Wallabies included

Edge of the Bay - Coles Bay, Tasmania

While we don't have Internet, our cottage has a fabulous view of the bay, and we have our very own wallaby!

Stay tuned for more...

Gourmet Tour of Bruny Island

Sunday, 29 November 

Kettering Harbour

Kettering Harbour

We met our guide Fran and the small group of gourmands at 8AM at the offices of Pennicott Wilderness Journeys. We were ten in total, driving 30 minutes to Kettering where we caught the Bruny Island Ferry that “roped off” at 9AM to cross the D’Entrecasteaux Channel, a smooth 20 minute crossing.

Our first stop, after driving through brilliant green pastoral and sheep-dotted countryside with nary a habitation in sight, was the Bruny Island Cheese Company where we sat beneath eucalyptus trees and sampled four artisan cheeses and wood-fired bread. Bruny Island Cheese Company is owned and operated by Nick Haddow who, after almost ten years of making cheese elsewhere around the world, settled on Bruny Island in southern Tasmania. Nick believes “passionately in the old way of making and maturing cheese.”

Bruny Island Cheese Company

Our palates whetted, we next stopped at Get Shucked Oyster farm. Overlooking the oyster leases in Great Bay, we slurped succulent oysters that were harvested less than an hour prior to our arrival. Talk about fresh! While most oysters are raised in tidal waters, these spend their entire lives (14 months) underwater – very sweet indeed!  

On to the Bruny Island Berry Farm for morning tea – very civilized! While we had to tread with care to avoid stepping in wallaby poop, we did not see any of the famed white wallabies. We did see their very cute brown cousins, however. Then, after dipping our toes in the Tasman Sea (“bloody cold!”), we went to lunch at Bruny Island Premium Wines – the southern-most vineyard in Australia.

Tasman Sea

Ned had the lamb lunch (we walked past the lambies whose cousins contributed…) while I had the salmon, harvested from one of the twelve salmon farms in the waters surrounding Bruny Island. After lunch, we visited the HIBA Fudge Factory. Note: This fudge is made with cream rather than with canned condensed milk. Needing to burn off at least a few calories, we trudged up the 239 steps to Truganini Lookout.

Penguins are the Fairy Penguins 

 Last stop on our tour was the Bruny Island House of Whiskey, a specialty bar featuring Tasmanian single malt whiskeys, including the Trapper’s Hut that we tasted and the Lark that we had purchased yesterday. One of the fellows in our group paid AUD30 for a mere shot of the award winning Blue Label Sullivan’s Cove that won best in the world. He said it was well worth the price, although he did not shell out the AUD550 for a bottle... 

Jet Star - Wrongly Maligned

Friday, 27 November
We had heard nightmare stories about travel via Jet Star. From what was described, Ned assumed Jet Star to be Australia’s version of Spirit Air. Not so!

We took the Sky Bus from CBD (Central Business District aka Downtown Melbourne) to the airport, paying AUD18 per person. Pick was up at 9AM two blocks from the Double Tree; we arrived Melbourne Airport by 9:45, including transfer at Southern Cross Train Station. 

At the Melbourne Domestic Airport, a member of the Jet Star team greeted us warmly as we wheeled our luggage across the terminal. She helped us print new boarding passes and then luggage tags. Ned had guess-ti-mated our luggage weight and had pre-paid AUD80 extra for 55 kgs of luggage; ours weighed in at 50kgs, so we were good! (Note: Paying for luggage online is significantly cheaper than paying at airport – thank you, Hayden, our concierge at the Double Tree.).

Hayden, #1 best concierge

We went through security, the Australian version of TSA is noticeably more lax than anywhere we have traveled. We didn’t need photo identification, kept shoes on, and didn’t have to remove laptop from my bag (although I did).

Grabbed a bite o’ brekkie upstairs whilst waiting for gate to be announced. Note: Melbourne domestic airport is a very nice place to hang out. There are quite a few “real” food options plus decent shopping, if so inclined.

Flight JQ709 was on time, departing Melbourne at 11:25, arriving Hobart at 12:45.  Hobart Airport is 20kms from downtown. We took a taxi @ AUD46 to Quest Waterfront Apartments, Salamanca Square (3 Brooke Street, near Morrison Street), where we are staying the first three nights in Tassie.

Southern Hemisphere Thanksgiving

Friday, 27 November
In our explorations of laneways and alleyways in CBD (Central Business District – aka Downtown Melbourne), we stumbled on to a delightful culinary find on Meyers Place between Bourke and Little Collins. Next door to the Waiters’ Restaurant that our friend had recommended, is San Telmo, an Argentine parrilla.

So, while our friends and family were enjoying turkey on Thursday, we were savoring empanadas, ceviche, grilled zanahorias, lechuga, y mejillas de cerdo (pork cheeks).

Ensalada de Vegetales

Bife y Ensalada de Asparago

Ceviche

Lechuga

Mejillas de Cerdo

Zanahorias Asadas