Showing posts with label Tasmania. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tasmania. Show all posts

Monday, 3 August 2015

Tasmanian Snowfall


Snow was predicted and snow was received across Tasmania today. The hype was building, the cynics were voicing their doubt, and the child in us all was hoping it was true. Unless you were awake through the night and periodically checking for snow like a child watching for Santa, then you awoke a dusting or a dumping of snow across most areas of Tasmania.

Whilst it is not uncommon for parts of Tasmania to receive snow, it is extremely rare for so much of the state to have snow, and it was received down to sea level. If, somehow, you were oblivious to the outside world, it was soon in your face from every social media direction. Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and many other mediums were full of pictures and stories of snow across the state. Children and parents waited anxiously for news of school closures, and those who needed to venture out were checking for road closure announcements.

I was in primary school in the 80's when I experienced snow in my own backyard, which resulted in a snow day being called due to frozen pipes, and a huge snow fight in my cul-de-sac. My children see snow every year, as we usually make the journey to a snow blessed, elevated location at least once annually to have a play. To have snow falling around our house and to be able to scoop it off our own letterbox if quite a different experience.

So as not to bore you with too much detail, how about I just show you in pictures.






Wednesday, 8 April 2015

Wordless Wednesday - Not Too Cold To Paddle in Tasmanian Waters



Poor Tasmania suffers a lot of backlash in regard to it's weather. Many would describe Tasmanian weather as cold and wet, and whilst this can be sometimes true, the weather here is often great, and it's seasons and predictability is changing. My son wasted no time in making the most of the water when Southern Tasmanian served up great weather for Easter. He wasn't the only one paddling around in the water either.




Joining in for Wordless Wednesday with
Agent Mystery Case
http://agentmysterycase.com
My Little Drummer Boys Wordless Wednesday Linky



Monday, 9 February 2015

Hobart Lines Up To View HMAS Sydney

HMAS Sydney and crew blessed Hobart with it's presence and beauty this weekend, in conjunction with The 2015 Hobart Regatta. Tours of the ship were available at Macquarie Wharf2, while it's helicopters performed several displays for the Regatta crowd.




The crew of HMAS Sydney were awesome. They welcomed everyone to view their world and were very encouraging to look, ask questions, explore, ask us to be in your photos (this was a true suggestion as we boarded).

Master 8 had a ball trying on the gear and feeling the weight of the vests. Some of those vests are seriously heavy!

There was just a slight difference between Master 8's outfit and the officer behind in fit, so I guess it would be a while before they could take him into their fold.



There may be nothing pretty or colourful about the HMAS Sydney or any of the ships in the Royal Australian Navy, but the flags certainly brighten the scene and give it flair .... almost like it's own bling.



 The HMAS Sydney felt important and the crew spoke about their ship with pride and passion. Having been launched in 1980, HMAS Sydney is the fourth ship of this name and it has played an important role in Australia's Defence history. HMAS Sydney has deployed to the Middle East four times, with Desert Storm and the Gulf War, supporting UN sanctions against Iraq, East Timor and  Solomon Islands, and Iraq War all listed on its impressive resume. Being one of the four ADELAIDE Class Guided Missile Frigates in service it plays an important role in providing air defence, anti-submarne and anti-shipping warfart, surveillance, and reconnaissance.
.

It strikes me now that the t-shirt is quite fitting given his prop.


Mt Wellington in view over the bow of HMAS Sydney

 There was a lot to see and some very expensive, technical equipment. The tour took about 50 minutes as we moved about the ship and explored from bow to the flight deck and the narrow corridors and stairs in between. We passed the Captain's chair and took in his usual view.      The crew were extremely friendly and informative as they answered every question.





Monday, 2 February 2015

Long Weekends in Australia Are For Sight Seeing

Australia and the long weekends go hand in hand. Our family have enjoyed some time away, taking in local sites of Tasmania and enjoying some simple activities together while not spending a fortune.

We recently chose to stay at Snug, just south of Hobart. We stayed at the Snug Caravan Park, which we loved with it's Camp Kitchen, clean bathrooms and location right next to the beach.
Starting our day by waking in our campervan, we moved outdoors to the sunshine to sit and cook a BBQ breakfast of eggs and bacon, and a drink of apple juice. The kids went for a frolic on the beach while hubby and I got some things together for a drive.

 Snug has some lovely surrounding towns and attractions. We head to the next town, Margate where we visit the Margate Train, known for it's carriages selling pancakes, doll houses, books and lollies.

From here we take a right turn to head through the beautiful countryside that will bring us to Tinderbox. We marvel at the views as we drive and the gorgeous houses that have been built to take in the views. We turn down the road where there is a boat ramp and we arrive at a nice area complete with toilet, swings and BBQ facilities. The water to the right of the boat ramp follows the small sandstone cliff, and there are rock shelves that reach out into the water. It makes for great discovery around the smooth cliffs and in the rockpools. The area is know for its shallow water and accessibility and there is a group getting ready for a dive class.

Back in the vehicle, and we follow the road further to the town of Blackmans Bay. This seaside town has grown tremendously with a great build up of housing and amenities. We drive along the Esplanade, where there are people gathering at the restaurant and others strolling or exercising.

We head back toward Snug along the highway, but not before calling into Dru Point at Margate for a well deserved play on the equipment for the kids and coffees for hubby and I. This playground is well known in Southern Tasmania. It is well planned, with lots of great equipment and right near the water.

What a gorgeous part of Tasmania with so much to see and do without parting with lots of cash.

Wednesday, 7 May 2014

Wordless Wednesday - Get Creative, Get Outdoors

On our recent trip to the Highland Lakes district, Tasmania, I armed Miss 10 with the camera . 
These are a sample of her photos, both beautiful and creative.







Linking up for Wordless Wednesday with

My Little Drummer Boys

Twinkle In The Eye Wordless Wednesday Linky




5minutesformom.com

Erica Price Designs

abusymommy.com

 

Thursday, 6 March 2014

Huon Aquaculture Open For Fun

We love to get out as a family and explore and experience our wonderful Tasmania. We are always discovering more great things, and if its an event that is great value, for money and entertainment, then even better.

We headed down to Port Huon last weekend, just over an hour south of Hobart.

Huon Aquaculture were having an open day which promised to be fun, educational and yummy.

There were wonderful displays and very helpful staff to share the history and technology involved in producing their wonderful Salmon.

 We learned much about the way the fish are fed and housed, how they are transported and cared for. Needless to say, it is a little more involved than sprinkling fish food into a tank daily.

With all of this knowledge, we had worked up an appetite. Luckily, there were wonderful Salmon products on offer. We feasted on beautiful Salmon Burgers, and if had not been so full, we would have been tempted with a Salmon Sausage or Taco.

At 1.15pm we excitedly stood in line for our free boat cruise. Luckily, I had pre-booked our seat aboard the Peppermint Bay II, as they were many envious people wishing they had done the same. 
The boat tour took about 1.5 hours and was totally free!

We were treated to gorgeous views of the Channel, and saw first hand the huge fish farms at Hideaway Bay. We saw the cheeky seals trying to discover a way to break in to the fish farms and discovered more about the fish farming industry from our tour guide who happily answered everyone's questions.

What a great day it was. I am thankful for the opportunity to do things like this as a family.

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post!
Aboard the Peppermint Bay II
My fabulous Salmon Burger
Entrance to the Huon Aquaculture Open Day
Enjoying the gorgeous scenery of the Channel
Salmon up close
Coming back into port

Awesome car - awesome advertising!


Linking up with 
Thankful Thursday with APL