Getting there

The view from the grounds of my Currie Airbnb

Returning early  for Sanne's funeral from my previous trip (and I have no regrets about my choice to do so), together with an imminent birthday was the trigger for more travel plans. Never having visited King Island and finding that there are accommodation options that cost less than 3 months income to stay 1 week (and yes, there are some of those) I booked. Sharp Airlines luggage limits involved preparations of: pack, weigh, unpack, reorganise... repeat until.....

It's big enough

 

I presented myself for checkin at the appointed time then wandered around the airport carpark to contribute to my daily km to add to my Oceans to Outback challenge. 

Just 6 passengers from Launceston

 

The plane took off from Launceston with 8 people (including the pilot and co-pilot) but this was more than doubled after we stopped at Wynyard. The flight along the coast was scenic, with vistas of the snow capped peaks of the central plateau in the distance.

Leaving Wynyard, we turned North around Smithton and after a brief glimpse of Robbins Island and the other couple of islands in that vicinity we were in cloud for the rest of the journey, until our descent brought us closer to King Island. My first impression of King Island was a patchwork of green fields bordered by hedges or trees, presumably as windbreaks, and with farm dams scattered liberally over the fields.

I collected my hire car, a RAV4 with 'King Island character'. No need for a condition inspection as there are very many minor dents and scratches and not an insignificant amount of rust. It seems the only things that are likely to be noted when I bring it back at the absence of panels or a complete stove in of a section of the car. Nevertheless, I deemed it prudent to take an excess reduction option.

A hire car with 'King Island Character'
(and a shed redesigned by stormy weather)

I am much more comfortable driving this than I was last year driving the matchbox toy of a brand new MG which I felt might dent or scratch every time I looked at it and I certainly wasn't comfortable driving it on most of the dirt roads.

The hire car lady, a very helpful person named Anne, pointed out some features that I might want to include in my exploring, along with a couple of events, including a gallery opening, complete with wine and nibbles on Thursday evening.

As I could not check in to my Airbnb until 3pm, I diverted to the King Island cheese factory for some selected tastings of tiny samples and the purchase of a number of items which I shall consume in very small quantities over an extended period of time. 

A few delicious purchases to be enjoyed in TINY quantities

Heading towards my next stop, I noted a sign and an esky so I stopped and procured some roadside eggs. I anticipate they will be more tasty than supermarket eggs. 

I called in to see a chap I had been chatting with about snorkelling options around the island and hired a weight belt from him, just as the rain started to settle in with rather a vengeance. 

Then it was on to the IGA to stock up with a few necessities for the week, unsure of what the pantry in my Airbnb might yield. It was best not to even think about the shelf prices of any of the items. 

Contemplating somewhere scenic to go and eat my lunch while sitting in the car, I realised I could go to the Boat Shed which is written up as 'the restaurant with no food'. 

Inside the Boat Shed

A quirky little building with an eclectic collection of art and crafts, which are available for sale I believe, but also billed as a lovely spot to sit and picnic. It does have a good view over the harbour.

Currie Harbour

Then it was time to go and find my Airbnb. Driving up to it, I was welcomed by a wallaby which quietly hopped away as I approached. I eventually extricated the key from the lock box and failed to work out which door it unlocked, but it didn't matter too much because the back door wasn't locked anyway, which is a bit of a feature of King Island I believe. David, the chap from whom I hired the weight belt, told me that people leave their keys in the car ignition on King Island in case somebody needs to move the car. I rather like it as a philosophy.

My living room

The Airbnb seems comfortable enough and I only got my packing and shopping wrong on a couple of items. Murphy dictated that if I hadn't come prepared with sufficient coffee and my magic coffee maker there would have been half a dozen pods for the coffee machine and that would be it. As it is, there's a reasonably large supply of packets of pods for the coffee machine, plus a coffee plunger.

And there was mayonnaise in the fridge so my purchased bottle is surplus to need, but there was no rice, which I thought there might be, but it doesn't matter. 

I foresee a few relaxing evenings

The Airbnb is on a bit of a headland with a view of the lighthouse from a reclining position on the sofa and a lovely view of the lighthouse and the harbour from the corner of the block and various configurations in between from elsewhere in the house. 

I chose this bedroom

It's incredibly windy, but the wind is forecast to swing and the western side of the island is likely to be sheltered at least for the next few days.

I found a rather good movie amongst the DVD collection and enjoyed that while also regularly checking the lighthouse flashing out its warning signal for any boats foolhardy enough to be out there in this weather - more rain and wind.