Port Arthur

We've finally seen Australia's most famous convict ruin, the penal colony of Port Arthur.  The experience was as memorable as we'd hoped.  We based ourselves at Convict Bay, the convict colony's primary harbour.  Our B&B was the original wharf customs store and post office.

This location also made it easy to visit Tasmania's original coal mine, home to Port Arthur's worst offending convicts.  The ruins were ours to explore alone for more than an hour.

Garry and I were both surprised by the scale of Port Arthur's operation.  The site was actually home to thousands of people, all living in a compact and colourful village set into the hillside of a picturesque harbour location.

Perhaps my favourite location was the incredibly narrow neck of sand that connects the Tasman Peninsular to the rest of Tasman.  It was here that the infamous Dog Line was put in place to apprehend escaping convicts.  The site's history is immortalized by a statue of a fierce dog standing guard over the main road.

 

The calm before the storm

Two days from now the somewhat sleepy city of Hobart will be buzzing as Sydney to Hobart yachts begin arriving. Tonight, as Garry and I wandered back from dinner, the waterfront was calm and quiet. This really is a working harbour. Fishing boats, stacked high with wicker lobster pots, are moored in rows everywhere.

We're also feeling rather chilled ourselves. The reservation system at our hotel decided I was a regular guest from Victoria. With guests pouring in from everywhere it decided the frequently visiting Mr McGregor should be upgraded to a corner suite on a high floor. As a result, Garry and I are enjoying a stunning view over the docks and harbour beyond. Thank you computer.

Posted from my iPhone

Location: Davey Street, Hobart CBD,Australia

Saffire

Saffire isn't considered Australia's premier resort destination for nothing.  We enjoyed two days of truly unadulterated luxury over Christmas.  The attention to detail was evident everywhere; from the view at the foot of our bed to the attentive, professional staff always willing to fulfill our every need.

We spent the morning of Christmas Day enjoying freshly shucked oysters fed to us while wading around a local oyster farm.  Boxing Day morning was spent walking up to the Wineglass Bay lookout.  The view was as perfect as postcards suggest.

 

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Day really doesn't get much better than this Down Under. This is the view that greeted Garry and I at 7am this morning. We're staying at Saffire, an award-winning, 20-room resort nestled on the edge of Coles Bay, Tasmania. It's easy to see why this is considered one of Australia most picturesque locations.

Posted from my iPhone

Binalong Bay

Our first night in Tasmania was spent in Binalong Bay on the southern fringe of the Bay of Fires coast.  It really is as postcard perfect as these photos suggest.  It's also famous for it's red, lichen encrusted granite rocks.

 

The view from our cottage was simply stunning - even as a brief rain shower passed overhead. The following morning, we were greeted by dazzling sunshine and scene that simply blew our minds.

North-east Tasmania

Here are some tantalizing images of our first day in Tasmania.  Our day began with a 5am wake-up call on board the Spirit of Tasmania.  We drove directly to Launceston for a hearty breakfast at a popular local café, before heading east into the mountain ranges of northeast Tasmania.

Emotional breakdown

Our Tasmanian road trip was almost over before it began.  On Saturday morning, bright and early, we loaded our car with luggage, a picnic hamper and an eski.  Next stop, Crackenback, in the Snowy Mountains.  As we attempted to start the car an ominous electronic ignition failure light began glowing on the dashboard.  It was soon clear that we were going nowhere fast. 

Garry was devastated.  In recent months we've spent thousands on a major service, washed and vacuum every inch and saved Supermarket discount coupons by the fistful.  However, three hours later, after collecting a hire car, our fallback plan was in place.  Hertz were happy to give a brand new car with less than 800kms on the clock.

We finally made to our first night's accommodation about 5pm.  I'd booked a superb farmstay B&B ten minutes south of Jindabyne called the Crackenback Farm. When I booked the venue months ago a slew of professional images on its website seemed too good to be true.  We therefore pleasantly surprised to find the real thing every bit as impressive in real life.  Think upmarket rustic and you'll picture our first night on the road.

The following morning after a divine cooked breakfast we made our way south via the Alpine Way, and on to the Hume Highway.  Our boat was due to depart Port Melbourne at 9pm.  We wanted to arrive no later than 7pm.  We broke up the journey with several brief stops including a ride up the Kosciuszko Express chairlift at Thredbo, a wander through the Murray 1 power station visitor's centre and numerous scenic lookouts.

