Treating Ourselves To Tasmania

Life happens.  You meet, grow up, move away and.... remain friends!  In celebrating our 30 years of friendship, 3 girlfriends and myself recently re-united in Tasmania for a 5 day getaway. In August.  It was not cold.  It was FREEZING!  But I did get to live out my desire to dress like I was weathering a New York winter complete with gloves, coat and hat for the duration of our stay.  I was in heaven!

Tasmania has so much to offer.  It is scenic beyond description.  We were embraced by our great country's stories, immersing ourselves in the abundance of history and the fresh surrounds in varying shades of green that only Australia displays.

I learned that Tasmania is not just history and lush scenery.  Along with the freshness of the temperature was the refreshing discovery that Tasmanians offer a friendliness and an effortless helpfulness I have not experienced in what seems like forever.  Not just one, but ALL.  Whether we were out for dinner, buying groceries, doing the tourist jaunts, e v e r y single person we came into contact with was pleasant and helpful.  And it was apparent that this was neither an effort or out of the ordinary for them.  Old fashioned perhaps, but the 'mainland' could learn a thing or two from our southern neighbours customer service.

We chose to stay at a house high up on a hill overlooking what I thought was all of Tasmania then quickly realised it was only all of Hobart, called, funnily enough, House on the Hill. Did I mention customer service?  Not a face as such to be seen by our hosts, but their touch was incredibly visible. To walk in to the home and see that quite a few of our needs for the weekend had already been thought of and catered for just took my breath away.  Have I become that jaded not to expect such consideration?  From our hosts Simon and Jennifer, it is probably all in a days work.  To us, it was attention to detail beyond measure.

Part of the view from The House on the Hill

Our first sight seeing venture took us south to Port Arthur.  Such an amazing experience to learn more of Port Arthur's early days as a convict settlement.  The weather was overcast, cold and drizzly - befitting the stories of its history.  It is perfectly picturesque and so beautifully kept to maintain its heritage.

Magnificent Port Arthur

Picturesque Port Arthur

Remains of a convict settlement, Port Arthur

Jonquils line the original fence at the Commander's cottage, Port Arthur

After a hearty home cooked breakfast on the Saturday morning, we set off for the renowned Salamanca Markets.  Most of where we wanted to go was either not that far or you get so swept up in the beauty of the scenery, it doesn't seem that far at all.  In this case, Salamanca was about a 10 minute drive from where we were staying.  And then... It is so easy to park in Hobart city, even on a Saturday!

Salamanca Markets with snow covered Mt. Wellington in the background.

The Salamanca Markets are something else.  They are down on the waterfront and showcase loads of local produce from fruit and vegetables to honey, truffles, nuts and condiments, literally to name but a few.  Local artisans display their craft: unique and practical items impeccably carved from Tasmanian timbers, jewellery made from kitchen utensils, loads of fashion ranging from clothing to various accessories, again to name but a few.  The whole extensive experience is like one huge treasure chest.

Salamanca Markets

True to local form, there are many helpful signs at the stalls letting you know what is acceptable to be taken back to the mainland or back overseas, what can be carried as hand luggage, what is suitable for main luggage or prices for shipping to your destination. The stall holders are all friendly and know their products.  They are more than helpful in explaining the item you are enquiring about: where it comes from, how it is made, why it is good for you. Tasmanians are exceptional at customer service!

Cascade Brewery - how could we not come here?

Need I say more?  Well, in fairness to the Cascade Brewery, yes I will.  We came here on the Saturday afternoon to do a tour of the brewery.  We learned not just of the beer and cider making processes but of the history of the brewery itself.  Did you know it was once a flour mill?  Being a weekend afternoon, the brewery itself was not operating but again, always thinking of the customer, there were detailed DVD's showing the brewery in operation so that we had a clear idea of how the amber nectar is brought to life.

At the beginning of our tour, we were given three bottle tops which we could 'cash' in at the end of our tour to try the various products. I was interested to learn, and saddened a little, that only a small variety of Cascade beers are distributed to the mainland.  The good stuff comes up here whilst they keep the great stuff for themselves!  True.  I tried the great stuff.  Made me sad we can't get it.

View from the top of Mt. Wellington.

