Bruny Island and back to reality

·      On our way to the ferry to Bruny Island, we managed to fit in 3 wineries! Firstly, Spring Vale winery where the owner greeted us at the Cellar door, an 1842 stable!

·       20 years ago switched from cattle and sheep to vines! Then Devils Corner which was set high up on a hill looking over Moulting Lagoon and boasting an observation tower. Finally, Freycinet Vineyard, the first vineyard on the coast- this one very farm like. All different except for the wines which were universally great!

·      Reached Kettering where the ferry leaves in time for the 3 o’clock one. Very smooth 20 mins crossing in sunny weather and a smooth ocean.

·      First stop was Get Shucked Oyster farm to buy some take away oysters- if we had known we could have chosen the drive through – a bit like McDonald’s but way way better!

·      Adventure bay Caravan park was right across from the beach so we took our chairs and had drinks and nibbles by the water on a lovely balmy night- unbelievable this is Tasmania nearly April!

·      Next morning Mark finally got his next surf, when we drove to Cloudy Bay. He was very excited to come over a hill and see swells rolling in! Had a good paddle and surf in algae rich sea! Dark red algae which made the breaking waves pink and apparently like minestrone soup to paddle through. Mark managed an hour with dry hair before he fell off!! He came in with his wetsuit covered in algae as was his face and hair. Thank goodness for the outdoor shower!

·      Stopped at Bruny Island Premium Wines on the way back from the surf and decided to have lunch! Good choice with wine tasting as we ate our oysters (the rose went well) and then chose a glass to have with the mains. As I keep saying Tasmania is great!

·       Next morning took a boat ride out to the Southern Ocean, passing by towering dolomite sea cliffs, little bays, caves, blowholes, rookeries and seal colonies. Beautiful day with no wind and no waves! Very unusual and said to be the best day of the season- just as well as we ended up in the adventure seats second row in front with seat belts and advice to keep it tight and not for those who are prone to sea sickness!  I still took 4 ginger tablets when they were handed out just in case. The  mill pond ocean also meant we could go between the land and the monument, a single dolomite tower in the ocean which was being scaled by some very brave or stupid rock climbers.  And hang about in the Southern Ocean looking towards Antarctica! Finished off by coming across a “feeding frenzy” – lots of birds including albatross, dolphins, and seals all feasting on huge balls of bait fish. The birds were diving and coming up with fish while the mammals were in an and out of the fish, under the boat, and generally having fun feasting!

·      After the boat trip left for our next camp site at Cloudy Bay. We booked it due to its proximity to a surf beach and 6 foot surf was predicted – Mark beside himself with anticipation. Sadly, this was not to be- calm again! But the camping park was very beautifully set in forest with cleared sites set apart from each other. No one else there except the owner and his two dogs- Ollie and PJ! We had choice of any site! So why did we choose the one which required reversing Arvi up what looked like a small rise to us but obviously a mountain to him – the smell of burning, smoke coming from the engine and Arvi came to a stop! A long rest was necessary for him to recover and make it travelling forwards!

·      Phil, the owner had left us firewood (and a fire extinguisher) and luckily Mark had jiffy fire lighters left over from a previous camp fire. In no time we had a fire and a meal to eat sitting around it – all on our own far from civilisation and in a deserted forest camp site!! I wasn’t scared at all!!

·      Next morning woke to drizzle and grey skies. Perfect for reading in bed! And then driving to the Cape Bruny light house, the second oldest in Australia. Followed by more reading, napping and then camp fire and dinner! Probably our first rest day!

·      Sad goodbye to Bruny island but not before we visited the chocolate/fudge shop, the artisan cheese shop, and the House of Whisky where we were initiated into the ways of whisky tasting. This is different from wine – no swirling, expect the first sip to taste like petrol (well maybe they didn’t say exactly that!), heat the glass with your hands, add a drop of water and taste again!

·      Had a couple of nights in Hobart in the showgrounds which doubles as the hugest RV and caravan park except when the show is on! We stayed in the main ring and when I heard a horse whinnying the first morning wondered if the show was about to start!

