Archive for the ‘North West Coast’ Category

Delish Fine Foods is a delicatessen and cafe in Wivenhoe, a suburb of Burnie in the north west of Tasmania.  We stayed in the region during the Burnie International earlier in the year, and heard Delish did a respectable gourmet breakfast.  So of course, we had to find out for ourselves if that was true.  Turns out, we can confidently recommend the place to you, because the breakfast was first class.

Delish Fine Foods is part of a small shopping strip in Wivenhoe (east Burnie)

Delish Fine Foods Indeed!

Getting back to my childhood and memories of Dr Seuss books, I ordered the Green Eggs and Ham.  I don’t think it would be overstating things to say these were the best scrambled eggs I’ve ever eaten.  Soft and creamy, and combined with pesto (hence the green), they were served with freshly baked bread and a balsamic dressing.  Two things I’d like to point out though: they tasted much better than my photo makes them look; and the serve was very generous.

Gavin ordered Panini with fried eggs, Wursthaus bacon and bell pepper relish, and was equally impressed.  One of the crash test dummies decided to order lasagna and salad.  Yes, I know I said breakfast, but this junior likes to rise much earlier than the rest of us and eat straight away.  So for him, it probably was almost lunch time!  Whatever the meal, he was pretty happy with his choice.  He wasn’t all that keen to share a taste-test of the pasta, but the salad he was quite generous with!  The dressing (again) was perfect.

Gourmet breakfast (and lunch for some!) from Delish Fine Foods in Burnie

Wivenhoe Burnie: All the Essentials

Delish Fine Foods is on the main road, driving into Burnie from the coastal town of Penguin (a lovely place about 15kms to the east).  The cafe is located in a small shopping strip in Wivenhoe with a bakery and fish n chip shop… and maybe even a butcher?  Yes, definitely a butcher, with a fruit and veg shop nearby too.

They have a good view out to Bass Strait and towards the Burnie port, where cruise ship The Volendam was parked for the day.  Its passengers were visiting some of the attractions around the area, including Wings Wildlife Park and we snapped a photo to share on Facebook with Megan and Tracey Wing.

The Volendam cruise ship docked in Burnie in the north west of Tasmania

The staff were friendly and efficient; some were busy preparing platters to go off-site with cheese, deli meats and crackers.  We found out later those very platters were bound for the corporates at the Burnie International.  Lucky devils!  But anyone can enjoy a take-away culinary experience from the Delish Fine Foods delicatessen.  They have a substantial providore with a selection including local and imported cheeses, small-goods, chocolates, sweets, preserves, spices and pasta.

Delish Fine Foods: providore, cafe and delicatessen all rolled into one

And for those of you hanging on my every word, waiting for the verdict on the coffee…  our official caffeine junkie proclaimed the Jasper coffee from Delish Fine Foods would rate among the best in Tasmania.  Geez, we’ve given them a big wrap, haven’t we?  Yes we have, and we’ll definitely be making our way back there on our next trip to the north west coast in June.

The Burnie Farmers Market is also in Wivenhoe every second Saturday,
but that’s a story for another day.  Access to the market is from
Anglesea Street, just around the corner from the Delish Fine Foods
shopping centre. So if you play your cards right, you could combine
the two; have a really big day and eat and drink your way around Burnie!

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Map: Delish Fine Foods, Wivenhoe Tasmania…

Walking down the main street of Sheffield towards the pub, we came across a visually run-down building with dirty, smeared windows.  Peering through the panes, I had discovered an engineering treasure I will never forget.

Sheffield region of Tasmania: these days missing one former engineering treasure

Engineering: Treasure Lost in Tasmania

by Roger Findlay

Looking out from the other side of the window was a life size, shiny metal kangaroo holding a stubby of beer.  I marvelled at this feat of modern day engineering and wanted to see more.  The one-time shop was closed but the sign told me it would be open at 9am the next day.