Sunday saw me take the wheel of our hire car - a Ford Kuga.  Of course!  Because what other car do 4, dare I say it, middle aged women hire but a 'Kuga'?  We aptly named her Sonia Kuga and she was, I must say, a comfortable ride.  So, yes, my turn.  Of all days for me to take the wheel, it was the day we were heading up to the top of Mt. Wellington. Me who is petrified of heights!  And edges. That. Have. Nothing. On. Them!  It got the better of me half way up the mountain and my driving duties, for then, were relieved. Even the gentleman at the top of the mountain assisting the drivers where they could park was helpful, and friendly!  Could this place get any better?  I mean, seriously.  This is not just a one or two person being helpful type of thing.  This is now a running theme among all Tasmanians and my mind was being blown!

It was of course, chilly at the top of Mt. Wellington.  4 degrees cooler than at the bottom of the mountain to be exact.  It was breathtakingly beautiful between the snow and the views.  Hobart and its surrounds seemed to stretch on forever.  After the obligatory snow fight, we jumped back in Sonia and took in a countryside drive heading towards the Huon Valley.  Seeing a sign directing us to a winery we thought we would stop in for a quick visit.

The Home Hill Winery is at Ranelagh in the Huon Valley.  An architectural delight and clearly with wines and food to savour, the restaurant was filled to Sunday lunch capacity. Being a Taurean and therefore all about food (and wine) I couldn't help but check out the meals heading to the tables. They looked delicious and plentiful and I was personally sorry that we had arrived a little too late to enjoy lunch there.   Now I am very particular about my white wines. I tend to favour New Zealand whites and am on a personal mission to find a bad one! It has been an extensive search I can tell you.  But on the simple geographical basis that Tasmania is roughly in line with some of the most amazing wine producing parts of New Zealand, I thought I would give the Home Hill Sauvignon Blanc a try. I was not disappointed.  It was everything I had hoped it would be. From there I moved on to try Kelly's Reserve Pinot Noir.  Oh. My. Goodness.  Why did I only have hand luggage??? Rosemary who owns the winery with her husband Terry, talked us through each of the wines we wished to try and was so very friendly, happily answering all the questions we had about the wines,  the winery, the architecture and the history of Home Hill Wines. This is one place on my list of places to re-visit when I return to Tasmania.

We continued on our Sunday drive winding through the Huon Valley.  It is so pretty and picturesque and just so relaxing to take the time to enjoy the countryside.  We made our way down to Cygnet - what a beautiful township this is.  It has an outlook across the hamlet that makes you feel transformed by its serenity.  As I say in the photo below, it is as pretty as a picture: colourful, rural, balanced.  It is worth the drive there to check it out.

Cygnet - pretty as a picture.

We began to make our way back to Hobart, stopping in at the village of Kettering on the way. Kettering is the gateway for those wishing to travel to Bruny Island.  Another pleasant little township with, of all things, a Turkish cafe.  Pasha's wasn't what I expected to see but clearly what the locals and visitors alike appreciate as business could not have been busier! 

Back in Hobart, we headed out once again to the Brunswick Hotel for our last dinner.  I indulged in a huge plate of ribs and a pint or two of the Lazy Yak. The Brunswick has such a great vibe - live music, great food, chilled atmosphere, a tasty variety of craft beers and here I go again, helpful staff!

Up and at 'em come Monday morning.  It was our last day in Tasmania and we still had a few things we wanted to see.

Richmond Bridge - the oldest working bridge in Australia.

We headed up to Richmond where we stopped and paid homage to the oldest bridge that is still in operation in Australia.  As we stood with our beanies, scarves and winter coats on, we watched as the children at the school behind us played hockey in shorts and t-shirts! I guess you become acclimatised after a while.

You'll find this sign if you pop in to
the Man O Ross Hotel 

Further north we drove until we arrived at a quaint town called Ross.  It is a heritage town with the most beautiful colonial buildings.  Wandering around here is like stepping back quite a few decades. It is quiet, peaceful and yet draws many a visitor.  The Post Office houses some fantastic and reasonably priced gifts and souvenirs.  Across the road we found ourselves ordering Devonshire Teas, the famous Scallop Pie, Pasties and Coffees at The Bakery Cafe. Not a crumb was left on my plate.  The interior with its warmth and tasty aromas made it hard to leave.  I could find myself a permanent spot just outside that kitchen any day!  



A delayed flight home makes for extra sight seeing time.  We were all grateful the stars had aligned like that for us.  We called back in to Richmond to see more than just the bridge and take some time to explore the treasures it held.  What a perfect maze of interesting boutiques housing a unique variety of content.  

