A summer in Tasmania

[drron]

Monday night and diner was at Bellys- our favourite restaurant in Latrobe.They dealt with Covid only closing for 1 week.They were quick to get an extensive take away service with Grab and go meals.They are back to pre covid patron levels but because they have temporary use of the RSL bar area.Their seafood is excellent.
So we shared a dozen oysters first then mrsdrron had pan seared scallops.
..

And I went with the slow cooked beef cheeks.Very nice.
.

Washed down with a Stefano Lubiana sav blanc.
..

And a Christmas stubbie at a Tassie discount store- Shiploads.
.

 

[drron]

Tuesday night and off to the Ellimatta hotel in Devonport.We again started with a dozen oysters.
.

Mrsdrron had the crumbed scallops and I had the pork belly.
..

We got a window seat so you get to watch the Spirit leave.
..

..

..

 

[drron]

On wednesday we had lunch at the new Vietnamese restaurant in the Devonport mall.Noodles and Rice run by a woman who was a university lecturer in Vietnam a year ago.
Mrsdrron had her usual - lemongrass beef with vermicelli salad.i tried a laksa.
..

Pretty bland.We won't be rushing back.
After lunch we went for a drive.Drove through Spreyton and stopped for an icecream at the cafe in the Tasmanian Arboretrum.Walking to and from the cafe some nice flowers.
..

Some nice peonies and roses.
..

..

..

 

[drron]

Then headed off towards the Don River railway by the back roads.Wonderful scenery.
First fields of pyrethrum daisies.
..

.

And the soil that makes it all possible.
.

Views over the fields to Bass Strait.
..

There are several produce packing set ups in this area.So they have a Vegetable Research facility.
..

 

[drron]

Fields of poppies for morphine production.
..

..

.

More daisies and where we are.
..

..

.

In Tasmania it can be really worthwhile taking the back roads.

 

[drron]

We then made a visit to the Braddon look out.We last went there several years ago and there was little there.Great views though.Now a pleasant area and lots of information.
..

.
There is a lot of agriculture in this area and lots of information at this look out.
.

.

.

.

.

.

And the scheme that underpins this activity.
.

 

[drron]

And now some history.First the Bridge hotel Forth.Tragedy struck in 1972 when the hotel burnt down.The licensee saved 2 guests but a week later was murdered.
.

And one of the first residents of this valley James Fenton.
.

And the man who this look out is named for as well as the name of the Federal electorate - Sir Edward Braddon.
.

.

The man who discovered the tin deposits at Mt.Bischoff retired here.
.

The land was originally thick with trees.Most became shingles or palings for Melbourne,Geelong and Adelaide.
.

 

[drron]

Thursday night and back to Bellys for dinner.Mrsdrron had the scallops again and I had the seafood platter which was very good.
..

Some roses in Latrobe.
..

.

 

[drron]

Friday came around so we were off to Launceston to spend 2 nights before Mrsdrron returned home.Qantas hotels had advertised a special deal on the new Verge Hotel with an automatic upgrade plus included breakfast.On top of that 6 points per $1.So the room.
..

..

The only problem for me is the lack of a bath,for mrsdrron the bathroom is too dark.
To the view.
..

..

.
And a complimentary bottle of a Tassie Pinot noir.
.

 

[drron]

Before dinner we crossed the road and had a walk in City Park.First a monkey puzz;le tree.
..

And a Californian redwood.
.

The Conservatory.
..

..

An interesting tree.
..

 

[drron]

Dinner was at Novarros.it was our favourite Launceston restaurant in the past but changed hands last year.Giving it another try.
The amusee bouche was a soup - carrot blood orange and a hint of chilli.Neither of us thought it worked well.
.

Mrsdrron tried the oysters with prosciutto, worcestershire sauce, tomato and onion.Didn't quite come off.
.

I had the waygu carpaccio which was wxcellent.
.


Mrsdrron had the mushroom risotto was also excellent.
.

My spicy italian sausage fettucine bolognese was again ordinary.
.

Menu was limited so for the cost it won't be near the top of our list of restaurants here.

 

[drron]

After dinner we took advantage of the Tasmanian twilight and walked the long way back to the hotel.The light on Holy Trinity Church was quite beautiful.
..

..

.

 

[drron]

It has lovely gardens.The roses though were past their best.
..

..

..

 

[drron]

Breakfast at the hotel was good.mrsdrron had the granola and I corn and zucchini fritters with haloumi.
..

After brekkie we walked around the Harvest market and then the shops ending up at Kosaten for lunch.
..

.

At this stage I was enjoying the food too much.This is what was left of the soft shell crab when I remembered.
..

And the this was our second serving of the miso marinated lamb cutlets.
.

We also had the miso marinated eggplant and chicken karaage.The crab and lamb dishes were superb and we rated this our best meal here.It is the Launceston restaurant we go to the most.

 

[drron]

That night we headed down to the hotel restaurant where they had started a bar ans tapas service in the evenings.A nice local pinot grigio.
.

We shared sourdough with salmon rillette and baked scallops.both were excellent.
..

The next day I had the eggs florentine for breafast which were very good.Mrsdrron had the granola again.
.

 

[drron]

We went for a drive down the Tamar going along the river through Windamere on the east bank.Then crossing the Batman bridge and up along the west bank via Deviot.We made a stop at Brady's lookout.Now Brady was a naughty boy who you here a lot about in Strahan being one of the successful escapees from Sarah Island.
.

He had a hideout in the hills overlooking the Tamar River.He certainly chose a good spot for views.
...
the vineyard below planted with roses at the end of the rows.
.

And over the river the Hillwood berry farm.


.

And loooking up river towards Launceston.
..

 

[drron]

Across from the lookout is the historic church at Windamere.
..

Walking back down from the lookout I saw a little fellow who thought he was hidden.
..

The partner was much more relaxed.
.

 

[drron]

Lunch was at Rupert and Hound.It was absolutely full even though our booking was at 1430.Several arrived after us as tables emptied.Not really effective social distancing.
Mrsdrron had the crumbed scallops naturally whilst I had the seafood platter for one.We both enjoyed the meal.
.

.

 

[drron]

Then another drive through the countryside as mrsdrron's flight back to BNE was quite late.Coming north on the Midland Highway we glimpsed an interesting building so drove out to it.It is the Eskleigh Function centre.Magnificent building.
..

.

So it is owned by a disability foundation and it is used as a place for small to medium meetings.

Eskleigh Estate | Meeting & Function Centre Tasmania

Eskleigh Estate, five private function and meeting rooms within the historic Eskleigh house and garden in Northern Tasmania, a meeting and function centre located on the outskirts of Perth Village, ten minutes south of Launceston, it's convenient for both northern and southern Tasmania visitors and

www.eskleighestate.com.au

History — Eskleigh Estate | Meeting & Function Centre Tasmania

Eskleigh Estate has a history spanning almost two centuries, and exists today as one of Tasmania’s premier historic estates.

www.eskleighestate.com.au

So it is possibly the first private dwelling in the southern hemisphere to be electrically lit.
I wouldn't mind looking through it but it is only for meetings.The South Esk river runs along the border of the property not far from the house.

Then off to LST to bid farewell to mrsdrron.Fortunately she is coming back next weekend.

 

[drron]

A quiet week this week being on call for 4 of the 7 days.And on the days off the weather wasn't great.But I did get out to the orchid reserve on Thursday.Sadly the only orchid I saw was one that had flowered since my last visit.Sometimes the flowering doesn't last long.But lots of other flowers.
..

You need to be observant to see some of the flowers.
...

And having been educated I recognised the bush cherry.These ones were much redder and were quite nice.
..