Hobart/Tasmania: Foodie Thrills, Port Arthur Visit?

In preparing for our Jan. 20-Feb. 3 Celebrity Solstice Sydney to Auckland Solstice cruise, I am digging deeper on our options Hobart, Port Arthur, etc. during our stop there, 8 am-6 pm on Thursday, Jan. 23. We have a group of seven couples from Central Ohio and want to research in advance in order to make the best, smartest decisions. We have lined up with Judy from Eye See Personalised Tours to do our "things", but with a private tour we have more flexibility than average to adjust and adapt to fit our interests.

Right now, the plan is to do Port Arthur and its old, historic site, have a wonderful picnic lunch in that area, then visiting Bonorong Wildlife Center. Most in our group like variety, nature, scenic sights, wildlife, etc. What other key thoughts, reactions, opinions, experiences, etc., can others share with us? Also, ideas on getting a little sampling for the Tasmania "foodie" stuff that seems like great interests and fun. See the super interesting article detailed below.

From the NZ Herald in Auckland today, they have this headline: "Tasmania: From gate to plate" with these highlights: "Tasmania is no place to come for anyone planning to diet. New Zealanders think Tasmania is just like New Zealand. That is, until they go there. Our histories couldn't be more different - no one was sent to New Zealand as a punishment. I'd have been as naughty as anything if I knew I'd be sent to Tassie. I'm a foodie New Zealander - we pride ourselves on our great food, but there's plenty to admire - make that envy - in Tasmania. It's a miracle every Tasmanian isn't a ten tonne tubby. The produce is astounding and the producers are just so darned proud and passionate about it. These farmers and growers have become a tourist attraction in their own right - visitors drive around the island state clutching a copy of The Farm Gate Guide to help them hunt down goat farms that produce specialty cheeses and ice creams, pick your own fruit orchards, microbreweries and meaderies like Seven Sheds, endless vineyards, farm shops, and more. Some of these artisan farmers and producers are Tasmanian born and bred, but many have moved from other parts of the world. Chocolatier Belgian Igor saw the potential in that creamy Tasmanian milk and has created a seriously good chocolate factory just down the road from the ferry terminal - ideal for arriving passengers needing a little perking up. House of Anvers is the perfect perking place with great coffee and very superior baked everything. A repeat visit is highly recommended for the steak pie with the shatteringly crisp pastry - the deep, dark and dangerously good gravy turns out to have chocolate as the secret ingredient. Whether they grow strawberries or spinach, breed hairy pigs, make buffalo mozzarella or quince marmalade, cinnamon honey or walnut pesto, brew beer or make wine, Tasmanians just can't help loving what they are doing, and it shows. Something in the soil, and the climate and the air makes everything grow there with extra verve and colour and taste. It's always frustrating being a New Zealander not being able to take foody stuff home, but we can take recipes. Their 'To Market, To Market' cooking course takes you shopping so you can buy pinkeyes, rabbit fillets, nasturtium flowers, or whatever takes your fancy, then trittrot back to the inn and learn how to deal with it all. Herbaceous Tours in Hobart take you through the farm gate to meet the personalities behind Tasmania's award-winning produce."

Any serious "foodies" where this info/background on Tasmania gets you really excited? Like any of these ideas and options for Tasmania with our limited time there? Added suggestions/opinions?

Too little time? Too much to do in this port stop?

Full story at:

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/travel/news/article.cfm?c_id=7&objectid=11156331

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 124,070 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

In preparing for our Jan. 20-Feb. 3 Celebrity Solstice Sydney to Auckland Solstice cruise, I am digging deeper on our options Hobart, Port Arthur, etc. during our stop there, 8 am-6 pm on Thursday, Jan. 23. We have a group of seven couples from Central Ohio and want to research in advance in order to make the best, smartest decisions. We have lined up with Judy from Eye See Personalised Tours to do our "things", but with a private tour we have more flexibility than average to adjust and adapt to fit our interests.

