The view from Lozzy’s house is amazing!
We finally boarded a plane to visit Lauren in Tasmania, masks were the only requirement to go interstate and a small price to pay to be travelling again! They are living in Lauderdale, a part of Hobart I had never been to before but it is in a lovely area and their house has the most amazing 260 degree views of the ocean and there are two beaches within walking distance so a fabulous location for our newly repatriated Aussies and no better spot is there than their deck for a quick sausage sizzle in the sunshine! We arrived the day before my birthday so we gave ourselves permission to have a weekend of fun and food, lunching at various wineries and enjoying a night out on the town courtesy of the kids to celebrate. There is no shortage of food and wine in Hobart and there is also a plethora of people with a home brewery or distillery making bijou gins, beers and ciders so we were spoiled for choice! The boys were pleasantly surprised when they really enjoyed their couple of cocktails prior to dinner and can now understand why girls love them so much! A good time was had by all and a big thanks to Loz and Tom for my special treat xx
As Loz and Berry were both working we dropped off and picked up Miss Myla from daycare, using the in between hours for exploring in their car and we felt very much at home very quickly. It is one of the joys of a smaller capital city…all the fun but much less traffic and we were lucky with the weather too. It was definitely cooler than Sydney but also dryer than this summer has been so we could just rug up and still do everything. We enjoyed a 6km coastal walk from Lauderdale to Cremorne and luckily that day there was a big swell bringing surfers from everywhere to enjoy the waves. Pretty sure there was a big hole in the workforce that day! The scenery is raw and pristine and with a unique colour palette particular to Tassie. Funnily enough unlike the greenness of The Meadow it was very dry and bleached over there, more of a straw colour and with winds that could blow your head off at times. You feel as if you are walking in a painting half the time and around every corner lies another amazing bit of coastline, beaches and little villages built directly on the sand.
At the weekend we beached! Myla goes most days with one or both parents and is completely at home there, looking for blubbers and shells, eating sand and burying her feet! A very outdoors girl and not averse to a gritty sandy sandwich or apple if needs must. Mostly naked except for her sunnies of course and luckily not at all attracted to the ocean, she is content to stay in or around their towels and play which is a big relief to her Mum and Dad.
We squeezed in a nature walk on one of the trails up on Mount Wellington, Loz somehow managed to carry Myla in a backpack up the hills and stairs to enjoy the ferns and gentle waterfalls that dot the mountain. It was protected and mild unlike the top of the mountain which was a rugged 5 degrees which made your eyes water. On a clear day you can see the whole of Hobart below you but the clouds can appear out of nowhere whispy like steam from a kettle swirling around you and then gone again. It is definitely the sort of climate that you need proper clothes for – tee shirts one minute and puffer jackets the next!
For our last weekend we rented a traditional Tassie beach shack on Bruny Island. These are often in THE most picturesque locations, usually as close as possible to the beach, near a river or in a forest but exactly as it sounds these shacks are simple, usually just a couple of bedrooms but with the essential kitchen, hot shower and fireplace. Ours had a deck to die for and a fabulous firepit in the back garden and you couldn’t feel anything other than relaxed. Bruny is a little world all of it’s own and you can drive the whole length and breadth of the island in an hour. We had long been fans of the Bruny Island Cheese Company from the days of watching Gourmet Farmer on TV and we enjoyed a cheese platter and a glass of pinot there whilst watching the world go by.
There is a great lookout at The Neck, an isthmus connecting North and South Bruny which also houses a penguin rookery. There were little holes in the dunes everywhere where the fairy penguins return at night after feeding in the ocean during the day, I would have loved to see them tottering up the slopes to their houses but that would have been well and truly past Myla’s bedtime so it will have to wait until another day! She was determined to climb the staircase all by herself which gave us plenty of time to have a good look around and I can quite understand why the birds choose to migrate back here every year as it was so untouched and the seas must hold a smorgasbord of delights for them.
Then it was off to the chocolate shop to buy some freckles and dark chocolate covered liqorice before heading to our little shack in Dennes Point and some lovely dinner and wine around the fire, making memories and discussing their very special news – the arrival of baby Cook number 2! We are all so excited that within a few months we will have another TWO grandchildren and that the cousins will all be close together in age. Think of the mischief they will all get up to in the future!!
So we reluctantly headed back to Hobart and our last night together for a while. A baked dinner, a quiz and a few vinos with lots of chats about what lies ahead for them as well as gratefulness for the fact we are a bit closer geographically albeit with a plane ride involved. The last morning with our Myla Moo was spent doing ‘art’ which is her very favourite indoor activity before we farewelled the Tassie Trio and made our way home to The Meadow where our wonderful house sitter had kept everything spic and span (better than we left it to be honest!) and our little puppy dog was happy to see us – she almost sat on my lap in the car on the way home from the station!! A home made zucchini slice was cooking in the oven and we were happy to roll into bed after a lovely 10 day break from the routine. We are so very lucky here in Australia to be covid free (for now) and able to travel, I really hope that the rest of the world is not too far behind.
So with the imminent arrival of our next little grandson in less than two weeks time I am heading to Sydney to help out with Cooper, cook up a storm for their next few weeks ahead and to squeeze in as many cuddles as I possibly can with the new baby. I can hardly wait to see what he looks like – will he have the same dimples as Coops I wonder? – and to breathe in that newborn baby smell ❤❤
My Move To The Meadow 