victoria: mount franklin reserve

There are some places that we visit that we'll never forget - Buchan (Vic), Boat Harbour Beach (Tas), Bay of Fires (Tas), Cradle Mountain (Tas) to name a few. 

Mount Franklin Reserve is another place to add to the list - a free camp - which we found in Camps 8. In paddocks, just out of Castlemaine, is an extinct volcano and within it is Mount Franklin Reserve. There are toilets but otherwise campers need to take home rubbish & have their own water. 

The sites are under towering pines and it's absolutely beautiful. The kids & J enjoyed a short walk around the top of the volcano and playing hide and seek in the forest. 

I'm sure there'd be times when this is very busy. 

victoria: melbourne, castlemaine, mount franklin

Farewell Tassie! We will be back! 

We had a crazy what-could-have-been-disastrous moments when we disembarked the Spirit of Tasmania. We'd planned out route out of Melbourne, avoiding the CBD, when, as we approached a bridge J, thankfully, noticed the CLEARANCE 3.0M sign. And was able to stop twenty metres before the bridge. Luckily, whilst there was a steady stream of traffic, rush hour wasn't in full swing. 

The CB radio comes in so handy in times like these and I jumped from the truck to check the traffic behind the van. We were able to wait for a break in the traffic and do a u-turn. That got the heart pumping! 

First stop was breakfast and I'd opened my Broadsheet app the night before to plan ahead. I hadn't been to Zaatar on Sydney Rd in Coburg before but this place made us a mean coffee and amazing pizzas (think Lebanese Gozleme with fluffy dough) for breakfast. 

"Okay - we'll have a second coffee. Why not?"

Our boy noticed a man with a cowboy hat grooving to the music and he decided he'd draw a portrait of him. After a few minutes B stood up and took it over to the man. He was so pleased to have received the drawing that he presented B with a $5 note. Rarely have I seen B floored but he was. His face glowed and it was so lovely.

P quickly grabbed a texta and went about making her own portrait of the gentleman. 

Sometimes in life there's a sense of 'meant to be.' Do you remember last year when I flew to Melbourne and J met me there to collect the caravan? 

It was when J walked in to the Brooklyn Arts Hotel dining room that he first noticed Maralinga Test Dummy - a bronze by the very talented Craig MacDonald. J was instantly taken by the sculpture and we decided that we'd buy him and take him home. 

Maralinga Man (as we call him) rode in the kid's car seat for most of the way to Sydney. 

When we spoke to Craig over the phone about his artwork we said we'd like to see his studio near Castlemaine at some stage. Well, we found ourselves with a day and a night to spare and we wanted to get out of the city. 

The Foundry is Craig's studio and where he casts bronze for other artists and we had a ball visiting him. 

As a side project he and chef, Helen have gone in to the business of..... making ice- cream! True story! 

Ice cream Social does the rounds of festivals but they plan to expand and open a shopfront. Watch this space for the ice-cream that will give Messina a run for its money. 

Spaceman enjoyed pistachio, lime coconut, vanilla gold digger (with real gold), salted caramel, cherry Shiraz and peach & raspberry sorbet. 

tasmania: bakers beach

We arrived at Narawntapu NP in the afternoon during the week and it was deathly quiet. There were three or four campervans and caravans spread throughout Bakers Beach where we decided to pull up for two nights before our trip back across the Strait. 

The brochures suggest that you can spend twilight with the wombats, pademelons and wallabies. You probably can if you don't bring your own heard to little (loud, enthusiastically loud) people along. Needless to say, we enjoyed searching for the elusive wombats! 

Remember that rainbow trout J (literally) caught at the caravan park at Launceston? It went on our smoker tonight on the Weber on she-oak (Casurina) chips. As it took a while for the smoker to start the flavour was subtle & perfect for the moist morsels. Thank you fishy. And thank you husband for catching & cooking it. 

These were those Fresh Water Oysters cooked with locally made Worchestire Sauce and Bok's Bacon from Tassie. So good but so different from natural. 

