tasmania: bakers beach

We arrived at Narawntapu NP in the afternoon during the week and it was deathly quiet. There were three or four campervans and caravans spread throughout Bakers Beach where we decided to pull up for two nights before our trip back across the Strait. 

The brochures suggest that you can spend twilight with the wombats, pademelons and wallabies. You probably can if you don't bring your own heard to little (loud, enthusiastically loud) people along. Needless to say, we enjoyed searching for the elusive wombats! 

Remember that rainbow trout J (literally) caught at the caravan park at Launceston? It went on our smoker tonight on the Weber on she-oak (Casurina) chips. As it took a while for the smoker to start the flavour was subtle & perfect for the moist morsels. Thank you fishy. And thank you husband for catching & cooking it. 

These were those Fresh Water Oysters cooked with locally made Worchestire Sauce and Bok's Bacon from Tassie. So good but so different from natural. 

Bakers Beach is a great getaway. We find that in the freecamps there's little pressure to do anything. A walk is usually on the itinerary and then there's the obligatory tinkering of the truck or the van  while I prepare meals but we are forced to relax so much more than in CPs. I haven't yet worked out why that is. 

tasmania: launceston

We were reluctant to head back in to town after our stay at Bay of Fires but the time came to refill the water tanks (2 x 95 litres) and find a dump point. I'd never paid attention to dump point signs until this trip! 

J planned a morning walk from town to Cataract Gorge. Naturally I planned a visit to the providore enroute to stock up on local ham, cheese & fresh Manu bread. Throw in a few of those Lucaston apples (love the IGAs in this state) and you have yourself a picnic! 

The Mill Providore is a stones throw from Kings Bridge in Launceston (& I dare you to walk out empty handed) where you can park and begin the 15 minute walk to the Gorge. If it's hot take swimmers as there's a pool. The chairlift can take you across or you can rock hop or take the path along to the suspended bridge. It's an easy walk for kids or those who aren't keen on an arduous outing. In other words, you won't burn off the cheese you've just eaten! 

As it's close to town we stayed at Old Mac's Farm which offers unpowered sites (with water) along the banks of trout ponds for $10/n. J paid $20 extra to fish from the ponds. This was the scene just moments before he hooked a fish.... 

And dramatically tackled it in the reeds when it flipped off the hook! He wasn't going to let it get away!! 

I'd read good things about the food in Launceston so we made the most of the two days we had. 

Stillwater is a posh cafe downstairs from the Mill Providore. We were squeezed in but couldn't entirely relax despite our children being well behaved. The granola was INCREDIBLE but it might be a nicer place to eat with friends without children! 

With so much great produce in Tassie it's hard to go a day without being inspired to cook. I made Anni's walnut, apple & spice biscuits with Lucaston Apples, Coaldale Walnuts & added some Diemen Native Pepperberry for a bit of bite!

http://missmayblossom.blogspot.com.au/2014/03/anni-walnut-apple-biscuits.html?m=1

I didn't have the Thermomix going so I melted the butter on the stove and added the rest of the ingredients to the saucepan (off the heat). 

I sometimes wish we lived in a house and didn't have a weight limit. The Mill Store supplies Tassie with freshly milled flours & in large quantities!

A visit to Alps and Amici was the last thing on my list for Launceston. I went there for coffee beans, completely forgot, and came back with more Manu Bread, Bok's Bacon, the sweetest corn, sweet potato, pears & Tassie snow peas for $6/kg! And two double-shot flat whites. These were some of the best coffees we've had in Tassie. And there were so many more temptations in-store but we just couldn't squeeze it all in! 

The Glenbarry Bush Maze is a short 45 minute drive from Launceston. It was a natural place for us to stop for lunch on the way to Narantapu National Park. The kids loved the maze and the giant games & puzzles set out within the grounds. You can enjoy a coffee while the kids play. 

tasmania: wineglass bay, the hazards, coles bay

It's amazing to think that a decade ago we were here. Without children. 

We had two days and we walked along Hazards Beach, camped overnight at Cook's Beach. My backpack weighed about 10kg and for the first day, despite the glorious outdoors, I was miserable. The following day J took the majority of contents from my pack and I had a much easier walk back up and over Mount Graham. At Wineglass Bay we raced down to the waters edge, starkers, because we were young and carefree and hadn't brought swimmers. It's a memory that brings a smile to our faces! 

This time we aimed to walk with the kids to the Wineglass Bay lookout. No skinny dipping. The kids did so well. There wasn't any complaining and B said, as he reached the lookout, "You must see this Mum. It's beautiful!" And it is!!

tasmania: hobart

Hobart showed us that any kind of weather in Tassie is possible. Within the space of thirty minutes. Everyone we queried about the conditions insisted it wasn't usually this cold but changeable, yes. So we just packed for every kind of weather when we went out - hot, cool, windy, rainy. 

