Archive for the ‘Hobart and Surrounds’ Category
Gourmet Food Tour: A Four-Hour Feast!
Make no mistake, this Gourmet Food Tour is about eating some fine Tasmanian produce. And not just samples; I mean full-on, meal-sized portions. In fact, when I sorted through the photos to write this article, I was a a bit shocked at the amount of food we’d consumed in one four-hour morning walk. But a stroll with Mary around Hobart includes so much more than just good food.
Gourmet Food Tour: Take a Walk Around Hobart with Mary
We met Mary McNeill (the founder of Hobart-based Gourmania Food Tours) at the start of the day outside the Tassal Salmon Shop in Salamanca. Mary has travelled extensively and has a wealth of experience in the hospitality industry. She studied Classic Pastry Arts at the prestigious French Culinary Institute in New York and went on to work as a pastry chef in the United States.
Mary, with her American husband, has since returned to Hobart to raise her young son and enjoy the lifestyle. And after some extensive international research, she established her gourmet food tour in 2011. As a proud, sixth-generation Tasmanian, Mary leads her guests around Hobart on a culinary journey that incorporates a great deal of local and historic knowledge.
Walking in Hobart, Gourmania Style
This gourmet food tour winds around the Hobart streets with Mary pointing out features along the way. While there’s a busy schedule of eating to maintain, the total walk covers only 3kms (so a fairly comfortable stroll by most standards). Mary is constantly calling ahead to the next venue, keeping everyone to the timetable. It’s such a great concept, walking in the door and having the allocated dish brought straight to you!
And what would a gourmet food tour be without the sampling of wines as well? That’s also covered in Mary’s gourmet food tour, with a visit to Hobart wine and beer retailer, Cool Wine. We were lucky to meet with co-owner and celebrated wine expert Tim Goddard, who shared his thoughts about the wine industry in Tasmania.
Tim is an interesting and amusing bloke! He’s travelled the world, and is clearly passionate about his role as a wine judge; but he’s not the least bit pretentious.
Mary McNeill: Mapping Out a Tasmanian Food Experience
Guests receive a map with each venue marked and a space for tasting notes. I didn’t take any notes! I was too busy enjoying the taste of the food and the sights of the city. But the map will come in handy when I want to visit those places again or recommend them to friends. Not all of them require a map, though. The gourmet food tour is a loop circuit starting and finishing at Salamanca, and you visit Constitution Dock for a bite of fish. What could be more “Hobart” than that?
The gourmet food tour is a great experience for new locals (like us); but for international tourists, even more so. Dominic Bates from the UK was also on our tour. Dominic is the editor of Walk Magazine, and was here on assignment courtesy of Tourism Tasmania’s Visiting Journalist Program.
We had great fun with him, stirring him mercilessly for sleeping in and missing the first half of the tour. He took it all on the chin in good spirit. And really, who could blame the poor man, after his hectic schedule of climbing Cradle Mountain and walking Maria Island? He can read about the delicious food he missed out on now, anyway!
At the end of the walk around Hobart, we returned to Salamanca. We did some cheese tasting at A Common Ground, and then took a seat at Smolt for a delicious warm salad with potatoes, beans, cauliflower, pine nuts and a really yummy dressing. A final coffee, and we were set to go home (to lay on the couch with our jeans undone!). This is one gourmet food tour that delivers on the promise of a journey of indulgent discovery and is well worth the ticket price.
Gavin and Tania were guests of Mary McNeill on the
Gourmania Food Tours Hobart City Tour. Tours run 9.30am–1.30pm,
Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays (except public holidays).
Other weekdays by arrangement and pending availability.
The City Tour costs $120 per person all inclusive.
If you like this article about Tasmania, and you’d like to read more, just subscribe to our newsletter or join us on Facebook. If you really like this article, and you want others to see it, you can choose one of the “share” options below. We’d love that!
Comments relevant to this article are also very welcome, just leave a reply below.
Map: Gourmet Food Tour, Hobart Tasmania…
Lakeview Cottage: Comfortable Heritage
In a recent article, I raised the issue of overpriced holiday accommodation being the cause of dwindling tourist numbers for Tasmania. Lakeview Cottage falls outside of this category. The convict-built sandstone cottage with a modern extension can be found on the edge of Oatlands and it is excellent value for money. In 2011 we paid $110 a night for two adults and for this we had the run of the house, most outbuildings and grounds.
Lakeview Cottage: Excellent Place to Stay in Oatlands
by Roger Findlay
On arrival, we collected the key from the Heritage Highway Visitor Centre adjacent to the Callington Mill. The staff at the Visitor Centre are very friendly and helpful, possessing customer service skills that so many lack.