Bakers Beach is a great getaway. We find that in the freecamps there's little pressure to do anything. A walk is usually on the itinerary and then there's the obligatory tinkering of the truck or the van  while I prepare meals but we are forced to relax so much more than in CPs. I haven't yet worked out why that is. 

tasmania: bay of fires (cosy corner)

These were the recipes we used for the squid and the mackerel. Reknowned for being an oily fish it was perfect for the bbq. We had our trusty Weber on hand.

On the road there are times when it's just us and the kids but we've met quite a few lovely people including other families travelling with their kids. 

At Bay of Fires we met two families one if whom we sat chatting in to the night and then had a fry up the next morning. The other family we met had a little girl who shares the same birthday with our youngest. These guys brought champagne and salad to our feast of squid and mackerel.  

Have you eaten mackerel? How was it cooked?

Squid on bbq 

http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/32665/barbecued+salt+and+pepper+squid

Mackerel 

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/4465/barbecued-mackerel-with-ginger-chilli-and-lime-dri

tasmania: bay of fires

We created some great memories at the Bay of Fires. Many times since we arrived in Tassie people recommended free camping at Cosy Corner. We arrived after lunch and we're really lucky to find a site. If you intend to stay at either Cosy Corner North or South it would be best to arrive at about 11 - giving people enough time to pack up & vacate their site. It's a popular spot but you can still find yourself a nice private site. 

We chose to stay at Cosy Corner North so we had toilet facilities close by. It's good to give the van a work-out and find out the limitations.

We can comfortably free camp for three nights as long as we have enough sunshine to power the batteries (though in some places we can crank up the gennie). It's pretty good that, as a family of five, the solar panels, water tanks & toilet in the van give us that independence. I must say we were grateful for the shower yesterday (after 4 days) though! 

We've only had a few instances when we could have been more prepared for meals. If you're planning a stay at Bay of Fires you don't have to worry too much. St Helens is only a quarter of an hour from the campsites. There's a large IGA but the smaller Hilly's IGA is a fabulous supplier of local cheese (Payengana) & the best bacon I've ever eaten - Bok's - from Glenorchy in Tassie. 

And if you need your coffee fix Marika at Coffee Away - a hole-in-the-wall - can make you caffeine in whatever form you desire! You can grab a takeaway or just sit on the benches in the sun out front and watch the holiday makers wander by. 

We'd been told about Lease 65 Oysters but I took a wrong turn and found myself at Clean Water Oysters (200 Binalong rd) where i grabbed three dozen unshucked for $24! We ate some natural (with lemon) and turned some in to Kilpatrick with the Bok's bacon and homemade Worschestire sauce from the providore in St Helens. Oh man. They were good. The kids guzzled them down too.

B had his eye on the sweet tiny wrens at the campsite. He was desperate to cuddle one so he spent about 3.5 hours one day designing and re-jigging a trap. He used various lengths of string, sticks, bread crumbs and cheese crumbs when he heard they love those best. Unfortunately B didn't have any luck. 

Unlike J in his kayak! Early one morning he managed to catch a mackerel (not the nicest but we do have a good recipe) and a squid.  

tasmania: wineglass bay, the hazards, coles bay

It's amazing to think that a decade ago we were here. Without children. 

We had two days and we walked along Hazards Beach, camped overnight at Cook's Beach. My backpack weighed about 10kg and for the first day, despite the glorious outdoors, I was miserable. The following day J took the majority of contents from my pack and I had a much easier walk back up and over Mount Graham. At Wineglass Bay we raced down to the waters edge, starkers, because we were young and carefree and hadn't brought swimmers. It's a memory that brings a smile to our faces! 

This time we aimed to walk with the kids to the Wineglass Bay lookout. No skinny dipping. The kids did so well. There wasn't any complaining and B said, as he reached the lookout, "You must see this Mum. It's beautiful!" And it is!!

tasmania: hobart

Hobart showed us that any kind of weather in Tassie is possible. Within the space of thirty minutes. Everyone we queried about the conditions insisted it wasn't usually this cold but changeable, yes. So we just packed for every kind of weather when we went out - hot, cool, windy, rainy. 

