SA0321 - day 9 - Burnie, Tasmania

SA0321 - day 9 - Burnie, Tasmania
The Burnie Highlights tour was scheduled for 7:30am with the usual meeting time of 7:15 in
the theater. Again, with a fairly long port call, with some of the other tours scheduled
for about 7 hours and leaving at about the same time, and with no afternoon tours, it makes
little sense to have this 3 hour tour leave so early.
Once again, breakfast was rushed due to the early hour of the tour. The dining room didn't
open until 7 and the WJ at 6:30.
To make matters somewhat worse, it took a long time for us to be cleared by the local
authorities. Why? We were still in the same country.
Our stay in Burnie was extended by an hour, although I understand that not all passengers
knew that and some ended up cutting their trips short.
The Highlights tour covered everything listed. I almost didn't take this tour because it
was described as strenuous, with approximately a mile of walking - that is, in my opinion, a
lot of walking in 3 hours in addition to the activities listsed. Even allowing for walking
the entire Pioneer Museum and the entire showroom at the Cheese Tasting Centre and the
showroom at the Creative Paper factory, I don't think the total walking was 1/4 mile. Glad
I didn't cancel!
When my bus came back to the pier, we were subjected to the most stringent security check I
had seen this trip. We were stopped twice, at two different gates, and security people got
on the bus and checked all Sea Passes. Also, at the first gate they searched the baggage
compartment and looked at the undercarriage of the bus with a mirror on a pole - picture a
large dentist's mirror!!
When we got to the dock, the Burnie Highland Pipe Band played for us. I watched them from
the open promenade later and they greeted all the busses. I happened to be outside as we
were preparing to leave. With a revised departure time of 3:30, at 3:29 a port security
car arrived with the pilot. I guess he's alllowed to cut it close!