AUTUMN BREAK

A few days without committments in Melbourne allowed us to book a flight to Hobart to seek out the Autumn delights in Tasmania. Arriving in Hobart on a Sunday morning we immediately head for Constitution dock to check out the latest offerrings in the sailing boat market. There was a huon pine double ender made for a couple for long distance cruising. There was a long range fuel tank and a lot of water stored. We met a fellow called Mike Deck, a boat dweller with two young boys who they "home school". Not a simple task and a year long committment is required and a comprehensive curriculumn drawn up. The boat was Erik and his website http://www.decks-awash.com/ reports conditions on the waves and contained the sad news of the skipper who was washed overboard resetting the anchor. I am looking forward to reading Larissa's children's stories to be published soon.

We pulled out our copy of The Hon Peter Heerey AM QC, retired Federal Court judge "Guide to Hobart for innocent Mainlanders". He recommended "Me Hah" in Sandy Bay as a more humble but good value restaurant. So we head there to check it out. We think it's a little bit of Heerey humour as the place was booked out and looked a million dollars. We settled for a truely humble alternative on Sandy Bay Road, "Written on Tea". This was authentic Chinese food, simply prepared and a very modest establishment. One couple walked out but the others patrons seemed to be really enjoying themselves. Prossers on the waterfront was closed on the Sunday.

Having read the recent article by Holly Kerr Forsythe in "The Australian" the boys dropped me off at the old "Women's Prison" in South Hobart in Degraves Street, not far from Cascade Brewery and Gardens. There is a lovely perennial garden with a range of hostas. The museum has a well organized tour.

 Colonial houses in Hobart

 Women's prison South Hobart

 Modern wall

 Fall of leaves at Cascade Gardens

We bought our fish at the "Fish Man" on the wharf at Constitution Dock and enjoyed Steves' expert cooking. A simple batter of flour and egg for the King Fish and layered on baked potato for the salmon. Delicious!

ADVENTURE ON BRUNY ISLAND

Friends have just returned from the Bruny Island Adventure tour. You can meet up with the tour at Kettering with a bus which takes you over on the ferry to Bruny Island and over to the other side of the island where the water adventure starts. The bus leaves Kettering at 9 am.

http://www.brunycruises.com.au/tours/kettering-pickup.aspx

Before you go..............

WAVESTATION“Middleton Light”
House phone number (03) 6292 1400
Address: 180 Esplanade RdMiddleton TAS 7163
Before you go............................
It is a gorgeous spot and the house is lovely to live in. The beach is very close with children's play equipment.
There are plenty of fish also scallops and oysters. You could hire a small boat from Kettering or take a charter trip. There is a boat ramp on The Esplanade. Bruny Island is easily accessed from Kettering where there is an attractive boat harbour. The Huon trail is south and Cockle Creek further south again. Cockle Creek is the southern most point in Australia. It's a few hours but a very pleasant drive.
Pick up your copy of the Huontrail Free touring Map and Guide at the airport. It is very useful and available at the airport in the free brochure section. The Huon-Valley News map is taken from this Guide.


At Hobart airport head for the centre of Hobart. You will pass over the bridge and along Davey Street. Continue along the A5 until you get to the Kingston turnoff. Do not go into Kingston, keep in the right lane and head towards Margate/Huonville. Follow the Channel Highway. Further on there is a roundabout, go straight ahead towards Margate and look out for a sign on the left to the Woolworths supermarket and shopping centre (just past Kingston). It is a good idea to provision the house here. Look out for wildlife on the highway.

Continue along the Channel Highway to Middleton. Turn left at the Middleton store down Beach Road and turn right at The Esplanade. There is a boat ramp on the shore. Continue south along The Esplanade, past the playground and up the second driveway. You will recognize the house from the website. Have a look at the two maps sent by email.

Collect some provisions along the highway before you get to the house. You can shop in Hobart (maybe visit the Hill Street grocer, it is well worth a visit) or on the way down to Middleton. If you are arriving in Tasmania at night the Woolworths shopping centre complex at Kingston is excellent. It has a supermarket and other specialist shops. You will pass through other little towns with shops including Margate and Snug. Stop at the Margate Train where there is an antique shop and other rather quirky shops and a caravan is set up outside with fresh fish. You can buy very good fish and Cloudy Bay oysters here at the Seafood Caravan.

Our guests love stopping at The Olde Oyster Cove Store. It is on the right heading towards Middleton at Oyster Cove. It has fruit and vegetables, organic meat and yogurt and cheeses.

