Traveling Older Kiwi

On Monday I went on a couch trip to Cradle Mountain National Park. We left at 8.30 and got back to the city at 5.30. The tour cost $135.00 and was money well spent.

We traveled through the countryside and small towns along the way. The driver was really interesting and I learned many things about Tasmania including the fact that  the  state grows 60% of the legal  poppies for making opium .

when we arrived at the park it had been snowing and it was very pretty . We stayed for 2 hours and went on some interesting walks
We also saw lots of wambats. In the care park there was a rather tame wallaby that let people pat it. Our driver told us that  wallabies should not be fed bread as they cant digest it.

on the way back to the city we visited a cheese making factory.

I still can’t work out how to insert photos.

I have been here in Tasmania 2 weeks now. There is so much to do and see.

So far I have visited 4 museums, including maritime , and mining. I have also visited a Platapus House where there were not only Platapus but also echidnas. I found it fascinating . All this within a 2 hour drive from the house.

This week I intend to go exploring in another direction.

Day 5 and I am settling in well. There is a hotel 10 minutes walk down the main road and yesterday I walked down and had a nice lunch in the bistro there. There is also a gaming loung and I played the pokies for a while coming out even.

the weather has mostly been good fine and sunny but I think that is about to change. Last night it rained and today has been windy there is also a gale warning for some areas but I don’t think it will affect me much.

This evening I will be going into the city for the first time. I am meeting friends for drinks.

Hi, I am housesitting again . This time in Launceston Tasmania. I am looking after a nice house near the Tamar River on the outskirts of the city. The area is nice and quite even though there is a main highway nearby.

There is one small dog and a cat for me to look after. Neither are any trouble.

Nearby there is a vast wetland area where you can walk around and see lots of different birds. I spent a few hours there yesterday .

I also have the use of a small van which comes in handy for shopping . There is also a pub 10 Min walk away that serves nice reasonably priced meals . I had lunch there today.

I have not ventured into the city yet. I will do so tomorrow . Plenty of time for exploring too as I am here for one month.

Recently I experienced a European coach tour. While I couldn’t really fault the tour operator, Expat Explore, Both the tour leader and the driver were excellent but I found the tour rather hectic and tiring. Ten countries in fourteen days were too many. I also think I would rather travel indispensable next time.or find a slower paced tour with stopovers more than one night.

Recently I tried cruising for the first time. Unfortunately, I did not find it enjoyable. I was with Norwegian Cruise Line. There was nothing wrong with the ship. There were 4 restaurants to choose from and the meals were great as was the nightly entertainment.  Most of the shore excursions were also great. The main problem was that I was traveling solo. If I had not met other solo travelers I would have been rather lonely.

Away Again. Hi folks, soon I will be away on another trip. This time I will not be cutting costs. I am flying to Venice for a 6 day cruise and then I am off to Amsterdam and a 14 day European coach tour. I will Keep you posted.

House Sitting.

Another option for an inexpensive way to travel is to housesit, looking after other people’s homes and pets while they are away. You do need to have money to travel to the destination but there are options to housesit all over the world.

My Experiences.

I have been housesitting in Wellington NZ and have recently returned from an assignment in Queensland, Australia. Both were enjoyable experiences.

In Wellington, I had a cat to look after. This required very little effort. The house was high up in the hills with a magnificent view over the city right down to the harbour.

In Queensland, there was a lovely dog to look after. We went for a nice long walk early each morning before it got too hot. The rest of the day I just relaxed and enjoyed the great house and location.

Long Or Short.

There are many websites that advertise house sits and you can choose short or longer stays to suit your requirements. Just remember that you are expected to provide your own food.

Give It A Go.

Have you recently retired but still have the travel bug but not the income? There are ways to travel quite cheaply.  Have you thought about volunteer work?  There are loads of opportunities. Teaching English is just one of many. Work Away is a good place to start.
Take a look at their website.

Never Too Late.

I wish I had known about volunteering years ago but it didn’t matter. I was in my late 60s before I started but I have taught in many Asian countries and also in Equador. The possibilities are endless. Most places charge a small fee but provide food and accommodation.