Our road trip is already proving highly educational.  During a brief stop by the shores of Lake Jindabyne we learnt that Australia's highest peak, Mount Kosciuszko, was named by a Polish explorer, Paul Edmund Strzelecki.  He named it in honour of Poland's national hero, General Tadeusz Kosciuszko.  How do we know this?  A rather prominent statue stands proudly on the lake's foreshore gesturing out into the wild blue yonder.

We timed our arrival into Melbourne to perfection.  Less than 20 minutes after reaching the Port, boarding began, and much to our surprise, the Spirit of Tasmania departed 40 minutes ahead of schedule. We felt rather smug to be sailing away as the heavens opened, coating the receding city skyline in a dark, murky mist.

Waveboard weekend

 

My brother’s built a new house. His family moved in three weeks ago. They now live a new, booming sub-division at Papamoa, 12km south of Tauranga. Last week I was in Wellington on business. I took advantage of the relative proximity to fly north for the weekend.

I couldn’t have picked a better time to visit family. While Sydney was inundated by cold, wet and windy weather, both Wellington and the Bay of Plenty were enjoying gentle winds and lots of sunshine. While in Tauranga I enjoyed a walk around the base of Mount Maunganui and a BBQ at my brother’s new digs.

My nieces also took great delight in teaching me to wave board. In fact, I showed my age by professing complete ignorance as what a wave board was. I’ve certainly seen them around but had no idea what they were called. For the record, they’re a type of skateboard with a single wheel mounted front and back on a deck with a central pivot. Rhythmically wiggling the around its pivot deck propels the rider forward while maintaining their balance. It’s a lot like rollerblading while standing on one leg.

Going green

Sea lettuce is a naturally-occurring green algae that grows in coastal regions around the world. It grows in sheets that sometime resemble the leaves of butter lettuce. At least one rather stringy species is native to New Zealand where seasonal blooms can clog harbours and deposit thick, rotting mounds along pristine beaches.

Last weekend, while visiting my mother in Mount Maunganui, I found the main beach carpeted by fresh deposits of sea lettuce. I’d never seen such an extensive bloom before. At least a hundred metres of beach front had been inundated by a sea of green. Mum says these blooms have become more frequent in recent years. I vaguely recall small deposits along the shore as a child, but nothing as extensive as the sight the greeted me in the weekend.

Critics claim nutrient rich run-off from surrounding farmland is to blame. However, research reveals a surprisingly strong correlation between blooms and El Nino weather patterns. During an El Nino winds blow predominantly from the west. Persistent winds push warm coastal water along New Zealand’s east coast away from the land. Cooler, nutrient rich, deep ocean water rises in its place and blooms swiftly follow. These verdant reproductive bursts go unnoticed until stormy weather washes tones of green deposits along the shore and into sheltered bays.

Debate currently focuses on the impact of global warming on the frequency and strength of El Nino weather patterns. The phenomenon is a result of extensive warming of the Pacific Ocean’s surface along the South American coast. This heat sink draws the planet’s atmosphere away from Australia and New Zealand, creating warmers temperatures and drought conditions in these nations.

It’s shame to see the beauty of Mount Maunganui’s beaches desecrated by these blooms. Even more so as the Summer cruise ship season gets underway. Tourism is a regional growth industry and the city’s stunning beaches constantly surprise and delight visitors.

Delicious Melbourne

I was in Melbourne this week for work. The city was considerably cooler than Sydney. Sydney’s forecast for today predicts a high of 31C, while Melbourne will only reach 15C. Melbourne’s climate encourages a lifestyle reminiscent of our time in London. The cooler weather encourages a more diverse wardrobe. Melbourne residents are better dressed and retailers sell a wider variety of fashions. The city’s laneways also encourage a wonderful café culture.

The food scene in Melbourne is superb. This week I enjoyed conveyor delivered sushi at Sakura Kaiten Sushi. The dishes on offer rivaled those of a far more up-market restaurant. The quality and variety was impressive; delicious sashimi, tasty Takoyaki and elegantly presented nigiri sushi combinations.

I also had dinner one night with the Group Finance Director at Cecconi’s Cantina, a cozy Italian restaurant on Flinder’s Lane. The ingredients are always fresh and seasonal. We enjoyed some wonderful fresh pasta and risotto before retiring for a cocktail at RU CO bar in the Grand Hyatt.

Finally, I caught up with a old friend for a glass of wine at the Script Bar.  We reminisced about life in Europe and our plans for the future while soaking up the casual cafe atomsphere that Melbourne does so well.