Saturday 25 October 2014

Our holiday is just about over

in summary:
Some of the biggest irises and roses I have ever seen

Not a bad coffee was to be had
Delicious food especially from Maldini's and the Harbour Lights Cafe




Beautiful wine especially the Pooleys Pinot Noir from Grape food and wine bar - very civilised drinking from reidel tumblers too

Beautiful scenery and staying at battery Point

Amazing Bruny Island the highlight of the trip

Many kms walked so we walked off all that yummy food and wine

And the beautiful orchid house at the RTBG his fave



Salamanca Markets and the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens

we had a wonderful day today

I ventured down to the markets around 8am to be met by these:






Found these fun and colourful hats:





And these beautiful soft woven neck scarves:

Then onto the amazing RTBG for amazing colour texture and beauty









And more amazing views of the Derwent:




Friday 24 October 2014

MONA

You have to go to MONA we were repeatedly told.  Well we did!

What is it?  The most bizarre private collection of old and new artworks and artefacts in the country, Set in an amazing museum space of sandstone, rusted ironwork and lots of glass, it is a spectacle to behold. Now i get pretty bored with these types of activities but did manage to last an hour and a half. Wonders will never cease.



It was so bizarre, such a torture of art and sculpture and installation and absolutely head shaking stuff!  But a priviledge to see!



 Fat car was a porche, still slightly recognisable, what a bizarre and expensive statement about consumerism!

We did manage to see some more of the Derwent river on which Hobart sits, travelling to the museum on the Mona Roma ferry. Try and imagine this panorama, top to bottom is left to right!






I love this photo. The river below actually looks higher than the ground high above we were standingon!  Not bad iphone!

The Mona wharf. How beautiful!


Today was a cloudy day and not so cold and we managed to walk quite a few km as well.

We did also manage a wonderful lunch at the Harbour Lights Cafe which was awarded I Love Food best 2014 cafe and it sure was good!  Recipe past down through the generations for a wonderful egg and meatball lasagne. Delicious!


Thursday 23 October 2014

Food and Wine of Tassie

Being foodies one of the highlights of any of our trips is the food and wine. We have been lucky this time enjoying some wonderful food and wine. Sadly, or luckily, only one 'menu touristica dud'.

One of the nicest pinot noirs has been the 2013 Pooleys, such a lovely, mellow, soft, beautiful wine, quite scarce now apparently. I have to bring a bottle home to share with Lee and John.

We've also enjoyed a quaffing sparkly, ninth island by Pipers Brook.  Many glasses actually!  ðŸ˜„

Food highlights have been a local charcuterie platter at the Grape food and wine bar, an italian, meringue topped salted caramel cheesecake ( i loved the addition of the meringue and will definitely try this) and smoked local bacon with maple syrup for breaky both from Maldini's a very nice Italian restaurant.  I love their customer service ethic!

Ah life sure is good on this holiday




Bruny Island Tassie

We are holidaying in Hobart Tasmania And having a wonderful time

Yesterday we did something totally out of character and went on an adventure tour to Bruny Island.  What fun. Starting from Hobart we were bussed and ferried over to the island by our young tour guide who was quite a character. He reminded me of David Wenham in Sea Change and Richard Roxburgh from Far out East. Yes we are definitely ABC fans!  He was a funny guy, so inquisitive and very good at his job,

Bruny Island is made up of a north and south island connected by 'the neck',
a dirt road along a thin connecting strip of land, all natural.  Some describe it as the Whitsundays of the south.  I have to agree. The water is so clear and brilliant in colour and it is as magical as the Whitsundays.









Here is a picture of the second boat which went out with us. They were fast and easily manouvered in all directions which allowed everyone to see from different angles.





Our boat trip started at Adventure Bay, along the coast with some of the highesst dolomite sea cliffs in the southern hemisphere. The combination of algae and sea water created some amazing colour in the rocks, but sad to say this was very difficult to capture on my iphone.


We headed down to Bridge Rock  and back again out in the great southern ocean and boy it was very cold. But, It was amazing to see so many birds and marine animals in their natural habitat. We saw lots of seals, an albatross, dolphins, mutton birds diving for fish in great flocks after flying from Alaska, rare sticky beak oyster birds with the funniest bright orange long dangly beaks, to name a few.   You can see the male seals in this pic.  They grow quite large and live about 15 years and are segregated from the females while they are birthing and looking after their young. What a life!



It was an amazing day and highlight of the trip.