:: M M V I I ::

Seriously Good Advice

2011-02-22T08:38:00.001+10:00

The lyrics to Everybody's Free to Wear Sunscreen, by Mary Schmich:
Wear sunscreen.
If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience. I will dispense this advice now.
Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Oh, never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they've faded. But trust me, in 20 years, you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked. You are not as fat as you imagine.
Don't worry about the future. Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind, the kind that blindside you at 4 p.m. on some idle Tuesday.
Do one thing every day that scares you.
Sing.
Don't be reckless with other people's hearts. Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.
Floss.
Don't waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long and, in the end, it's only with yourself.
Remember compliments you receive. Forget the insults. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.
Keep your old love letters. Throw away your old bank statements.
Stretch.
Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don't.
Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees. You'll miss them when they're gone.
Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll divorce at 40, maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary. Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much, or berate yourself either. Your choices are half chance. So are everybody else's.
Enjoy your body. Use it every way you can. Don't be afraid of it or of what other people think of it. It's the greatest instrument you'll ever own.
Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room.
Read the directions, even if you don't follow them.
Do not read beauty magazines. They will only make you feel ugly.
Get to know your parents. You never know when they'll be gone for good. Be nice to your siblings. They're your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.
Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when you were young.
Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard. Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.
Travel.
Accept certain inalienable truths: Prices will rise. Politicians will philander. You, too, will get old. And when you do, you'll fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders.
Respect your elders.
Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund. Maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse. But you never know when either one might run out.
Don't mess too much with your hair or by the time you're 40 it will look 85.
Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth.
But trust me on the sunscreen.

Lamb Souvlaki Par Excellence

2011-02-18T15:19:00.001+10:00

MB & MDR enjoyed a super lamb souvlaki in New Norfolk at "Number 10 on High Street", a cafe opened last July by Majella who hails from the Darling Downs in Southern Queensland. The souvlaki was very generous in size, hot and packed with succulent lamb, a real winner.

Island Markets

2011-02-18T15:13:00.001+10:00

Dropped into Island Markets this afternoon on the way back into Hobart from New Norfolk. MB was lured there by the invitation on their website to "Come and see olive oil being produced at Island Markets." The pair walked around the ragtag building looking for the olive press, eventually asking a shop assistant in the food shop where it was, she didn't know and neither did her colleague, she directed us to the foodstore manager who offered to ask the complex manager. We followed at a distance and complex manager who looked like the lovechild of Telly Savales told foodstore manager he didn't have the key and "just tell them it's closed". Foodstore manager came to tell us but we'd heard it all. Couldn't get out of there fast enough!

Morello Cherries

2011-02-16T09:37:00.002+10:00

Finally got to taste fresh Morello cherries from a pick your own orchard in Plenty, north west of Hobart. Quite tart in taste and a lovely change from "regular" cherries

UTAS

2011-02-16T09:24:00.001+10:00

The pair hosted MDR's niece, Poochie, and her mum last week as Poochie has enrolled in a BA degree at the University of Tasmania. Poochie will be living on campus at Jane Franklin Hall and after a tour of Poochie's digs MB is thinking of enrolling too!
The Hall is located in a very ritzy part of Sandy Bay with sweeping views of Hobart and the harbour, surrounded by gorgeous Georgian sandstone mansions, well done Poochie.

Werndee

2011-02-16T09:16:00.001+10:00

The duo are loving their accommodation at Werndee, just north of Hobart CBD. The property has an orchard groaning with stonefruit, berries, figs etc and guests are welcome to enjoy the bounty. Pictured above are greengages, a type of plum, very sweet & delicious straight off the tree.

The property has a federation mansion which was built by the first premier of Tasmania, plus two cottages and a block of 4 very well appointed holiday units.

The hosts, Jan & Robyn, are hospitality heroes, never has MB felt so welcome.

Wooden Boat Festival Hobart

2011-02-16T08:52:00.003+10:00

MDR had a ball at the biennial WBF in Hobart on Regatta Day weekend 11-14 Feb 2011. MB was a little ambivalent about this festival but it was free and nicely located on the docks at Hobart which is an easy stroll from the city. The festival turned out to be wonderful, with contigents from Indonesia and Japan, great music, nice food options, boat building classes for children and lots of other great kids' activities and last but not least loads of old and new beautiful wooden boats of all shapes & sizes.
The Indonesians were selling fantastic chicken sate and the Japanese from Yaizu (sister city to Hobart) were doing demonstrations of handmade soba using Tassie buckwheat, okonomiyake, tea ceremony etc. and MB was able to sample all. While MB was taking a photo of a buckwheat plant she looked closely at the guy standing next to it and it turned out to be Tetsuya, he was at the Festival giving cooking demonstrations as well.
The festival really had something for everyone and must be one of Australia's premier events, MB ended up spending two days there, MDR did all 4 days as he was also helping a mate who had a trade display there.

