The final Work contract.In Tasmania of course.

[drron]

On the weekend we do enjoy lunching at the Josef Chromy vineyard. The menu.
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I had the kingfish sashimi and mrsdrron the quail. Mine not pictured.
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Mrsdrron had the market fish and I the lamb.
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For dessert we both had the strawberry,yuzu and rhubarb.
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[drron]

Sunday and we drove to the Perfumerie at Rowella.Used to be good with a long flowering season for the different varieties of Lavender. sold 4 years ago and the new owners basically only run the shop.
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So only worth going if you are into lavender products and are visiting the near by vineyards.

 

[drron]

We then drove to the Hillwood Berry farm for lunch. I like driving down C727 to get there. a reasonable dirt road with great views of the Tamar.
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Noticed a large building across the river.
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And some nice homes.
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[drron]

A couple of places to stop with views of egg island.

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[drron]

Close to the berry farm you pass a large mixed orchard. Next to the road the cherries look good.
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[drron]

Back to Hillwood berry farm. Strawberries in full swing and the raspberries are starting.
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We sat outside.
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Mrsdrron had the scones jam and cream whilst I went low calorie with the pancakes.
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We took home a klio of these little things.
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[drron]

We had fallen out of love with Stillwater pre covid as it had embraced Chinese tourism in such a way that their product changed drastically.much more spice ,larger dishes for sharing and relaxing of standards. We decided to try it again. happy to report they have gone back to their previous ways and so definitely a recommendation again.
The menu.
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For starters I had the kingfish and mrsdrron the quail.
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Both excellent. For mains I had the lamb and mrsdrron the fish.No pics of the fish.
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Beautiful.
And so to desserts.Looks like I had a little too much wine. Mrsdrron had the meringue,strawberry and lemon curd and I the miso custard and yuzu ice cream. Both very nice.
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[drron]

Seen when out and about in Lonnie. First in the Quadrant mall. This does very well with a wet and miserably cold winter.
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Then walking back to the hospital after having my covid booster.
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Supposedly a little bit of the Great wall of China here in Launceston.

 

[MARTINE]

I like Capt Waddles grit (pardon the pun)! First case of taking on local council over a planning application and - over a century later - they build monuments to you. Brilliant

 

[drron]

One night we went back to Alida in the Penny Royal complex. We started with 6 oysters with Ponzu dressing an 6 kilpatrick. The ponzu oysters will be our go to oysters next time.
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For mains I had the maple,miso marinated ocean trout.I gave mrsdrron a taste and we agreed on our next visit we would both have this dish.
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Mrsdrron had the entree size Moreton Bay bug as she wanted desserts.
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Dessert was a coconut panna cotta.
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[drron]

The last weekend before Christmas we took ad vantage of our Tassie Travel Voucher.We had a voucher for $200. Unfortunately that didn't mean taking $200 off the normal price of accommodation. First you had to book with the Tassie Government voucher website. There really wasn't much choice as not many places decided to take part. Also basically the prices were more than if you booked direct but did include extras. We chose the Eastcoaster resort just north of Orford - home of a noted AFFer. Now the deal was accommodation and dinner for 2.But as with most you had to make a booking for 2 nights. So we booked Friday and Saturday nights.

Now as with many Tasmanian resorts reception closed at 5pm.We managed to get there at 1650. Simple check in and I asked about the dinner offer and she handed us a voucher for each night and said it was for anything of the menu. Now on the website it did say a 3 course dinner so i was happy. First though was the room.Now there are motel rooms,cabins and villas. We were in a superior motel room with Balcony. The only problem was that the "balcony" was the old way of accessing rooms -an external walkway.

So to the room. The bedroom was tiny. felt like a prison cell.
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The bathroom with a most unusual shower.
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The lounge room/Kitchenette.
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And the views.
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[RooFlyer]

And the views.

Smashing car park view, that!

 

[drron]

The next morning we drove up to Triabunna first.Stopped at this sign.
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[drron]

We then drove out towards the old Gunns wood chip mill which was bought by 2 rich Tasmanians who then closed it.Is being used as a function centre but the old mill gates are still there and locked with a Keep Out sign.
Some of the waterside buildings are now being used but the road to most was closed.
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There was a nice house to the left and a small paddock to the right with a cow and I presume her offspring. Obviously well looked after as the youngster bounded up to me. Sadly I had nothing to offer.
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The Maria Island ferry was returning.
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The country inland from Triabunna.
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The pub.
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And an old building totally surrounded by pot plants.
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[drron]

We then drove south to Orford and stopped at the North end of the bridge over the Prosser river. first the view upstream.
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[RooFlyer]

the old Gunns wood chip mill which was bought by 2 rich Tasmanians who then closed it.Is being used as a function centre

Not Tasmanians

1. Graeme Wood, made his money by selling Wotif. 2. Jan Cameron, made her money by selling Kathmandu. They bought the mill jointly as a Greenie exercise, but fell out; Cameron departed. She is reputed to live now near Bicheno, on the east coast of Tas and bought and I think closed down the motel there, which is still a vacant prime waterfront site, to the anguish of locals.

Wood sat on the mill site for years, again to the anguish of locals, who wanted work to replace the mill jobs. Now has it as a 'function centre' and they make a big song and dance (pardon the pun) every time a band strikes up there. But net dozens of jobs lost.

For inter-staters, we are talking about a depressed rural area, where a whole town (Triabunna) was made virtually unemployed when Wood and Cameron closed down the mill. Not a lot of love for them locally,

And an old building totally surrounded by pot plants.

Wait for the next history book to come out tell you all about it! It used to be the coaching hotel.

 

[drron]

Then towards the sea.
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It is a wide river but then has to go through a narrow section to get to the sea.
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[drron]

Heading back to the lodge we stopped at a little beach side park. Great views to Maria Island.
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Then on the road back into the lodge we stopped at the site of a failed resort developement. This was the place to look over the land and the proposal.
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Some very nice views.
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[drron]

There was an open gate with a rough track so we drove down it.It got a bit rough so we didn't go all the way but still some good views.
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And a perfect tree for wildlife.
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[drron]

Back to the Lodge.There is a track that goes along the waterfront back to the A3.The last bit is on a road. First the views to the old wood chip mill.
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And once more a Maria Island ferry passes.
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