0012 New Year in Tasmania

0012 New Year in Tasmania
6th - 15th January 2020
We have some adventures around Hobart !

Our Christmas table !

Apart from one day up around 40 deg C, the weather in Hobart has been very similar to an English summer - except no rain !  But most days have been around 26 deg C in the day, then it cools off at night so you need to put a jumper on, which makes the evenings and sleeping very comfortable compared to Queensland at this time of year.  So we started off the week with Christmas Day itself, and the temperatures were just perfect, which is why we came to Tasmania. 

Pork on the BBQ

We had SOOOO much food on the table, we were spoilt for choice !  We had bought our meats at a
German style deli, and had pre-prepared pork, turkey, and ham, and then lots of delicious vegetables, all cooked to perfection,   Benn had cooked the pork roast on his Kamado Joe BBQ, which

Sarah & Benn, Christmas Day

can grill, smoke, and apparently do lots more.  Tried to get the crackling as crackly as possible, and he succeeded !!  Once the crackers had been pulled and silly hats donned, we were off and running...or eating !  It was so good, and being in the cool weather just made it that much more enjoyable.  Helped by some Fox Friday beer to celebrate the day !   And with the girls getting stuck into all the presents under the Christmas tree, it all made for a wonderful happy day.

Helping Sarah at the bar !

One evening Sarah was in charge down at the brewery while Benn was a bit sick, and I went down to
"help" her - Mainly by enticing any and all patrons to drink up and have another ale !  In the photo you can see the list of all their 10 current ales - I have tried most of them now, and am yet to find one that I don't enjoy, which is dangerous !

Cottage at Mr Wolfe's farm

On 30th December we headed up the mountain, aiming to get to the top of the 1271 m Mt Wellington which is right behind Benn & Sarah's home.  Temperatures were forecast to be in the 40's so we thought that we would stay cool by going to the top.  However, as we got to the final ascent, the road was closed !!!   Due to the high temps and high winds, they had closed the summit road because of the potential fire danger.  There is only the one narrow road up the mountain, so if there was a fire anywhere on the road,people at the

Checking out the cherry trees

top would be trapped, so it was a logical decision, but rather messed up our plans for an "adventure"with the girls.
So instead we carried on the road that was open, not knowing where it would lead.   Not far up the road, there was a sign to "Wolfe's Raspberry Farm", and a hairpin onto a dirt road - So off we went. winding our way down the hill past houses and farms in the countryside, until we saw another sign to Wolfe's Farm, so down the road we drove, and found some old cottages, lots of cherry trees, and a shed with a man sitting inside out of the heat - Mr Wolfe, we presume ?  It was, and we got chatting - His family have been here for some 150 years, farming, and growing

On the way back to Hobart

raspberries, logan berries, cherries, and other fruit.  We sampled some, and they were just SO good. We had bought one large punnet, but while we were chatting to Mr Wolfe the girls had eaten more than half of it, so we had to go back and get another !!  A great little find after a disapointing start to a very hot day, and one which everyone enjoyed.  On the way back to the main road we passed a roadside honesty stall selling local garlic, so Sarah jumped out and bought some !

We detoured past the Mona Museum of Old and New Art, but as by now it was nearly 5 pm we didn't go in, but will save it for another day. Driving down from the hills, there were magnificent views over the Derwent River - This really is a very picturesque part of Australia.

Mitsubishi Rudolph

Sarah's Mitsubishi has been dressed up as Rudolph since Grandy and I arrived bringing his nose and
antlers, and the girls loved it.  After taking a photo of the car, on 2nd January Grandy, Olivia and I headed off to Port Arthur for the day - Some 90 kms out of Hobart. The scenery drive down there was very scenic - Tasmania really is very picturesque.  After parking in Port Arthur, we headed down to the main entrance to pay our entry, and went down to join our guided tour.

Port Arthur Penal Colony

Port Arthur was one of Australia's penal colonies from 1833, and was home to some of the most hardened criminals until 1877.  It is now an open air museum, but in 1996 was the scene of terrible massacre when 35 people were shot by a gunman.  This led to considerable immediate changes to Australian gun laws.  Today it

One of the houses at Port Arthur

is a scenic outdoor museum with beautiful gardens, and many of the old buildings are open for inspection.  We had a wonderful day wandering around in warm sunshine, and our tour included a short boat trip around the bay (including food and drinks for lunch), and later a little play about penal life, set in the prison building.  A lot of walking, but lots of fun, and after we left Port Arthur, we checked out Tasman's Arch on the way

Tasman's Arch

home.  Lots of other things to see down there - It would probably take 2-3 days to see everything around the area.

