20160323 Tas Fingal

20160323 Dear old Fingal, well! what can I say, it has certainly seen better days, but it was once a thriving town when in 1852 gold was discovered at Mangana just 10 km from Fingal, the discovery is regarded as the first discovery of payable gold in Tasmania.
The people you meet on the road, Ya! you made it Dave.
There’s no hotel in this town Dave looks like you’re roughing it tonight but don’t worry Des is cooking dinner for us.
Leonie: I found a B&B in town, 
Dave: I’ve never done a B&B, 
Leonie: Wait till you meet her she looks like Kathy Bates out of Misery, 
Dave: now you have me worried, 
Leonie: Um! by the way you can’t get in till 9 tonight because she at a meeting (more like preparing your bondage).


OWOWOWOW!
The jokes kept on flying and Maureen, a camper join in on the fun. Then we found out she has a daughter, Ooo! look out Dave, you better lock your door tonight.



I text Dave: are you ok, are you strapped to the bed yet, Dave; Having a cup of coffee in the lounge room near the fire place, misery and daughter are in the kitchen talking about something.. not sure what there plotting???.  Well Des and I cracked up laughing.

24-03-2016 Fingal has a free camp with power but only two power outlets and we were lucky enough to nab the last one. As it was the Easter break and we herd all the camp spots were full we stayed in Fingal for a few days, well why not we had power and showers for $2.

We could hear his bike start up, Dave made it through the night unscathed.  Des made us breaky, Baked Beans on toast before Dave hit the road looking for adventure.
Des and I walked the town and although the town is pretty much quite these days it is surrounded by some lovely grazing land that surrounded by Mountains, it’s actually a pretty town once you adventure out further from the town centre.
The once Fingal Hotel was built in the 1840s and is in much needs of renovating but with a population of around 600 the town is struggling.
The Holders Brother Store dates from 1859 and is now a IGA and the only store in town.
St Peters Anglican Church constructed in 1867 and the town’s oldest church. 
The churches grounds are really blessed over here they grow the largest mushrooms I’ve ever seen and once I told Des he was up to check it out and returned with a heap.
Three churches and three cemeteries in this tiny town, I’m thinking one for each religion and the St Joseph’s church at the top of the hill took three years to build.









27-03-2016  We meet many of the campers and one had a pot belly fire place and after dinner we all ended up sitting around the fire having a few drinks and a good old laugh.  Sue turned up asking if I had seen her camera they have searched the van and it’s not there, someone has taken it by accident and sure enough one of the campers with the same camera found it. 

Maureen, the character of the group, her and I cracked up laughing all night.

Des and Wayne look on as poor old Martin (who has a bad back) chops the wood.









Back at camp we gather one more time at Martin and Sue’s van for a few drinks around their fire and the joke that night was, check for your cameras.

 We said our goodbyes to our friendly campers, exchanged phone numbers and left the camp.

Location: Fingal TAS 7214, Australia

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