BEER and WINE

 

27th February, 2014

We’ve had a restful time over the last week.  After leaving Beaconsfield we headed west to Wynyard and checked into the Beach Retreat Caravan Park where we stayed for five nights while Wayne stored his car and van at the airport and flew to King Island and visited some friends.  While he was away we drove to a Swap Meet at Ulverstone

Swap Meet at Ulverstone

where we met up with John and Shar.  John and Wok are old workmates from Skyfox days and after wandering around the swap meet they took us to Pedro’s Restaurant on the waterfront where we had a wonderful ‘fish and chips’ lunch.

John and Shar at Pedro's in Ulverstone

We will definitely have to make a detour back to Pedro’s before we leave Tasmania.  When Wayne rejoined us we drove to Longford and checked into the Riverside Caravan Park.  We were going to use Longford as a base to visit all the touristy stuff in and around Launceston.  The boys were eager to get going the next morning as we had booked a tour of the Boags Brewery in Launceston.

A tour group at Boags Brewery

The brewery takes up a whole block not far from the city centre and is very distinctive with its old brewing tower clearly visible. 

Boags Brewery

We are booked on the 11am tour and follow our guide ‘Don’ through the factory following the process of turning barley into beer.

Wok and Wayne on tour at Boags Brewery

In the packaging area thousands of bottles whizzed around on the carousels as they were washed, filled, sealed and labelled. 

Wok watches the bottles whizz past

The boys were understandably in awe of so much beer swirling around in front of their eyes … ‘so much beer’ … ‘so little time’ … !   They did however do their best to consume as much as they could in the tasting room and even though one or two varieties of beer were not to their liking they never let a drop go to waste.

By their expressions Wok and Wayne may not have liked this variety of beer

Out in the parking area was an oversized beer can. 

Wayne was impressed with this beer can ...!

Many cunning plans were proposed by Wayne and Wok to get the beer can into the back of the Prado but luckily common sense prevailed and they decided to adjourn to the pub around the corner for some more beer followed by a lunch ‘chaser’.  Needless to say the boys were in no condition to go sight-seeing after that so the designated driver escorted them back to the car and drove them back to camp for a late afternoon nap.  By the next morning they were ‘good to go’ again and we headed into Launceston again for a look see at Cataract Gorge.  Cataract Gorge is a favourite picnic area for the people of Launceston and can be easily accessed by foot from the main city area.  We parked at the First Basin and made our way into the reserve.  The picnic area in the main part of the reserve boasts two large swimming pools

Swimming pool at Cataract Gorge

and across the top of the first basin a swinging bridge gives access to the other side of the gorge.

Swinging Bridge at Cataract Gorge

We follow the walking trail across the bridge

Wok and Wayne on the swinging bridge

and get a great view up the gorge.

Gorge leading to the second basin

The trail continues down the gorge and as we make our way down we get a great view back to the first basin and the swinging bridge.

Cataract Gorge

We reach the bottom of the gorge where the water flows into the Tamar River before retracing our steps back to the first basin where we stop for a Devonshire Tea at the quaint heritage restaurant.

Yummmm!   Scones, strawberry jam and lots of cream ...  Yummmmm!

A couple of peacocks with their chicks wander around us as we eat and are also not too worried when we overtake them on the pathway to the chairlift.

Wayne and Wok share the path with a mother peacock and chick

The chairlift has been operating across the first basin for a long time and we figure the chances of a catastrophe occurring just when we happen to be taking a ride would be pretty rare.  We try not to think about how old and hazardous it appears to be and just enjoy the view.

That's us - way out there over the water in the chairlift

We get a good look at the swinging bridge across the gorge

View of the swinging bridge from the chairlift

and Wayne bravely follows in the seat behind us on the chairlift.

That's Wayne way back there in the chairlift ... you may need a microscope to see him

We make it to the other side and not long after Wayne makes a touchdown.

Wayne touches down

We make our way back to Mitzi and are surprised to see that we have spent two hours wandering around in the gorge.  We head up the West Tamar highway intent on dropping into a few wineries for some taste testing.  Our first stop is at Velo Vineyard where the ‘boys’ settle into the intricacies of wine tasting.

The 'boys' at Velo Vineyard

After a surfeit of different varieties of wine the ‘boys’ have a nice glow underway and we continue further up the road to the next vineyard.  At Tamar Ridge besides enjoying some more wine we also enjoy a great view over the Tamar River.

Robyn and Wok at Tamar Ridge

The ‘boys’ are suitably ebullient so it is on to the ‘Ninth Island’ vineyard

Ninth Island Vineyard

 where more fermented grapes are consumed.

Wok and Wayne at Ninth Island cellar door

The ‘boys’ are now floating along quite nicely and they have bought a reasonable supply of wine at this stage.  Another vineyard was visited but it was a small cellar door and we could find no-one in attendance so we continued on to the next vineyard but could not find it.  It was marked on our map but where it actually was in real life is anybody’s guess!  It was getting a bit late so the designated driver turned Mitzi around and headed back to camp.  A stop was made at a shopping mall so that some nourishment in the form of food could be consumed.  After all – one needs to have something in one’s tummy to sop up the alcohol doesn’t one?   Another early night to bed for the ‘boys’ was definitely on the cards!

Now this photo has nothing to do with the blog and we have no idea what the dog’s name is or who he belongs to but we thought he deserved to have his photo taken.  He was sitting in the back of this red ute parked at the Swap Meet we went to at Ulverstone waiting for his owner to come back. 

Now who could resist a face like that ….!