A move towards the north - for more cheese (hic)

It was significantly colder last night and as we watch the news tonight, find out that it got down to 2 degrees. Yep, a lot colder! Even Gen felt the need for the aircon to be turned to heat this morning. Before we went to bed last night we sorted out the remaining 'stuff' we are carrying. I filled on postbag with some clothes that I won't be needing for the last week, nor immediately when we arrive back in much (much) warmer Queensland! We moved clothes for the next week, souvenirs that we will want as soon as we touchdown at Upper Kedron 😉) and some breakable (liquid) items to the large suitcase. We put all the laundry needing doing in a bag for laundry on Wednesday before we head back to Hobart, and started to put aside food etc that we will leave with Nick when we go - I men, there is no point in wasting it. Meredith and Andrew have good luggage allowances and have offered to carry some things home for us (they arrive home on Monday just before we leave for home). I'm really grateful for this as it will minimise the luggage Gen needs to carry between Hobart and Brisbane.

Because we had sorted our sh*t last night, we were able to get away in good time and drove away from the Rosevears Hotel right on 8:30 am. There are three routes that we could take to reach Scamander. Gen had thought that the most northern route would allow us to have a look at the coast, but we (lol we, read me!) really want to visit the Pyengana Dairy cheese factory. And as luck would have it, it is located closest to the most southern route we could choose! Turns out the choice was made for us. Our hire car has a 'no gravel roads' clause in the rental agreement and the centre route that would have been the most appropriate is unsealed. But we don't really want to stick to the highway as it goes through the southern part of our route, and nowhere near the coast. So our second choice becomes our first!

Our route north from Exeter (near Rosevears) took us almost directly north to Pipers River and then to Bridport on the coast. We began in lush pastoral country filled with a multitude of wineries and then surprisingly encounter 'big timber' forests again as we hit a mountain range. We had not expected to find mountains this close to the coast. 

It was interesting to see the change in landscapes so abruptly. One minute Gen is traversing the dreaded hairpin bends up and down slopes at an average of less than 40 km. The next corner puts us back on the coast with the sleepy seaside town of Bridport coming in to view. Well, it looks sleepy on its outskirts, but is much larger than it first appears. Gen was happy to find a petrol station there!! From here, the soil is again sand, the dunes are not only seen, but crossed as are numerous small streams and rivulets. The birdlife is abundant and in the earlier (lol) light of the day, we startle a number of flocks of black birds, just waiting for the roadkill to commence. There are lots of sheep in the paddocks and the cattle are now more diary cows than beef cattle. Traffic is light and the travelling easy, although the road is somewhat undulating, as though the sands are shifting beneath us. 

By now, neither of us has mobile coverage so we are relying on road signs. We have abandoned trying to get to the Pynegana Dairy as it looks like it will need significant back-tracking. With glimpses of the clear aqua water of the Bass Strait teasing us through dunes and low-lying wind-sculpted coastal trees and shrubs, we turn toward the south after travelling as far as we can along the northern roads.
We reach Gladstone (the other one!). If wanted to continue to the northeast most point, Cape Portland, then we needed to do it another way as from here, the road is unsealed. Between the towns of Derby and Gladstone (there are lots of references to English places, reflecting the pioneers) we see a tourist sign to the Little Blue Lake. 

Now, I have seen plenty of blue lakes in my travels, but this was something altogether different. There is a viewing platform just off the road, with a solid chainlink fence keeping you back from the edge. And while most of the blue lakes I have seen attribute their amazing colour to glacial or summer snow melts, this one was very different. It is the result of about 100 years of mineral mining - mainly tin, and at this spot, that tin was intersperced with kaolin, that amazing white clay that is so prized by Chinese pottery makers.  The colour is truly amazing, but what is also amazing is that there is no signs of life anywhere near it - the vegetation stops about 3 metres from the water's edge and there is no sign of wildlife - not even a bird. This site is part of the mine rehabilitation area of the former South Mount Cameron mine.

A little further south, we pass through the hamlet of Moorina (there are numerous much smaller settlements - but what do you call a collection of less than ten houses?) At Moorina there is an intriguing sign pointing to the Moorina cemetery and the Chinese Monument - the Tin Dragon. Now, that sounds interesting! Turns out that this area has quite a history of mining, opportunities sought, fortunes won and lost, of Chinese immigrants and their legacy locally. The monument is more of a memorial because although it is located adjacent to the local cemetery, there are very few Chinese graves because if they perished, as many did, the bodies were returned home - predominantly to the Guandong region from where most of them came. An unexpected and interesting stop on the route. 

Gen asks me "What will we be eating in half an hour or so?"
"I don't know. Lobster?", I ask.
"Nope", she says with a grin, "Cheese!"
On this memorial there was a great regional map and despite the convoluted route we have taken, we are now a mere 29 kms from the Pyengana Dairy Factory! Yay!! 
We are skirting around the edge of the other side of the Blue Tier Forest and back into winding roads. And the dairy cattle are now everywhere. Its not long before we see the signs and take the road towards the dairy and St Columba Falls. This award-winning dairy is literally in the middle of nowhere (and still with no mobile coverage), so we are quite surprised when we get to the farm gate to see that their car-park is full, with more vehicles parked on the side of the 'highway'. 

The dairy visitor centre is housed in a former milking shed. There are lots of story-boards, under cover, along the long side of the building that leads you to a viewing platform where you can watch the cheese being made. That is what you would normally see, but today one of the farmers is there explaining that they are not making cheese this week as the milk is all needed for the Easter demand! It is just after midday and lunch is certainly on the cards. I had read in the Travelling Tasmania Facebook page that the Cheese and Chive scones were excellent. They offer a small but sufficient selection for lunch. I have already decided that I am going to have those scones which are served with their dairy butter and a smoky tomato relish (that has a bit of a kick) and Gen decides on the Tasmanian Gourmet Platter that includes homemade pumpkin sourdough, crackers, a range of their cheeses and local meats and fruits. Both were delectable and as usual we shared. Gen had asked if I wanted a glass of wine with lunch - they do offer that lovely Josef Chromy Pinot Gris, but I said that while in Rome . . .  so we had milkshakes! While Gen ordered our food, I found a table right next to the gentle warmth of the open fire. Man, this is living. AND they offer Valhalla icream that we both love.  Jersey Caramel and Strawberry Choc Chip were today's choices.
The have a great selection of cheeses and other souvenirs and again, I may, (or may not)  have sent some cheese home - the free postage if you spend $100 was very easy to reach! Remember - Saturday 23 is tasting day at home - keep it free peeps!! Pyengana is well worth a visit if you are in the north/east of Tasmania - AND they do mail order from their website.

