City Park, Rotunda

 City Park, Launceston, Tasmania. 

It's always lovely to stroll in our City Park and that's what I did the other day whilst my husband stayed in the car.  

The Rotunda in the park was built in 1908 and is dedicated to Chester Edwards, the Launceston City Band conductor.  It was built with funds raised in part through local donations.  The rotunda has a band play there mostly in the summer time on a Sunday. (Not a pop band).

Sunset

On the way to the Casino for dinner (previous post) this is what we saw as we drove there.

Then photos of inside mostly part of the gambling area.

The downstairs entrance and if look to the left (not shown) is a cafe area a wall then the gambling area, the main one.

We took the lift which is outside this gambling area (a smaller one.) The lift is along and around the corner.

Dinner

We went out to dinner again last Thursday evening at The County Club Casino but no gambling as we don't do that.  This was our second visit for dinner this month at the Links Restaurant at the Casino.  This time I took photos of the restaurant.  It's larger than shown.

The sweet bar above and the cold and hot buffet bar at the back.

My meal and it's a buffet.  I have roast pork at the back of the plate, it's rather a mixture but it was beautiful.

A snap of myself at home before we left to go to the Casino.  This is another celebration for my 80th birthday, think I've finished celebrating.  We went to eldest sister in laws after dinner and arrived home at 1.30am, was in bed by 1.45am, up late the next morning so didn't feel tired.

Out Westwood Way, Tasmania

A lovely drive was taken the other day to a country area called Westwood.  My husband's G Grandfather had property out that way, but his house burnt down apparently, and I have no idea where he went after that.  It's rather a dead-end story really!

The Church of England at Hagley in the distance and a photo zoomed in.

Facing into the sun doesn't always made for a good photo, the one below to me has interesting colour.

A farm house.

You can see the Westwood area with dotted red marks.

A big Day

It was a big day for me last Sunday, I turned 80.  It's hard to believe and I'm so lucky that when I wake up each morning I can get up have a shower, walk, talk and do my house work and have my best friend with me, my husband.  I'm truly blessed.

My husband and I went out to celebrate and got home at 1.15am in the morning!  Family and a few friends came out with us to celebrate at The Levee near the Tamar River in the city.  One of our sons took the photos with the phone, all the ones he took when I was cutting the cake, he forgot to leave my head in the photo..lol  Anyway, this is what he took.

The cake was made by my husband's niece and is a fruit cake.  The flowers from my two sister in laws and one husband. 

Not every one would look at the camera.  Three of the 5 grandchildren are there if you can find them.

The above photo the lady on the right has been a friend for 61 years, and the man a friend of my husband's 69 years and a friend of mine for 61 years.  The lady's husband is in a nursing home as he has Alzheimer's and a friend for 60 years to both my husband and myself.

A cousin of mine who lives in Hobart down south of the Island has been my friend for 80 years.  Yes, as old as I am, she is 85 and when I was only a few months old my parents and I lived at her house and we have been friends ever since.  My cousin and her husband still come to stay at our place usually once a year. When their children were young they all came and stayed along with her parents my late Auntie and Uncle. 

Below-The view from the windows to outside.  In my case I walked outside and took these.

The City

 We went into the city of Launceston last week to buy some shoes for my husband.  A parking place was very easy to find, there was one at the base of The Mall and we only had to walk halfway up it to Sketches, a shoe shop. 

There are parking meters which are not that easy to use because the light shines on the area you have to read as that is where you put your car registration and how long you will be there and so on, if the sun is shining then it's near impossible.  So I like many have an app on the phone called EPark, it's pink so easy to find, so all you have to do is open that app, put the time you wish to stay there for, eg 1 hour and if you take less time you stop the app and are not charged for time not used.  I hope you can follow.  There is a time limit also.

Jeanswest a clothing shop, well there were 90 stores in Australia all told and the fashion chain was placed in voluntary liquidation all across Australia.  This business had a decent size shop here in Launceston and we had to walk past it and we saw a lady sitting inside on the floor eating her lunch and she appeared to have cleaned most of the shop out, along the path up against the window were free items.  Sad to see another empty shop.  

The Mall was just about void of people; I took a few photos as it looked like a ghost Mall.

I can remember that once you could hardly move because of the people shopping.

The Hoochery

 The Hoochery in Kununurra is 4,500.5 km (2796.5 mi) from Launceston, Tasmania, Australia.

They make Rum, Gin, Whiskey, Liquers, 

Visit their website here to find out more if you wish to.

There is a lovely small video on their homepage as well and the scenery is good and you will hear the Aussie accent of the outback.

Words from The Hoochery.  "Worth the drive! The Hoochery is located on The Dessert's family farm, 13 km out of Kununurra in the heart of the Ord Irrigation Area.  With a relaxing outdoor 'Gin Garden' and a rustic 'Rum Bar' serving lunch and bar snacks, cakes and coffee, cocktails and tastings.  There is something for everyone.  Come out for tastings of our Award-winning rums or for out delicious home-made cakes."

Husband and myself visited The Hoochery on one of our visits up north in the tropics.  We went in the winter and the temperature was about 30 deg C. as it is in that area.

Love this part of Australia, and the building was ever so clean inside, with staff so friendly and yes, we bought a bottle of rum.