Oatlands

We extended our stay in Launceston for an extra day because Ros wanted to shop at Myer and Country Road. After her shopping trip, she also looked into getting a haircut and was fortunate enough to secure an appointment.

 

Between Easter and ANZAC Day, we travelled south along the Midlands Highway and bypassed Ross, planning to visit it later after spending several days in Oatlands. Oatlands is another historic town, typical of many in Tasmania, and is located on the shores of Lake Dulverton, less than 100 km north of Hobart.

 

Camping is available right beside Lake Dulverton, but the area is quite small and has a dirt surface that isn't very appealing. Therefore, we spent our three nights in a nearby overflow camping area with green grass. Our campsite overlooks the Callington Flour Mill, which was built in 1837 and has since been restored.

We've encountered some issues with our battery system. The batteries were showing a charge of 100% after using the TV the previous evening and heating water for coffee this morning on our induction cooktop. Typically, we would expect the charge level to be around 88%. 

 

I called Bushtracker, and they guided us through the troubleshooting process, which resulted in the batteries not displaying any charge percentage. I also reached out to Enerdrive, leaving a message and sending an email, but I haven't received any response yet.

 

We were advised to find a caravan park to connect to 240 volts for recharging the batteries, but there are no such facilities where we are currently staying. The nearest caravan park in Ross has not returned my calls.

 

Fortunately, after many years of having a Honda e20i generator that we never used, we were grateful to have brought it with us. It was the only way to restore our batteries to full charge. Thankfully, those camping near us had left for the day, so we weren't bothering anyone while the generator ran for the next hour and a half.

Additionally, Oatlands is known for having the most sandstone colonial buildings in Australia.

On our arrival day, we had lunch at The Kentish. Ros enjoyed her lamb and mushy pea pot pie, while I savoured a perfectly cooked steak. The following evening, we enjoyed a few beers at the RSL Club with the locals before ordering the best super supreme pizza we've ever had.

What a small world! I had a chance meeting in the Tasmanian Midlands, specifically in the small town of Oatlands. This morning, we attended the ANZAC march and wreath-laying ceremony. Family members were invited to lay wreaths in memory of their loved ones who have passed away, and Lark Force was mentioned during the service.

After the ceremony, I approached the man who laid the wreath for Lark Force. He shared that his father was rescued aboard the HMAS Laurabada from New Britain in April 1942. My grandfather, Ivan Champion, commanded the HMAS Laurabada, which successfully rescued 156 Lark Force soldiers right under the noses of the Japanese by sneaking in during a tropical rainstorm to avoid detection by Japanese planes. 

Unfortunately, they returned to Port Moresby one soldier short, as my grandfather had to bury him at sea.
We've exchanged phone numbers, and his family will contact us for more information when we return home toward the end of June.