Tuesday – Ship ahoy and more of Kingston!

During our shopping journeys in Burnt Pine we have been told that there is a ship coming into Kingston Harbour today.

As the ship cannot dock beside the wharf at Kingston we will get to see how they actually transfer the goods between the ship and the wharf – this is going to be very interesting.

We were also told that the ship is coming in later this morning but as we are having our dekkie brekkie we see the ship sail past our headland – so a mad rush to get the cameras and start snapping away. How good is this to sit on our own verandah and watch the ship go past.  We realise that it will not take long for the ship to arrive in Kingston so we put on a bit of speed and head off.

No time for Tropicana this morning – but maybe on the way back eh?   Driving into Kingston we see this herd of geese, who ramble from place to place just like every other bit of wildlife on the island.

They can be nasty buggers, they honk and approach the car as if to say ‘well, where’s the food?’  Unfortunately there is no food from us today and we continue on much to the utter dismay of the geese!

When we arrive the ship has already laid anchor and the unloading begins.  The large boats from the island go out to the ship where cargo is loaded onto them and then they ferry the cargo back to the wharf.  Then the cranes unload the boats putting the cargo on the wharf and it all starts again.  What a hoot!

As you can see, everyone comes and watches and it turns into a real social affair.  Apparently when they have to unload a bus or a car, then two boats go out with large boards between the two and the vehicle is loaded onto them.  Now that would be something to see.

The unloading takes a long time seeing that the boats have to go back and forth to the ship many, many times so when we think we have had enough we go for a wander and then head into burnt Pine and the Tropicana.

This is another photo of the main street – Taylors Road – and that A frame building is Max’s Duty Free.

Many a good time and a hard earned dollar or two was spent in here let me tell you.

It is great retail therapy.

 The photo on the left  is the Workers’ Club where we had eaten earlier in the trip.  Sure doesn’t look like any Workers’ Club in Sydney does it.

I think I prefer this one to those bloody awful palaces of poker machines, noise and loud mouthed patrons.

As tonight is our last night we decide to eat in and enjoy our house.  It has been a brilliant stay and this house has been a dream.  It is comfortable, serene and fun – and even though there has been three of us here we can manage to get away from each other for our own quite time.  Even if we sat in the conservatory – we would still be quiet.  It had that type of effect.

This is our deck where we had our dekkie brekkies – afternoon teas – booze and nibblies and many a good laugh.  It was wonderful to just sit out here and look at the view and realise that it was all ours – for the time being anyway.  The weather has been great and we have been able to enjoy every minute of our stay by rambling all over this jewel of a place.

Here are the Three Amigos enjoying the Last Supper.  As you can see we still have a bit of booze left to enjoy with our meal.

Tomorrow we head home back to Sydney but not until one last farewell meal at Branka House.

Which reminds me, I forgot to mention the other places that we dined.  Easy fixed – I will add a postscript to this journal when it is finished.

After dinner we bed down for the night listening to the ocean for the last time and wandering why we cannot stay here forever.  Maybe it has something to do with money?  And while we dream there’s always lotto.

Highlight of the day: watching the balancing act unloading the ship.