We got there a bit later than that and the greeter was sitting in a rocking chair busily knitting.  Mark Wasley never did tell us whether he was a local but, to this day, I’m sure he was the right guy for our daughter Carly.  He was a smashing bloke with the temperament of a Labrador.  In a dashing tweed jacket he was handsomely bearded, intelligent, interesting and, more interestingly, he was a knitter!  (What more could I want in a son-in-law?)  On cold nights the loving couple could sit by the open fire sharing a hot chocolate and singing chorus’s while knitting in harmony for their soon-to-be child.

Mechanical Engineering: Pneumatics & Mechatronics

For all of my working life, I’ve been involved in mechanical engineering and I’ve a good understanding of the expense involved in the manufacture of the working models inside the dingy building.  Having recently been to MONA, I see them in a class way above some of the similar exhibits I saw there.

Briefly, all of the robotic working models were controlled by compressed air.  Pneumatics is the technical term for this field of engineering.  Mechatronics is the term used for mechanical and electrical systems that control motions such as pushing, pulling, rotating and gripping.  If you’ve ever seen The Terminator you’ll know what I mean.

The Terminator, part of the Tiger's Tale show in Sheffield, is now extinct

Apart from the beer drinking kangaroo, talking cockatoo and six-foot tall Terminator, there was a ten minute show.  But first I had to feed coins into a slot to see the models perform.  As The Terminator went through his routine, I was listening to the pneumatics opening and closing valves and exhausting without fail.  I envisaged countless hours of milling, turning, drilling, fitting and polishing to achieve the end result.

The coin-fed robotic cockatoo, one of the stars of the former attraction in Sheffield

The Tiger’s Tale: History in Sheffield

As I was feeding my last coin into the Cockie’s cage, I glimpsed Mark the knitter preparing for the remote controlled Tiger’s Tale.  Along with a few others, we were ushered up the stairs into a small, dark theatre and onto the stalls.  We didn’t know what to expect as a life-like person sat above us with a large TV camera. Was he real?

Catching the Tiger's Tale on film: engineering a quirky show in Sheffield

The props portrayed a farm yard with a dog kennel, chook house and dunny.  Apart from the sound effects and the lights, everything else in the show was controlled by pneumatics.  As far as I can remember, the farmer was trying to shoot the Tasmanian Tiger that continually stole his chooks, but that hardly matters.

Former tourist attraction in Sheffield Tasmania: the Tiger's Tale show

We were in stitches when the farmer sat on the dunny and from behind the door his pants lowered to the ground.  All the time, the camera man was filming away and all the time the pneumatics performed the actions.  The show ended dramatically with the Tassie Tiger getting his chook and the farmer ever frustrated.

The Tiger's Tale: an engineering attraction lost to the town of Sheffield in Tasmania

The knitter was no engineering expert.  Someone else owned the models.  All the knitter had to do was cue the show and press the start button.  In the unlikely event of the air mechanisms failing, the show could not go on.  Perhaps the expert lived a few doors away where the glass marble shop is now.

World of Marbles contemporary art gallery: main street, Sheffield

The Sheffield Region Survives… but the Tiger’s Tale Does Not

We went back to Sheffield a few years later.  The murals and views of Mount Roland were as good as ever but the robot show had gone.  I’m not one for change and found it hard to accept everyday bric-a-brac as a replacement.  I could understand the departure, but a unique display like this would rake in a fortune in the major cities.  I would estimate the cost of the models to be in excess of $0.5m but you couldn’t put a price on the one that got away.  Knit a row, pearl a row……..

These days, tourists to Sheffield in Tasmania can enjoy the fabulous murals

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.

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Map: Sheffield, Tasmania…

We spent a day in Burnie in the north west of Tasmania without any commitments.  No appointments, no visits scheduled, no time restraints.  That doesn’t happen very often.  We were free to do whatever we wanted, whenever we wanted.  Naturally, I had my camera with me the whole time, because I’d be lost without it.  So I thought I’d share some of my images from that one free day in Burnie.

