see my tasmania day 1 post here
After an amazingly cosy night at Woodbridge Hill Hideaway, where Michelle and I stayed in two separate cabins, nestled in the trees and forest, high up in the hills of the stunning Woodbridge area about 40-45 mins south of Hobart, and a dinner comprising of some fantastic meats, cheeses and goodies collected throughout the day 1 of my Tassie trip in Hobart, we awoke the next day to some rather crappy weather. *Boo :(* BTW ~ Woodbridge Hill hideaway, I have to add, is a gorgeous, cosy and romantic location ~ it would be excellent for a lovey-dovey romantic getaway with your 'significant other'.
The cabins are beautifully fitted-out and very comfy. We arrived at a roaring fire in a pot-belly stove in the corner of our vast rooms. The place was spotless, the bathroom huge, with a spa bath. The rain pelting down outside was fab. We enjoyed dinner, a bottle or two of great Tassie Pinot, and an excellent girly natter. The view from the expansive outside deck the following day was stunning. I looked forward to seeing more of the gorgeous surrounding countryside.
I always had pictured Tassie as a place where it rained a lot ~ a bit like Ireland, but I was wrong. It's a rarity to get much rain, so we were a little unfortunate on day 2 when the sun failed to put on a show for us. But no bother, we wouldn't let that stop us from snapping away and enjoying the beautiful scenery and surroundings of our next destination, Bruny Island.
Day 2…
This is an article I wrote for the blog for a Tourism Tasmania’S ‘Go behind the Scenes’ campaign. I was offered the opportunity to spend a few days in Tasmania touring and experiencing what Hobart and its surroundings provide.
Bruny Island
located off the southeastern coast of Tassie bruny is home to the beautiful South Bruny National Park. The Island is about 100 km long, home to about 620 people and separated into the North and South islands, which are joined by a long, sandy strip of land called 'The Neck'. If you head to the Island, you'll see fur seals, fairy penguins and white wallabies. It offers visitors locally-produced food and premium quality wines, hand made fudge, chocolate, truffles, cheese and fresh oysters. The Island is also home to Australia's most southernly located vineyard and some excellent restaurants and cafés scattered across the Island's townships.
After a 20-minute car ferry journey to the Island, Michelle and I drove to our first spot on our day 2 adventure; Bruny Island Cheese Co.
Started by a great bloke called; Nick Haddow, who was incredibly welcoming and amicable. We all chatted and looked at samples of his new TV show and book. From the get-go, Nick offered us morning coffee and hot toast, which we enjoyed in the cosy restaurant area of the cheese co.
Nick spent 10 years working with specialist cheese makers in many different countries. He and his partner Leonie (remember The Maker Shop from Day 1 post ~ that is Leonie's shop) settled on Bruny Island in Southern Tasmania in 2001 to start making cheese for themselves. Nick is a traditionalist who recognises that great cheese was made for centuries before modern technology played a role and believed passionately in the old way of creating and maturing cheese. For him, cheese-making is a pursuit of integrity and flavour.
The cheeses Bruny Island Cheese Co. makes are very much the product of Nick's travels and training throughout the tremendous cheese-producing regions of France, Italy, Spain and the UK. They are the cheeses he loves to make and eat. Although Nick and his team are inspired by the artisan cheeses from their travels, they do not seek to copy them. Instead, he wants to make cheeses that are connected to their environment. Cheeses with a distinctly Tasmanian character.
Bruny Island Cheese Co. uses cow's and goat's milk to make cheeses. They believe that milk makes cheese; therefore, the excellent treatment of animals and their milk is paramount. The animals are farmed in an environmentally sustainable way with the focus of the farming practices on producing the best milk possible.
After we toured the cheese factory, I regretfully had to remove and hand back my lovely hair net. Still, on the upside, Nick kindly offered to drive Michelle and me around the Island for a bit of a tour.
Sadly it was still bucketing down with rain and rather gloomy and miserable altogether. Hence, there was little opportunity to get amazingly gorgeous 'Sunny Tassie' shots for the blog. However, it was great to have a little look-see at how stunning Bruny Island is, even if on such a not-so-great day weather-wise. The benefit of the weather was the incredible stillness of the place. Very tranquil and reminiscent for me of parts of the west coast of Ireland. Mystical and haunting.
