2015 Tassie Trip - Day 9

Hobart - Hamilton

73 km

 

I slept really well last night and was awake quiet early. I went for a walk into town and had breakfast. I also bought myself a couple of pairs of hiking pants and then went and picked up the hire car. 

They were running short of cars so asked if I would be ok with a Mercedes. It is a small car than I had booked but a bit more luxurious. They gave me a run down of the car and then I set off.  The car is an automatic with the stick on the right side of the steering wheel, you lift the lever up for reverse and down for drive there is a button on the end for park. The indicators and wipers are on the left side. As most would be aware when you start driving a car with the levers switched you tend to still use the right lever to indicate, I did this on numerous occasions and found my 

self in neutral or reverse (it seems silly that it would allow this to happen when you are moving). It also has eco mode, the car actually turns off when you are stopped with your foot on the brake it then restarts when you lift your foot off the brake, this takes a bit to get used to.

 

I made it back to the motel, checked out and headed off to Hamilton to visit Jacqui & Tim.

My first time driving a Mercedes.

 It was a lovely day and a very pleasant drive.
 

 

 

I arrived at Jacqui & Tims and around mid day. It was great to catch up with them after about 11 years. They took me out for lunch the pub in the nearby town of Ouse. We then had a nice drive around the country side and bought some lovely cherries and blackberries.

 Fatty having his dinner

Missy & Creamy having dinner.

Jacqui cooked a lovely gluten free beef with black bean sauce and we spent the day and a lot of the night catching up.

2015 Tassie Trip - Day 8

Bruny Island

  180km

 

I had a solid six hours sleep last night. Once I went to bed I didn't stir till my alarm woke me at 0630, my body was saying what are you doing to me. I really didn't want to get up but Bruny Island awaited. I walked down to the wharf where I was to catch the bus for my tour which was the Bruny Island Traveller run by Pennicott Wilderness Journeys

 It was shaping up to be a beautiful day.

I was soon on the bus with 10 others as we set out for our new adventure which was being led by Hamish. We drove from Hobart down to Kettering to catch the ferry across to Bruny.

Waiting to board the ferry.

We were soon on our way across the water. It is not a very long trip.

Our first stop was the Bruny Island Cheese Company, where we tasted four different cheeses. I really liked the Raw Milk C2.

Our next stop was Get Shucked, where we got to sample delicious oysters. We were allowed six oysters each, but the others didn't seem to be eating many, I think I ate nearly a dozen.

We then went for a drive to see if we could see any white Wallabies. The views were fantastic and we did see one white Wallaby and were able to get fairly close to it.

Our next stop was the Bruny Island Berry Farm for our morning tea, I had berries and cream as this was the only gluten free option, it was delicious. After morning tea we went for a walk down to the beach which was across the road from the berry farm. It was beautiful on the beach, the water is so clear.

Then onto Bruny Island Premium Wines for lunch. We were given six wines to taste and then we could pick one to have with our lunch. I was having salmon for lunch and I chose to have the 2013 Unwooded  Pinot Noir. The salmon was beautiful. I am not a wine drinker but I enjoyed all of the six wines we were given.

 

A very nice group of people to spend the day with.

Next we were off to have dessert at Bruny Island Providore (HIBA Fudge) we got a chance to walk around the private gardens of the owners home and then we got to taste three fudge flavours.

Spectacular gardens and view.

MMMM fudge.

Then it was off to The Neck to attempt the 256 stairs to the look out, a chance to work off some of our indulgences today. I managed to make it to the top but my legs and lungs were not at all happy. The view from the top was spectacular well worth the effort and pain.

One last stop before heading home was to the Bruny Island House of Whisky and that was to taste some Whisky. I tasted two Whiskys here, that means I have tasted 14 local Whiskys/Liqueurs (make that 13 as one was rum). As part of the tour we tried their Whisky called Trappers Hut. I also had a try of the Sullivans Cove French Oak Port Cask 47.5%  which won The World's Best Single Malt Whisky at the World Whiskies Awards 2014.

 

The World's Best Single Malt Whisky

I had an awesome day and would certainly recommend this tour and Bruny Island to anyone visiting Tasmania.

I now have to pack up all the stuff I have managed to spread around my hotel room over the last five days as I am leaving Hobart tomorrow.