The changeable weather is not surprising given the mountain behind this beautiful city. I fell in love with Hobart. Again. I was here a few years ago for a cooking day at the Agrarian Kitchen (the first time I'd visited the city) and I was blown away, then, by the way the city seems to worship the Derwent, simply by hugging its edges. 

This time we made the obligatory trip to the Salamanca markets which I wouldn't recommend if you're travelling in a caravan, conscious of weight restrictions. I do love the Salamca Square though with its coffee, book shop & small stores for food and handmade goodness. We came home with six fillets of salmon for $20 too which have been cryovacced & frozen - ready for dinners. 

Dear friends took us to dinner at Smolt (famous for being Katy Perry's choice for dinner during her tour) but a great place for food too! I enjoyed my prawns & the wine was good. They, like so many Tassie restaurants, source bags of local produce. 

My daughter and I really enjoyed our morning walk along the beach near Bellerive. The mountain was shrouded in cloud but soon cleared. 

Hobart's Farm Gate Market is held on a Sunday and you can buy anything from wallaby fillets to mushrooms, bagels to blackberries, pies to cheese. We took home a beautiful Turkish loaf with black sesame seeds, fruit & bagels for lunch. 

We may have picked a day from kunanyi (Mount Wellington's) windiest week to ascend the peak. It was blowing a gale of close to 90km/hr but the view was simply spectacular. 

It seems that many Hobartians have a shack by the beach. We were lucky enough to stay in a friends place at Dodges Ferry which has a beautiful beach. It was busy over the long weekend but I wouldn't call it crowded by Sydney standards!

One morning we tired the kids out at the Hobart Aquatic Centre ($25 for a family). I lost count of the times the kids went on the water slide. They had a ball. 

Another day J took the big kids to the Rock It Climbing Centre. After four hours of continuous climbing and tunnelling they were exhausted! Apparently, because of his height, J had to remove his shoes to get around some parts of the tunnel. (That's my idea of hell!) 

What's a trip to Hobart without a visit to MONA? I won't say much more about this place other than you'll either love it or hate it. Just don't try going on a Tuesday. We had babysitters and arrived to find it closed. We had to go out to lunch instead. How awful! ;)

tasmania: strahan to bradys lake via franklin river nature trail

The road from Queenstown, however diverse, is almost unbearably windy. The landscape has been heavily affected by mining and I heard one traveller describe it as beautiful. While we disagree entirely it is interesting to see the difference with the rainforests of the area.

A good supply of snacks (crackers, Tassie apples) and the iPods chockful of audiobooks has made car travel pretty good. We leave for the first leg when Baby A has his morning sleep (9:30) and sometimes stop before a campsite (depending on how far we've got to go) but by leaving early in the morning we can still travel for an hour or two after lunch if need be. 

After the windy, windy roads from Queenstown we were all pleased to escape from the car at the Franklin River Nature Trail. J & I stopped here when we drove around Tassie about ten years ago. The trail is a short walk through rainforest to the river and it's beautiful - a perfect lunch stop too!

The kids stripped off for a dip in the river. Baby A had his feet in the water - kicking & splashing - and he cried each time we took him out. 

It's not hard to understand the affection people have for this state & the environment. 

Our final stop before Bradys Lake was The Wall - just out of Derwent. Ten years ago, when we visited, The Wall was just two panels but there are almost one hundred metres of Tasmanian and Australian history carved in the Huon Pine. This is a must-see. 

tasmania: bruny island in a day

If someone tells you "it's just not worth seeing Bruny if you've only got one day" don't listen! 

We didn't but we had a neat plan for the day because we wanted to make the most of our time and get back to Woodbridge for the kids' dinner. The weather was predicted to be beautiful and it was. 

This was how our day went. 

0840 leave Woodbridge. 

0900 Visit Snug Butchery to stock up on local meat - lamb for toast, vaccuum packs of roast beef & silverside for lunches, local eggs. This is why I love travelling with the car fridge! Thanks again Uncle!! 

0930 Ferry at Kettering. We had time for J to grab a take away coffee while we waited! 

The first stop after arriving at Bruny was The Neck. If you arrive earlier (at dawn) you can see the penguin march. 

Next we took the road to Adventure Bay 

and stopped at the Bruny Island Berry Farm to grab some blueberries for morning tea. The kids were also allowed to pick some strawberries from the farm. 

The walks around Adventure Bay look amazing but we can't bite off too much with three littlies. The 1km walk to Grassy Point seemed an ideal walk along the beach and through the casurina forest but we ended up stopping for morning tea a little before Grassy Point. 

We passed the remnants of two whaling stations. The history of which is fascinating. 

After our bushwalk we took the 4WD - unsealed road to Lunawanna. We were pleased to have left the caravan behind! There are two signs on the road which indicate look outs to the east and to the west. We stopped at the lookout which had the most magnificent view to the west in the direction of the most southerly point on Bruny Island. 

Lunch (which turned in to a long lunch) was tapas (& wine) at Bruny Island Premium Wines. This place was accommodating of the kids. The lunch  was delicious - seafood chowder, beef croquettes, mushrooms with haloumi, skewers - all showcasing local ingredients. The kids menu was salmon with cheese and carrot sticks - such a change from deep fried fish and chips or crappy pizza. 