After a two minute drive we arrived at the entrance to the grounds of what appeared to be a kind of Tasmanian history museum. The vast array of outbuildings and farm implements were in character with the sandstone cottage. It’s only when you go around the back that you see a modern extension that forms the family room, dining area and kitchen.
Before we had entered the cottage, a lady arrived to make sure we were comfortable and that the fire was blazing. She came each morning to check we had milk and firewood!
Modern Comforts in a Heritage Home
When Jeanette first sighted the modern kitchen I knew I had made the right choice. The impressive stainless steel curved island bench top and separate cook-top/range was more than adequate for my girl. In-floor heating and double glazing ensures that the lounge and dining area is comfortable on the cold, frosty mornings that Oatlands regularly receives.
The original sandstone cottage has one double and two single bedrooms but if you include the double in the sleep-out and four singles in the stable master’s quarters, Lakeview Cottage has the capacity for ten!
Experience: Convict-Built Sandstone Cottage
Sleeping in a sandstone bedroom is quite an experience. I had to stoop to pass through the doors and use a torch for the nightly toilet ritual. A visit to this bathroom is an experience in itself as the renovation has tastefully combined the use of sandstone with Colorbond linings.
Lake Dulverton can be seen from the garden and a ten minute walk will take you to the path around the lake. It takes about the same time to get onto the main street of Oatlands where there is more than enough to keep you occupied for a couple of days.
Touring Tasmania from the Heritage Highway
Oatlands makes an ideal base for touring the region. Hobart is only an hour away but Ross and Campbell Town are even closer. It’s even handy for day trips to Launceston in the north and the coastal town of Orford, along a back road, to the east coast.
For reasons of privacy, I have deliberately avoided including photos inside the cottage but there are images on the Lakeview Cottage page on the Heritage Highway Tasmania website. When you’re next considering Oatlands, why not consider convict-built sandstone accommodation… Lakeview Cottage? You’ll be in for a treat.
Roger Findlay spends all his holidays in Tasmania, then writes about the
experience for Think Tasmania. If you’d like Roger to visit you in the name of
research (so we can publish information about your business), please contact us.
If you like this article about Tasmania, and you’d like to read more, just subscribe to our newsletter or join us on Facebook. If you really like this article, and you want others to see it, you can choose one of the “share” options below. We’d love that!
Comments relevant to this article are also very welcome, just leave a reply below.
Map: Lakeview Cottage, Heritage Highway Tasmania…
Shutterbug: Walk About with Your Camera
I recently bought a new camera. Well, when I say that, what I mean is this: my husband stood smiling and nodding while the very nice man at Harvey Norman sold us a Canon E0S 60D for a price similar to the resale value of our car. That being the case, you’ll understand that I viewed the overcast sky with some trepidation, on the afternoon of my Shutterbug dusk to dark tour.
Shutterbug Walkabout
by Cassandra Wunsch
Roy, my Shutterbug walking-tour guide, was very understanding of my timidity and assured me that my brand new baby could take it. Being a complete amateur (even more so when compared to his 35+ years of experience) I deferred to his superior knowledge. Which turned out to be quite right, by the way.
For this article, I won’t try to reproduce the help and advice Roy and Coreena gave me on our three hour tour around the Hobart waterfront and up to Franklin Square (as I’d probably butcher it). From the Shutterbug class, one of the main things I’ve gained is the confidence to fiddle. I can’t break my camera by playing with the settings! And once they’re explained to you, the majority of a camera’s options are just ‘more’ or ‘less’ of each function. There’s nothing scary in there after all!
Dusk to Dark: Different Light Compensation
Walkabout: Stunning Hobart, Nibbles & Fairy Lights
After the first ten or fifteen minutes, the weather did calm down. We were rewarded for our perseverance with a landscape covered in delicate water droplets. I’d never done any kind of artistic shooting before, and it was also my first time using a tripod, but Roy kept everything comfortable and simple so I didn’t feel like a bumbler.
Experimenting with Light Filters
Half way through the evening, Coreena set up a lovely spread of nibbles to keep us going! Supper under the stars and fairy lights on the Salamanca lawns was lovely, and it gave me the opportunity to put some of my recent low light instruction to practical use.
Shutterbug: Taking Photography to a New Level
It should probably be known that I begged our commander-in-chief, the lovely Tania, for this assignment. I love photography. It’s an area where I have always felt like an impassioned but hopelessly inexperienced amateur. I’d highly recommend the Shutterbug experience for anyone with a bit of passion, who has maybe let their inexperience keep them from really grabbing their camera by the horns and making it give you the shots you want!