I couldn't go past the lolly shop! With its free samplings and colourful array of every. single. sweet under the sun, I was in lolly heaven. And so were the bus load of school kids that had just arrived! 


The Peppercorn Gallery is an amazing co-op of local artist's works. From photographs to jewellery to cards and carved timber pieces and so much more, there is something for everyone. Every year I like to add a keepsake ornament to our Christmas tree.  This coming Christmas will be the first without my Mum so when I saw this delicately handmade angel made in Mum's favourite colour, I just had to buy it.

A slight twist in the maze lead us into Rosehip and Co. It houses some of the most glorious homeware and giftware creations I have seen in a long time, all amid crisp, modern and fresh surrounds. I purchased these Coconut and Grapefruit scented tealights...oh how I wish you could take in their scent through this post.  They brighten my day - no pun intended!

You can smell ScentSations long before you get there.  Such beautifully handmade candles, oils and all the accessories you need to breathe gorgeous aromas in to your home - or a friends.  My visit there could ultimately be described as out and out loitering.  I looked, sniffed, admired and just stood there taking it all in for what must have seemed like an eternity to the lovely lady politely and proudly explaining each fragrance and methodology to me.  

Richmond is a place where you could lose yourself for quite a few hours if time permits. If you are visiting Tasmania, Richmond is most definitely one place to add to your itinerary.

With a name like The Wicked Cheese Co symbolised by a huge pair of lips blowing us a kiss, who were we not to stop?  We sampled some divine cheeses - my favourites being the blue goats cheese and the camembert as well as their amazingly flavoured yoghurt cheeses.  For a very reasonable price, we were able to purchase either a small or large icepack in order to bring our delectables home. And as luck would have it, the Wicked Cheese Co also have online ordering and a few outlets on the mainland where their wickedly tasty delights are sold.

Finally, it was time to bid Sonia 'adieu' and for us real live girls to enjoy one final drink together before heading off with our pilots into the sunset.

For anyone entertaining the idea of heading to Tasmania, I say do it.  It is lush, scenic and bountiful with an endless assortment of things to do, buy, see, eat and lose yourself amongst.  I will say it one more time.  The people are beyond friendly.  They have left the most amazing and lasting impression on me.  It is the first thing I think of now when I think of Tasmania.  I say thank you to the not so small island off our great southern land for being so hospitable and gracious in all manner of ways.  You make a return trip a must on anyone's bucket list!

The Hospitality Establishment - Tapas Dancing

It is little wonder that some things escape me.  I live in an ordinarily positive world, only capturing pieces of the news here and there.  My world would be different and more negatively impacted if the headlines ran across the bottom of the Tom and Jerry show, but thankfully, they don't.  And reading the newspaper is a thing of the past, at present!

Likewise when driving, I am watching the road or adjudicating the 'discussion' in the back with my 3 and 4 year old or (and usually the case) answering 50 gazillion questions. Most often the one that goes:-

Jai (4): "Mum, what did that sign say?"

Me: "Which sign?"

Jai: "The one back there?"

Or like on the weekend:-

Jai: "Mum, what does that one, one, zero sign mean?"

Me: "It means I can do 110 kms per hour."

Cruz (3): "Mum, do 120."

So to have driven down President Avenue at Caringbah in the Sutherland Shire numerous times and have not noticed The Hospitality Establishment does not surprise me at all.  I was however pleasantly surprised it existed when my sister suggested we do one of their cooking classes as our birthday gift. 

We are Taureans and LOVE food - cooking and eating it!  And we love a cooking class!

The Hospitality Establishment runs all sorts of cooking classes.  And, they are BYO!  

Does it get any better?  

From Rustic Italian to Superfoods to Mexican Street Food and many more delectable enticements in between.  What to choose, what to choose! You can see their assortment of classes here.  They even have ones for kids in the school holidays!

My two sisters, three sister-in-laws and myself graced The Hospitality Establishment with our presence.  

That's a lot of BYO.  

Shenanigans!

The class we chose to do was Tapas. In total there were around 15 or so doing the class - on a Friday night!  Garth and Tash ran the show.  Garth is the chef, Tash the cook. Tash came to be Garth's trusty assistant after doing numerous cooking classes, and clearly loving them. 

