Category Archives: Tasmania

Cradle Christmas

Posted on by
9

We couldn’t decide what to do for Christmas this year so we decided not to do anything. Then, on Christmas Eve, we had a rethink and booked lunch at Cradle Mountain Hotel. We took Cooper on the first of many relaxing summer drives.

1-us-cooper

We arrived in time to enjoy a pre-lunch beverage

2-cradle-mountain-hotel

and, as I hadn’t been to this hotel before, I had a little look around. The bar and lounge area were very comfortable

and having the keg room on show was a novel idea.

7-keg-room

Beyond the Christmas tree,

8-christmas-tree

the dining room and buffets were presented beautifully.

The barbecue area was set and the chef had entered into the spirit of things.

We found a comfy spot

14-verandah

with a fabulous view

15-view

to finish our drinks before being seated for lunch.

16-table

The menu was extensive and delicious.

Of course, we ate too much and returned to our place on the veranda to digest the food and the surroundings.

31-view

38-view

We returned home, hot & weary, for the obligatory Christmas Day nap. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and wish you a safe, happy & healthy 2017.

across the creek

Posted on by
6

Travelling across Bass Strait is affectionately referred to by Tasmanians as ‘crossing the creek’. The distance of 250km is easily traversed with a one hour plane flight. Alternatively, there is a ten hour ferry trip with a choice of day or night crossing. Four days after returning from our travels in Britain, we packed up the car and trailer and left Adelaide on our new adventure. The Spirit of Tasmania waited patiently in Melbourne,

1-spirit-of-tasmania

our excitement mounted as we drove aboard.

With our possessions in storage, no jobs and nowhere to live, we celebrated with a superb meal as we set sail.

4-spirit-of-tasmania

The crossing of Bass Strait was anything but smooth, my decision to splurge on a deluxe queen cabin at the front of the boat was not a good one. We were very pleased to see the sun coming up and calm waters as we approached Devonport.

5-devonport6-mersey-bluff-lighthouse7-devonport8-devonport

After navigating the Mersey River

9-mersey-river10-mersey-river

we disembarked and headed east for Launceston.

11-disembarking

We stayed in a holiday apartment for two weeks, then moved into a rental property while we searched for our perfect home. The rental was very comfortable

with great views,

17-view

a manageable garden

and a park over the fence.

21-trees

We didn’t realise beforehand, it was the least salubrious suburb in Launceston. No wonder the rent was so cheap! Still, we survived and we have very fond memories of our time in Launceston.

venerable veggies

Posted on by
6

My poor veggie patch has lain sadly neglected for months. Normally resplendent with a winter crop, this year was just too wet for anything to survive. Apart from weeds. A hefty dose of mushroom compost was added somewhere between showers but even the mushrooms were few.

1-garden-bed

I am pleased to say, the weather has improved and I have been busy. Into bed one went the tomatoes.

The pots next to the plants are to allow for deeper watering (I stole the idea from a picture in a magazine). Onto bed two with some green beans,

mixed Asian greens,

9-asian-greens

and Bloomsdale spinach.

10-bed-1-2

Beetroot went into bed three

along with carrots and garlic. I haven’t learnt from past experience and planted four zucchini and two pumpkin in bed four.

I was inundated with zucchini a couple of years ago and gave most of it away until I discovered it can be grated and frozen to be used for zucchini slice throughout the year. It just needs to be thawed overnight in a colander to drain the excess liquid. The Jalapeno chilli has a small box of its own

and I added basil

21-basil

to the herb bed.

The fruit salad tree is doing well, producing an abundance of lemons.

25-fruit-salad-tree

Four weeks on and the growth has been astounding, we are already harvesting the Asian greens.

I forgot to mention the rhubarb. It has been prolific through all seasons and mostly is donated to various friends & acquaintances.

I’m looking forward to reaping the rewards in the coming months.

37-chive-flowers

BOFA

Posted on by
4

We recently ventured to Launceston to experience the Breath of Fresh Air (BOFA) Film Festival. Michael had an entry selected for screening in the short film competition and we thought it a great excuse for a weekend away.

1-bofa

The festival was held at the Inveresk Precinct. Originally Tasmania’s largest industrial site, it is now an education and arts hub. The original industrial buildings remain

2-academy-of-the-arts

and are now interfused with some modern elements.

3-art

6-big-picture-school

I love this tree outside the Big Picture School.

7-tree

The movies were shown in various buildings throughout the precinct, our first viewing was in The Annexe.

8-the-annexe

A fabulous gabion rhinoceros stood guard at the entrance

12-gabion-rhino

or was he heading for the coffee van?

13-gabion-rhino

We relaxed with a coffee in the comfortable lounge

14-bofa-lounge

before viewing a wonderful movie, Kedi. Although not particularly cat lovers, we enjoyed the story of the cats in Istanbul and the interaction with the people in their lives. Perhaps humans could learn a thing or two from cats after all. http://www.kedifilm.com/about/#aboutkedi
We lunched at Blue Café Bar at the precinct, the wood fired pizzas were amazing – we chose pulled pork shoulder, pickled jalapeño, avocado, coriander & crème fraiche.

15-pizza

Also located at the Inveresk Precinct is the Launceston Tramway Museum. You can step back to the 1940s with a ride on Tram No. 29, Launceston’s only surviving double bogie tram,

16-tram

lovingly restored over seven years.

20-tram

We returned later to the Festival Lounge to enjoy beverages and the award presentation

21-bofa-lounge

before a walk in the rain and superb dining experience at Brisbane Street Bistro (sorry, I didn’t take photos). Next morning, we started the day with a hearty breakfast at Café one0six. The Breakfast Burger and Eggs Benedict hit the spot.

We headed back to Inveresk for one more movie, the Romanian film, Graduation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBCPZhdJYLA It was quite sombre and gave us much to ponder on our drive home.
Michael’s entry in the short film competition, Invisible, can be viewed here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdGHAmIEjM8

Gordon

Posted on by
4

While travelling with my sister when she was here on holiday, we followed the Channel Highway south from Hobart. The day was overcast and calm and we felt a contented peace as we meandered through the drizzle. We pulled over at Gordon, not realising the Foreshore Reserve is usually a popular camping spot.

1-boatshed

The boatshed and ramp were deserted and, apart from a couple of brave souls, there was no-one in sight.

2-boat-ramp

The subdued beauty of the D’Entrecasteaux Channel and Bruny Island beyond was breathtaking.

3-gordon4-gordon5-gordon

The channel and island were named after Rear-Admiral Bruni D’Entrecasteaux who discovered them in 1792 while searching for missing fellow explorer, Jean François La Pérouse (he was never found).

6-gordon

We were mesmerised by the ethereal silence that cocooned us

and reluctantly, we continued on our journey.

11-serenity