The water features on the beachfront in Burnie... an octopus or an alien?

A “Spare” Day in Burnie

We arrived before the start of the Burnie International tennis tournament and settled into our lovely apartment.  After a quick trip to the nearby supermarket, we had the self-contained kitchen stocked with supplies; enough to last a few days at least.  So we went out to explore.

On our first day in Burnie, we checked into our lovely self-contained accommodation

We walked…

• via the cinema to collect the week’s movie schedule

We spent some of our free day in Burnie at the Metro Cinema checking out the movies

• then along the board walk on the beach, where plenty
  of people were enjoying the sunshine and swimming

Taking a relaxing stroll along the beach boardwalk during our spare day in Burnie

• and on further to the Burnie Makers Workshop.

A day in Burnie wouldn't be complete without a visit to the Makers Workshop

We spent quite a lot of time at the Makers Workshop actually.  We collected brochures from the tourist information section, and watched ladies making cards in the Creative Paper area.  The kids marvelled at the mammoth digger.

The extremely large piece of machinery on display in the Makers Workshop in Burnie

Of course, after our walk we thought we’d earned some light refreshments, so we bought hot chocolates and drank in the view of Bass Strait from the coffee shop.  Then we spent even more time browsing through the gift shop admiring all the Tasmanian-made creations.

Scarves from the gift shop at the Makers Workshop in Burnie, Tasmania

From there, we wandered into the central shopping district, which was also quite busy.  We’ve read many reports of the economic woes of the north west of the state, and we expected to see empty shop fronts and little activity; but that was definitely not the case.  It was possibly a distorted impression though, because passengers from The Volendam cruise ship were also spending the day in Burnie.

You could spend the whole day in Burnie in the CBD. There's plenty of shops to choose from

Before heading back to our apartment, the kids decided to take a dip in the ocean.  The cruise ship was just leaving the Burnie port and sailing off into the sunset, possibly bound for the east coast enroute to Hobart.

A dip at the city beach in Burnie as the cruise ship heads out into Bass Strait

Members from the Surf Life Saving Club were vigorously training at the beach, and provided some extra entertainment!!

The local surf life saving club goes through their paces in Burnie Tasmania

We finished our first day in Burnie buying seafood from Fish Frenzy located right on the beach.  The food was hot, fresh and tasty and despite the cafe being crowded, we were served a feast in lightning fast time.

A great way to finish our spare day in Burnie, with dinner from Fish Frenzy

And that’s how we spent our free day in Burnie!

Hopefully that has answered the question:
“how does Think Tasmania manage to publish so much content?”
We have a great team of contributors, and we just can’t help ourselves!
We see interest and beauty all around us in Tasmania.
Even at times like this… our “free” day in Burnie.

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Map: A Day in Burnie Tasmania…

Last night I was invited to view and listen to a rehearsal for the Latrobe Federal Band.  This year they celebrate 140 years, and I was overwhelmed firstly with the quality of the music, and secondly with the family history embedded in this band.

The Latrobe Federal Band is celebrating 140 years in 2012

Latrobe Federal Band

by Lorraine McNeair

The Latrobe Federal Band was formed in 1872 by Captain McNee with twelve players, and the money for the instruments and uniforms was raised by bazaars and various other money-raising functions.  There are still connections in the present band which go back to that original twelve musicians.  Some of the surnames mentioned being involved are Coventrys, Perkins, Clarkes and Hicks.

I talked last night to a young school girl who is the fourth generation to play with the brass band. The president (Kem Perkins) is the third generation to serve in this position and has been president continuously for forty-five years. The Latrobe Band is the oldest, continuously functioning brass band in Australia. It continued to function, with great dedication, throughout the Depression and two world wars, though dwindling to only nine musicians.

On Easter Sunday of this year the brass band will play at St. Luke’s Church Service, beginning at 10.30pm before the service begins, and again during the service.  Later in the year, on the 9th and 10th November, there will be a band reunion, concert and dinner, at which Vivien Martin, a past Musical Director, will be Guest Conductor.

