0028 Christmas in Tasmania

 0028 Christmas in Tasmania

Street front of Fox Friday

Benn & Sarah's new Fox Friday Tap Room was scheduled to open on 26th October 2020, and this would be a very busy time for both of them - Benn brewing beer to keep up with demand, and Sarah organising and running the Tap Room.  With the girls still at school, the help of Grand Parents was once again requested, and Janet flew down prior to the opening in order to help out.  Covid restrictions for Queenslanders entering Tasmania were lifted on the day that she flew down, so she was one of the first tourists to arrive in Tasmania without having to quarantine for 14 days ! I stayed at home for another month so as to not only reduce overcrowding in their house in Hobart, but also to complete a series of jobs that needed to be done around the house.  I then flew down at the beginning of December, while a couple of friends babysat our house while we were away.

 This trip was not about touristy type things for us - We were there to look after Olivia and Evelyn while Sarah and Benn were busy.  So our days were pretty full on, especially once their school closed down for the summer holidays, so we didn't have a lot of spare time - and when we did, it was just nice to sit down and relax with a book.   But the cooler weather of Tasmania was a welcome relief from the heat and humidity of Queensland, and the weather was in fact really pleasant throughout our visit.

Woodchopping competition

Early on, Benn did take us all to watch a Woodchopping competition that was held in the grounds of a
great little pub in the country.  Watching the axemen do their thing is always a treat, with underhanded chopping of logs as well as the even more exciting tree felling competition.  In this one, they have to cut slots into a vertical log (ie a tree), and insert planks to stand on while the do the same twice more, before eventually chopping a log at the top of the tree.  Quite spectacular to watch !   And we even found some camels out there, which the girls found much more interesting than the woodchopping !

Fox Friday Tap Room

The new, and much larger, Fox Friday Tap Room was opened on schedule, and being Christmas time,
we had to find a suitable tree, while Sarah found some Christmas Elves which were dotted around the room, providing a "hunt the elf" competition for children ! Having a full industrial kitchen already in the premises, they have a full time chef, and their food style is Southern US style and is DELICIOUS !   During our time in Hobart I think we tried just about everything on the menu and it was ALL so good, although my favourite was hoagie with twice cooked
mushrooms.  Janet's was the Patty Melt, while the House Cut fries were SO good - All other fries now pale into insignificance after Andrew the chef's efforts - Even the girls agree and measure all other fries they eat against the Tap Room fries !    Together with their delicious beers, it is no wonder they have been really busy almost every night.  And adding in quiz nights and other activities on a regular basis also helps keep people coming back.   Benn & Sarah and their staff are doing such a good job down there - They deserve all their success.

Yummy food !

On the 30th December Janet and I took Olivia out to Richmond, a small country town not far out of Hobart.  It was a fine day, and there were some amazing shops to explore - One a "Father Chistmas" shop with 2 stories of displays of decorations and christmas figurines from all over the world - A really magical shop that had Olivia enthralled. We also found a great jigsaw puzzle shop - thats all they sell !  We then had some
fish and chips in a small outdoor park, and then ice creams and some sweets from an old style candy shop before heading over to explore Old Hobart Town, a 1/16th scale model village with a difference in that it showed the historical history of Hobart as it was in the 1820's.  There are items hidden within the display (like a lady killing a snake, or a Tasmanian Tiger) for the kids to find as they wander around.   An excellent day in the beautiful countryside around Hobart.

Old Hobart model village

Another day Sarah took us out to Mt Field National Park, about 60 kms NW of Hobart.  In the park we did a short walk around a trail (we had the girls with us, of course), and eventually found the scenic Russell
Falls. The walk through the forest was absolutely stunning - It was like walking through a magical forest, and there was so much for the girls (and the adults !) to see and enjoy.  A really pleasant walk.  On the way home, we stopped at the Westerway Raspberry Farm - where before picking any fruit we first had to stop for a yummy ice cream !!   Once they had been consumed, we were given our punnetts and we set off into the rows of fruit.   I focussed on the raspeberries, and managed to eat almost as many as I saved - They were just SO tasty !!  By the time we were all bored, we had enough to keep us going for several days, and headed back home.

Mt Field Nat Park

However, there was still one more sight to see - The Salmon Ponds and the Trout Museum.  It seems that Salmon were imported in 1864, but once released they never returned as expected.  However, some trout remained because they are non migratory, and as a result, these ponds originally built for Salmon now house trout - Lots of them, of all different types.   We had a quick bite to eat as, apart from an ice cream and raspberries, we had not had any lunch.   Unfortunately it
was by now a bit late in the afternoon, and we only had time for a quick tour of the trout ponds, and to feed them with their pellets, which the girls really enjoyed.  Might be worth a longer visit on another occasion as the grounds are beautiful and extensive, and the many varied types of trees are all catalogued and marked, making for an interesting walk.   Will have to return another day...........   And with that, we headed home for tea !

Picking raspberries

Every Sunday they close a street right beside Fox Friday and hold the local produce market.  This is always well supported by all the locals, and includes some small food stalls - One of which was selling empanadas - Which after eating my way around S America on empanadas, I am never able to go past without trying !!  OK, but not the best ever !!   And after the markets, it is time for lunch at Fox Friday ! A Sunday ritual while we were there, and I never noticed the girls complaining either !

In the Tap Room

Overall, after a very Happy Christmas and a quiet New Year, we had a great time down in Hobart Town with Benn & Sarah and the girls.  We survivied, the girls survived, and the Fox Friday Tap Room was up and running.  Mission accomplished.   On the 16th January Janet & I flew back to Brisbane, masked up the whole way, and fortunately the Queensland borders were still open - Unlike Victoria's !   Home safe, and good to be home. 

Heading home

Rest of the pics are here :-  https://photos.app.goo.gl/RsWmzvKsNVoBvAeG6