 

Right now, the plan is to do Port Arthur and its old, historic site, have a wonderful picnic lunch in that area, then visiting Bonorong Wildlife Center. Most in our group like variety, nature, scenic sights, wildlife, etc. What other key thoughts, reactions, opinions, experiences, etc., can others share with us? Also, ideas on getting a little sampling for the Tasmania "foodie" stuff that seems like great interests and fun. See the super interesting article detailed below.

 

From the NZ Herald in Auckland today, they have this headline: "Tasmania: From gate to plate" with these highlights: "Tasmania is no place to come for anyone planning to diet. New Zealanders think Tasmania is just like New Zealand. That is, until they go there. Our histories couldn't be more different - no one was sent to New Zealand as a punishment. I'd have been as naughty as anything if I knew I'd be sent to Tassie. I'm a foodie New Zealander - we pride ourselves on our great food, but there's plenty to admire - make that envy - in Tasmania. It's a miracle every Tasmanian isn't a ten tonne tubby. The produce is astounding and the producers are just so darned proud and passionate about it. These farmers and growers have become a tourist attraction in their own right - visitors drive around the island state clutching a copy of The Farm Gate Guide to help them hunt down goat farms that produce specialty cheeses and ice creams, pick your own fruit orchards, microbreweries and meaderies like Seven Sheds, endless vineyards, farm shops, and more. Some of these artisan farmers and producers are Tasmanian born and bred, but many have moved from other parts of the world. Chocolatier Belgian Igor saw the potential in that creamy Tasmanian milk and has created a seriously good chocolate factory just down the road from the ferry terminal - ideal for arriving passengers needing a little perking up. House of Anvers is the perfect perking place with great coffee and very superior baked everything. A repeat visit is highly recommended for the steak pie with the shatteringly crisp pastry - the deep, dark and dangerously good gravy turns out to have chocolate as the secret ingredient. Whether they grow strawberries or spinach, breed hairy pigs, make buffalo mozzarella or quince marmalade, cinnamon honey or walnut pesto, brew beer or make wine, Tasmanians just can't help loving what they are doing, and it shows. Something in the soil, and the climate and the air makes everything grow there with extra verve and colour and taste. It's always frustrating being a New Zealander not being able to take foody stuff home, but we can take recipes. Their 'To Market, To Market' cooking course takes you shopping so you can buy pinkeyes, rabbit fillets, nasturtium flowers, or whatever takes your fancy, then trittrot back to the inn and learn how to deal with it all. Herbaceous Tours in Hobart take you through the farm gate to meet the personalities behind Tasmania's award-winning produce."

 

Any serious "foodies" where this info/background on Tasmania gets you really excited? Like any of these ideas and options for Tasmania with our limited time there? Added suggestions/opinions?

 

Too little time? Too much to do in this port stop?

 

Full story at:

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/travel/news/article.cfm?c_id=7&objectid=11156331

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 124,070 views.

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923[/quote

 

Hi Terry

 

just a thought, but there is a Tasmanian Devil park a few minutes from Port Arthur, if its Tasmanian Devils, Kangaroos etc that you're looking at seeing instead of Bonorong Park.

Bonorong Park is about 2 hours from Port Arthur and in the opposite direction to the docks and cruise terminal, if you were still planning to go there, then Richmond is a nice village that could visit on the way.

 

Port Arthur is about 1.5-2 hrs south east of Hobart.

 

 

The House of Anvers chocolate factory is in the north of the state, about 3 hours from Hobart, the ferry terminal that they would be refering to there would be Devonport.

 

Tasmania does has some fantastic wines and food produce, including seafood, these can be found all over Tasmania, from farm gates, markets, restaurants etc.

 

I am quite happy to try and answer any questions you might have.

 

I hope you enjoy your stop in Hobart, Deb

If your ship arrives in Hobart at 8am and you are planning a picnic lunch AFTER touring Port Arthur, it sounds like you'll only be spending a couple of hours touring there. That's not nearly enough time to appreciate all that Port Arthur has to offer.

