The world is at peace. It's another fine day. It's the day before our last show in Tassie and an official day off , loosely speaking of course. The plan was to head into town and see what there was to see. After meeting at mum's Spike, Glendi and I scooted out of Dodge's Ferry bound for the crush and bustle of Hobart Town. Mum and Jen had other plans.
We dropped in at Sorell but the pickings were slim and so we kept moving until we hit town. After parking up in Elizabeth St, Glendi headed off in search of old vinyl and Spike and I attended to a long overdue snack.

I needed another flash card for the camera and had my eye on a couple of bookshops that needed scouring. I also wanted to drop in on Jane at her shop as well.
There's so much in Hobart and we really only got to see a tiny bit of the city as we browsed through this and that. Nevertheless it wasn't without reward, on all fronts.
There was a very tasty Maton guitar with a thylacine shaped Satinwood inlay at one of the shops we visited, along with a dozen other items that would have blown the budget to the moon. Still, it doesn't hurt to dream a little.

We dropped Glendi off at Margate after a brief visit to Brookfield en route and then returned to Dodge's Ferry for a fish stir fry for which we were carrying the main ingredient. We've certainly eaten well on this trip, there's no doubt about that. We were meant to have an easy run through of a few songs, just as a rhythm section, but time ebbed away and we only made the move from mum's too late for making noise.
I sat out on the deck, thinking positive thoughts about the gig. We didn't have Drew there to cover our tracks. So many little errors can go unnoticed while Drew is laying down his sweet line. We're so lucky to have people of his calibre on board. Still, I had a good feeling we wouldn't need to worry about it. The beauty of this music is that it works from two piece upward. The more the merrier.
The moon would be full tomorrow and be eclipsed as we prepare to take the stage. Good one.

The day dawned fine but cloudy and we were soon scurrying about getting our gear together for the gig and loading up. Jane's lounge room returned to normal duties once the instruments were removed. Soon we were back at mum's and then off into Nth Hobart. We had a relatively early sound check and so thought we might grab a bite at one of the local cafes beforehand. We wandered into a record shop/cafe, had one of the best coffees on tour so far. While we waited for lunch I scuttled back to the car and grabbed a couple of CDs for the shop and had a quick chat with the people at the counter. Lunch arrived and was duly processed. We said goodbye and hoped they liked the album and headed for sound check. Hopefully Glendi would be there. He was. It was all going to plan.

The Republic Bar has a classy sound system and once we had set up we had no trouble getting a decent sound. We finished quite a bit earlier than expected but not before giving the bar staff a taste of a Valium laden Kung Fu Fighting. It's not officially part of the set but its a good one to warm up on.

We had time on our hands and so up to the Tip Shop in South Hobart we went only to find it was just closing. Glendi stole in while we dithered and were denied access, and managed to find an item of interest or two before being ejected. There was no use staying so we headed up the mountain instead. Past the Cascade Brewery, up and up, this way and that until, you come to one of the best views anywhere in Australia. It was bloody cold though. I managed to get quite a few snaps before the frostbite began to dig in and by then everyone had had enough of the decidedly chill conditions. There were little pockets of snow about just to let you know that winter hadn't relinquished its grip here.

We trundled slowly down the mountain and back into the city. There was a little time before dinner so we took Glendi to Aroma Records for a browse. We were given a warm welcome, the people saying they had listened to our album and duly approved. We were made to feel very at home in the two short visits to this shop so I think they will be seeing more of us on our Tasmanian adventures. Dusk was settling as we headed back to the Republic Bar to organise dinner, the eclipse and the show.

Chargrilled octopus, again. Man, them tentacles are just so yummy. It was just so pleasant munching out and waiting for the eclipse to start. It was a cloudy sky but there were enough breaks to get a good view of proceedings. Soon all the familiar faces began to show up and proceedings became a little louder and a little more intense. People were getting excited about the eclipse.
And with good reason. When it came it looked fantastic. Blood red and glowing, a full Hunter's Moon. It was the first time I had seen one and I was enthralled.

And then we were playing. We started off slowly and built the whole ting up over three sets. It felt great. We could hear everything on stage. The off stage sound got the thumbs up and everyone in the band played hard and tight. It felt fantastic, especially with our families and friends there to see us.
Each time we had a break in the set we would wander out into the beer garden and check up on the eclipse. By the time we had finished, it was over and the moon was back to its silvery best. We packed up pretty slowly and hung about with the bar staff for a few drinks before we headed off. It was well into the next morning when we finally left and made our way back to Carlton Beach, and our last night at Camp Grumpy.

The following day Spike and I left Glendi to slumber and I took Spike firstly to mum's to organise the drums in Jen's van for the return trip up north and then onto the airport. After several sets of goodbyes we took off for the airport and I deposited our drummer in time for his homeward flight. I then scooted back to Carlton Beach to pick up Glendi and give the house the quick once over before we left. On our way back to Margate we, again, visited Aroma Records for a coffee and were asked if we would like to do an instore launch in January to coincide with the festival. Sounded pretty good to me. I was beginning to really like this place.

We ventured over to Mt Nelson and an old friend's house for a while. We don't get to see much of each other so we lazed about the balcony and chatted while admiring the truly awesome view. It was getting on toward evening when we left and made our way out to Margate. I dropped Glendi of at his folks and headed back to Dodge's for a big family dinner at another of my sister's homes.
As it was my final night in Tassie there were many and long goodbyes before we all parted company back to our various dwellings. I sat up for a while and wrote out my thoughts on the tour and the trip.

I was up early. It was our last day in Tasmania and I wanted to make the most of it. The weather had put on a special with clear skies and warm temperatures. I took off early so that I could dawdle my way to Margate and get a few photo opportunities in. I snapped my way into Salamanca Place and holed up for a coffee and brunch.

From there I picked up Glendi and we hit the Tip Shop, now open, and had a final rummage around.

Back at Dodge's Ferry we got all the loading sorted and still had time to hang out for a while before final farewells were issued. Eventually, mum stood beside the front door as we slowly pulled out of the drive and hit the tarmac for home.
It had been a wonderful few weeks.
The serious agenda of getting back to Devonport started with a stop at Sorell for a bit of a trawl through an antique shop. On the way out we stopped at Richmond Stables where we had taken the first set of photos in 2005 that would become the album cover we were touring on now. Trawling was pretty much the order of the day as we passed through Oatlands, Ross and Campbell Town, and a number of bargains were claimed, each time the car lowered slightly on its axle. By the time we arrived at Deloraine for afternoon tea the end of our journey was in sight. A couple more hours we will be on the boat, heading home, and Jen will have become the only other grumpy, outside Glendi and myself, to complete all the gigs on an entire grumpy tour. She has put in a sterling effort on this tour and will deserve her honorary stubbie holder.

We lingered over afternoon tea in Deloraine and lightened the town of a couple of pales of Leatherwood honey, the taste of Tasmania.
We parked up in Devonport and got the gear sorted and then headed down to the boat and waited some more. Once we were on I found the cabin and had a hot shower. There was nothing left now but to while away the evening and prepare for landfall.

The squark of the PA system woke everyone early and we all got a chance to have breakfast and watch Melbourne loom up before us. It was a dark and overcast dawn that greeted us on Port Phillip Bay and it leant a menacing air to the skyline of the city as it rose out of the night and into the clouds. Its dark gothic towers reaching out toward the pale opening in the dark swirling of clouds, grasping black crystal fingers. A fearsome atmosphere of dread pervades the spires as if it were some antipodean Gotham laying in wait for the unwary traveller. Welcoming one with a dark and unfathomable grin.

Ah, that's my Melbourne.