2013 Trip to Tasmania - Cruises

Not all cruises start with a stately

procession through Sydney Harbour on board of a towering white ship. The ones we booked in Tasmania began with donning a red waterproof jacket and strapping ourselves to the seats of a yellow speedboat. However, before we were allowed to lay our hands on those jackets we had to wait in a queue for another day. We came to Bruny Island innocently assuming that on a Tuesday, two weeks before school holidays we would be welcome guests at any tourist attraction. No way, José! The whole cruise, all 100 seats, was sold out and we were only offered tickets for the next day. Well, we didn't book the seats in advance because we wanted to keep our schedule flexible, so we got an opportunity to flex it. This is why I was talking about tasty place rather than sea adventures on Day 3.

2013 Trip to Tasmania - Day 3 - Bruny Island - Tasty Places

Smokehouse was the first place we visited on Bruny Island. Pretty much everything we tried there - smoked trout, salmon, sardines, sausages - was delicious. Unfortunately, most of their products had to be kept in a cool place so we couldn't take them with us. Just goes to show that there are places, like Cascade Brewery and that smokehouse, that you have to visit personally to fully enjoy their produce. They also had an impressive drinks bar to accompany their food - I wished there was a taxi service on the island, or at least my wife had a driver's licence.

The next destination was Bruny Island Cheese Company. Our first encounter with their cheeses was at Sydney Good Food and Wine Show earlier that year. Olga was so impressed by the taste that she made it a mandatory stop on our route (and, possibly, planned the whole trip to Tasmania as a pretext). At the tasting counter we weren't picky, tried whatever was offered and weren't disappointed - all cheeses were good - but if I had to choose the best one I would take soft Oen wrapped in vine leaves. It was so delicious that we ate a whole wheel for dinner. There was also a cafe where we bought and immediately devoured a pizza made with local cheese. Strangely, there wasn't quattro formaggi on the menu, a pizza which could be their signature dish.

Discovery: washed rind cheese is hand-washed with salty water daily during its maturation process. I guess, it explains the prices.

2013 Trip to Tasmania - Day 2 - Bruny Island - 43 Degrees

What with scones and towers we nearly missed the 5 pm ferry to Bruny Island. That ferry was the main reason why we chose Bargain Car Rentals - they were the only company that insured a ferry trip to Bruny. The crossing itself took just 15 min but with boarding and disembarking time it added up to half an hour.

The directions to the hotel were:

After disembarking from the ferry at Roberts Point, drive south for approx. 30 klms...

I wondered which road I should take, but I shouldn't have worried - there was just one starting at the ferry wharf. It was called Main Road. As we were going south we passed many places which we intended to visit later - a smokehouse, a cheese company, a chocolate factory and a berry farm. Finally we arrived at 43 Degrees Apartments in Adventure Bay.