·      Our time in Hobart was spent with a full day at MONA, including lunch and a tour of the Morilla winery thanks to a Xmas gift from our children!

·      The gallery is quite something – from the building and grounds to the art! It is not for the fainthearted – the time needed to do it justice and the exhibits which range from weird (a poo machine that needs feeding and disgorges at 2pm daily!), to explicit images of female genitalia, to pottery and sarcophagae (?) from ancient times, and more conventional landscapes and portraits. 

·      Same can be said for the restaurant and winery which as well as fabulous wines makes Moo Brew beer which Mark says is good!

·      Left Hobart after a major disappointment for Mark finding that the Cadbury factory is no longer open to visitors so no shopping for his favourite chocolate- which can be found in every shop and supermarket in the country!

·      Our last night in Tasmania was spent in a small historic town called Ross with a main street lined by elms and a bridge built by stonemason convicts in 1836.They were given pardons after building the bridge. Also in Ross are the remains of one of the two female convict/factories in Tasmania. If a female convict became pregnant (usually the result of rape) they were punished and their sentences increased and had little contact with the baby. Hard life.

·      One last stop at a winery called Ghost Rock eating a platter of all things that Tasmania do so well and a glass of their lovely Riesling!

·      Now after disembarking from the ship in Melbourne at 6am, waiting for D&G to wake up and give us the promised breakfast!!! Then will head off on the long drive home!

·      It has been a very special action packed 3 and a half weeks in Tasmania and can thoroughly recommend visiting the Apple Isle although we only saw one of those on our last night in Ross. Should be called the Winery Isle, the Gourmet Food Isle or the Amazing Sights Isle!

From hiking trails to wine and gourmet tasting trails!

• Firstly, apologies for the photos being out of order on the last blog! Something to do with my camera photos and Marks I phone photos! Must have been confusing as I had labelled some “the next are from …” but as Mark often says to me“ I like to keep you guessing”!! Now on to the next adventures.

·      Left St Clair (the deepest lake in Australia) and the mist over the lake and headed north to Cradle Mountain at the other end of the park- it is 1262sq km!

·      Stopped at Derwent Bridge to see “The Wall” a remarkable 100 metres long wall of sculptures carved out of Huon pine by one man and depicting the history of the Tasmanian highlands. So lifelike and detailed down to fingers and nails, veins, creases in pants and beards. Could have tasted the Sullivans Cove single malt whisky which won the world whisky medal beating Scotland etc but at 10 in the morning too early for me!!

·      Rest of drive winding narrow roads up and down through forests over mountains- I think this was the day that as we went around a corner the chicken for dinner flew out of the fridge followed no long afterwards by the Nespresso machine falling off the counter when Mark went over a kerb!! Both survived to live another day – well not the chicken!

·      Cradle Mountain is a “new moon curve of rock” with water below so can get reflections. The summit is a 6 to 8 hr return climb- we opted for the Marion Lookout a more reasonable 4 to 5 hr return climb! Still lots of stairs and one steep part with just rocks and chains so pretty tough for some of us- Mark is quite a wimp!!!!Rewarded with fabulous views all along the way and interesting topography and flora but not a lot of fauna and no SNAKES!

·      Shuttle buses ferry people back and forth from the visitor centre to the stop off points for walks which keeps and discourages the majority of vehicles out of the park – a good thing. 

·      Thanks to a lot of drugs our knees survived to walk another day and amazingly despite one very close call due to tripping on a pebble and Mark saving me at the last minute, I managed to stay upright! Well if you don’t count coming down the aforementioned steep part with the chain on my bottom!!

·      Will remember Cradle Mountain for the roaring open fire in the quite glamorous camp kitchen at the caravan park – great for a glass of red after the strenuous day!