Fruit Wine Festival

2011-01-30T21:52:00.004+10:00

Luckily MDR heard this show being spruiked on the local ABC radio on Saturday. The Sorrell Branch of the Rotary Club put on a great event at the very pretty Bellerive waterfront. For $9.50 you could sample as much fruit wine as you could drink. There were over 110 varieties including banana and coffee liqueurs from Mt Uncle Distillery near Cairns. The sun was shining and the music was good, a band doing great Sinatra covers. PTA loved June Allsop's number 61, banana liqueur declaring it tasted just like banana fritter, which it surprisingly did. MDR loved number 97, Wayne Hewett's strawberry liqueur, the colour, fragrance & taste were out of this world.
Picture above is the rear end of an old ferry which is jutting out of the side of a nearby waterfront bar.

Hobart Farmers' Market

2011-01-30T21:24:00.002+10:00

A great haul was had this morning from the one of the best farmers' markets in Tassie. The team are eating very well indeed.

Tasvegas Vacation - Day 1

2011-01-29T17:41:00.002+10:00

After an epic journey to Hobart yesterday the team arrived at their digs in Sandy Bay around 9:45pm.

MDR & MB had a 5 hour stopover in Melb so they went to the Qantas Club only to find that MDR's membership had lapsed, the gatekeeper however took pity on him and allowed the pair in "this time". MDR then sashayed his way into the Business Class section of the lounge, with MB in tow, where it was much quieter and offered a much nicer range of snacks & meals, a very nice spot to while away an afternoon. First born son PTA & partner, EMI, were in Melbourne already and met the oldies at the airport. After the skybus left they realised Emi's new Lumix G2 camera was still on the bus so after some frenzied phone calls they were very lucky to have the camera located and returned to them within a few heartstopping minutes of boarding the flight to Hobart.

The team hit the ground running this morning with a walk through Salamanca markets, MB loved the buskers doing duelling banjoes, the gypsy lamb rolls and stocked up on a $6 bag of cherries (1kg) plus some apricots and apples and some berry cheesecake. PTA & EMI cut loose and did some shopping in the city to pick up some warmer clothes.

The afternoon itinerary was a trip to the famous block in New Norfolk, first time MB has seen it, photo above was taken at the bottom near the Lachlan River back up to the top of block which is roughly 90 meters away.

Great weather today, warm and sunny and about 25c in New Norfolk, did the tiki tour of the town and the Derwent River parklands and had a beer at the Bush Park Hotel. MB managed to spray the interior of the rental Hyundai with soda water, to the amusement of some and consternation of MDR.

Did a detour into Stefano Lubiana winery on the way back to Hobart but they're only open 11am - 3pm which was a bit of a disappointment.

Veal with mushrooms & cream sauce tonight with some local bintje potatoes following by the most fragrant strawberries MB amazingly found at the nearby Woolies of all places.

Flash of the Titan

2011-01-16T15:44:00.001+10:00

Great excitement at Flecker Botanic Gardens in Cairns this week with the flowers of two of their Titan Arums about to burst forth. The duo dropped in yesterday to check on progress, alas no flowering yet.

The FBG have installed a time lapse camera to catch the flowering, which they promise to post online for those who miss this momentous event. MB did ask about a webcam but was told by the nice FBG chappie that the Cairns Regional Council IT boffins claimed it would take at least a month to install one.

It's mine! No it's mine!

2011-01-16T12:12:00.007+10:00

MDR snapped these great pics of our neighbourhood Kookaburras squabbling over a canetoad. One sneaky kookaburra tried to snatch the canetoad from his mate and at one stage was tenuously suspended by his beak which in turn was clamped onto the canetoad.

Telstra Rant

2011-01-01T13:40:00.005+10:00

MB is off to a great start in this new decade. First call of the year is to Telstra for her elderly Father-in-Law (FIL) who is 81 years young, he has a Telstra mobile phone for emergencies. He isn't confident using it but is fine to receive calls on it.

When trying to call FIL on the mobile (due to his Telstra landline service being out of order) the calls kept diverting to the message bank before he could get to the phone. This causes him major stress as he doesn't understand how to use the message bank and can't get his head around SMS messages. MB thought this is easily fixed, just cancel all diverts which she successfully did for him.

However when one cancels all call diverts MB discovers that Telstra unilaterally diverts after 3 rings or less than 10 seconds, the unanswered call to a Message to Text Service. Again FIL can't make it to the phone in this time to answer the call before it diverts, making him very frustrated and angry. MB checked online at the Whirlpool forum and found the code you can use which delays diversion of unanswered calls by up to 30 seconds and has successfully done this.

MB tested this and still finds FIL isn't always able to catch the call before it diverts causing even more anxiety & stress for FIL.

MB also discovered on Whirlpool that one can request Telstra deactivate the message to text service however one has to call Telstra to have this done. MB calls 125111 and gets Amber in Manilla, after a very long, confusing, convoluted and difficult to understand conversation with all of the loud background noise of her colleagues' in the call centre Amber finally seems to understand what is required and puts MB on hold. After about 15mins the call dropped out. The entire call took 40 minutes.

