not long now

Posted on February 5, 2017 by kathy

I am pleased and proud to announce, the culmination of Michael’s creative endeavour is nigh, with the official launch of “The Tramp” only a week away. The product of two years of blood, sweat and yes, tears, has taken over the dining room table in readiness for packaging and posting.

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For the many who supported Michael through the crowdfunding campaign, your goodies will be on their way very soon. There is an extra bonus of a box of Wild Island Tastes “Shipwrecked” chocolate bark to enjoy while you read your book or listen to your CD. The pen has been busy thanking you all individually,

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we wish you could all be here for the launch. Michael will be supported by the talented guest musicians who appear on the CD and, along with the M.P. MC and readings from the novel, it will be a very special afternoon. The novel and CD will be available at selected retail outlets and online at amazon.com and tigerdreaming.com.au.

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If you can make it to Burnie Regional Art Gallery 1pm Sunday 12^th February, we’d love to see you there.

Kings Park

Posted on February 3, 2017 by kathy

After four days and three nights aboard the Indian Pacific, we were greeted at East Perth railway station by our friends with whom we were to spend the next week. They wasted no time in showing us their beautiful city with a detour to Kings Park. The 1,000 acre park is larger than New York’s Central Park and is home to the Western Australian Botanic Garden. It seemed Spring had come early, with many of the plants in bloom.

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The State War Memorial is located within the park, the Cenotaph sits high on Mount Eliza.

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The views across the city of Perth,

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and the Swan River were breathtaking.

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The Narrows Bridge is made up of two road bridges with a railway bridge down the middle, linking the northern and southern suburbs.

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We caught a glimpse of the Australian Ringneck Parrot

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as we meandered past more brilliant colours.

I think we need a whole day to see Kings Park, we will just have to return.

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end of the line

Posted on January 20, 2017 by kathy

We awoke on the last day of our transcontinental rail journey to blue skies and a verdant landscape.

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The Nullarbor Plain was behind us and our destination, Perth, was merely hours away. While enjoying our breakfast in the Queen Adelaide restaurant car, the vista suddenly changed. We were passing what appeared to be massive salt lakes

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and the heavily clouded sky emitted an eerie glow.

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The lakes seemed to stretch for miles, yet, despite lengthy searching, I can find no reference to them.

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By lunch time, the scenery had changed again

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and before long we were passing through the wheat belt,

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the outer suburbs of Perth and finally, East Perth Railway Station.

Bayviews

Posted on January 13, 2017 by kathy

We don’t usually do anything special to celebrate our wedding anniversary, but last Wednesday we broke from tradition and dined at our favourite restaurant. We were surprised to see a new addition on the way from the car park, a very impressive sand sculpture.

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Bayviews Restaurant is so named for obvious reasons.

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Every seat in the house has a wonderful vista of Bass Strait, beautiful in any weather.

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We opened proceedings with a glass of exquisite Josef Chromy Pinot Gris

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and were soon presented with a tasty pre-dinner morsel of beef fillet with carrot and cumin purée.

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Dogs are prohibited on Burnie’s West Beach but we were entertained by an ambitious young fellow walking a rather uncooperative shopping trolley.

The palate cleanser of Pink Grapefruit sorbet was dispatched too quickly to photograph, you’ll just have to imagine it.

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The main event was superb. I had slow cooked lamb shoulder on butternut pumpkin gnocchi, mushrooms, shallots with a salad of baby cress, toasted walnut, sheep’s fetta and 8 year old balsamic vinegar.

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Michael chose from the specials board, pan fried Tasmanian scallops with housemade fettucine tossed through lemon beurre blanc sauce with cherry tomatoes and fresh dill.

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A glass of d’Arenberg The High Trellis Cabernet Sauvignon complemented the flavours perfectly.

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It was very relaxing watching the gulls mingling on the shore below and their indifference to the appearance of a pied oystercatcher.

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For dessert, Michael once again chose from the specials, lemon curd tart with crisp meringue, local currants, raspberry coulis and honey & vanilla bean ice cream.

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I couldn’t decide what to have, so I had them all!

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The dessert tasting platter had smaller versions of Snickers semifreddo, chocolate mousse, caramel sauce, almond crumble, peanut praline & dark chocolate;

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salted caramel tart layered with caramel sauce, banana chip praline, fresh banana & chantilly cream served with salted caramel ice cream;

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basil crème brulee, Tamar Valley yoghurt, sable biscuit, fresh berries, passionfruit & lemongrass sorbet.

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A big thank you to my husband for gallantly assisting with the devoration of my dessert. Sunset is past our bedtime these days but the shadows were lengthening as we made our way home.

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I think we may have just created a new anniversary tradition.

Emu Valley

Posted on January 10, 2017 by kathy

I am ashamed to say, I have lived near Burnie for nearly eight years and knew of the existence of the Emu Valley Rhododendron Garden but only recently had the pleasure of spending a peaceful afternoon there. The 11ha site is a natural amphitheatre, sloping down to a large basin fed by natural springs that form a series of lakes.

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The scrub and blackberry infested hillside has been transformed over the past 35 years, mostly by volunteers, and is now classified as a plant museum. There are over 22,000 plants to admire