Now absolutely rolling with all the food we have consumed (well, that is a bit of an exaggeration, we brought some of it with us for tonight!) we left and turned for the East Coast and St Helens (again, not the local one). St Helens is the gateway to the Bay of Fires where those amazing seascapes of lichen and algae covered rocks in crystal clear waters are known world-wide. There are opportunities to see them right along the roadside, with plenty of parking areas for a car or two, but the formal viewing area is at the very end of the road. We arrive about 3 pm and spend about an hour with me taking telephoto shots and Gen walking down slippery ramps and across very soft sand to clambour over the rocks. 

This is truly a beautiful landscape and it is easy to see the inspiration for many professional photographers and artists whose works grace glossy books and galleries right across the state! As we leave there is a steady stream of traffic coming out - heavens knows where they will park, as the carpark is already full. The rocks are best seen as the sun is setting, but it has been close enough for us! There is an on-shore wind and our views are softened by a fine powder of both sea-mist and that fine sand as it is blown across the roadway. The whitecaps dance along the crystal clear water in lines as they meet with rock obstacles. From time to time, there is a whoosh as water encounters a rocky outcrop and I am rewarded with some lovely photographs of shooting waters.  

In total, driving directly it should have been 4.5 hours travelling to cover the 304 kms trip - seems like a cinch, but in reality it took us all day - with us arriving at Pelican Sands at Scamander right on 4:30 this afternoon. Turns out that Terese and Tony from home are here in town tonight also. They have been here for a short trip of about 9 days - and depart on the Spirit of Tasmania on Saturday. They have travelled the opposite direction to us. We will need to catch up when we get home and trade stories! We have some of the cheese we left at lunch for a light dinner, with one of our last apples (purchased at Willy smiths in Huonville what feels like weeks ago). along with the cheese, I am enjoying a can of Crafty Cuts Lemon+Lime Gin Cucumber Cooler - very quaffable! Will have to see if we can get it at home/online!

We are here for two nights (accommodation is very hard to find, with the local news tonight reporting that there is NO accommodation left for the Easter break in either Hobart or Launceston!). Tomorrow we are headed to Bicheno, 45 minutes away for lobster rolls and a visit to the Devil's Corner winery (as the Farmshed East Coast wineries that stock wines from all the east coast wineries).

Off for an earlier night - biggie coming tomorrow. Later . . .

The Providores trip continues

The Rosevears Hotel new units are very comfortable. The first two pods (which we did try to book, unsuccessfully, are two bedroom units. so we have had to make do with a studio unit. By now, we are more than used to sharing a bed. This time, we have really lucked in - we have a King bed! I don't take up much space any more - thanks to my back, I can't roll over, so when I lie in my bed, think Mortitia Addams. I don't cross my hands, they are usually down by my sides to keep warm! But you get the picture. So having a king bed means that Gen gets the same amount of space that she would get in her Queen bed back home.

A couple of times late last night and early once in the morning Gen went out to the balcony (after downloading an app to point out south) to have a look to dee if we could see the Aurora Australis. But no luck.

The units are new with modern fixtures and fittings. This room is an all abilities room, so it has a huge bathroom with a shower seat. A little luxury for many, but oh so good when you have no balance to be able to wash your hair without falling, or shave your legs! It also has the warmest heat lamp I have ever felt - I could sit in there for hours!

The hotel offers breakfast Saturday and Sunday only, but very conveniently also houses the Rosevears Bakery. They not only cater to the hotel guests, but to the local community also, so they have a reasonable range. Our room has a kettle and toaster, so we are able to make a coffee and have a baked goodies for breakfast. Today it is ham and cheese croissants and fruit toast. We are carrying enough cheese and fruit, raspberries and apples, to do us for the next couple of days.

Last night we went through the clothes to send home and this morning Gen collected the other carry bags from the car and we packed 3 bags of clothing wrapped bottles and tubs, ready to be posted home. We weren't sure of the weights, so didn't seal them till we got to the Post Office in Exeter, the closest town above 7 kms away. Surprisingly all 3 were under the 5 kg limit, even though i was sure that at least one of them would be over.

From Exeter, we decided to visit the House of Anvers Chocolate Factory first as this was the furtherest from where we are. It should have taken just under an hour, but thanks to some roadworks being done on the Bass Highway, it took us 20 minutes longer. First of all, we travel those very English-looking valleys that we travelled through yesterday. As we eventually got close to the Factory, we see a recently ploughed field and standing proud as punch over a felled small wallaby or perhaps a pademelon was a beautiful Wedge Tailed Eagle. She was HUGE and her kill was dwarfed by her. Too bad that we were in traffic and I couoldn't get a photo to share with you all. But both Gen and I both have that photo in our brain-bank!

Anyway, we finally get to the chocolate factory. We have been pretty lucky with the crowds and here is no different. Yes, there were people here, but the grounds are quite large and so there was plenty of space for everyone. We start in the museum, reading the history of chocolate and how central Europe came to be chocolate processing leaders. There are two major processing areas that are on view to the public through two large viewing windows. Both Gen and I agree that we would hate to have to do our daily work under the constant scrutiny of strangers. Not able to scratch your head (or elsewhere!), or stretch your back. No thanks. Still its very interesting for us to watch, lol! There are literally hundreds of moulds used for chocolate making, some very old with prussian and early chinese patterns; some bakelite similar to the first ones I ever had, through to the recent hard plastic and the newest silicone moulds. 