Roy and Coreena offer a very friendly, low pressure environment to stretch yourself, and all the guidance you need to take your photography to the next level!
Using a Tripod for Evening Photography
For more information visit the Shutterbug Walkabouts website or join Shutterbug Walkabouts Tasmania on Facebook. Contact Roy and Coreena on 6267 2952 or 0418 745 427. Cassandra was a guest on the dusk to dark photography tour in Hobart.
Cassandra Wunsch is a third-year journalism student at Open Universities
Australia. She lives in Hobart with her husband Florian and daughter Taliesin,
and would like to continue to write full-time when she graduates.
Her personal blog is www.10percentinspired.com
If you like this article about Tasmania, and you’d like to read more, just subscribe to our newsletter or join us on Facebook. If you really like this article, and you want others to see it, you can choose one of the “share” options below. We’d love that!
Comments relevant to this article are also very welcome, just leave a reply below.
Map: Shutterbug Dusk to Dark Tour, Hobart Tasmania…
Rivulet Cafe: South Hobart Sanctuary
Picture this: a café by a river in a quiet, bush-land setting. Plenty of parking; no fighting with traffic; modern facilities; fully fenced playground; great food & coffee. And service from the most welcoming, happy people. Well we’ve found it.
Rivulet Café: 64 Anglesea Street, South Hobart
by Jen Holdsworth
Word of mouth is a powerful tool and it’s thanks to this we found the wonderful Rivulet Café. Set at the bottom end of Anglesea Street in South Hobart (over the Hobart Rivulet, behind South Hobart Primary and Collegiate Junior Schools), it’s nestled into the hills that surround it. And it’s such a surprise! Drive over the bridge, turn the corner and there it is!
You first see a very modern building. Originally the 1960′s Boags beer factory, in July 2010 a group of dedicated volunteers purchased the building. They created a wonderful setting for C3 Church, and the Rivulet Café, and incorporated many of the original big steel beams and other features of the Boags Factory .
Something to Suit Every Taste
It’s an incredible facility with an auditorium that seats 900. It is used for corporate events and by local schools, and Exit Left use it for many of their productions. But for me, the main draw card is the Rivulet Café. It is perfectly relaxing. The atmosphere is light, warm and welcoming. The polished concrete floors and high ceilings add to the cleanest café environment I have seen.
The project has been a dream come true for the C3 community; to create a café open and available to everyone. Families, business people, bush-walkers (there are many walking tracks nearby) and the elderly are all made welcome. Individuals looking for some peace and quiet can just sit outside and take in the bush setting.
It’s a holistic experience, with beautiful, reasonably priced food and drinks. Behind the counter, Wendy is quick with a smile, very accommodating and always up for a good chat.
64 Anglesea Street South Hobart: Everyone Welcome
The playground is modern, clean and fully-fenced, suiting mums who want to relax while the children play. Inside there are even surfaces, wide open doors, and easy access for wheelchairs or customers with physical impairment.
It’s always nice to find such a gem for a wonderful coffee experience. The Rivulet Cafe is growing in popularity through word of mouth, like this! Hopefully you and your family manage to pop down to 64 Anglesea Street, South Hobart and enjoy a good morning tea, brunch, or afternoon tea. Served with passion, pride and a smile.
Jen Holdsworth works with two online businesses…
Hospital Healing Hampers ~ Quality Australian Healing Gifts
D’Entrecasteaux Soaps ~ Handmade Natural Tasmanian Products
She also writes the Holdsworth Chronicles.
If you like this article about Tasmania, and you’d like to read more, just subscribe to our newsletter or join us on Facebook. If you really like this article, and you want others to see it, you can choose one of the “share” options below. We’d love that!
Comments relevant to this article are also very welcome, just leave a reply below.
Map: Rivulet Cafe, South Hobart…
Waterfalls Tasmania: Leverett Photography
A Waterfall a Week – 52 Waterfalls is a current project by Cameron Blake
of Leverett Photography. You may have noticed the campaign on Facebook?
We’ve been following his progress with great interest, and Cameron has agreed
to share with us the idea behind the campaign and some of his stunning images.
A Waterfall A Week – 52 Waterfalls
by Cameron Blake
My wife and I recently moved to Hobart, Tasmania after many years of deliberation. Being a professional photographer I couldn’t think of a better place to set up camp to capture the natural beauty of Tasmania. Once I was settled, I decided to set myself a challenge for 2012; a challenge that will promote the wild beauty and mystery of the island.
