Sheffield to Went Aquaduct, New Junction

We have been out of internet due to over use of  wifi our first day aboard, it has taken awhile to sort out - here is a catch up of the last few days.

26 April

Took over Musn Grumble with out first boat instruction from Martyn and moored at Victoria Quays. The journey has definitely started.

Canal Street moorings

27 April – Helmsman’s Course

Helmsman’s Course with Paul was an excellent course but man can he talk. Paul is a hive of information and we certainly have come away with a lot of knowledge. We spent all day on water going up and down locks. We now both hold RYA Inland Waterways Helmsman’s Certificate with our photo’s on them and valid for life. It was a busy day.

28 April – Victoria Quay to Eastwood Lock

Start of a big day we left Victoria Quay, filled water up in Martyn’s yard and off to Tinsley Flight.

Didn't have time to take any more photos after these - A HUGE DAY !!!

We meet Dave at 9am the lock keeper - you have to book to go through the Tinsley Flights.  Vicki and Dave soon got into a system with winding and closing locks and by 11.30am we were 11 locks down.  We then were transferred to Nigel for the last 4 locks completed by 1pm. We stopped for soup in the heart of Rotherham at 1.30, then pushed on to Eastwood for Lock to stay the night stopping at 3pm. Absolutely buggered.

TOTAL - 7 miles and 15 locks - winding

29 April – Rotherham to Sprotborough

Automated hydraulic locks – definitely more my scene –  I love them.

We started off at 8.30 after a talking to our Clara.

The country side improved all the time as we came further out of the industrial area.

The day ran smoothly, though had to stop at Sprotborough as we had blown fuse trying to do the washing and had to wait for Martyn to turn up with fuses.
We arrived at Sprotborough at 1pm and straight across the canal was the Boat Inn - oh dear how sad :-) An excellent lunch - I had a great fish pie and Pete had bangers and mash – we rate it an 8 out of 10.

Fuses fixed by 3pm - start again tomorrow.

TOTAL – 10 miles and 7 locks - automated

30 April - Sprotborough to Went Aquaduct - Aire & Calder New Junction

Departed at 9am heading to Doncaster to sort out our internet problem - now solved have a dongle. 

While in Doncaster we were also passed by the Oil Barge

The scenery changed along the way and it was a mixture of a day with locks, swing bridges.

We carried on down the New Junction canal and have ended our day in Went Aquaduct Footbridge. Tomorrow we head towards Woodlesford. Now that we have started to get into a routine we hope to start exploring a bit more of the history in the area we are passing through.

We leave the South Yorkshire Navigation area and move onto the Aire & Calder Navigation. 

TOTAL – 15 miles and 4 locks and 7 moveable bridges

ANZAC DAY 2015 Sheffield

A long time in the planning but we have finally made it aboard MUSN Grumble. Our first duty was to put our NZETC Flag especially produced for ANZAC 2015. nzetc.co.nz

We are unpacked and stores are on board and sat down to a traditional kiwi roast lamb, sorry you only get to see empty plates, This is our home for the next 6 months

Evening is slipping in and outside the drizzle has appeared for the night.

We are looking forward to the next 6 months. It has been a strange ANZAC day for us as we normally do a parade in Auckland but we have watched the Queen lay her wreath live on TV in London.

WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.

Dublin

Well that is our last day and yet again the sun is shining, what absolute beautiful weather we have had.  We decided to drive straight into Dublin to explore city,  failed big time drove around for nearly an hour looking for park then I thought tablet has maps so we found Guinness Storehouse, absolutely worth going into. 

http://www.guinness-storehouse.com/en/Index.asp

After a pleasant lunch we headed off to camp as we were already over being in a city. Need clean camper do washing eeeek.
Found no problems now we now tablet can do it .

Pete was chuffed we had to go over a canal and we got to see a lock, I think he may  not be quite as excited after 6 months. Wifi wont connect to my computer not working  again so doing this on tablet.

We fly out tomorrow for UK, see you late afternoon Dianne.

HAVE HAD A FANTASTIC TIME IN IRELAND, GREAT PEOPLE, FANTASTIC SCENERY AND ABSOLUTE SUPERB WEATHER!!!,

Dunmore East crossing Passage East to Wicklow

Beautiful morning in East Dunmore late start 

How hard is this for a work site

and pleasant drive to Passage East to cross on the Ferry to Arthurstown.

We drove along coast until we came across Tintern Abbey which was extremely interesting. http://www.wexfordweb.com/tintern.htm

We drove on until we stopped for lunch in Blackwater at Linda's Cafe. I had Roast Beef and Yorkshire pud - nothing like how I make it. Pete had steak, mushrooms and onions. Definitely a cafe meal. Pete also reckoned the girls in cafe would not look at of place in West Auckland.

We have now got into Wicklow area and are staying at Redcross tonight at River Valley Campground (shortly. http://www.rivervalleypark.ie/) It had no wifi in camp ground but it does at the pub Mickey Finn - at present on my second wicklow red beer.  

Only short drive tomorrow and shall explore Dublin. 

The weather and scenery has been superb as per usual, who says it rains in Ireland.

Blarney - Cobh - Dunmore East

Started day with a drive to  Cobh (cove) with a visit to Titanic museum. 

Note all the flaxes and cabbage trees - are you sure we aren't in NZ

Waterfront a hive of activity to get ready for Saturday when the first of the cruise liners come in for season.

 Cobh which was known as Queenstown at the time was the last port of call for Titanic they took on 144 passages from here and only 44 survived.

We then drove on to Killeagh and had a lovely lunch in the Thatch Pub, I had a yummy seafood chowder and Pete had a ploughmans - rating would be 7 out of 10. Atmosphere and service was superb. 

Our drive continued with a drive to Dungarvan and onto Stradbally (I visited old graves as family where from this area).  Very exciting, asked one of the locals if they knew Currens or Murray or Powers and was told yes heard of Currens but not the rest. When I investigated the cemetry half of them are Powers - I bet the bar maid was not Catholic. LOL Anyway have taken lots of photos and am going to look more into this.

We then pushed onto Dunmore East to stay the night but alas the club has burnt down so we eat in camp. (Pete chose this camp over lunch as it had a bar - oh dear not a happy chappy)
Camp ground has no wifi also so I am posting this from tablet and unfortunately I took very few photos on this today, shall post them on facebook tomorrow. Clara the kiwi is for you ;-)

Glengarriff to Cork

A little slow starting today. Not sure what time Pete got back from bar but he did enjoy talking to locals. Remember the statue of John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara in Cong well Maureen O'Hara is actually from Glengarriff, she was home a few years ago and had a photo taken with the barman.

We have checked out the amount of time left in Ireland and have decided we need to get a move on so have said goodbye to the Ring of Kerry.

Today's drive took us through to Bantry onto Skibbereen to Leap and out to Glandore, the landscape changed dramatically but was breath taking.

Morning tea was 

A short drive out to Drombeg Stone Circle

 http://www.voicesfromthedawn.com/drombeg-stone-circle/

On to Cork to see Blarney Castle and are staying the night in Blarney Caravan park, another bar across the road are we on the canal already.

http://www.blarneycastle.ie/

SPRING IS HERE

What will tomorrow bring.