The Snug butcher has excellent meat and fish.


You can walk to the local shop at Middleton. It has a good selection of provisions. The Post Office is on the other side of Beach road on the Channel Highway.





Visit the marina at Kettering. It is a busy boating harbour with boat repairs carried out and boats coming and going on trips down the D’Entrecasteaux Channel, up to Hobart or around Bruny Island.

The ferry to Bruny Island leaves from Kettering and there are great boating charters out of this marina which take you to the wild outer side of Bruny Island.

The renovations at Kettering are almost complete. The old jetties were delightful but were in a bad state of repair so are being replaced with floating sections.


Alison Hookey lives nearby and will have made the house ready for you. Her number is 62921404. Alison can provide breakfast provisions from local produce as well as delicious evening meals. Give her a ring.
Local and emergency calls can be dialled. (Please deposit cost of call (30c) in the jar provided). For STD and other calls please purchase a phone card available at newsagents etc.

Wavestation is located on the water front off the Channel Highway at Middleton. You can now access it through The Esplanade turnoff as well as Beach Road. (A landslip blocked the road but modern roadworks engineering have stabilized the bank). The Esplanade turnoff is before Middleton and the Beach Road turnoff is at the centre of the village. The local shop and the post office are at this turn off.


Places to go.
Walk to the local shop
Peppermint Bay Hotel and Restaurant
Fleurtys cafe and garden
Home Hill Vineyard and Restaurant
Panorama Vineyard
Snug Falls
Huonville
Kettering Kayaking
Bruny Island
Salamanca Place in Hobart
Hill Street Grocer in North Hobart
Do the circuit - Middleton to Woodbridge (or Kettering) to Cygnet and back along the coast road through Deep Bay Garden Island

Creek Verona Sands Gordon and back to Middleton. See the apple and cherry orchards on the way.
Pelverata Falls near Cygnet.

For more information go to the website http://www.wavestation.com.au/ and click on BLOG to follow my blog.

Have a great time
Wendy Kennon 0402891339
Phil 0408997482

OUR LOCAL CAFE IN "THE AGE" WEEKEND APLUS FLEURTY'S

Look out for the article in today's WEEKEND PLUS. Holly Kerr Forsthy visited Fleurty's and interviewed Chris read who is growing native pepper at his property. The cafe is open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Chris Read grew up on the property which was an orchard and with his knowledge as a researcher in horticulture at the University of Tasmania he found the oils in the pepperberry leaf hcan be used in confectionery. It has a chilly like flavour and can be used to flavour curries, fish and meat dishes.
http://www.diemenpepper.com/

VOTED BEST ON THE CHANNEL HIGHWAY PEPPERMINT BAY HOTEL

Our reports from guests to Wavestation often mention the highlight of their trip. Almost every time it is the visit to Peppermint Bay Hotel. Meals are excellent at lunch and dinner and it is always possible to buy coffee and enjoy the ambience. Excellent marks for it being "childfriendly" with its wide sweeping lawns over looking the D'Entrecasteaux Channel. The ferry arriving from Hobart often loaded with guests for a wedding, the bride and groom photographed on the lawn.

www.peppermintbay.com.au/

NEW WEBSITE ON THE WEB

Look out for our new website on the web. Easier to browse with added features. It's convenient to check out the BOOKINGS on the site and enquire online. Send us an email on info@wavestation.com.au  and Wendy will reply.

Perfect day in Middleton today. Location is perfect as Bruny Island creates a buffer from strong winds off Tasmania's eastern coast.

PHOTOGRAPHY SHOOT

Back from our photography shoot at Apollo Bay. Derek Swalwell http://www.derekswalwell.com/ came down with Trent loaded with boxes of photography equipment. We had arrived the day before to make a few last minute adjustments, making sure the beds were right and moving the extra books out of the way. Sorting the bookcase is always a slow task as it's hard to dust the pages without reading the interesting bits. It was raining when we arrived but we hoped for the best. We wanted some sun in the sky.

Next day began with beautiful sunshine pouring into the kitchen. It was a glorious day. Quite warm and our wide eaves provided welcome protection. It was not until the afternoon when the sun moved towards the west when the best opportunities arose. The photographers moved with the sun capturing the mood of the house. To the north magnificent views of the Otway hills, dotted with cows and sheep and in the south the crashing waves of the ocean. We waited to see the kites and the surfers acrest of the waves.