The cafe is in what must be the original home on the estate - think 1930s with leadlights and lots of rich timber. We sit and order a hot chocolate - Gen a traditional one and me a vanilla white chocolate one. Then we see they have waffles. Oh yes! Gen has chocolate and I have lemon curd. Both served with cream and ice-cream. Should have all been good, but it wasnt, in the best possible way. These waffles were twice the size of those that you get anywhere else, AND THERE WERE TWO OF THEM. EACH. Needless to say. neither of us could finish. I wish they had told us, we would have shared a single serve!

We are now half an hour from the Ashgrove Cheese Company. I'm dreading getting there, but only because I am so completely full! But get there we did. A family run enterprise, what the Bennett family has done is a real credit to them. Facing limited opportunities with the introduction of the big multi-nationals, they were at a crossroads. Their business model had to change if they were to continue, but obviously very resilient and willing to 'have-a-go' in the Australian vernacular, they have made their gamble pay off. The enterprise now not only controls their milk production, but have diversified to now provide a complete paddock to plate business, manufacturing milk, cream and a great range of cheeses. 

The visitor experience includes a very efficient and large visitor centre that provides fun and practical information on the various productions involved within their business. I can see how it would be very popular with primary schools as the information is well laid out and logical with enough hands on, media presentations and 'through the window' viewing platforms. My favourite was the window into the Nursery, where you can view the wheels of cheese ageing in a climate controlled room.  Of course!

For the princely sum of $12 you can have a tasting plate of five of their standard cheeses plus a dealers choice, which today is a soft cheese with figs - gee, she must think she knows me!! In order of tasting they were Eaglehawk Neck Heavenly Havarti, Cradle Mountain Double Gloucester, Mt Roland Bush Pepper, Walls of Jerusalem wild Wasabi, Bay of Fires Rubicon Red and the Soft Cheese with Fig. I'm telling you that they are all very very  good. The Wasabi-scented cheese was a little too hot for my poor palate, but still tasty (or at least the tiny piece I sampled was). Don't ask me for a favourite - that's like asking a mum to nominate a favoured son or daughter - just ain't goin' to happen!  Gen is finding a new liking for a range of cheeses that she probably wouldn't try at home. Gosh, the lengths I have to go to educate her, lol.

So, photos of eclectic cows taken, and online purchase versus local purchase plus postage considered (on-line won out at the advice of the shop attendant) we leave Ashgrove, very impressed with what we have seen. We have previously purchased Ashgrove Cheese at our local Coles and Woolworths, it is reassuring to know that the quality control espoused on their packaging is implemented in the processing of that cheese. I will definitely continue to happily buy Ashgrove Cheeses well into the future.

Back on to the highway (and those roadworks) for our last destination for the day, we head back to Christmas Hills Road. Across the road from the Raspberry Farm is the Van Dieman's Land Ice Creamery. We had been so full yesterday to consider even trying it, and I am not sure why we thought that today might be any different. But try it we will. Its like not wanting to waste the last morsel of food on a plate!

I'm almost glad that we have left this to the last. What we are presented with is little more than an up-market ice-cream shop. Beautifully presented, but there is no opportunity to see any process of the ice-cream making production other than a snapshot-window behind the ice-cream sellers into the final production room where ice-cream is being pumped into containers. Its a bit of a let-down in a region that goes out of its way to bring in the consumer to the whole process of growth and prouction. Still, the ice-cream is worth writing home about. We both decide that all we can manage is a child's serve in a cup rather than it's grown-up waffle cone counterpart. Gen selects the Pepperberry and Leatherwood Honey Ice-cream and I choose the Salted Lime Gelato. I'm not sure which is better - they are both soooo good! The honey flavour was strong, but not sickly and the Gelato was very palate cleansing. Just what the doctor ordered!

At this point, we look at each other and I am sure that we are thinking the same thing - there is no way we are going to be able to front up for dinner that Gen booked at the Rosevears Hotel tonight. She makes the call as soon as we arrive back at the hotel and cancels our reservation. It must have been about 9, maybe 9:30 pm that we share some raspberries, I have the remaining fig cheese that we brought home from the Ashgrove Cheese tasting with my raspberries in a croissant bought for breakfast and Gen finishes some dip with crackers that we have been carrying in our cold bag for the last 24 hours.

Its be a big day and to say I'm shagged is a total understatement. Off to bed with us. I'll sleep the sleep of the sated (more likely stuffed!) tonight.   

King Island - let the food porn commence . . .

We left the Leisure Ville Holiday Centre nice and early to make sure we were at the airport with plenty of time to load the wheelchair and me.

It is quiet as we leave the accommodation and the light still early. Nothing moves quickly here and we follow a car until the town centre turnoff at about 40 kph. But the airport is only 5 minutes from the Park so we have left plenty of time. Still took a wrong turn - its a little frustrating how long it takes the GPS to catch up with your real-time location. Gosh, talk about first world problems!

The airport is fractionally smaller than Hervey Bay. Yet is it welcoming, friendly and efficient. The first real surprise is the cost of parking - first couple of hours free then $2 per hour. For longer periods, the price drops dramatically. 3 days or part thereof is going to cost us the princely sum of $12! The next surprise was that at 8am the coffee shop opened and the regular travellers, complete with business suits and laptops all queue for their regular. 

There are two planes on the tarmac. A Sharp Airlines Metroliner that is our plane for King Island and a Rex Airlines plane. I guess it is heading for either Hobart or perhaps Melbourne. They advise us that they will board us first before other passengers. I took one look at the steps up into the plane - there was no way I could manage them, and there was no guide rail, rather just a rope on either side, We book the wheelchair on as luggage - Sharp have one to take me out to the plane and once there they wheel out a manual lift which I walk on to and they manually crank me up. It feels like I am going to be higher than the plane itself! Once at my regal height, the 'lift' is wheeled the remaining 6 feet to the plane and once the lip is inside the plane, it is lowered so that there is no gap for me to trip on. "Mind your head ma'am" I am advised as a set of hands guides me from behind and another pair welcomes me in to the plane. 