Xiao Xia Jiang: Musical Director

The present Musical Director is Xiao Xia Jiang, and last night I was highly impressed with her high expertise and energy.  She is also a very accomplished opera singer, and I look forward to an opportunity to hear her perform.  In 1979 the Latrobe Federal Band toured the United Kingdom, and was asked by the BBC to play a moving rendition of Amazing Grace in honour of Lord Louis Mountbatten who was assassinated whilst the brass band was there.

Xiao Xia Jiang, Muscial Director of the Latrobe Federal Band in Tasmania

Of special mention should be that of the late Lou Coventry, who was heavily involved with the Latrobe Federal Band from 1899 when he joined as a boy.  He was Bandmaster from 1919 until 1965 when he retired at 76 years of age because of ill-health.  He is so revered that the bandrooms, which were developed in the late 1970′s with a grant from the local council, are named after him.  What a fantastic memorial to a great man and musician.  It is said that he conducted the band with one hand whilst playing an instrument with the other!

The beat goes on... and on and on! The Latrobe Federal Band has a bright future.

Latrobe Federal Band: A Bright Future

The future looks bright too, with the best Junior Band program in the State.  They have a wonderful Junior Band Room, which was developed with generous sponsorship from various organisations.

If you are near the north west coast of Tasmania at Easter (or at any time), and see that the Latrobe Federal Band is playing, be sure to go along and listen to wonderful renditions of music to delight any heart.

Lorraine McNeair is a volunteer with the Latrobe Information Centre.
She is a writer, photographer and artist, and is passionate about
sharing all the interesting things she knows about Tasmania.

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Map: Latrobe Tasmania…

Hubby and I operate our farm on organic principles.  So we thought we’d pop along to the Organic and Sustainable Living Festival at Penguin and have a look.

Michelle visits the Organic and Sustainable Living Festival in Penguin, Tasmania

Organic and Sustainable Living Festival

by Michelle Kneipp Pegler

The Festival is held annually in the pretty and calm surrounds of the Penguin Sustainable Living Centre -North West Environment Centre.  During the festival the area is dotted with numerous stalls and exhibitors selling, demonstrating and discussing all things organic and sustainable.  There were also a number of stalls selling a variety of tasty food.

Stalls selling a variety of organically grown foods at the Sustainable Living Festival in Penguin

One of the highlights of the day was listening to the guest speakers as they passed on their particular skills and knowledge.  This year’s speakers were Tino Carnevale (from the ABC’s Gardening Australia program) and Linda Cockburn (author of Living The Good Life). Past speakers have included other interesting and well-known people:

• Gourmet Farmer Matthew Evans
• Costa Georgiadis from SBS’s Costa’s Garden Odyssey
• Organic Gardener journalist and poultry enthusiast Paul Healey
• Tasmanian permaculture guru Bill Mollison

Penguin Sustainable Living Ctre/Nth West Environment Ctre

It was great to see so many people with a shared interest in growing and producing their own fruit and vegetables together in one place.  The Organic and Sustainable Living Festival provides an opportunity to meet and share and also gain more understanding of organic practices.  The Penguin Sustainable Living Centre – North West Environment Centre regularly hold workshops and gatherings and they always welcome new members and volunteers.

Growing organic fruit and vegetables in the north west coast of Tasmania

They have completed many successful projects and have a number of ongoing ones including Produce To The People, which involves collecting excess fruit and vegetables from backyard gardens and farms and giving it to people in need.  The produce is donated to agencies such as The Salvation Army and St Vincent de Paul.

People with an interest in sustainable living gather in the north west of Tasmania

If you like to gather with like-minded people with a common interest in the connection between the environment and each other, then the Organic and Sustainable Living Festival is a date to mark on your calendar.