It was a hop, skip and a jump back to the ferry via a quick stock up at the Bruny Island Cheese co. where we grabbed some soft and semi hard cheeses. Yum! Next door we spent $9/dozen on two dozen unopened oysters though one dozen turned out to be only ten. Get Shucked Oysters has a drive through service! Best idea ever and these oysters were meaty and so tasty. 

I'd read that the little shop on Bruny Island at the ferry terminal has fresh veg for sale so in the few minutes we had to wait for the ferry I grabbed some cherry tomatoes for the following night's dinner - grown a few metres away in the owner's small market garden. 

There's no doubt we'll be back to Bruny because we had such a memorable day on the island - combining what we love - being outdoors, food & having an adventure! One day was just enough to whet our appetite!

tasmania: woodbridge

We're staying in a friends house (with walls and a door and real rooms!!!) for the next few days and as a thank you we're planning a dinner with local ingredients from the farms throughout the Huon Valley. These native pepper berries & bush tomato are from Chris at Diemen Pepper. The processing unit smelled incredible as they've just finished drying the berries! 

The food story behind Tasmanian Fruit Leathers is that Jen decided her kids needed a healthy alternative to the processed version you'd find in a supermarket. She sources all her fruit locally from the Huon Valley and they are available at the various farmers markets and online. Thanks for the visit Jen and the new favourite road trip snack!

tasmania: huon valley food adventure

We love Tassie for its produce! Today we had the morning in Cygnet at Lotus Eaters. It wasn't long after breakfast but who says you can't have a Lotus Eaters banana cake with creamed cheese icing, clotted cream and fresh plums for second breakfast? No one. Ever. I don't need lunch!

I just love Cygnet. Local producers supply as much of the ingredients as possible to meet the needs of the cafe. A few doors down Cygnet Garden Larder provides the ultimate in grocery shopping  for local (& consequentially seasonal) produce. We came home with this huge box of groceries (potatoes, silverbeet, an avocado, two capsicums, huge head of broccoli, lemons, tomatoes, two punnets of strawberries and two organic hunza pies) for a little over $50! 

There was a welcome downpour which sent us in to the homeopath. They deal with the homeopathics behind the counter but the front-of-shop is for fun - secondhand and new books and beautiful European toys. Can you imagine our two kids playing quietly from the toy box while we perused? Well they weren't but it wasn't that sort of book shop. In my bundle of purchases I bought The Field Guide to Tasmanian Produce. The book should really be named The Field Guide to Tasmanian Produce and a Million Reasons Why You Should Move to Tassie. 

This praying mantis enjoyed reading up about local food tonight in the camp kitchen! 

Making our way back to our caravan, we stopped at the Pagan apple farm cellar door for juice & cider. 

We barely ventured more than 20km from our roaming home today but we had a really delightful day full of good food, people and inspiration. 

tasmania: bradys lake

Bradys Lake is in Camps 8 and there are a few spots to pull in to for the night for those who are self-contained. 

Last night we sat by a fire with some lovely Tassie locals. Our son introduced us to them and our kids cooked marshmallows over the fire.

Bradys Lake is meant to be a great spot to catch brown & rainbow trout and Atlantic salmon. We were hoping J would bring one in on the kayak or B on the rod but it wasn't to be! 

What a morning! 

This was a stunning place to wake up. We were shrouded in fog but it cleared to reveal the mirror-like lake. 

NW tasmania: waratah

This is Waratah, a tiny town somewhere off the main road between Burnie and Cradle Mountain, Tasmania. 

We took the scenic route via Hellyer Gorge though we'll have to visit the gorge on a day trip as Baby A was sleeping and we had to keep moving. It was a beautiful stretch of road through some alpine-looking country, rainforest, tall eucalyptus plantations and farms. It was windy, though. For those who've traveled Cooma to Bega think Brown Mountain for a few extra kilometres. 

The town was born on a tin mine and hosts a waterfall in the middle of town. Our powered site is $25 which includes showers (oh yes after three days without one!) and free access to washing machine & dryer. There's no big supermarket or fuel and you need to be able to collect your grey water so come prepared. If you're lucky you might spot a platypus in the creek by the caravan park. 

This morning, before breakfast, we had the privilege of sighting a platypus eight times in the lake. At times the animal was quite close and we got a good look at him. What a magical experience! 

tasmania: strahan

The walk from the People's Park to Hogarth Falls is a great walk to do with kids. It's about half an hour to the falls along the creek through beautiful rainforest - huge trees, ferns and, if your lucky, a platypus. 

We love our outdoor shower. Its ideal for rinsing off after the beach or for when it's warm enough to shower outside & that's where you'd rather be! We've had cold days in Tassie but we've also had some really warm ones. If you're planning a trip bring clothes for a types of weather (including swimmers because you might end up showering outdoors in a caravan park).