We were surprised to see the plane already half-filled. Wow, this must be the plane from Launceston. It carries a total OF 15 passengers and two pilots. Configuration of seven rows of one seat on either side of the aisle plus one row of three at the very rear, adjacent to the divider from the freight half of the plane. Gen and I have two seats 7B and 7C in that back row. We assume that there is no-one in 7A and have to make a mad scramble when a lady, obviously a regular passenger walks down. She insists that she is fine to sit in the centre seat, but thankfully for us (and her) the co-pilot suggests that we would all be more comfortable if she moved to the other single spare seat on the plane. Without request, he brings a seatbelt extender and says that he didn't want Gen to feel like she was being strangled for the entire flight! 

After a short safety briefing which entailed an explanation on how to fit a life vest, and how to plug in to the oxygen supply if advised - none of this masks dropping from the bulkhead. There are quiet giggles when I ask if the life vests are all new "Never used" was his quick reply! The taxi out to the runway perimeter seems to take forever. Gen is not the best of fliers and this plane will be the smallest either of us have flown in. She tenses, eyes shut and fists tightly clenched as we roar down the runway and lift into the blue yonder. Today however, it is the white yonder, not blue as there is almost 8/8 cloud cover. Disappointing as I was hoping to get some nice photos of the Tasmanian coast as we flew over, and then of King Island on our approach. The cloud is slowly peeling back from the coast as the rest of the area around Wynyard comes to life. They cling on lingering in valleys. 

We reach cruising altitude not too far from Wynyard and from then on, we have a blanket of rolling white below us. The clouds look and behave much like waves with very distinct peaks and troughs. They look snug and cuddly. The light is short - 30 minutes, so its almost a case of as soon as we reach cruising altitude, we are beginning our descent! Gen again gets very tense as we come down through the cloud layer - this is the one bumpy bit on the flight. 

I am not sure what I was expecting King Island to look like, but it wasn't this. The land is flatter than I imagine - I mean there are hills, but looking from above, it is clear to me that these are stabilised dunes. There are a million small lakes/ponds/dams. And everything is so dry. The landscape is shades of yellow and light green as opposed to the lush green palette that I had been expecting. Before long, we have touched down and are taxiing to the gate. Gen and I wait on board while all the other passengers alight and then Gen walks ahead of me to the plane door. She alights and I am left at the top of the steps. A lift is being wheeled out - this one motor driven as opposed to the one in Wynyard. Once it is aligned with the door again I step onto it and they lower it ever so gently. I get the feeling that this is not used too often! I am happy to help them all hone their skills 😉. Seeing my wheelchair being unloaded, Gen suggests that we just use ours. Off we head for the terminal, Gen pushing me, me holding the ctutches, Gen also wheeling our carry-on luggage that had been booked as freight and the co-pilot wheeling the lift.

We are back in the land of tourism appreciation. "You are very welcome" is the catchphrase that we are greeted with at every point again. The young lady at the hire car desk at the airport is cheerful and confident. She explains the rules - if the road isn't marked on the map, then the insurance won't cover it. Unsealed roads are fine. so long as it is marked on the map! There is a network of sealed roads and about twice as many unsealed!

King Island is not large at a mere 1,098 sq. kms. But it is the largest island in the New Year Group and the second largest in Bass Strait, between northern Tasmania and southern Victoria. There are three main towns - centrally located Currie (the largest and centre of the Island's administration), Grassy in the south and Pegarah on the east coastline. Once we have the car organised, we decide to drive into Currie, 9kms from the airport to have some brunch. The King Island Bakehouse is renowned, so its here we head.

Gen is ecstatic. Our hire care is a Nissan X-Trail. She sits higher than in the Lancer. While the inside capacity is the same, just the fact that it has a bit more 'grunt' makes her happy. I'm pleased for her! King Island has more than its per sq. km allocation of things to see and do. And that first stop for us is the Bakehouse. They are known throughout Tasmania  for their pies. We are standing looking at their menu board when the attendant asks what we want. "Eeny, meeny, miny, mo" was my first reply that got a giggle. I really want to try their crayfish pie before we leave here, but fear that it will be too rich at this time of the day. So we settle for plain beef pies, a mini pecan tart and a slice of (sublime) honey cinnamon roulade. Plus a coffee each. we sit inside, out of the wind and slowly savour those morsels of local goodness.

Hunger dealt with we decide to drive north toward Cape Wickham. We start out on the sealed road, but its not too long before "Ooh, that sounds interesting" gets the better of me and we head onto gravel roads. We head for Quarantine Bay where there are the wrecks of four ships in the area. We travel through rolling dunes, miles and miles and miles of them. We see large herds of hereford and black angus bulls. Hundreds to the hectare, literally. I can't believe the load per hectare. It is maybe 100% more than I have ever seen before. The birdlife is amazing. There are flocks of paired Cape Barron Geese, more blackbirds than anywhere else - and they are HUGE. Then there are the domesticated geese being farmed, pheasants that take flight as we pass them. Millions of tiny wrens and swallows flock together in murmurations sweeping through the sky all around us. We saw a solitary eagle soaring on the thermals before diving to some prey we could not see. There was a peacock and two peahens dashing into the briar, turkeys being fatted and the ever-present seagulls - the common white ones as well as the brown Pacific gulls. Yes, King Island is a bird haven. There are a number of hides across the island and April is devoted to a birdwatching and monitoring program.

Moving on we are still driving north - its not far, but the roads need to be driven carefully and slowly. We pass the King Island Dairy, home to the wonderful King Island Cheeses, and we vow to have lunch here on our return trip. Finally we reach Cape Wickham and the Cape Wickham Lighthouse, home to Australia's tallest lighthouse, built in 1861 and then automated in the 1920s. It sends its light far out into the inky depths to the west of Tasmania and was built in response to the numerous ships that had crashed into the rocks of King Island. Initially it caused further sinkings when captains mistook the lighthouse for one on the southern point of Victoria and then turning south and sailing straight into treacherous rocks. Gen takes a walk along the beach and we sit for half an hour, just taking it all in.

