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Published: January 8th 2012
Heimat House Frau
She welcomed you to the outdoor kitchen or the feld kueche.On Boxing Day the adventure continued as we hopped a plane bound for Tasmania. We fell in love with this island paradise, perhaps because it reminded us so much of home. Tasmania is located 240 KM south of mainland Australia. The climate is cooler and the landscape is similar to British Columbia. There are placid beaches and lakes, rugged coastlines, hills, farmland and wine country. This island feels sacred!
We landed in Launceston mid-day, hopped into our rental car and headed south for Hobart and area. We arrived at our next home away from home, Heimat Chalets (
http://www.heimatchalets.com) in New Norfolk. Another gem! A lovely little two-bedroom chalet on a farm, we shared the landscape with alpaca’s, sheep, goats, chickens, a yappy dog and friendly cat. The rolling hills felt like we had stepped into the black forest, so Lucas certainly felt at home. (Heimat happens to mean my hometown in German) It proved to be the perfect location to call home while we explored southern Tasmania.
The next day we set out to explore the Huon Trail just south of Hobart. The area is known for its waterways, wilderness, food
and wine. The waterways were everywhere as we enjoyed a drive along the coastline. We experienced the food and wine when we stopped for lunch at Grandvewe Cheesery (
http://www.grandvewe.com.au/cheesery) and enjoyed a lovely glass of Riesling and charcuterie platter that featured their amazing sheep cheese. All of this served on a deck overlooking beautiful pastures. All along the road we found local produce stands that offered fresh local berries, apples and pinkeye potatoes. Delicious! Just like summer on Vancouver Island.
The wilderness part of this adventure proved a little more challenging. We decided to try a short “bush walk” (hike in Canadian) and tried following the map to the trailhead. Tried – being the operative word here. After what seemed like an hour driving uphill on a narrow gravel road, we turned back. It felt a little better when the local tourism representative told us the even seasoned local bush walkers can’t find the trailhead either.
Day two of our adventure took us to the former penal colony of Port Arthur where we toured the original prison site. It is a beautiful location with a difficult history. Next stop was
a trip on Tasman Island Cruises. This three-hour cruise took us along the coastline of Tasmania where we saw massive rock walls, sea caves, sea waterfalls, and tons of wildlife. The highlight of the cruise was meeting up with the two lead yachts for the renown Sydney to Hobart yacht race as they turned the corner into Storm Bay and the final leg of this 1170 KM event. Our guide and captain noticed the sails off in the distance and asked our permission to head out to meet up with them. So off we went head on into 3 to 5 meter swells until we came up along side of one of the yachts. What a thrill to ride along with and watch these massive sailboats maneuver rough seas at an amazing clip. We will never forget that moment! The only thing that could make it better would be to be in Hobart Harbour when the yachts came in! You guessed it! We were there!
We fell in love with Hobart! It could be our timing, but this is a vibrant, warm and beautiful city. After watching the first two yachts come in we headed
over to the Taste of Tasmania Food and Wine Festival. Here we tasted local Tassie wines (amazing whites) and delicious uniquely Tassie delectables. (Salmon sausage and roast quail) We also spent a few hours wandering the Salamanca Market. Set right on the water, the market is home to interesting eating establishments, boutiques and locals artisans. The most memorable part of our time in Hobart was the people. We ate dinner with a lovely Hobart family who pointed us the direction of good food and wine. We enjoyed the race finish with an American couple, currently living in Brisbane, Scott and Colleen and laughed with a joyful Melbournian lad, who spent last year working at a Big White ski resort in BC,
After three days in the south it was time to head back to Launceston and I have to admit it was hard to leave. I am glad to report that Launceston didn’t disappoint either. Launceston, located in Northern Tasmania on the Tamar River; the city is quaint and quiet. Our first day in Launceston, we explored the Cataract Gorge, a bit of wilderness located in the centre of this lovely town. We walked the
trail into the gorge high above the river below, while locals swam in pristine swimming holes, river kayaked and cliff jumped into the river. Magnificent! At the head of it all is a beautiful local park with a swimming pool, restaurant, suspension bridge and cable chair. This was definitely the jewel of Launceston.
Day two, we headed up the river to Tamar Valley wine country. It was New Years Eve day, so we were on the lookout for the perfect bottle of bubbly to bring in the new-year. As it turns out we were in the right place. The best bubbly that Australia has to offer is made here at Bay of Fires Winery (Another Daniel recommendation and known for Arras Sparkling Wine) this is also Pinot Noir country and we were not disappointed. Again for those of you looking for recommendations, in addition to Bay of Fires, try Jansz (great sparkling wine and tips on where to go in Singapore), Pipers Brook Vineyards (offers a self-drive tour of the vineyards), Sinapius Vineyard (A small boutique vineyard specializing in handcrafted single-vineyard pinot noir, Riesling and Chardonnay), and Delamere (another boutique winery and home of Fran
– resident wine expert and often times judge at Australian wine shows).
After a day of tasting it was time to head back, snooze and ready ourselves for New Years Eve! The evening began with a dinner out. The food was adequate, but the company was great! We had each other! That was about to change. We headed down to the city park where Launceston was celebrating the New Year. Located on the rivers edge, the event offered three live bands, food, local wines and fireworks. Over 5000 attended the event. There were families, seniors and everything in between. It was a blast. We met an American couple, Andrea and Joel and toasted the New Year with them! Andrea is a doctor working in Tasmania on a special work visa. They both had nothing but wonderful things to say about the locals. “They are a hardy bunch!” commented Andrea. “Never sick, and when they are, they tough it out!” They are a warm and friendly people, trusting and family oriented. As we sat together watching the crowd, children playing, couples dancing and not one person out of hand…. Andrea and I both wondered at the
miracle that brought us both to that moment shared. We were two women from the same continent, but worlds apart, bringing in 2012 on the other side of the planet. There we sat in the middle of these warm and vibrant people as one. Again I noted that the only thing that separates any of us, at any moment is a thought, a belief, or a blink of the eye.
Blink! Next stop Singapore. Happy New Year ONE and ALL!
Love Lucas and Cheryl
Make sure to scroll to the bottom for more pictures.
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Phylllis
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The World
You drunken guys seem to be having the most fantastic life. Enjoy and keep us apprised of what you are doing - so fascinating. My family around the world!