After our drive around the Island and many fields (which involved the opening and closing of too many fences in the drizzling rain), Nick dropped us back at the Cheese Co., where we said our farewells, and Michelle and I jumped in her car. We were off to our following location.
GET SHUCKED ~ BRUNY ISLAND OYSTER FARM
At Get Shucked, I met a lovely fella called Joe Bennett, who runs the oyster farm with the support of his partner Nicole at Great Bay Bruny Island. In 2004 the farm was purchased as a barely going concern, and Get Shucked was created.
I'll be honest. I am not an oyster fan at all. If someone asks me if there's anything I don't eat, it's these slimy little buggers. I have tried them ~ as I will try any food once, but sadly they, like a lot of shellfish, are just not for me ~ it's a texture thing.
However, Michelle was thrilled, as she loved them and got to gobble up a load of amazingly fresh ones that Joe kindly offered us. It was also cool to see the groups of punters arriving at the shop, ordering buckets and buckets of oysters and champagne and getting well into the whole experience. You either love or hate oysters, and this crowd clearly were flying the flag for the former camp...
After all that brisk sea air on Bruny, it was time to head back to the mainland and pop into a place Michelle had mentioned on several occasions as a charming space and beautifully decorated restaurant ~ Peppermint Bay. She thought it would be a good place for us to grab some dinner and a glass or two of red before she dropped me off at my accommodation for the night.
Nestled on four acres of waterfront headland in the southern Tasmanian village of Woodbridge, Peppermint Bay has commanding views across the d'Entrecasteaux Channel and north to Mt. Wellington. Set against a backdrop of the lush rolling hills of the Huon region, this award-winning building sits comfortably amid green lawns and shade trees, the ideal venue for a family outing, a quiet lunch, a party, a wedding or a corporate event. As you walk in, do so into a great wine shop with superb Tassie reds and whites and a decent selection of locally produced beers and ciders. Then it's into the bar and restaurant, which adjoins an amazingly cathedral-like grand dining room. It was really beautifully designed inside.
It was a modern space but sympathetically fitted perfectly into the beautiful natural surroundings.
Just a short 35-minute drive South from Hobart via the picturesque Channel Highway or by water on our luxury high-speed catamaran, Peppermint Bay is a great place to head to for dinner and drinks with a group of people. There was a great vibe as more and more locals came into the bar area, and the venue was filled with laughter and chat.
The village of Woodbridge is surrounded by small farms producing high-quality food products, craft outlets, vineyards and an array of other attractions. As mentioned above, if you want to experience Peppermint Bay car-free, you can also grab a Peppermint Bay ferry direct to the venue from the wharf in Hobart. Details here.
Hillside at Woodstock
As she lives locally, Michelle decided to stay home with her hubby and their two kids. So after a great dinner and a few wines at Peppermint Bay, I was off to my accommodation for the second night. When I arrived, I was really taken and impressed with it.
The Hillside at Woodstock totally blew me away. It is one of the cosiest, most accommodating and friendliest guest houses I have ever had the good fortune to stay at.
This Bed & Breakfast is situated on the Huon Trail, less than 3km from the village of Huonville, just 40 mins south of Hobart, set in 1½ acres of beautiful gardens and surrounded by apple orchards and a stunning garden. From the moment I arrived and met Jayne ~ who runs Hillside with her husband, Doug, I knew I would have a very cosy, warm experience.
Jayne and Doug were really so charming and very welcoming. They immediately showed me to my room, one of two separate suites located in a private area of the property. There is a real sense of respect for their guest's privacy. You feel very secluded in a perfect manner. They leave you alone and don't get in your way.
Jayne also showed me what I think is the gem of their B&B property set-up ~ their Garden Room ~ a private sitting-room area for guests to use and unwind in and which, wonderfully, contained a roaring fire, relaxing music and a gorgeous verandah where you can sit outside and enjoy a glass of red and the cheese platter which Jayne and Doug kindly leave out for guests on their arrival.
It was incredibly relaxing, a unique property ~ and the cleanest I have ever stayed in. I was mind-boggled about how clean a shower door can be!
At the risk of sounding a tad corny and OTT, it was better than some 5-star hotels I have stayed at. It would make for a beautiful getaway for a couple or 2 couples where you'd get the whole place to yourself, and I cannot wait to return.