Our hunger gets the better of us and we turn south back to the King Island Dairy. The cheese tasting and history building is quiet with only one other couple there. We opt for the cheese tasting - a sample of six of their cheeses: Three Rivers Triple Cream Brie, Victoria Cove Smoked Camembert,  Lighthouse Blue Brie, Endeavour Gorgonzola Style Blue, Surprise Bay Cheddar and Stokes Point Smoked Cheddar. I discovered that I do like (good) blue cheese and Gen is finally developing a palate for cheese (yay!). We also had a Baked Brie with walnuts, thyme and local (manuka) honey. Oh it was so good. we bought some souvenirs and have sent some cheese home. We will host a cheese tasting when we get home - better let us know if you want an invitation! In order to get them home, we rush back to Currie so that we can make the post. Our parcel will be kept refrigerated until it leaves the Island! Guess we aren't the first to do this.

The afternoon is drawing to a close, so we head to check in to our accommodation. Boomerang By the Sea. Set on the edge of a cliff with views out over a rocky cove we hold high hopes. Not fully dashed, but this property is very quiet and looks very tired. There are three rooms being checked in today - we know this because there is a sign on the reception door with our names and room numbers, and the advice that keys are in the doors! Talk about trusting! However, we know that there is at least one policeman on the Island because he was eating his morning snack at the same time as us in the bakery this morning - and its not easy to flee the island!! Still, the room is clean and the bathroom is accessible. Turns out Monday night is everyone's night off with the exception of Wild Harvest - the paddock to plate restaurant in Grassy. We phone expectantly, but they are booked out all month. So we head down to the King Island Hotel for dinner tonight. Very pub food, my Schnitzel was tasty with herbs and cheese in the crumb and Gen's Eye Fillet was cooked to perfection - blue but not leaking blood! She was happy. She was going to have vegetables instead of the house salad but at an extra $6 she decided no. Its easy to understand, we saw potatoes at $5.8/kg, mandarins at $15/kg and capsicum was $16.6/kg. Turns out, vegetables are at a premium here!

Day 1 of 3 done, we are tired and heading for bed. Tomorrow we will head to the south to Grassy and a Calcified Forest. Sleep well.

Bruny - an island of two parts

And that I did. (Slept well last night for those of you you have not read yesterday's lot).

Although we all refer to Bruny Island, this land, off the south-east coast of Tasmania, is  two islands connected by a long, narrow isthmus. We have spent the last day and a half on South Bruny and this morning are travelling up to North Bruny Island. We only have this one day, as we have booked accommodation for the next two nights at the House on the Hill, a B&B in Huonville.

The day has dawned nice and clear. Except for the occasional passing vehicle, we sit with  the door open, quietly contemplating our lot. There is no wind and the waves just gently kiss the beach, a sound we almost need to strain to hear. It is definitely  autumn. The morning light is gentle, almost weak, muting the colours of our surrounds. This morning, the water is the colour of my new jumper - a baby blue. There is a line of rocks that must be the edge of an underwater ledge. The waves roll gently over the line, in a line, perfectly horizontal to the narrow beach. Outside the protection of this little bay, the water is a deeper hue of blue and from the deck of our villa it almost looks navy. And, in the distance, the landmasses around us are softened by the early morning mist.

We take our time over break-fast. Croissant and roll, a shared banana, the last of our cheese and a couple of 'packet' lattes and we are ready to hit the road.

There is no one at the pub at this time of the day, so we leave the room key in the drop-box and head off. We make one stop at the Bread 'Fridge' and opening the door, are greeted by warm, yeasty smells. The magic baker has been hard at work and replenished the supplies, depleted by yesterday afternoon. 

Our final visit on South Bruny is to the Bruny Island Chocolate Company. We are told that the owner and manufacturer is a pastry cook by profession and fell in to fudge making about 10 years ago when he realised there was a market gap. There are the usual assortment of chocolates, catering to the family and mass markets, but they also have some nice speciality ranges including a boxed selection of six, described as "More than a heavenly chocolate indulgence, our delicious premium quality handmade fudge with a rich creamy texture and distinctive, mouthwatering flavour to satisfy the most discerning of connoisseurs". Add to the mixed box, i have a Hounds Tooth Tasmanian Whisky Fudge, two chocolate sauces - one Brandy and Cointreau and the other Chocolate Mint, a bag of chocolate caramels and chocolate fruit and nut mix fill our bags.

Next stop is The Neck - at the lookout high atop the only hillock on the isthmus that connects south to north Bruny. The tide is out and I can see Sandpipers busily digging in the exposed sandflats for tasty morsels to eat. There is the odd family with kids digging in the sand, hoping to find some sort of little treasure, and the occasional tourist couple, hand-in-hand without a care in the world, immersed in their togetherness, with not a single other soul in sight along the beach.

The steps up to The Neck lookout are insurmountable - at least for me. 279 steps are just too many more than the 14 steps at home! Gen graciuosly (although probably silently cursing) offers to climb for the photos. They are truly stunning. You look north and south, and across the bays devoid of almost all water - you can even see Kunanyi in the distance. What a sight. Gen tells me that there are lots of small burrows all up the side of the hill - home to Fairy Penguins no doubt.

All too soon, we are back on North Bruny, with a list of places to visit before we leave. First call is at the Bruny Island Honey where they have a huge swarm of bees busy in a perspex covered box, which is behind closed doors. We sample a number of their varieties and purchased a small pot of creamed honey 'Bruny Island Prickly Box' honey and some Manuka Honey lip balm. I had used a sampler to test it on my lips and there was no immediate bad reaction, so finger's crossed they might help relieve them. The winds are not chaffed lips friendly!

