Tasmania cruise – day 1

Earlier this year I went on my first cruise. I have been toying with the idea of going on a cruise 13 night around New Zealand. My Mum suggested going on a smaller cruise to see if I liked it. So we decided to do a cruise on Dawn Princess from Melbourne to Hobart to Melbourne.

We left on January 24th at 4pm. It was a beautiful summers day although looking at the photos now it was also a little cloudy.

The Seabourn Odyssey and Spirit of Tasmania were also docked at Station Pier.

Mum has been on cruises before and wanted a balcony stateroom which turned out to be one of my favourite things about the cruise. Just being able to open the sliding door when we wanted some fresh air or to see what we were sailing past without having to go up to one of the open decks was priceless. We were able to sit on our balcony waiting for the ship to move away from the dock. It is such a smooth process that I didn’t realise straight away that it was moving. It took a few hours to sail through Port Phillip Bay. We were able to unpack and have a look around some of the ship before settling upstairs in the Horizon Court Buffet while waiting to approach Port Phillip Heads. We were able to sit at a table at the front of the door and near the door so we could go outside to the front of the ship when we were approaching the Heads. It turns out we approached the Heads during the equivalent of peak hour. There were several ships entering the Heads so we had to patiently (well maybe not THAT patiently) wait our turn. It was fascinating watching the ships entering and how we had to manoeuvre to stay out of their way.

When it was our turn to sail through the Heads the sun was beginning to set. I have always wanted to sail through the Heads. I have done it once before coming back on the ferry from Tasmania but that was before dawn so I didn’t get to see it. I have been as close to the Heads on land on both sides as is possible so the last thing was to actually sail through them. It was magical and well worth waiting for.

Watching Melbourne disappear as we began our cruise

Weekly Photo Challenge: Rule of Thirds (3)

I took this photo yesterday at the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix yesterday in Melbourne. The Roulettes fly over every year and do a series of acrobatic moves.  The beautiful blue sky provided the perfect background.

Vic/SA: Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum, Warnambool part 2

Vic/SA: Flagstaff Hill, Warnambool part 1

Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum in Warnambool is a recreation of a Warnambool village in it’s early days. It is a lovely, historical representation with buildings that represent how the people lived in the 19th century.

Vic/SA: Port Fairy

Port Fairy is a beautiful little town on the western coast of Victoria, not far from the South Australian border. It also lies at the end of the Great Ocean Road, one of Australia’s great road trips. Although it’s a small fishing town, it is becoming very well known.

Vic/SA: Cape Nelson Lighthouse, Portland

The lighthouse sits atop jagged cliffs, more than 50m above the sea on the Victorian coast at Portland. I think this is where I fell in love with lighthouses. Ever since, if I’m near a lighthouse I just have to go and see it. This one is still operational and provides a beacon over Bass Strait, one of the most dangerous waters in the world.

The old cottages have been converted to accommodation since we visited but the lighthouse is no longer manned. Technology does all the work now.

Victoria/South Australia – The Giant Koala

The Giant Koala is an icon and one of the ‘big’ things Aussies are so fond of. It is located on the Western Highway in the tiny ‘blink and you will miss it’ town of Dadswells Bridge.

I didn’t know it existed until we saw the signs that told us we were approaching it. Lucky there was no one driving behind us because I had to quickly put my foot on the brake to slow down to drive in to the carpark.

Cape Otway Lightstation

Cape Otway Lightstation is Australia’s oldest surviving lighthouse. It has been working continuously since 1848, protecting ships sailing through the ‘shipwreck coast’ off southern Victoria. It’s one of the most dangerous seas in the world. Hundreds of ships have been lost over the years. I haven’t been there for a few years but was really disappointed because the buildings look like they need a good paint. I’ve heard the complex of buildings have been renovated so it’s probably a good time to go back.

The Otway Fly Treetop Walk and Adventure

The Otway Fly treetop walk is in the rainforest of the Otway Ranges in southwest Victoria. I’ve been there a few times and love it. The carpark is in a clearing and you walk down the footpath and descend into the forest. The fly walk then takes you back up to be amongst the canopy provided by the trees. At it’s highest, the walkway is 30m above ground and there is a 17m tower you can walk up to get a view above the trees and into the distance. It’s the longest and tallest treetop walk of it’s type in the world and includes a cantilevered walkway to give you an extra thrill. From start to finish, the walk is approx. 2kms long and can take an hour. Or longer if you want to really take your time. If you look carefully you will also see some dinosaurs lurking amongst the undergrowth.