Each day we tried to have new "adventures" with the girls - A big park down by the sea, Fish & Chips, and of course the daily "feeding of the chickens" at the neighbours house where we were staying. Since they also have a trampoline and swings in their garden, it was always a fun hour or so spent in their garden !  They have an excellent Botannical Gardens in

Rocks in botanical garden

Hobart, and Janet & I spent a lovely day there with the girls.  Olivia found a stone in another park one day, that had a hand painting on it, and a facebook link written on the back.  It turns out that some kids have started this up and they leave stones "hidden" around the area, and when other kids find them, they take a photo of them with the stone and post it to the site.  Needless to say this is

Hiding & finding rocks !

an excellent holiday activity, as it also includes everyone gathering suitable stones, painting them, and then hiding them.  And when someone finds one of "their" stones and posts a picture, much happiness results !!  So while we wandered around the Botannical Gardens, Olivia was busy hiding some of the stones she had made and brought with here - And when she found someone else's stone, there was much excitement !

Off to the circus

Next big adventure was the Sesame Street Circus on the 11th January.  We

had bought tickets for the girls for Christmas, and Janet and I duly set off with them to the show.  Nowadays the only animals were some dogs, and for the kids enjoyment all the Sesame Street characters

Selfie in the circus

are involved in the show.  Olivia was SO excited she could hardly contain herself, but as soon as we walked into the Big Top, Evie was petrified - Too much going on !  So she just clung to us like a limpet, and did not move or make a sound for the entire first half,
which is an absolute first for this little dynamo who normally just never stops !  By the second half she started to realise everything was OK, and when Olie came back with some Fairy Floss, she was back to her normal self !   A great day that left everyone exhausted by the time we got home !

Overlooking Hobart

I mentioned earlier that we had tried to drive up Mt Wellington on 30th

At the top of Mt Wellington

December, but had been turned round when they closed the road due to fire dangers.  So on the 12th January we set off again, and this time made it to the top. Very glad we brought our jackets because the temperature is about 10 degrees cooler at the (1250 m high) summit, plus there is usually a cool wind blowing. Walking over to the lookouts over Hobart in the valley below, the views were just

spectacular - I have to say they rival views from anywhere around the world - including Pikes Peak.  It was just a perfect sunny day to be up there, and we had a great time running

Lunch time !

around and enjoying everything, including a stuffed echidna in the viewing area - Surprising that echidnas have sharp porcupine-like spines in their fur, so don't rub an echidna the wrong way !  Olivia was chatting with the ranger, and using the provided magnifying glass to get a good look at both the echidna and other specimens that were on display !

Half way down the mountain we stopped at a little pub/restaurant for lunch, and had an excellent
meal, sitting in the warm sunshine.  As usual, the girls had plenty to say, and a good time was had by all before we headed back home for a rest !

Fox Friday beer review

With Fox Friday tap room open for business over the weekend, we had a couple of visits to check on Benn's beers, and to try any we hadn't tried previously !  As always, really friendly in there, and we were soon chatting to everyone and discussing the beers.  Earlier in the day a chap from the Launceston Craft Beer Society had dropped in and reviewed some of Benn's offerings - He liked them !  A lot !   I told you they were good beers !!    Now we just need to work out a way to double the production volume because at present they are selling every drop of beer they produce as soon as it is ready !

Now it is almost time to leave Hobart after a very Happy month here.  Our ferry across to Melbourne is on Friday 17th evening, so we will arrive in Melbourne early on the 18th.  We are going to leave Hobart on the 15th and probably travel up the west coast, taking 2 1/2 days to get to the ferry.  Everywhere here is so very scenic, so we will just wander along and sleep wherever we find ourselves when the sun goes down - My idea of heaven !!

Rest of the many photos are here :-   https://photos.app.goo.gl/CudB1QEDhTSdwU1u5