Joyful Steps: September 2014

Dove Lake......to Strahan

This was the rustic timber self contained cabin we stayed last night. Inside the cabin, it was perfectly furbished and spotlessly clean to ensure a luxury and pleasant stay. Outside the cabin, it was surrounded by natural bushes and trees. It was so close to nature that we had welcomed wildlife at our doorstep. :)

the short walk path to our cabin

That morning, we took a 15 minutes free shuttle from visitor center to Dove Lake.

spotted wildlife again!

Dove Lake circuit was an easy 6-7km walk. We spent about 3 hours enjoying the spectacular views in the morning breeze. Do go early, have the whole lake and jungle to yourself and enjoy the quietness.

sitting on papa's shoulder

and now mama's turn!

After that, we drove to Strahan. When Phin Zhe dozed off in the car seat, we bought two ice cream bars from the petrol station. Nice treat! :p

Strahan Bungalows

their signature safety float

The temperature was lower in Strahan, so Phin Zhe and mummy did not want to leave the heater.

living hall, dining table and kitchen

bedroom

Cradle Mountain
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Strahan Bungalows
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A day in the car. From Bicheno to Cradle Mountain.

my favorite Clover yogurt

Today we had to travel all the way from Bicheno to Cradle Mountain, a total of 300km driving distance. Therefore we had very simple plan. We started with a good breakfast. Then we drove to Launceston for lunch and grocery shopping. I would like to recommend fresh on Charles if you are looking for healthy and yet delicious food. We ordered a vegan sample plate for sharing, Phin Zhe and I shared a glass of fruit smoothie and daddy had a cup of coffee. By the time we reached Cradle Mountain, we just did not want to get out from the cabin. It was so warm and cozy. So, I boiled some broth with whatever ingredients I have, including the fresh scallops from Freycinet Marine Farm. Then I cooked some ramen to go with it. Yummy!

multiple stops for farmyard animals

lunch spot, fresh on Charles

the two happy boys in the restaurant

vegan mixed plate, served with a bowl of pitta bread

On the way to Cradle Mountain, we stopped by Sheffield, Town of Murals.

Rich history and beautiful scenery are painting on walls throughout the whole city.

Many murals are captured in this website. If you are interested, please click on the link for viewing.

Our cabin with fully equipped kitchen and a fire place.

Ramen with potatoes, carrots, onions, tomatoes, chicken breast and scallops

How good was it? Each of us finished two bowls of ramen in the above picture!

Valhalla Chocolate ice-cream for the adults :)

Fresh on Charles

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Cradle Highlanders

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Freycinet National Park and Bay of Fires

The next morning, we went to Freycinet National Park and walked up to Wineglass Bay. It was a 2.5 hours return track and we did it with a toddler. :-)

Wineglass Bay lookout

Nearby, Freycinet Marine Farm offered fresh seafood 9am-5pm right from their farm.

oyster grilled with salmon and cheese(top)

oyster kilopatrick grilled with bacon and spicy sauce(bottom left)

garlic scallops with a bread roll(bottom right)

Personally, we still prefer fresh and plain oysters, the most with some lemon juice. The garlic scallops was good though. We left Freycinet Marine Park with a dozen of oysters and a pack of scallops. Can never get enough of them.

Next stop was Gala Estate vineyard that we have missed yesterday. We had a non-stop food-hunting road trip yesterday. Gala estate was 16km backtrack from Freycinet National Park's junction, but our baby was in good mood so we did not mind the journey. The wine was awesome, but the friendliness of the host made the whole experience a pleasant one.

the friendly host

quirky decoration

wine for tasting and sale

tasting session

2011 estate pinor noir and 2012 late harvest riesling

spotted a wallaby on the way back to Bicheno by the Bay

After taking a good nap in the hotel, we headed north to explore bay of fires. First we passed by St Mary and St Helen, then we reached Binalong Bay. Bay of fires is the coastline extending from Binalong Bay all the way to Eddystone Point. We were rewarded by stunning views formed by white beaches, blue water and orange-hued granite.

At night in the cabin, we cooked some nice steak and opened a bottle of wine to go with the oysters that we bought from Freycinet Marine Park.

Freycinet Marine Park
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Gala Estate Vineyard
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from Hobart to Richmond to Swansea to Bicheno

Good morning Hobart!

Salamanca market is one of Hobart's top attraction that is held on Saturday between 8.30am to 3pm, so make sure you arrange a Saturday in Hobart. We woke up feeling fresh and reached there before 9pm, got a nearby parking and the weather was just nice, not too cold and not too hot.

The first stall that got our attention was this organic wood-fired pizza. Before I ordered, I did talk to the owner to confirm that the ingredients are safe for Phin Zhe.

wood-fired pizza

We only bought one piece for sharing as we wanted to try a little bit of everything. For this trip, I prepared breakfast everyday in the hotel, so this is considered a second breakfast. That is why after this trip all of us, including Phin Zhe put on weight. :p

a popular stall

tasty fudge, with free tasting

tasmanian honey

bratwurst stall

unhealthy but yummy!

flowers smell good!

Organic stalls where I picked up some cooking ingredients for the next few days

Tasmania is also known as apple isle. So we were not surprised to find a wide range of apple species, 10 types and they were organic!

William Smith's organic cider is also a must try!

Smith's stall had Tasmanian national dish, scallop pie.

curried scallop pie

little fellow was so excited with the bear collection.

I need a lot of will power to stop myself from buying a pair of UGG boots ;)

We had enjoyed spending a sunny Saturday morning strolling through all the fresh and gourmet produce, arts, crafts and other interesting stalls in Salamanca market. Therefore I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is going to visit Hobart.

a cup of Villino's coffee for the road trip to Bicheno

On the way to Bicheno, please remember to stop by Richmond Bakery. They have the best scallop pie in Tasmania. Okay, I have not tried all the scallop pies in Tasmania. So if it is not the best, it will be in the top list too.

inside Richmond Bakery

lemon tart

The scallop pie was heavenly good! 5-6 fresh and large scallops with magnificent, creamy mild curry sauce were added into the delicate pastry and then baked to perfection. In my humble opinion, it was better than the one we had at Salamanca market.

Richmond bridge

interesting hotel and restaurant building

mailboxes at the main road

We stopped by The Ugly Duck, Bicheno for a quick lunch. It had mixed reviews in amazon, but it met our expectation. Phin Zhe loved their fruit smoothie which I forgot to take a picture of. The owner told me that she uses non pesticide local produce(most of them from their own garden). Before we left she showed us their garden and gave me some herbs(they went into the oven together with my lamb steak that night).