The challenge I set myself is now named “A Waterfall a Week – 52 Waterfalls”. For every week of 2012 I will challenge myself to capture and promote 52 of the most wonderful waterfalls in Tasmania.
Leverett Photography: Waterfalls Around Hobart
The weeks started off with some nice summer weather throughout the Hobart area. I decided that to capture a waterfall a week, it was best if I started off close to home. Capturing the Hobart area is simply amazing and easily completed. Hobart has so many beauties hidden right on her doorstep with numerous waterfalls within a short drive or walk.
Cameron Blake Shares Some Secret Waterfalls!
Some of the 52 waterfalls are the usual tourist favorites; but I have managed to come across some of the lesser-known falls. I love to hike and get out into the wilderness and this challenge is surely helping me feel like a local around the southern Tasmanian wilderness. To date I am confident that I will find the 52 waterfalls and complete a waterfall a week.
You can follow Leverett Photography on Facebook or Twitter.
They also have a website with a page dedicated to Tasmanian photography.
You can contact Cameron Blake on 0413 487 644
If you like this article about Tasmania, and you’d like to read more, just subscribe to our newsletter or join us on Facebook. If you really like this article, and you want others to see it, you can choose one of the “share” options below. We’d love that!
Comments relevant to this article are also very welcome, just leave a reply below.
Map: Hobart, Tasmania…
Mountain River Yoghurt: Very, Very Good…
Mountain River Yoghurt: Naturally Delicious!
by Jen Holdsworth
I love and enjoy supporting talented Tasmanian creators. Let me tell you, Barbara Pippos from Mountain River Yoghurt is one of those creative souls. I had the privilege of meeting her on behalf of the team at Think Tasmania, and now I’m happy to share her story.
From Hobart to the Huon Valley
I awoke to a beautiful Tasmanian day. With the recent showers, the air was fresh and crisp. I added an extra layer of clothing, collected my camera and bought a coffee (from a divine coffee shop, but that’s a story for another day!). With coffee in hand, I began the pleasant journey down the Huon Valley Highway, to meet the creator of Mountain River Yoghurt.
The colours on this journey were amazing due to the rains. Aqua from the Tasmanian Black Wattles and crisp shades of green from the gum trees. I even opened the car window to absorb the sensory freshness of good Tasmanian air!
Coming up over Vinces Saddle, the descent begins into the magical Huon Valley. The Huon Valley Council region is Australia’s most southern government council. Approaching the Grove Shop, I had to veer right. Winding my way along a gorgeous road, I was among green paddocks and cows, and the stunning mountain scenery of Sleeping Beauty. The back of Mt Wellington was peaking through drifts of mystical mist. Driving through Crabtree, approaching Mountain River, I found myself side-tracked by the beauty of the river and stopped to take some photos. And take in a lung-full of fresh Huon air!
Welcome to Mountain River Yoghurt
At my destination, there was a stunning home nestled into the hillside. It blended beautifully with the surrounding bush. I was greeted by Ria, a nine week old Jack Russell, who is the unofficial mascot of Mountain River Yoghurt. Barbara Pippos was close behind Ria, and I felt welcome immediately.
Barbara glows with pride when sharing her story, her love of the Huon Valley and her slice of paradise. We sat down to a cuppa and freshly baked cafoutis made with local raspberries. Our conversation just flowed naturally.
A New Home, A New Beginning
The Mountain River Yoghurt story began seven years ago, when Barbara moved to Tasmania from South Australia with her husband. They were based at Mount Nelson while searching for a place to call home. Being of Spanish and Italian background, Barbara has always had culinary talent and a strong desire to cook. Preserving and creating food to share with family and friends is her love and passion. Obviously one requirement when choosing a new home then, was readily available and accessible local produce. Mountain River was to be that home.
It’s such an inspirational place to make yoghurt, with so much fresh food around. As well as vast green pastures, natural running water and beautiful bush land, more importantly there’s also a sense of community and a wonderful lifestyle. Barbara is a very talented lady. She speaks three languages and has a background helping migrants settle into Australia. She truly appreciates what it means to be part of a supportive environment. This, along with her natural vibrancy and love of all things Tasmanian, is reflected in the taste of her beautiful yoghurts.
Happy Cows, Happy Customers!
Now… about the yoghurts! They are created in small batches, because there is a true science to making them beautiful. A natural flavor and a slightly sweetened yoghurt are used as the base, made with cow’s milk from local producers. I met some of the local cows on the journey down to Mountain River, and let me assure you they look like very happy cows!