The changeable weather is not surprising given the mountain behind this beautiful city. I fell in love with Hobart. Again. I was here a few years ago for a cooking day at the Agrarian Kitchen (the first time I'd visited the city) and I was blown away, then, by the way the city seems to worship the Derwent, simply by hugging its edges. 

This time we made the obligatory trip to the Salamanca markets which I wouldn't recommend if you're travelling in a caravan, conscious of weight restrictions. I do love the Salamca Square though with its coffee, book shop & small stores for food and handmade goodness. We came home with six fillets of salmon for $20 too which have been cryovacced & frozen - ready for dinners. 

Dear friends took us to dinner at Smolt (famous for being Katie Perry's choice for dinner during her tour) but a great place for food too! I enjoyed my prawns & the wine was good. They, like so many Tassie restaurants, source bags of local produce. 

My daughter and I really enjoyed our morning walk along the beach near Bellerive. The mountain was shrouded in cloud but soon cleared. 

Hobart's Farm Gate Market is held on a Sunday and you can buy anything from wallaby fillets to mushrooms, bagels to blackberries, pies to cheese. We took home a beautiful Turkish loaf with black sesame seeds, fruit & bagels for lunch. 

We may have picked a day from kunanyi (Mount Wellington's) windiest week to ascend the peak. It was blowing a gale of close to 90km/hr but the view was simply spectacular. 

It seems that many Hobartians have a shack by the beach. We were lucky enough to stay in a friends place at Dodges Ferry which has a beautiful beach. It was busy over the long weekend but I wouldn't call it crowded by Sydney standards!

One morning we tired the kids out at the Hobart Aquatic Centre ($25 for a family). I lost count of the times the kids went on the water slide. They had a ball. 

Another day J took the big kids to the Rock It Climbing Centre. After four hours of continuous climbing and tunnelling they were exhausted! Apparently, because of his height, J had to remove his shoes to get around some parts of the tunnel. (That's my idea of hell!) 

What's a trip to Hobart without a visit to MONA? I won't say much more about this place other than you'll either love it or hate it. Just don't try going on a Tuesday. We had babysitters and arrived to find it closed. We had to go out to lunch instead. How awful! ;)

tasmania: woodbridge

We're staying in a friends house (with walls and a door and real rooms!!!) for the next few days and as a thank you we're planning a dinner with local ingredients from the farms throughout the Huon Valley. These native pepper berries & bush tomato are from Chris at Diemen Pepper. The processing unit smelled incredible as they've just finished drying the berries! 

The food story behind Tasmanian Fruit Leathers is that Jen decided her kids needed a healthy alternative to the processed version you'd find in a supermarket. She sources all her fruit locally from the Huon Valley and they are available at the various farmers markets and online. Thanks for the visit Jen and the new favourite road trip snack!

tasmania: bruny island in a day

If someone tells you "it's just not worth seeing Bruny if you've only got one day" don't listen! 

We didn't but we had a neat plan for the day because we wanted to make the most of our time and get back to Woodbridge for the kids' dinner. The weather was predicted to be beautiful and it was. 

This was how our day went. 

0840 leave Woodbridge. 

0900 Visit Snug Butchery to stock up on local meat - lamb for toast, vaccuum packs of roast beef & silverside for lunches, local eggs. This is why I love travelling with the car fridge! Thanks again Uncle!! 

0930 Ferry at Kettering. We had time for J to grab a take away coffee while we waited! 

The first stop after arriving at Bruny was The Neck. If you arrive earlier (at dawn) you can see the penguin march. 

Next we took the road to Adventure Bay 

and stopped at the Bruny Island Berry Farm to grab some blueberries for morning tea. The kids were also allowed to pick some strawberries from the farm. 

The walks around Adventure Bay look amazing but we can't bite off too much with three littlies. The 1km walk to Grassy Point seemed an ideal walk along the beach and through the casurina forest but we ended up stopping for morning tea a little before Grassy Point. 

We passed the remnants of two whaling stations. The history of which is fascinating. 

After our bushwalk we took the 4WD - unsealed road to Lunawanna. We were pleased to have left the caravan behind! There are two signs on the road which indicate look outs to the east and to the west. We stopped at the lookout which had the most magnificent view to the west in the direction of the most southerly point on Bruny Island. 

