Seven Sheds

Posted on October 26, 2017 by kathy

The small town of Railton in northwest Tasmania is home to Seven Sheds Brewery, Meadery & Hop Garden.

1.Seven Sheds

Michael had been invited to join friend, Neil Gray, to play at this year’s Oktoberfest. Arriving early, I had the opportunity to poke around and take photos before the crowds descended. The cellar door, opened in 2008, was ready for the afternoon tasters.

2.Seven Sheds cellar door

Outside, the rustic bar offered three tasty options on tap – the deliciously golden Paradise Pale, the flagship Kentish Ale and the exquisitely rich Black Inca, infused with Peruvian cacao beans and locally grown organic oats and quinoa.

2a.the bar

The remnants of last season’s hops rested against the sky,

3.hops

while below, the hop garden awaited new plantings.

3a.hop garden

This magnificent 1912 McLaren Steam Tractor made a guest appearance for the afternoon, peacefully chugging away in the background.

The music kicked off with talented ukulele maestro, John Beck, his beaming smile and obvious enjoyment were infectious.

To complement the beverages

22.beverages

there were tempting choices of wood-fired pizzas and seafood as well as the Oktoberfest stalwart, Bratwurst.

The sun kept us company on a beautiful spring day

26.clouds

while the musicians entertained with their usual outstanding performance.

Later in the afternoon, we farewelled Annie. I expect it was a very slow drive home.

36.Annie departs

As the shadows lengthened, the punters departed and a calmness settled over Seven Sheds once more.

This was the first time I had seen or heard of John Beck and I have since learned more about his enviable lifestyle in rural Tasmania. I challenge anyone to watch this video without a smile.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXk3JtlWIZY

Acacia abounds

Posted on October 1, 2017 by kathy

Through the cold, damp haze of August, the first promise of spring starts to appear across the landscape. The expanse of green in the forest turns a lovely shade of yellow as the wattle trees flower. With over 1,000 species of Acacia worldwide, around 950 are native to Australia. We mainly have two species on our property, both are endemic to eastern Australia. Acacia melanoxylon grows to 40 metres in Tasmania, twice the height if its mainland siblings, and can live over 100 years. The Tasmanian blackwood is a beautiful tree and we are surrounded by them.

1.Tasmanian blackwood

The timber, with its variable colours and grains, is sought after for furniture making. The Aborigines used a hot infusion of roasted bark to bathe rheumatic joints. The same potion was used to stun fish to make them easier to catch. The creamy yellow flowers have a fluffy appearance and grow in clusters.

2.Tasmanian blackwood flowers

Our morning walks with Poppy look quite different when the wattles are flowering.

3.forest walk

Acacia verticillata is my favourite. Prickly Moses doesn’t actually have thorns but the small, flattened leaf stalks are prickly.

4.Prickly Moses

The flowers are quite different to the blackwood, a brighter yellow and cylindrical in shape.

5.Prickly Moses

The dense, prickly foliage offers a safe home for little critters like bandicoots and birds.

6.Prickly Moses

I have seen Acacia mucronata, or Narrow-leaved wattle, in the conservation area adjoining our property. It has creamy yellow cylindrical flowers and, not surprisingly, narrow leaves.

7.Narrow-leaved Wattle

I’ve often wondered why Acacias are called wattles. Apparently, it comes from the term, “wattle & daub”, a technique used by the early British settlers for building their huts. The branches were used to make the framework which were then daubed with mud (and perhaps a few cow pats). The Acacias were used mostly and so, they became known as wattles.

degustation decadence

Posted on September 8, 2017 by kathy

One of our favourite restaurants in the whole world (no, I’m not exaggerating), is right here in Burnie. Each time we visit Bayviews, I peruse the menu closely and, for quite some time, have coveted the degustation menu. There is a choice of a 6 course or 9 course menu and the option with each to have matching wines. On a recent inclement Saturday, we indulged, with a friend, in a long, leisurely lunch. We opted for the 6 course menu, accompanied by a bottle of the wonderful Josef Chromy Pinot Gris 2016. As usual, the view was spectacular

1.Bass Strait

and the ambience restful.