Michelle Kneipp Pegler writes a blog called Leven River Farm
as well as articles like this about the north west coast of Tasmania.
If you’d like Michelle to visit you, please contact Think Tasmania.

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Map: Organic & Sustainable Living Festival, Penguin…

Tasmania is a great place to see Little Penguins (or Fairy Penguins as they are also known).  If you’re in the north west region of Tassie, an easy-to-get-to and excellent spot to see these cute little critters is the Lillico Beach Conservation Area, 10 minutes west of Devonport on the Bass Highway.

Little Penguins are also called Fairy Penguins (Photo by Dan Fellow)

Little Penguins at Lillico Beach

by Michelle Kneipp Pegler

This shrubby coastal strip of land is home to a colony of delightful Little Penguins.  They enchant visitors every breeding season (September to May) and during the summer months (mid December to mid February).  Local volunteers and Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife rangers are on site during this time.

The Friends of Lillico Penguins also offer a free guiding interpretation service all through the breeding season.  The reserve is only 2.5kms long with a total area of 14 hectares.  Lillico Beach, which is an important wildlife corridor for the area, is made up of sand and attractive, evenly polished stones known as shingle.

Little Penguins can be seen at Lillico Beach in the north west of Tasmania

Information about the habitat of the Little Penguins is provided at Lillico Beach

There’s a first-rate viewing platform and walkway arrangement in place, which makes it easy to watch the Little Penguins as they return to their burrows each evening after a day’s search for food in the beautiful waters of Bass Strait.  These penguins are around 30cms in height and weigh in at just a kilo.  They are the world’s smallest breed of penguin and have been known to dive down to 57 metres for their food.

Viewing platforms at Lillico Beach allow visitors to observe the Little Penguins

How to Behave Around Fairy Penguins

There’s a few “dos” and “don’ts” if you are coming to view the Little Penguins of an evening.  Firstly, penguins use visual cues to make their way back to the burrows, which means they can become easily lost and confused by light and noise.  Visitors are asked to stay on the platform; remain quiet and still; wear dark clothing and refrain from using camera flash or any white light torches.

During the right times, visitors to Lillico Beach Tasmania can see Little Penguins

Definitely do not approach or touch the penguins or walk through their colony.  That would be very traumatic for them and could damage the burrow areas, preventing the adults from getting to their hungry offspring.

Fairy Penguins will return from Bass Strait to their burrows to feed their young

As the penguins can easily see movement (especially if you are outlined against the sky) you should not walk along the beach to get to the viewing spot.  A torch with red cellophane over the light source is acceptable.  Digital cameras without a flash and video cameras without a spotlight can be used.

Lillico Beach is along the Bass Highway from Devonport in north west Tasmania

Lillico Beach Conservation Area is a very well established and maintained area to view these Little Penguins, and we are lucky to have them here in Tasmania.  This is a lovely experience to take with you from this part of the north west coast.

Little Penguins: adorable Tasmanian wildlife will captivate tourists (Photo by Dan Fellow)

Penguins in Tasmania

Penguins can be found almost anywhere around Tasmanian coastlines.  Some other interesting places you can see Little Penguins in Tasmania are:

• the aptly named town of Penguin where they come ashore near
  the main town area (there’s also the Penguin Point Fairy Penguin Tour
  run nightly from September to March)
• at Burnie in the early evening on many of the beaches and at the
  Little Penguin Observation Centre on Parsonage Point at the western
  end of west beach (where Friends of the Burnie Penguins hold free
  interpretive tours for visitors from September to March)
• near the town of Port Sorell you can frequently see them hurrying
  up the beach
• at Low Head near George Town where nightly tours are taken from the
  Coastal Reserve
• at Stanley I’ve often seen penguins in the day swimming around where
  the fishing boats are moored
• Bicheno Penguin Tours have the biggest nightly penguin tour in Tasmania.
  It runs all year but penguin numbers are more reliable during the breeding
  season
• Bruny Island penguins are common along the isthmus beach where
  North and South Bruny meet
• at Strahan on the west coast you can take the Bonnet Island Experience
  Tour or discover them yourself if you take a trip at dusk to the southern
  end of Ocean Beach

Little Penguins can be seen in the town of... Penguin!! (Photo by Dan Fellow)

Michelle Kneipp Pegler writes a blog called Leven River Farm
as well as articles like this about the north west coast of Tasmania.
If you’d like Michelle to visit you, please contact Think Tasmania.

