20 Mar 2011

“Do we have any booze on-board?” This is what I want to know as we plant ourselves at the local caravan park in Penguin. The oceanside setting is outstanding and I am looking forward to searching town for the giant-sized fiberglass penguin the guide book has promised us, but I am a bit concerned about the overall character of this particular caravan park. Actually, this is a standard concern of mine when we arrive at these places where people live on-site, as they tend to be more “rustic” than your general holiday park. And not that one should turn to booze as a means of solving their anxiety, but a little nip of wine couldn’t hurt the situation.

We have arrived in Penguin after a lovely drive from Stanley, in spite of the change in weather. We are happily discovering that this northern coast of Tasmania suits our needs for enchanting ocean views, small-town services (the fridge, like our post-Christchurch-earthquake gas tank, is never allowed to drop below half-full), and internet! Internet with an exclamation, no less! Our past week traversing the central and western portions of Tasmania revealed not a hint of wireless. No wireless cafes, no wireless campgrounds, no sign of connectivity with the outside world beyond the daily newspaper at the local IGA. But here in Penguin, sandwiched along the coast between Burnie, the fourth-largest town in Tasmania, and Devonport, the third-largest town, we have a flashing blue light on our broadband stick. Hello World, how have you been since we’ve been away? Bombing Libya, you say? Nuclear meltdowns in Japan, you say? A wild week ahead on the stock market, you say? Hmmm. Maybe driving around Tasmania without internet isn’t such a troublesome thing after all.

But back to Penguin. It delivered. Ocean views, hints of sun, and one 3-meter high fiberglass penguin, as promised. Bravo.