes with the patron at the bar who was telling me he was up from Launceston to have some space (from the missus) and to chop firewood for his shack and back home. Problem was he arrived three days ago and hadn’t managed to get past the bar. He looked settled in whilst I was there so I expect the missus is freezing in Launceston whilst the bar lady has heard every opinion on every topic imaginable. There would be a miniseries in those three days at the bar I am sure.

Arriving at Blue Lake I parked in front of two American tourists taking photos of themselves. Not a selfie mind you, but the female pointing a phone camera at the male and the male pointing a phone camera at the female - the photo therefore being two photos of someone holding a phone in front of them taking a photo of someone holding a phone in front of them. Humans are strange creatures. I wandered over to the edge and looked at the industrial stained quarry that has tinted the water blue, read the signs saying don’t swim here or you may die a long death of industrial mineral poisoning and wandered back to the car. On the way back a spaceship with aliens landed next to my car. A white electric Tesla (where do you charge at Gladstone!) doors swished open and four Asian females exited dressed exactly the same in large expensive white coats, shiny black boots, gleaming black branded sunglasses and exactly the same cut black hair. The whole thing started to feel like a twilight zone episode so I exited and turned left onto the road.

If you look closely you will see two ducks that will evolve to have blue blood.

Wandering over the hills into Little Musselroe Bay, I time travelled into the future with the skyline in front of me obscured by large spinning things on giant poles. I couldn’t help but wonder what the air is like behind those windfarm power windmills thingys and how far into the distance does the disrupted air impact whatever is behind them. I have heard people say they like them and love what they do for the scenery. I think I may be the drink bottle on the left side of the fridge with this one, but I get it and renewable is important - one of the quandaries of our time if you want to go down the philosophical rabbit hole (not today).

Not much to say about this photo - it is just here to prove I was there.

After leaving the future I turned left again and found myself on the back road to St Helens (the same one that goes to Eddystone Point). The damage had been done though as I passed swaths of cleared land, logging plantations and properties with old cars in the front yard (one sign on the fence even had spray painted in white in big letters AREA 51 - I didn’t doubt it). On another day I would have seen the beauty in all of this turn left journey, but on this occasion all I could see were the results of humans on the landscape. It probably didn’t help that my soundtrack in the car was the Roger Waters new version of Dark Side of the Moon (brilliant, but not what you would call positive music).

The other day I did it again. Sorry to the person behind me, it just happens and as I said, it is a Volvo. This time I had a mission. I was heading to the Weldbourgh Pub. I had just popped into the bike shop in St Helens (watch this space at The Ship - exciting things coming!) and was chatting to the owner whom just happens to also own the Weldbourgh Pub. He enthusiastically showed me a photo of the freshly made that morning Chicken Pie on his phone and that was all it took. Chicken Pie for lunch in a country pub - tick!

Just go here - it is excellent!

On route I decided to drop into Pyngana Dairy to pick up some cheese. The cloth cheddar there is amazing and the locals (yep - I am calling it - I am a local) know to buy the vacuum packed offcuts. One of the nice triangles packets cost around A$18 for what would last five minutes with me, but the offcuts are twice the weight and half the price and are the same thing without the pretty angles and fancy label. But it was shut (never mind, Debi and I are heading there in an hour to remedy that!).

Further on up the road there is an obscure blue sign that says “Myrtle Forest Walk”. This place is actually next to an old friends farm and he has been telling me for years to have a look. Up until now, the sign has just been a blur and we pass it on route to somewhere that is dictated by “time”. Time is a new construct for me so a slow down and pull into the verge on the left of the road (it is all left if you are not getting the theme at this point) done, cross the road and into the forest I went. AMAZING. It is difficult to put into words the majestic ancient feel of this piece of paradise only half an hour from where we live. Tree ferns as tall as our house, trees with root systems that demand attention as you walk around them - incredible - we are going back today.

Don’t drive past the blue sign - go in, it is worth it.

Another fifteen minutes up the road and the Chicken Pie is beginning to subliminally call my attention. Alas I am still fourty minutes too early for the designated bell that is “lunch” so I meandered through the small township of Welbourgh and up to Paris Dam. Whilst the cement wall in the middle of the forest was impressive, I have to admit the pine forestry plantations grabbed my attention moreso and I found myself walking amongst the pine trees on an alien landscape of cushioned pine needles with mushrooms everywhere. Surreal.

With the fourty minutes accounted for, I wandered into the pub and met the owner (again), bar lady and chef and enjoyed the show for an hour. Great chats about the pub, a tour of the old hall across the road, an incredible chicken pie and two bottles of wine from the back room gifted from the owner and an extremely satisfying time spent as the only customer there. I was telling a friend about this experience last night and he lifted his chin and said that the Weldbourgh Pub is the best pub in our region - not having been to any other pubs I will take his word for it, but so far it is the best pub I have been to.

Many other things have happened over this last week of course. I seem to be in a transition phase presently with my focus moving more towards the upcoming season for tourists in Binalong Bay (perhaps it was the Winter Solstice) and how The Ship - Bay of Fires can fit into this space. As I alluded earlier in this log, we have some pretty exciting things in the wings and over time as they evolve I will write about them, but for the time being I guess you will just need to be satisfied with the left water bottle in the fridge.

Thank you for reading my ramblings again – keep safe and see you next week (maybe).

The Captain.

Nice to see the MS Nuyina pop in to Binalong Bay for a spell - I expect they had heard about the Pizza’s at The Hub - Seaside (Binalong Bay).