Lunch (which turned in to a long lunch) was tapas (& wine) at Bruny Island Premium Wines. This place was accommodating of the kids. The lunch  was delicious - seafood chowder, beef croquettes, mushrooms with haloumi, skewers - all showcasing local ingredients. The kids menu was salmon with cheese and carrot sticks - such a change from deep fried fish and chips or crappy pizza. 

It was a hop, skip and a jump back to the ferry via a quick stock up at the Bruny Island Cheese co. where we grabbed some soft and semi hard cheeses. Yum! Next door we spent $9/dozen on two dozen unopened oysters though one dozen turned out to be only ten. Get Shucked Oysters has a drive through service! Best idea ever and these oysters were meaty and so tasty. 

I'd read that the little shop on Bruny Island at the ferry terminal has fresh veg for sale so in the few minutes we had to wait for the ferry I grabbed some cherry tomatoes for the following night's dinner - grown a few metres away in the owner's small market garden. 

There's no doubt we'll be back to Bruny because we had such a memorable day on the island - combining what we love - being outdoors, food & having an adventure! One day was just enough to whet our appetite!

tasmania: huon valley food adventure

We love Tassie for its produce! Today we had the morning in Cygnet at Lotus Eaters. It wasn't long after breakfast but who says you can't have a Lotus Eaters banana cake with creamed cheese icing, clotted cream and fresh plums for second breakfast? No one. Ever. I don't need lunch!

I just love Cygnet. Local producers supply as much of the ingredients as possible to meet the needs of the cafe. A few doors down Cygnet Garden Larder provides the ultimate in grocery shopping  for local (& consequentially seasonal) produce. We came home with this huge box of groceries (potatoes, silverbeet, an avocado, two capsicums, huge head of broccoli, lemons, tomatoes, two punnets of strawberries and two organic hunza pies) for a little over $50! 

There was a welcome downpour which sent us in to the homeopath. They deal with the homeopathics behind the counter but the front-of-shop is for fun - secondhand and new books and beautiful European toys. Can you imagine our two kids playing quietly from the toy box while we perused? Well they weren't but it wasn't that sort of book shop. In my bundle of purchases I bought The Field Guide to Tasmanian Produce. The book should really be named The Field Guide to Tasmanian Produce and a Million Reasons Why You Should Move to Tassie. 

This praying mantis enjoyed reading up about local food tonight in the camp kitchen! 

Making our way back to our caravan, we stopped at the Pagan apple farm cellar door for juice & cider. 

We barely ventured more than 20km from our roaming home today but we had a really delightful day full of good food, people and inspiration. 

tasmania: huonville

We had a few days at Huonville Caravan Park which had been recommended to us by other families. The park has daily farm demonstrations & is set by the junction of the Huon and Mountain Rivers. It's a great spot for kids with plenty of space to run. There are powered and unpowered sites and a big camp kitchen. You'll need coins if you want a shower or need to do washing.  

Despite wanting to catch a fish J didn't manage to in Huonville. The kids loved kayaking. 

There is a resident platypus but we didn't spot her. 

You could use Huonville as a base if you want to visit the Hastings Thermal Springs, Cockle Creek, Sushi in Geeveston, the many cider house cellar doors nearby, the Tahune Airwalk and any of the other attractions on the Huon Trail. 

The town of Cygnet is also only fifteen minutes away where there's a great fruit & veg shop, a book store & my favourite little cafe Lotus Eaters. 

Huonville is a large centre with big supermarkets, some take away outlets and other shops. We were pleased to restock the pantry & grab nappies for the baby.  

tasmania: brady's lake

Bradys Lake is in Camps 8 and there are a few spots to pull in to for the night for those who are self-contained. 

Last night we sat by a fire with some lovely Tassie locals. Our son introduced us to them and our kids cooked marshmallows over the fire.

Bradys Lake is meant to be a great spot to catch brown & rainbow trout and Atlantic salmon. We were hoping J would bring one in on the kayak or B on the rod but it wasn't to be! 

What a morning! 

This was a stunning place to wake up. We were shrouded in fog but it cleared to reveal the mirror-like lake.