Honey done, we move on to the Bruny Island Cheese Company. Fresh cows milk cheeses are made on the island from O.D.O. (one day old) cheese to a range of soft rind, washed rind and cheddar styles cheeses. Gen really only likes the two milder cheddar styles, but I am in my element. Not a blue in sight, but the washed and soft rind cheeses are very edible, lacking that acrid bite that often comes with a young, immature cheese. It's close enough to lunch time to sit and savour the bites here. Also on offer are ciders and beers with some other local wines and sparkling drinks, but for the time being, we just sit with apple juice (cos you can't be in Tasmania and not have the Apple Juice!) and coffees. A selection of three cheeses - O.D.O., Tom and Saint - refer to their website linked above for a description, proscuito, baguette, Ligurian olives and pickled beetroot and gherkins. Very tasty. As neither of us are oyster fans, we skip the Oyster Shack and instead head to the Bruny Island House of Whisky - much more my tipple of choice!

The Bruny Island House of Whisky sits high on a hill just 1 km from the Ferry to Kettering (Tasmanian Mainland). They boast the largest selection of Tasmanian Whisky's for sampling. Given that I haven't gone looking for other tasting rooms, I am happy to take them at their word! You can choose a 'flight' of four whiskies from one of four shelves all differing in price - from $60 per person up to the Champions (top) shelf at $295 pp. This is after all, 4 nips of whisky. We splurge and choose level 2 @ $75pp and opt to just share the tasting. We had one nip of 1. Nant - Tasmanian Highlands Single Malt, Bourbon Cask, 2. Trappers Hut Limited edition Tasmania Single Malt Whisky, 3. Lark Malt Whisky Small Cask Renaissance and 4. Callington Mill Tasmanian Single Malt Tango. I think we both the last one best. And of course, we can't go passed without trying their Gin. I had a Seclusion Gin with Soda and Gen, not liking gin, had a non-alcoholic Raspberry and Chilli Sparkling Ginger Beer  - after all, she is driving lol. At just over $90, we have contributed very generously to the local economy here thank you!

The day is slipping by and we are no headed or the Huon Valley. The crazy thing is that while everything is so close (as the crow flies) in Tasmania, the travelling times are longer than anticipated due to the narrow, winding roads. So we are pleasantly surprised to find that the trip to Huonville is all on multi-lane highways - even if it is steep in places. Disappointingly, there is no where to pull over as the first views along the floor of the Huon Valley come into view. It is a stunning sight - with a long, fertile valley nestled at the base of ancient hills on either side. we will just have to come back and hope there is a lookout somewhere. Through Huonville we drive - its a slightly larger town and we see some take-away establishments (although none of the chains - yay!). Lining the road into the town are apple orchards - lots of them. And we pass the Willie Smith Apple Shed that we have heard so much of. We plan to return here tomorrow to sample some of the 70+ varieties of apples that they are supposed to grow.

We follow Google maps to find The House on The Hill B&B that we are booked in to for the next 2 days. Turns out we don't need to find that lookout after all - this is set high on the Hill overlooking Huonville and we can look up and down that fertile valley. I'll make sure that Gen includes some pics on Facebook. Owner Paul greets us and shows us into a lovely double room, with a huge bathroom and access to a large dining and lounge area and verandah off that. Paul explains that the original house was built in the early 1980's and added on to in the late 1990s. It is very well set-up for a B&B.

There is one other couple here at the same time - they arrive back from their outing about 30 minutes before Dinner. 

Paul has a limited menu and we have both chosen Seafood Bisque - tomatoes, herbs, cream, potatoes and seafood to be followed by 'The Best Tasmanian" Cheese platter and port for two!  OMG I can hardly swallow, I am so full! Paul's Bisque was home-made with home-grown potatoes and lots of Tasmanian seafood. Our plates were filled to the brim with Seafood - literally. There were mussels, prawns, calamari rings, scallops and fresh and smoked fish. He was explaining that he makes his fish broth on the shells and heads of the prawns. No wonder it tastes so rounded and complete! I couldn't finish my serve - he jokes that he only gave us a small bowl - Maaate, I'd love to see a big bowl!!

We finished the evening with Paul, asking him to share the ENORMOUS cheese plate - plated with about 6 cheeses, from blue, to soft crumbly cheddar to truffled to camembert etc. There were a variety of pastes, olives, gherkins (chillied), chorizo, salami and bread and crackers - we would have done better to have just had this platter! Served with a glass of Penfolds Club Port that matched the rich pickings beautifully.

We sit, we talk. We drink coffee and finish the night on caramels and truffles that we purchased this morning. All in all, a lovely way to spend the evening.  Paul had asked what time we wanted breakfast in the morning. Origianlly we said 8am, but have changed that to 9 am - to make sure our digestive systems are ready for the next generous servings!  Pays to stay in local small hotels, B&Bs etc and not in the big multi-nationals. The people you meet are so passionate about what they do and the area that they are in. 

Nitey nite, my head is telling me I need to go to bed 😉😉 

We visited the Russian today

Last night we spent quite a bit of time finalising transport route for the next week.
We have succumbed to the tyranny of the Norwegian Krone and given up on our plans to drive from here down through Finland. It was going to cost us in excess of $3,000 AUD (20,000 NOK) to hire a car one way between Kirkenes and Helsinki over 5 days. Instead,we will nowfly to Helsinki (ironically, via Olso) and then collect a car there for 6 days for the princely sum of $461 with full insurance - what a difference. Even with the $800 for the two fares added, it still comes in at less than half the cost! 
We arrive in Hesinki about 5:30 pm tomorrow and will drive to Turku (1.5 hours) spend some time looking at their 13th century castle and cathedral before driving 3.5 hours to Jyväskylä to visit Riikka and Runo before heading back across the Arctic Circle into Lapland and the permanent home of Santa Claus on Thursday. Back then to Jyväskylä and off to Helsinki with the family for a day or two. Later plans are yet to be made, but we don't think we will get to Tallinn, our time is starting to run short!