They have also included a 2.5 hour zipline tour in recent years. It is a fully guided experience, including training and simulation, 8 cloud stations, 6 flights and 2 suspension bridges. You also get free entry to the Walk.

The tower gives you an extra view over the treetops.

The cantilevered arm of the steel walkway. It’s fun to jump up and down. A lot of people get really scared though so it’s best not to do it with strangers around.

Looking up to the tower.

I love the shape of this tree trunk.

Looking down to the fern gully.

Wordless Wednesday….May 7, 2014

Meatballs and Sons – Brunswick St, Fitzroy

Meatballs and Sons is a great new restaurant in trendy Brunswick St, Fitzroy. It was opened in early April by a friend I used to work with, and her husband. We have been eagerly awaiting the opening of the restaurant since late last year and were really excited to be able to try the food. It’s based on share plates of the different meatballs. Inspired by world flavours, we tried the Greek Lamb Meatballs and the Tandoori Meatballs with pappadums. The flavours were so delicious. The flavour of the Greek Lamb meatballs is delicate and served with a Greek salad. The Tandoori Meatballs had a hit of heat which I loved. I’m a big fan of Tandoori food. For dessert we couldn’t go past the Brownie. Rather than a chunk of brownie they serve thin slices with jam and cream. OMG it was sooo delicious. You have to save some room for the brownie even if you don’t normally eat dessert.

Tandoori meatballs with pappadums

Greek lamb balls with a Greek salad

Succotash (we hadn’t heard of this before but decided to try it. It was very nice)

The magnificent brownie. Again it’s a good idea to share this unless you are still really hungry.

This cherry drink is one of the non-alcoholic house specialities. At the time we visited they didn’t have their liquor licence so we tried this. It was very nice not to have to drink a fizzy drink).

They give you the bill in this cute little envelope which is different to anything else I’ve seen before.

Sovereign Hill…part 2

These ‘troopers’ perform twice-daily in the Musket Firing Show. The trooper explains how law and order worked and also how to load and fire a musket. Before and after the show, they march through the streets.

The Chinese diggers played a very important part in Ballarat’s Gold Rush days. They weren’t given much credit though and lived in camps in the area.

The churches were very basic as was the school.

Sovereign Hill… part 1

Sovereign Hill, in Ballarat, Victoria, aims to show what Ballarat was like in the first ten years after gold was discovered. The second-largest nugget every to be discovered in the world was found nearby. The site of the Eureka Stockade is also nearby.

Cee’s Which Way Challenge #9….drive to the mountain

Was this Victoria’s first coffee shop?

These are replica buildings at Sovereign Hill. We thought Melbourne became the coffee capital in the 20th century but it appears to have started in Sovereign Hill in the 1850’s.

Funny hotel sign

Bents Lookout on Mt Buffalo

The lookout gives some of the most spectacular scenery in Victoria. Looking down you can see the sheer cliffs made from granite. When you look across to the north you see the rolling mountains and valleys.

These huge boulders look like they have been stacked. It’s amazing what time and nature does.

Hang-gliders launch themselves off the nearby point. A lot of them launched in the time we were there.

Mt Buffalo Chalet

The grand, old chalet (it is more than 100 years old) has been closed since the 2007 bushfires prevented access to this part of Mt Buffalo. They have finally decided to open it as a day visitor centre (therefore having no accommodation) with a café, information centre and activity centre for the nearby ski fields. Unfortunately some parts of the complex will be demolished but I imagine they are the parts that cannot be saved.

It is fenced off but we were able to walk around the carpark and to the lookouts. There is an old stone hut on the edge of the carpark that was used in the past. The view from the seats on top of the granite are amazing. I can only imagine what it’s like from the windows of the chalet.

The chalet sits on top of a granite plateau part-way up the mountain. A few hundred metres away, on the edge of the plateau, many hang-gliders launch and fly down to the base of the mountain. It’s also popular for abseiling and rock-climbing.

Cee’s Which Way Challenge #8 2014

The Ovens River in Bright, Nth East Victoria.

Brown Brothers Winery

Brown Brothers is one of Australia’s best-known wineries. Located in the north west of Victoria, near Bright in the Great Dividing Range, they have won many awards for their wines over the years. We went there one Easter when we were staying in Bright. Their cellar door is one of the largest I’ve visited, with so many different varieties to choose from including shiraz and cabernet. I like their ports and dessert wines.