2.inside restaurant

We started with lightly fried southern calamari seasoned with a blend of herbs, citrus zest, black pepper and coriander seeds and served with a romesco sauce and fresh mix of local herbs, bean shoots and roasted peanuts.

3.calamari

The pan roasted Rannoch Farm quail, from southern Tasmanian, was served with a light corn veloute, crispy chorizo and a celeriac and red radish remoulade (try saying that after a couple of wines).

4.quail

Sourced from Macquarie Harbour on the west coast of Tasmania, the Atlantic salmon was paired with a fragrant yellow curry and topped with cuttlefish from Northern Tasmania, thinly sliced and shallow fried.

5.salmon

We were surprised to see some intrepid souls braving the water in pursuit of the perfect wave.

6.surfers

We weren’t distracted for too long as the fourth course was served. Slowly poached for five hours in a stock of spices, fresh herbs and aromatic vegetables, the chicken was incredibly tender. Sliced and served in the poaching broth and finished with a fragrant herb and pickled daikon salad, the flavours were exquisite.

7.chicken

The tamarillo sorbet palate cleanser was a lovely shade of pink.

8.tamarillo sorbet

The main course of the degustation is usually slow cooked Tasmanian midlands venison shoulder. The shoulder was unavailable, instead we had venison backstrap cooked medium, served with braised red cabbage, smoked plums, white onion puree and water chestnuts.

9.venison

Outside, the clouds had dispersed and the surfers were still keen in their pursuit.

10.beach

Inside, we had made it to dessert. Peanut praline semi freddo consisting of a light sabayon base combined with a caramel and peanut flavoured cream, served with a light chocolate mousse on coffee soil.

11.dessert

Our lovely friend summed it up beautifully…. “It’s like eating poetry”.

Lillico Beach

Posted on August 18, 2017 by kathy

There is one of those, “I must go there one day” places along the Bass Highway between Ulverstone and Devonport. I am ashamed to say it took me eight years in Tasmania before I pulled off the highway to explore Lillico Beach Conservation Area. The reserve is home to a colony of the world’s smallest penguins, aptly named the Little Penguin or Fairy Penguin. I entered the walkway and immediately spotted little concrete shelters scattered through the vegetation.

1.penguin burrow 2.penguin burrow

The artificial burrows are used when there is a lack of natural burrow habitat and offer protection from predators such as feral cats.

3.penguin burrows

I wandered along the viewing platform, distracted by the spectacular panorama of Bass Strait at low tide.

4.looking west 5.looking north 6.looking east

The burrow designs are quite innovative and seem perfectly sized for a penguin who is only 30cm high and weighs around one kilogram.

7.penguin burrow

This important wildlife corridor hugs the coast for 2.5kms,

8.Bass Strait

the shingle beach and rock pools make for stunning scenery.

9.on the beach

If I were living at Lillico Beach, this would be my choice of home,

10.penguin burrow

if only for the location.

11.penguin burrow

There were no penguins to be seen on this day, they were all out fishing in the beautiful blue ocean. We will visit one summer evening to watch them waddling back to their burrows. I won’t wait another eight years.

midwinter morning

Posted on July 26, 2017 by kathy

Winter is well and truly upon us. After a very mild autumn, we are having one of the coldest winters in Tasmania I can remember. Maybe it’s just that the bones are getting older? One morning last week, I awoke early and, after turning off the alarm on my phone, I checked the weather forecast. Currently 1ºC, feels like -3ºC. Fortunately, it was considerably warmer inside as the wood fire was still burning. Just before I left for work, I became aware of the subtle hues in the sky, promising a spectacular sunrise.

1.pre sunrise 2.pre sunrise