·      From Cradle Mountain we travelled to “Headspin” – well that’s is what Mark said but turned out to be Hadspen!! This was close to Launceston so we could meet David and Ginna early the next morning.  On the way stopped at Sheffield a city known for the murals that have been painted on many of the building facades. I think it should be known for unusual sights- a tractor being driven by a pony tailed lady at high speed down the main street, followed by a toilet on wheels (that’s what if looked like from the back anyway) and then 3 Harley Davidson motor bikes!

·      Connected with D&G at Josef Chromy wines – more sparkling first thing in the morning, it’s becoming a habit! Tasted their range from white to red and learnt lot about smells, colour and taste from G who is a wine consultant. Also developed my spitting technique into the spittoon provided – only about 100mls ended up on my face or in my eyes!

·      Then onto Stony Rise which has a connection with Robe where my Dad was the GP and D&G had the fish and chip /pizza shop. More wine tasting –  they all do whites and then pinot noir, sometimes a merlot. Fish and chips at a café recommended to us overlooking beach and pretty good! Finished at Wines for Joannie- this time a Queensland connection as the young couple with 3 young children who are trying their hand at making wine came from there.

·      Finally arrived at Bridport where we were staying for the night- little seaside place with a huge caravan park. Pre-dinner drink on the deck as the full moon came up and then chicken tagine for dinner. Couldn’t be a better end to the day!

·      Next morning, we visited Barnbougle where M&D were meant to be playing golf on the world class course by the ocean except D tore his muscle calf a couple of weeks prior to the game. M said he just couldn’t face the thought of losing!! Instead we had a very nice lunch in the restaurant overlooking the ocean and the ninth hole!! And some drank more wine!

·      Made our way to St Helens with a stop at a small place called Legerwood where the diseased WW1 commemorative large pines trees were lopped then the stumps  turned into figures of local soldiers who had died in the war by a chainsaw sculptor!! Talk about chain saw massacre (but sort of cool)!!   One more stop at the famous Pyengana Dairy Company where the cows wear bells and can give their back a scratch on a rotating bristle wheel as they leave the dairy having been fed and milked. Very happy cows which makes for a delicious cheddar cheese and tasty ice cream as well as milk of course.

·      With a bit of luck and good searching from the advance party of D&G we found a good RV park at Cosy Corner one of the beaches around the bay from St Helens. Free camping for 2 days a test for the water, gas etc!! And also a challenge to see if we could remember how to put up the annexe and do it in under an hour! Only issue was the pump for the blow up mattress – not charged (rookie error) so it took until bed time after a few red wines to be able to provide adequate accommodation for D&G!!

·      Next day walked along the Bay of Fires beach – so named for the aboriginal fires which the early explorers saw from their ships. Not the orange lichen which adorns the rocks. Very pretty whatever!

·      In the afternoon drove into St Helens to get freshly shucked oysters, cheese etc to have with a friend of D&G’s who lives overlooking the river estuary. Very nice!

·      D showed us how to roast on the weber with a leg of lamb! Delicious with a camp fire and a nice pinot noir.

·      Drove along the coast the next day for a few km’s and had a farewell lunch of fresh crayfish on white bread! Yummy!! Back D&G went to Melbourne and we motored on to Bicheno, a fishing port with a cliff top walk to a blow hole which due to the rough seas out on quite the spectacle!

·      Next day was Coles Bay which sits at the foot of pink granite cliffs. It is just out of the Freycinet park which is the reason for its popularity- think bays of white sand and clear blue water- but not on a grey windy slightly rainy day!  We stopped at the Freycinet Marine Park for more yummy oysters, scallops and salmon! And a glass of wine naturally!

·      We rode our electric bikes to the start of the walk to Wineglass Bay (usually in the top 10 beaches of the world) and clambered up the 3 km walk to the lookout, quite steep in some parts. Then walked along the beach and another 8km through forest and along cliffs abutting the beach back to the start! Was very grateful to have the electric bike to help me home on the hilly roads! Poor Mark not so lucky as his bike ran out of battery!! It was every woman for herself and so I motored past him several times while he pushed the bike up a big hill!! All up we walked and biked 22kms which must be a record for us!

·      Next stop Bruny Island!