The class is informative, educational, hands on if you want it to be, relaxed and a whole lot of fun.  Participation is encouraged but not pressured.  You can partake in as much or as little of the cooking as you would like.  Hand-washing is mandatory.  So is the laid-back atmosphere.  My most enjoyable cooking class to date!

My sister in law, Kim,
preparing the Blue Cheese Tarts

In our Tapas class, we made...huh! The royal 'we'!  Okay okay, Garth and Tash (and a little bit of the rest of us) made Duck Spring Rolls (I'm now pretty good at rolling up these little tackers), Prawn Miang (divine), Blue Cheese Tarts (even if you don't like blue cheese, you'll luuuurve these), Lamb and Minted Pea Bruschetta (yummo), Albondigas (sounds like a country but these meatballs were delish) and Churros (please, who doesn't like Churros dipped in chocolate?)  

 

The top two are Prawn Miang,
the bottom is the start of the
Churros (looks like mashed potato!)

What a fun (and delicious) night!  It is such a friendly         atmosphere.  Everyone, including our chef and cook, 
were there for a great time.  It is a night that can, depending upon the cuisine and your experience, walk you a little sideways out of your comfort zone, teach you a thing or two and allow you to realise that making some of these tasty morsels isn't actually as difficult as one may think.  And chopping like a pro is not required! 

 All in all, I can highly recommend a night of Tapas dancing  at The Hospitality Establishment.  We had more than enough to eat, shared some great laughs, were given a handout of the recipes 'we' made and indulged in restaurant quality dishes - in taste and presentation.

What's not to love about a night like that?  

If you love cooking or the idea of doing a cooking class, then you will love what 
The Hospitality Establishment has to offer.

I wonder what class will take our fancy next time?

What's Your Favourite.....Holiday Destination?

Here is a topic I could linger on for quite some time as I day dream about the places I have been and the ones I have noted on my bucket list.

Travelling is one of the best educations anyone can receive.  Apart from learning about the town or country you find yourself in, you learn about the culture, history, food, traditions, landscape, the people.  Travelling brings out a new level of independence as you find yourself in unfamiliar surroundings, among foreign languages and with foreign currency. Exciting, thrilling and daunting all at the same time.

Six months ago, I traveled to New York City to visit a girlfriend living there at the time. There is no other way to describe my fleeting 5 day trip than to say it was a fling with the city and I fell head over heels in love!  New York has been on my list of places to visit for many years. Enticed even further by its starring role in the ever popular Sex And The City television series, when the opportunity arose to head there last year, I seized that puppy with both hands.  We toured the city, shopped the city, ate the city, subway'd under the city, observed the city, and I soaked up every bit of New York City atmosphere I could.  I love that place and it remains firmly on my list in the hope that I am graced one day with another opportunity to return there.  

Italy, Italy, Italy.  Who could not love Italy?  I love all things Italian.  The food, style, art, architecture, culture, traditions (I wouldn't mind the siesta being implemented into my work day!) the landscape, even their odd way of parking!  My second trip to Italy was to quench my thirst for the country.  It didn't work. It must be the coins I am throwing into the Trevi Fountain!  Oh to return (again) and attempt (again) another conversation with a shopkeeper from start to finish in Italian.  Bellissimo!

Just one picture, a tad smaller than a post-it note in size, got me hook, line and sinker for Malta.  I saw it in a magazine and from just that one picture, I decided Malta had to go on my list! If ever you have the opportunity to travel to this beautiful country, take it. Without a word of a lie, we traveled the entire country - top to bottom and across - in three and a half hours!  And, we had stopped twice for a cup of tea!!  Malta is quaint, gentle, safe, spiritual, respectful, colourful and fun.  They embrace life in the present whilst holding dear to their heritage.  Just a hop, skip and a jump from Italy, Malta is definitely worth the side trip if ever you are in the area.

They are just three of my favourites of where I have been.  Where would I still love to go?  To be honest, anywhere that I have already been I would return to.  I have thoroughly enjoyed my travels thus far.  Of lands not yet ventured upon by me, I would still love to travel to Canada, throughout more of the USA and still many parts of Europe that I have not ventured into, in particular Prague - I hear it is spectacular.  I am also partial to a beach, relaxing, cocktail in hand, book in the other.  That pretty much narrows it down to anywhere sunny and warm!

Where else should I plan on going?  What have been your favourite holiday destinations and why?  Let me day dream with you whilst you reminisce....

Have a happy and safe Easter everyone!