The Springs to the Pinnacle and back

My legs were already a bit sore from yesterday's Geeveston parkrun when I set out from the Springs halfway up kunanyi / Mt Wellington at 7.45am Sunday morning. The road to the Pinnacle was closed at first, so it was a lovely, quiet uphill road walk without the noise and fumes of passing cars. Until the final kilometre that is, by which time the road was open again and carloads of visitors streamed past. A few runners passed me on their way to the summit, I guess training for the Point-to-Pinnacle as well. I reached the Pinnacle just after 9am, about a 500 metre climb in 7km. At the top, I took a short break, long enough for a few quick photos and a snack before walking back down via the Zig Zag and Organ Pipes Tracks, arriving back at the car by 10.15am. I am feeling more confident that I can complete the walk within the allotted 4 hours.

Project X part II

After listening to ravens roosting in the darkening southern forests with Hrafn: Conversations with Odin (season now extended into October), the next installment of Project X has arrived in the Huon Valley. The Aftermath Dislocation Principle is an artwork in the form of a 40-foot shipping container with eye holes cut into it, providing a glimpse of a town landscape in miniature. I won't describe it further, just get on down to Geeveston any time between now and November and peer inside. While you are there, why not take a look around the town and eat at one of the lovely establishments like the Old Bank of Geeveston, Baker & Co patisserie or The Bears Went Over the Mountain. Or stop in our wonderful village of Franklin on the way home, at Cinnamon and Cherry (now re-opened Friday to Sunday for the warmer months), Aqua Grill or Frank's Cider Bar and Cafe. Seriously, it's been a tougher winter period than usual this year for many local businesses since the bushfires in the region and you'll be made very welcome if you come down and stay!

Drink Tasmania(n)

For a girlfriend's birthday, a small group of us 'locals' from Hobart and surrounds joined the Drink Tasmania 'signature tour' last Saturday, together with visitors from Melbourne, USA-via-Sydney and Canada-via-Brisbane. Starting with a 9am coffee and a taste of Lost Pippin wild ferment cider at Brooke Street Pier, our super-friendly and relaxed guide Dolly drove south to Home Hill Winery in Ranelagh where we sampled some of their lovely wines, then Pagan Cider where we tried several delicious ciders including a strawberry and a quince.

We had lunch and a Willie Smiths cider tasting at The Apple Shed in Grove, before heading back into Hobart for a whisky tasting and history lesson at Lark Distillery. From there we headed out to Cambridge to see how Lark's whisky is made. I have been on other distillery tours, and none explained the process as well as our host did at Lark. Finally, I really understand how it it made... and the difference between 'whisky' and 'whiskey'! On the way back into Hobart we popped into a shed in an industrial estate, a.k.a. one of Tasmania's newest breweries, Last Rites, to sample some of their wares.

We had such a lovely day. It reminded me that tourism experiences are not just for tourists. Get out there and see what our beautiful island has to offer.

The perfect food for a Tasmanian winter

Given my love of German food, I was excited to find a store in Hobart called Wursthaus Kitchen not long after we moved to Tasmania. Then disappointed to find that other than bratwurst, they didn't actually stock any German foods. They have a lovely range of Italian and French foods and a good selection of local Tasmanian fare too. But the name was definitely misleading.

Then last week I spotted an article in the paper about German chef Rainer Oberdieck who moved to Hobart with his Tasmanian wife, and a classic German cooking class he was holding at the Wursthaus. The story mentioned Rheinischer Sauerbraten and I was sold. I rang the store first thing Monday and booked in.

We made a traditional apple strudel with vanilla custard, pork knuckles (Schweinshaxe), goulash, the sweet-and-sour roast silverside called Sauerbraten and Bavarian bread dumplings (Semmelknodel) which are a great way to use up old bread rolls and perfect for mopping up sauce or gravy. We then sampled a little of each, accompanied by red cabbage and a selection of German beers from Weihenstephaner. For some of these dishes, it was a case of "here's one I prepared earlier" because they take hours, or in the case of Sauerbraten, days to make. I came home with a booklet of recipes and new confidence to make more of the food I love.

I can't help but think that people who find German food bland have only sampled Schnitzel with mashed potato from a chain restaurant. Although Rainer said he has had to adjust his cooking in Tasmania for local tastes and the availability of ingredients, all of these dishes are well spiced, tender and extremely tasty. To test out what I'd learned, last night we had a few friends over for a giant pot of goulash and some bread dumplings. I am happy to report that everyone found it as tasty as I did . Now I just need to source the cut of beef I need to make that Sauerbraten. Lecker.

Summer solstice sailing

Three years ago, a beautiful 1930s Danish ship showed up in Franklin after a round the world voyage. The family who sailed her here decided to stay. Now, this summer, you can spend a Sunday afternoon aboard the Yukon, sailing down the Huon River enjoying locally sourced produce prepared by chef Ashley and Jacinta from Pantree Produce. It was an amazing special treat for my birthday. The whole experience was understated, relaxed, personal - an afternoon on the river with friends and great food. "The duck we are eating came from that hill over there," says Jacinta, pointing to the hills south of Franklin. "See that roof there? That's the house they came from." Fresh peas, broadbeans, beetroot, peaches, berries, river herbs and flowers, pink eye potatoes. To drink: local wines including a sparkling chardonnay from Wombat Springs (also in the hills of Franklin), Seven Sheds Ale, a stunning pinot noir from d'meure wines at Birchs Bay and home made limoncello - and yes, the lemons were also from Franklin. We could see where most of our meal was grown. David and Ea who own The Yukon told us the story of her restoration and how she came to Tasmania. We got to explore below decks - the galley, engine room, bunks and bathroom. Wonderful.