Happy cows equals happy milk, which in turn equals beautiful, creamy yoghurt (and hence happy customers!) All the fruit and honey is locally sourced and while the milk they use at the moment is Tasmanian, they are waiting for Huon Valley Milk to be up and running (and then the milk really will be local… from Cygnet). Once a new plant is up and running in Smithton, they will be able to source skim milk powder from Tasmania. “I believe in supporting as many local people and businesses as possible. That’s what living in a gorgeous place like Tasmania is all about” Barbara Pippos says with true pride.
Traditional Natural Yoghurt
Mountain River Yoghurt is sold in a traditional form in medium and large sizes, with the flavours and toppings in a separate container. The base yoghurt then has a longer fridge life and reduces waste. Just use as needed. I can guarantee however, that I won’t be wasting anything! The toppings are…
- Crunchy Nut Crumble
- Mixed Berries
- Cherry & Vanilla
- Honey
- Spiced Apples
You mix the topping into the yoghurt as required. And in one word, the taste is YUMMO! Not the most technical gastronomical word to use, but a very honest description for good, honest, healthy yoghurt.
Barbara loves the fact that each batch of yoghurt is hand created with true love and fresh produce, which makes Mountain River Yoghurt unique and delightful to eat. The Pippos family has true spirit, and they are inspired each day by their piece of paradise. Tadpole hunting, echidnas at the front door… what a great place to raise a family. And to create yoghurt!
How to Find Barbara Pippos
The yoghurt is sold at the Farm Gate Market in Melville Street each Sunday; and through word of mouth (which as we know is the best form of sale). They also have a Mountain River Yoghurt Facebook page. And stay tuned as a website is currently being created. Barbara Pippos can be contacted by phone or email anytime. You will find her friendly, welcoming and full of knowledge about food, and happy to discuss her yoghurts anytime.
We should all thank Barbara Pippos and her family for choosing Tasmania as the place to come and create Mountain River Yoghurt. And for the record, my favourite is the crumble topping with the natural yoghurt. It’s good. Very, very good.
Jen Holdsworth owns two online businesses…
Hospital Healing Hampers ~ Quality Australian Healing Gifts
D’Entrecasteaux Soaps ~ Handmade Natural Tasmanian Products
If you like this article about Tasmania, and you’d like to read more, just subscribe to our newsletter or join us on Facebook. If you really like this article, and you want others to see it, you can choose one of the “share” options below. We’d love that!
Comments relevant to this article are also very welcome, just leave a reply below.
Map: Mountain River Yoghurt, Tasmania…
Hot Weather in Hobart… Really?
Hot Weather Not On The Menu
by Roger Findlay
I’ve never met Tania Horne (the editor of Think Tasmania) in person, but I imagine her as being a fair-skinned person who prefers to keep out of the sun. I came close to the reality a few weeks ago when Tania told me how much she hated the sweltering hot weather that Hobart served up. Jeanette and I also detest the hot days that we get here in Gregory West (close to Albury).
This year however, the summer hardly started and now we’re enjoying the cool rainy days. As we prepare for a future move, the weather in Tasmania has been a major consideration. It may surprise you that the region around Devonport, Ulverstone, Penguin and Burnie has come out on top, with the east coast a close second.
Hot Weather: Temperature Facts in Tasmania
On the day that Hobart recorded a maximum of 39C, Burnie was 14C lower at 25C. The following day Burnie heated up to 28C while Hobart cooled to 36C. For both cities, this hot weather is infrequent and uncharacteristic. I experienced a very hot New Years Eve in Hobart a few years back and the resulting storm that bettered the fireworks display!
From research, I found that the highest temperature recorded for Burnie since formal records began was 33.8C on January 31, 2009; but the normal high would be around 24C. I also noted that the average maximum and minimum temperatures for the winter months vary by 6C and are warmer than Gerogery West!
Now… I know you’re going to tell me about the short daylight hours, wind and rain but at least I won’t need the “Typical Pom” knotted handkerchief on summer days!
Roger Findlay is our travel writer. Literally! He spends all his
holidays in Tasmania, then writes about the experience for Think Tasmania.
If you’d like Roger to visit you in the name of research
(so we can publish information about your business), please contact us.
If you like this article about Tasmania, and you’d like to read more, just subscribe to our newsletter or join us on Facebook. If you really like this article, and you want others to see it, you can choose one of the “share” options below. We’d love that!
Comments relevant to this article are also very welcome, just leave a reply below.
Map: North West Coast Tasmania…


















































