Devonport, Tasmania
We are in Devonport, Tasmania tonight. We were up early this morning to make the trip to the ferry dock. We got away with a large group of motorhomes and caravans all leaving the park at 6 am. I unfortunately didn’t make the correct turn to get onto the freeway, and we had to drive about five extra kilometers to get back to the right spot and onto the proper road. I will blame it on the early morning darkness, so that I could not see the sign for the Western Ring Road I was looking for (there was no such sign actually, and I didn’t realize that we had to go on the M1 freeway). However it all worked out well and we got to the ferry on time and without mishap.
When we arrived they inspect you for propane cylinders and also ask if you have fruits and vegetables. They don’t ask you to surrender the food at this point, but tell you that you can only eat it on the boat. The security guard also told me that I needed to ask for an aquatic authorization certificate since we are carrying our snorkelling gear. However when I asked at the purser’s desk on the ferry, they said that they had no idea who was telling people this (I was not the first to inquire) as there is no such thing.
The trip across was very good and uneventful. The sea was not too rough, one to two metre swells, so that the ship rolled a bit, but never enough to be uncomfortable. On arrival in Tasmania we didn’t have to wait too long to get through quarantine. We got to the caravan park a bit before 7 pm. The office was closed, and they had left us our site number in a box by the gate, so we will have to check in with the clerk tomorrow.