I have been completely and utterly spoiled this weekend. First, my dear friend Cheryl flew down from Sydney - a surprise visit plotted weeks in advance with David. I had no idea she was coming until the car pulled up in the driveway on Friday. Cider and burgers at The Apple Shed on Friday evening. Saturday morning shopping in Wilmot Road, Huonville and at Salamanca Market and relaxing in the garden in the afternoon. And then yesterday's feast on the Yukon. Happy, happy days.

Haircut from hell in Huonville

Perhaps my biggest indulgence is a trip into Hobart every 6-7 weeks for a haircut at a good salon. Yes, I know it's a 45 minute drive. Yes, I know it's expensive. A bit ridiculous and extravagant. And yes, I wish I could just let my hair grow long and wear it in a pony tail. But I look truly awful with long hair and have no skill at all with hair-dos. Plus, I need to look professional in my job. Dreadlocks won't cut it.

When we first moved to Tasmania, I decided to try out a local salon in Huonville, just 15 minutes down the road. A lovely young lady cut my hair for a few months. If I had asked her to do something different there might have been trouble, but she did a very good basic cut and colour. And it was $80, compared to the $200+ I used to pay a fancy salon in Manly in Sydney. I was delighted. And then she left.

The next time I went back, someone else cut my hair. What I came out with can only be described as a kind of mullet. Instead of a straight bob, my hair was somehow long at the back and short at the front. My fringe was crooked. And the kid in the seat next to me at the salon had lice. It was time to find somewhere else.

Next, I tried a trendy kind of place in Kingston, a 30 minute drive away. The result was not much better and the staff were really rude. So I hit the internet for recommendations, and the same place in Hobart kept popping up. I know it's a bit extreme, driving that far and paying that much (though still less than Sydney prices) but to me it's worth every cent. It's insurance against the mullet.

Harvest market

This morning I popped into the Harvest Market in the Cimitiere Street car park in Launceston and bought a Ritual coffee and brioche from Manubread for breakfast. Picked up some fresh vegetables, some bacon from Mount Gnomon Farm, some granola from Day Time Food and some Mount Direction Olive Oil. It was a cool and cloudy day but the atmosphere at the market was warm and welcoming. And it was nice to see a little piece of the Huon Valley on show at the Willie Smiths Cider stall.

Yesterday I drove up to Launceston for a presentation by last year's participants in the Tasmanian Leaders program about the four fantastic community projects they have either completed or underway. Somehow it was appropriate to follow it up with a visit to the Harvest Market, which was also a project launched by past participants in the Tasmanian Leaders program. Clearly a successful one, as last week the market was the national winner of an Outstanding Farmers Market award. Applications for the 2014 Tasmanian Leaders program are now open - have you considered applying?

Airwalk at night

A couple of weeks back we had the chance to stay at the Tahune Airwalk Lodge, the new accommodation opened last year at the Tahune Airwalk near Geeveston. You can read all about it in an article that David wrote for Think Tasmania. We've been to the Airwalk quite a few times, on our own or taking interstate visitors, but as we were staying overnight, this time we had the chance to walk it at night! It was brilliant. The lodge provides head torches and the path is lit with reflective markers. It's so peaceful standing on the end of the cantilever up in the treetops in the dark, hearing nothing but the river rushing below. Oh and we also went on the hang gliding experience for the first time, which gives you a totally different view of the river. Next time we'll have to go on the mountain bike track, it looks great.

 

Crackerjack

I loved that movie. This week Crackerjack came to Franklin, with barefoot bowling hosted by our local lawn bowls club. Some of the club's players patiently showed us a few techniques and then we had a few games out on the soft green. My first two games were my best and it all went downhill from there. The bar was open and snacks available. It was good fun and perfect for a sunny summer evening after work.

Apiary

I have been reliably informed (i.e. on Facebook) by my neighbour Craig that it isn't called a 'bee farm'. During my visit to Strahan last week I got to visit the property of a fellow Tasmanian Leaders program participant. It was just a short drive out of town on the beautiful Henty River. He showed us inside one of the smaller hives so we could see the queen bee and the worker bees toiling away. We stuck a finger in and ate warm honey fresh from the frame. Yum.

MONA FOMA 2013

 

We've made the trip to Hobart almost every evening for the past week to go to the Museum of Old and New Art's annual Festival of Music and Art (MONA FOMA or MOFO as it's known). It's the first time we've been and I have to say it was great entertainment and well worth the lack of sleep. From fantastic acts we wouldn't normally get to see  that even started on time, right down to providing good food and drinks and enough space, seating (including the famous pink beanbags) and toilets... the MONA guys really know how to do events, with a bonus sense of humour. The highlights for me were:

• Hearing my number one all time favourite song This Must Be The Place performed by David Byrne and St. Vincent
• British author Neil Gaiman reading poems and stories (and singing the odd song or two) accompanied by a string quartet and guitar by the composer Jherek Bischoff  in Hobart's beautiful Theatre Royal
• The quirky and fun Chicks on Speed 

We saw Tasmanian 80s-style synth band All Fires, Aussie blokes Graveyard Train, an 'icon of the golden era of Ethiopian music', Mahmoud Ahmed and a couple of things my ears could have done without. All round great fun. And we're going back tonight for the MONA benefit gig for the Red Cross Tasmanian bush fire appeal, which will feature some of the same performers plus two of my favourites, the Hoodoo Gurus and Kate Miller-Heidke. Brilliant.