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: Little Penguins at Lillico Beach, Tasmania…

Gunns Plains Caves: Discover the Magic

by Michelle Kneipp Pegler

There’s a hidden gem below the scenic valley of Gunns Plains, that’s been attracting visitors for many years.  It’s the Gunns Plains Caves and it was one of the earliest cave reserves in Tasmania being proclaimed a state reserve in 1918.  You’ll find these magical caves 25km south of Ulverstone in Tasmania’s beautiful north west.

Discover the magic of the Gunns Plains Caves in the north west of Tasmania

Cave Tour: A Glowing Endorsement

Gunns Plains Caves are renowned for their outstanding cave formations including calcite shawls and flowstones.  You can also see a lovely display of glow-worms.  An underground river that still flows formed these limestone caves and it’s a nice accompanying sound as you ramble along the walkways.  You may even catch a glimpse of Tasmanian wildlife:  a giant fresh-water crayfish, eel or even a platypus.

The limestone caves include an underground river and glow worms

Discover the magic of Gunns Plains Caves, hidden underground in north west Tasmania

Arriving at the caves reserve you will find a picnic area with barbeque facilities, tables and car parking area.  It’s a short 30-metre walk down into the cave entrance, where you will be greeted at the office by the delightful Trish and Geoff who run the caves.  These guys sure know how to give an informative, memorable and fun cave tour!

Take a cave tour with Trish and Geoff and discover the underground magic of Gunns Plains

At the start of the tour there are 54 concrete steps to descend to get down onto the floor of the caves.  From then on there are a series of very well-maintained, well-lit walkways with railings.  The walkways crisscross through the caves and include a ten-rung, ladder-style set of steps.  Wearing comfortable shoes is highly recommended; and the caves are always a pleasant 11 degrees Celsius.

Well-maintained walkways criss cross through the stunning Gunns Plains Caves

Striking Gold… and Silver!

The formations in this cave are breathtaking.  They include one of the worlds largest ribbon stalactites, an amazing multi-tiered formation of silver-speckled calcite crystals, known as the Wedding Cake.  There’s also a beautiful flowstone nicknamed the Golden Fleece.

The Wedding Cake, one of the stunning formations in the Gunns Plains Caves

You will discover the names of other interesting formations while on the cave tour.  This is the second time I’ve been on this tour, but I was again bowled over by the exquisiteness of this amazing underground fairyland.  My photos really don’t portray the brilliant beauty of these caves… you just have to visit in person to discover the magic for yourself.

Visit the Gunns Plains Caves for the chance to discover the magic for yourself

Discover the magic! That's what Trish & Geoff promise for this cave tour

The Gunns Plains Caves are open seven days a week (closed Christmas Day).  You can contact Trish and Geoff Deer on (03) 6429 1388 or email Gunns Plains Caves to confirm tour times.

Visit Geoff and Trish in the north west of Tasmania for a memorable experience

Gunns Plains Caves tour times are generally…

10.00am ~ 11.00am ~ 12.00pm ~ 1.30pm ~ 2.30pm ~ 3.30pm

Cave tour times may be at visitor capacity due to cruise ship passengers from Burnie, so a prior booking would be advisable.

See the stunning, ancient formations hidden underground in the Gunns Plains valley

Michelle Kneipp Pegler writes a blog called Leven River Farm
as well as articles like this about the north west coast of Tasmania.
If you’d like Michelle to visit you, please contact Think Tasmania.

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: Gunns Plains Caves, Tasmania…