Quieter day today. When we were at North Cape a couple of days ago, I stumbled on some loose rock and did a little jig to stay upright. Last night the ankle was starting to swell and stiffen a bit, so we decided that a quieter day today would be smart.

This morning Donna walked across to the local Joker supermarket and came back with the makings for a couple of simple meals. We are so full from the big meals of the last couple of days, it is nice to just have some snacky stuff. Choc chip croissants and cinnamon scrolls for breakfast, two juices, two sparkling water with apple, two UHT Mocha drinks, two cokes, a pack of 8 biscuits, a pack of rye crackers and cheese slices and a couple of chocolate bars. What do you think that set her back?

477 NOK or $79.50 AUD. Its a wonder anyone can afford to live here!!

We are definitely learning that Kirkenes exists for the fishing industry and perhaps to service the needs of the visiting Hurtigruten ships. One arrives here daily and then leaves for the southbound journey. Passengers come off here and also embark here.
There are two 'international' style hotels - Scandic and Thon and both appear to accommodate guests from / for the ships. The taxi company does a roaring trade to the airport and the bus company does daily tours for Hurtigruten excursions.

Our room is stiflingly hot. It appears that the heater that heats the water for the entire building runs straight through our room. Donna turned it down as far as she could get it, but her temp app on her phone was still registering 32 degrees in the room. Thankfully this afternoon, we got access to a fan and that has cooled it significantly - will make sleeping tonight a little easier.

Around 2 pm we headed out for a walk.Donna still wore her jacket, but I was pleased to just go out in a summer top into the crisp air at around 10 degrees.  Cool and crisp with a light breeze, but not cold.

Found the memorial to the Russians who liberated the town from the Germans in 1944.  The incoming soldiers were welcomed as heroes, never mind that they had bombed the town to oblivion with only 13 original homes left standing, nor that they then burned the ruins.  Most of the townsfolk sheltered in a bomb shelter tunnel Andersgrotto - with 10 babies born there. We found the tunnel, but had missed the 12:30 pm guided tour.

I came back to the hotel while Donna continued down the hill to the waterfront where she saw one of the trawlers unloading some of their catch. A seabird of indeterminate make was waiting for the next trawler, still coming in to arrive.

Tomorrow will be a travel day - we will leave here about 8:30 am to get to the airport before the next shipload is disgorged on to land - we know that about half of them fly back to Helsinki once the ship docks. 

Night all. More tomorrow.

Bergen - 235 days of rain a year, and boy, did we get one!

Turns out that Bergen has the highest rainfall in all of Scandinavia.  And today proves that well and truly.  But I will have any one day of rain to appreciate the brilliant clear sunshine that follows - especially if that is tomorrow when we get to go to Geiranger and the Trollstingen Pass to Molde where we look down along the length of the fjords.

Today began again with a bit of a scare. Got up to go to the bathroom early and in returning to bed, walked along the mirror that is the length of the room and gave myself a fright when I passed the magnified section for makeup or shaving. OMG I am NOT an early morning person.  Note to self: avert your eyes when passing mirrors! 😂

Breakfast was included at the Best Western Hotell Hordaheimen, the first that has been so on this trip thus far. Breakfast was great - good selection of hot and cold, fruit and cheeses, meats and salads, cereals and yoghurts, eggs of all cooked varieties, bacon and sausages. We ate our fill before returning for our luggage which they held for us for the day. 

Then we set out on foot to go around to Bryggen, 900m around the front of the port and through the local 'farmers' markets. What do you think they farm around here?  Well, that would be fish, oysters, prawns, mussels, crabs; and berries - blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, boysenberries and cherries; and small-goods made from moose and deer and whale. That was the some total of the offerings at the markets, mind you there were many multiples of sellers in each category.  And one lone soft serve ice cream vendor at the very end.  As we (under our umbrellas)  walked past each of the sellers, they would have one of their staff dedicated to touting for business  mostly young girls. And they were very good at it! Marchiella caught our attention showing us the ENORMOUS Norwegian Oysters and the smaller and smoother Fjord oysters. And the trolls guarded the condiments!

Bergen was once the capital of Norway and it was ruled from the old part of the city - Byrggen. Bryggen has existed since just after the Viking Age of 1070 and as it stands now was constructed after the Great Fire of 1702. You cannot help but wonder at how it does burn to the ground far more often.  The last fire was in 1955. We heard sirens and saw a fire truck coming screaming along the road and the crowd collectively took in a breath!  Its ok, its none of the row of historic shop fronts that we duck in and out of to escape the rain.  In fact Donna is sure that it is those wet days that is what is protecting the timber from burning again!  

The front of the shops are wonky and nothing is really straight. While all lined up, they are very picturesque, up close you can see the strain reflected in different ways - a door that does not lineup with its lintel, a set of steps narrow and steep that go up on an angle, whole buildings that tiredly lean against each other as though to prop themselves up. A number of them are empty with historic displays in their windows and a few others are under renovation. The shops that front the quay in these shops are the big name tourist outlets and one or two woolen shops or adventure gear shops. We can only begin to guess what the rents must be like in a city that is very expensive. I did support the local commerce with the purchase of a Norway coastline cross-stitch kit.  Don't ask, it doesn't matter, I like it!


We had read up on Bryggen before we arrived here and know that there are a number of timber floored alleys and arcades and that towards the back of these are local artisans - we found jewellers, woollen goods sellers, artists, leatherworkers, christmas decoration shops etc.  I have been waiting to get here to buy a new cardigan to replace the one I left on the plane, accidently.  We found ourselves in Susan Fosse's shop where I found just the thing. Again don't ask, I'm not telling!!

The boards are damp underfoot and I am terrified of slipping.  After seeing two other people do just that, I am happy to leave these little timbered gems for the cobbled streets outside.  The rain turns quite heavy for a while and we, along with a whole lot of other tourists, take shelter in doorways and under awnings. For a little while we even hanker down into a wall, protected from the worst by our umbrellas.

Finally the rain lets up enough for us to walk back to the taxi rank and get a cab back to the hotel where we stayed last night about 1:30 pm.
We can go down to the terminal - it opened at 13:00, but cannot book our luggage in until 15:30. The hotel is warm and dry, and we can get a glass of wine and some nuts to while away the time. Donna ventures out to see whether we can walk around to the Terminal with our luggage, but reports that it is located in the next port around the headland and up and over a large hill.  Settles that, we will cab it.

The hotel concierge brings our luggage from the luggage room and orders us a taxi, telling us that the fare we should pay is 153 NOK.  Glad he did that because when we got in to the taxi, the driver asked how we would be paying (I always pay card as there is a record and less likelihood of the meter not being turned on) at which point he tells us the fare will be 240 NOK. We disagree, and so he says well 160 NOK, but we stick to our guns and invite him to go and check with the hotel concierge. At this point he becomes rude and sullen but agrees to the fare. I can only think how many tourists he has ripped off.  Will let the hotel know as we took the cab number.

And so finally we find ourselves at the Hurtigruten Ship Terminal.  We only booked this in July, but it feel like a lifetime ago.  Check in is done and we head upstairs to the cafe to wait boarding which is running an hour late. Console ourselves with a hot chocolate and a waffle while we watch the rain come and go. Come 5 pm when the crew open boarding, there is an almighty rush - as though to get the best seats!  Hang on, we all have allocated cabins, so what is the rush.

Finally we are on board. Safety briefing done and dusted. Cabin located - quite spacious even if not a suite with a WINDOW that does not open on to a deck so we can have an uninterrupted view from here.  We decide to wait a little while before heading up for dinner and let the panicked hordes go first. Just as well we did, there was still a line up at 8:30 pm. From here on in, we are allocated seatings, so it should be ok.
Dinner for all and sundry tonight is a buffet. Cold meats and fishes, hot dishes, salads, cheeses and crackers with fruit spreads, and desserts. We skip the hot dishes so we can have a little of the rest.  The reindeer meat with lingonberries was 'interesting'. Beefy, but not, gamey, but not. Something in between the two. will be good to try it hot for a comparison!  


We set sail right on 21:30 and pass out through the port areas, hugging the coast for a little while before we head out in to the open water of the Atlantic Ocean at the lighthouse.  OMG the ship is rocking and rolling  aghhhhhhhhh and the rain is slamming in to the window.  Hopefully it will just rock us to sleep.  Guess that I am about to find out.  Time for bed - nite all.

From magnificent to miniature - a world of contrasts

Its a lot cooler this morning.
We have booked breakfast in the restaurant and apart from that awful artificial orange juice that you find all over the world, the breakfast offerings match the dinner from last night. Scrambled eggs, bacon for Donna on toast,lots of fresh fruit including one of the palest pineapples I have ever seen - but so deliciously ripe, to the customary European cheeses and meats and salad ingredients.

We plan our day out before we set off. We will start in the Gouda Markt Square. The cheese markets are not on until tomorrow, but a local flea market is set up with the sellers doing a roaring trade - not dissimilar to our markets back in Maryborough - minus the fruit and vegetables.


There are a number of historic buildings we want to see. One of the former civic buildings houses a chiming character moving clock, donated to the City in 1961 to commemorate the granting of the City status to Gouda in 1272.

the Cheese guild building now houses the Tourist Information Centre.  You should see the crowd in here!  You ca purchase cheese, buy souvenirs, watch a Gouda making workshop and more.  Too bad we cannot bring the real McCoy back in to Australia with us.

But the building we are really here to see today is the Sint-Janskerk  with its 72 magnificent stained glass windows. (I am just realising that the word of this trip is magnificent!)
We buy tickets from a man who worked in Gladstone in the metals market, its a small world . . .  You can choose to do a self guided tour or a follow the numbers tour. We plug our headsets in to the guide tablet, choose self guided and promptly primarily follow the

numbers.  This church and its windows are (wait for it) M A G N I F I C E N T.  This is the longest church in the Netherlands and at 123 meters it is also the tallest church in the Netherlands. The building is so large that it is impossible to get the whole of it in amongst the tight little streets around it.  No problem - there is a scale model inside!

Dating back to 1530, much of it was destroyed in the Great Fire of 1552. Shortly after the disaster, the directors commissioned to build the most spectacular church in Holland. Initially built as a Catholic Church, after the Reformation it became a Protestant Church and survives as this today (c.1579). A magnificent pulpit was put in the church and the catholic alter relegated to a back corner of the choir.

But the real claim to fame are the 72 splendid windows and the burial stones - the oldest one I found was 1561.  All the windows tell stories, with most of them being biblical, but a few are historic. They have to be seen to be believed. During WWII, the windows were dismantled and stored in strong boxes across the City.

After a number of hours staring jaw-dropped, we left Gouda (after a Cloudy home-made lemonade) and buy some siroopwaffles for later.

We programmed the car for Kinderdijk (Kinderdyke) about an hours drive. Here there are about 20 windmills lining one of the canals, some working, others not, and in a variety of styles and ages and the vista is very popular.  The locals have a 'magnificent' view and there are lots of Porsches in the narrow streets. We are wowed again and again.

BUT the day is not yet finished,

back in to the car we go and head for the miniature world at Madurodam which is found in The Hague. We left this until last, hoping to stay until the lights are turned on. Again we are moved by the story behind this 'magnificent' miniature world.  All structures are constructed to 1/25 scale and include historic monuments, many of which we saw in-situ today, through to modern operations including Amsterdam Airport and the Hoek de Hook port.  About now, the temperature plummets and the light drizzle starts to get heavier.  We have rushed through much of the site and now head for the souvenir shop and the restaurant to wait for the lights. About 7 pm we decide to leave and beat the traffic that will all leave at 8 pm when they close.

It rains all the way back to the hotel and we are happy to pull in to the parking lot just before 8 pm.
Rain is expected tomorrow so we are planning a day with indoor visits, although we are hoping to get to the Gouda Cheese Market. We need to be back at Amsterdam Airport about 4 pm to get our flight to Oslo, Norway!

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