When we went to Port Arthur, we were there for about 5 hours and could have easily spent another couple of hours there. The Port Arthur website has recommended itineraries and the shortest one (based on the Bronze Pass) is for 5 hours (10am to 3pm). http://www.portarthur.org.au/index.aspx?base=1438

If you don't think you can devote this much time to Port Arthur, you might want to choose some attractions closer to Hobart for your day's excursion.

The Wall Street Journal this week had a nice story on Tasmania. The headline was: "Tasmania, the Next Foodie Destination". The sub-head included: "Australian island produces flavorful fruits and heritage. And now it has chefs who make local ingredients shine".

Among the WSJ story highlights were: "Australia's only island state is often overlooked in favor of splashy sights like Sydney or the outback. Tasmania is countrified and slow-paced; accepted wisdom likens it to Britain in the 1950s. Certainly, it has a throwbackish charm, with low buildings and wide-open spaces. One facet of life here, though, is a distinct departure from ration-strapped postwar England: the food. Imagine slabs of perfectly marbled steak from traditional cattle breeds, stone fruits picked from local orchards, sweet wild scallops plucked out of clean, ice-cold waters. Tony Scherer, who raises heirloom vegetables in Tasmania, sees stronger parallels between the island today and California in the 1970s. The focus is generally on quality rather than quantity."

WINE?: "The island's 200 vineyards produced less than 1% of Australia's total wine output by volume in 2013; Tasmanian vintages, however, comprised at least a quarter of the country's 'A' grade wines. In the seafood industry adheres to the Japanese practice of ike jime. The point is to catch and kill fish as quickly and painlessly as possible, thereby preventing stress hormones from tainting the flesh. It was challenging to lure even the most die-hard foodies to this garden of eating. 'Tasmania was widely known for having the best produce in the nation, but the worst chefs,' explained local food writer Matthew Evans. That changed with the establishment of new farm-to-table restaurants and cooking schools around the state."

Our time during our cruise stop in Hobart was limited, but we got a small sample of food there. Very good. Need to go back. Not sure all can check this article as the Journal has a pay wall on some stories. I'm a regular subscriber. Let me know if you need more details on this story from the WSJ.

Full story at:

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304441304579480040563522048?mg=reno64-wsj

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Just back from doing a 14-day Celebrity Solstice, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure on this ship and getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for much more information and lots of wonderful pictures on these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 53,374 views for this fun posting.

So, did you go to Port Arthur? If so, did you feel that you had sufficient time to see it?

So, did you go to Port Arthur? If so, did you feel that you had sufficient time to see it?

YES, we had sufficient time for Port Arthur. Had some nice scenic stops enroute, too. Got a good feel for the history and beauty there with its waterside location, that part of their history and connections with old England, etc. Had a nice lunch there. BUT, overall, we would have liked to have had more time in Richmond, at the Wildlife Park, in Hobart. But, that is the "reality" with cruise port stops. Can't see and do it "ALL" during just a one-day port stop. As the pictures show, we had perfect, super great weather while in the Hobart area.

Below are three of my visual samples from Port Arthur. Many more visuals and details on the full blog. On page five, posts #93-94, see lots about the Wildlife Park. From page seven, posts $128-129, see added details on Port Arthur.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Just back from doing a 14-day Celebrity Solstice, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure on this ship and getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for much more information and lots of wonderful pictures on these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 54,036 views for this fun posting.

From Port Arthur, the historic Tasmanian penal colony seen during our stop in Hobart, here are a series of views for some of the sights there. First is an overview for a portion of this camp. Second, shows a view from some of the old building remains towards to the nearby water area and the location where the prisoners would arrive from England for this “visit”. It took six to nine months to make the journey from England to this distant part of the world. Third is an interior view as some members of our Central Ohio group tour and learn more about daily operations here.: