The business of travel

Wallsy and I had a moment of inspiration as we drove home from the airport last night  - we decided we should form our own travel agency to be called ‘Not According to Plan Travel’. It seems appropriate, as it has definitely been the theme of most of our recent travel experiences, dating as far back as the halcyon days of 2019 when we had to abandon the UK early and make a dash home, answering the call of ill mothers.

Weather, as those of you who are regular readers will know, was the factor that caused our recent European Christmas Market Tour to deviate from the planned itinerary, meaning we a) had to find an alternative to train travel in order to meet our first cruise, and b) found ourselves in Amsterdam instead of Strassbourg on the second cruise.

This weekend, a simple family birthday celebration in Hobart, was no exception to this pattern of unexpected obstacles being placed in our way. This time however, it wasn’t the weather that intervened, flights were not delayed or cancelled, and no luggage went astray – no, this weekend, it was COVID that meant things did not quite go according to plan, causing us to abandon one lot of plans and quickly devise another.  

We had travelled to beautiful Hobart on Friday evening in order to celebrate the auspicious occasion of her 70^th birthday, with a beloved cousin. The flight was only slightly delayed. The fact that we were flying Jetstar, did cause Wallsy to mutter a bit about not being able to relax in the Qantas club, necessitating the purchase of pre-flight coffee and cake at exorbitant airport prices, all of which I advised him, were first world problems. We did arrive in Hobart town at a reasonable time and were duly whisked away to enjoy the hospitality of the aforementioned cousin and her husband.

Saturday morning demanded a sleep-in, in the absence of a suitably located Parkrun, and when we did eventually surface, we decided on a morning walk, ably guided by our hosts, who have only recently moved to the area. Whilst out, another cousin and her husband arrived, so we walked back home to have a light lunch with them and catch up on all the family news. Satisfied that everything was going according to plan so far, we readied ourselves to travel out to the Riversdale Estate winery for an afternoon of high tea, high jinks, and birthday celebrations.

The thirty or so people who were in attendance were plied with a glass of bubbles on arrival and treated to a vast amount and variety of high-tea delicacies. We were joined virtually, by family in the UK, speeches were made and the rather spectacular birthday cake in the form of a viking helmet was cut. There was much chatter, hilarity and hugging. Everyone had a great time; the location was picturesque, and the weather was perfect. We were not surprised when the guest of honour fell asleep on the short car journey home – it had been a big day!

We sat around and wined and dined (yes, again!) late into the evening, doing cousinly things and talking cousinly talk, it was shaping up to be a perfect weekend and on Sunday we were booked on an early evening flight, so that we had most of the day to again hang out with the family before our return to the mainland. This, however, is where the best laid plans began to go astray. Our hosting cousins awoke feeling unwell and subsequently tested positive for COVID!

Apart from the unfortunate fact that that leaves over 30 people having been exposed, before anyone had any inkling that they were ill, it also left Wallsy and I in limbo, unable to spend the day having quality time with the family as planned. An itinerary change was needed. We began looking at nearby places to fill in a day, of which, I have to say, there are many in that neck of the woods. Wallsy settled on Port Arthur, we commandeered a car (well, they couldn’t use it!) and set off on our own, feeling more than a little deflated, and concerned for the health of everyone involved.

The time was easily filled – there never seems to be enough time to get to every building at Port Arthur, the area it encompasses is so great, the buildings so scattered, and there being such a wealth of information to read and absorb. We covered 90%, including the cruise of the bay, before the rain began and it was time for us to hightail it back to the car in order to be at the airport by 4pm. We popped in to say goodbye to the birthday girl, check on her wellbeing, and that of her husband, and collect our bags before being driven, chauffeur-like to the airport by said masked husband! Again the flight was close to being on schedule, we arrived back in rainy Melbourne safely, found our car and made the drive home in good time.

We were pleased to be able to celebrate with my cousin and to catch up with other cousins and friends of cousins, it was just a shame that COVID reared its ugly head, casting its shadow across the celebrations and meaning the rest of the weekend was ‘not according to plan’.

As pretty as a picture - Riversdale Estate

There's a touch of the viking in us all!

The birthday girl