MB does a test call to the mobile and finds that Amber has switched on all of the diverts and reactivated the Message Bank! MB promptly turns off all diverts again and tries calling Telstra Countrywide and managed to get onto Rick in Melbourne - but only after some backwards and forwards with the irritating voice robot thing. He understood exactly what MB asked and confirmed he would cancel the message to text immediately.

After 2 hours MB does another test call and finds the Message to Text is still activated.

MB is on Vodafone and and has probably racked up about $20 in mobile calls to FIL's Telstra mobile phone testing the call diversions. BTW don't ask MB about Vodafone! They have been causing MDR some major grief as well... Luckily Adam Brimo is sorting Vodafone out, see http://www.vodafail.com

This only reinforces MB's refusual to use Telstra for voice services anymore as every contact she has with them takes at least one hour, and more often than not many more hours of her life and it's just not worth it.

It's very hard for her to let the buggers get away with this so she will take this further and to the TIO if necessary.

Toymaster to the Rescue

2010-12-14T18:15:00.000+10:00

MB has been on a mission to find a toy rubbish truck for her favourite grandson, LJ, who is totally obsessed with all garbage collection machinery.

She's visited all of the toy shops in Cairns, plus the usual department stores, to no avail. Amazingly enough an online search turned up Toymaster which is actually based in Cairns.

Better still she can buy a Playmobil rubbish truck. MB has fond memories of her own children enjoying their Playmobil toys, in fact the grandchildren are still playing with the same toys which are now nearly 30 years old.

MB also found on Google a Playmobil Airport Security Checkpoint set, quite hilarious what the toy boffins can come up with.

Open Garden - Kuranda Palms

2010-10-24T15:33:00.002+10:00

Thanks to Mike Moore over at Cairnsblog MB & MDR were able to visit a gorgeous open garden in the Kuranda rain-forest today. The owners of this 100 acre property, David & Graham, have carved out a 3 acre garden filled with spectacular palms, cycads, heliconias, gingers and bromeliads surrounded by rainforest with not only a creek but a waterfall as well.
It was wonderful of David & Graham to share their little paradise with the great unwashed.

Tastes of the Tablelands

2010-10-24T15:18:00.002+10:00

MB was excited to learn of the Tastes of the Tablelands fair held in Atherton last Sunday. This is the second time it's been held and looks to be an event that is growing in popularity.

MDR & MB arrived just after opening time to find quite a queue at the entrance. MB made a beeline for the Farmers Market tent to try and snap up some fresh tablelands produce and wasn't able to even get inside, it was jam packed. Hopefully next year the Farmers Market will be extended as it was far too crowded to be in one tent.

The fair has something for everyone.

Some very cute goats at the Goat's Milk Soap stand.

MDR sampled a Buffalo Pie which was very good, nice & meaty, just how a pie should be.

The Marroo grapes which are grown locally were fantastic and the OzChoice dried rambutans were amazing, the fruit is dried with the seed which then tastes like a nut. Normally one tosses the seed away when rambutans are eaten fresh.

There was even a collection of vintage cars & motorbikes for the more mechanically minded enthusiasts.

The fair is held in the grounds of the old Chinese Temple and is a delightful area, lovely and green and right next to the platypus park where an old locomotive is also located, so it's a great spot to take the kids to.

The Atherton Tablelands has the potential to be a real foodie paradise and this event is a very promising sign that things are moving in the right direction.

Spotted at Google News

2010-10-20T19:34:00.002+10:00

Swedish Perry

2010-09-08T18:34:00.002+10:00

Found a delightful tipple at the First Choice liquor store in Cairns last week. First time MB has ever found Pear Cider on sale in Australia.

It's a very nice drop called Rekorderlig, highly recommended.

Pho First House Vietnamese Genuine Cuisine

2010-09-02T18:40:00.006+10:00

MB happened upon a new Vietnamese restaurant today in Cairns' city. She was visiting the excellent Green House next door for a spot of gift shopping and it transpires that Pho First House Vietnamese Genuine Cuisine (PFHVGC) has been open for about a week and a half. MB asked Green House lady if she'd been, but alas she's a vegan so unable.

Cairns has been crying out for decent Vietnamese food for years so hopefully this new spot will fill that need.

There is a Chinese/Vietnamese restaurant in Aplin St that MDR & MB visited once, the so-called Vietnamese dishes were dreadful so haven't been back.

MB did drop in to the PFHVGC and picked up a menu, not off to a great start with such a mouthful of name and the menu is pretty basic. However if they can deliver on super fresh, genuine Vietnamese cuisine MB will forgive them anything.

Pyramid Race

2010-08-14T19:10:00.012+10:00

Mr & Mrs MB took young grandson to Gordonvale today for the annual pyramid race. The town puts on a great country fair in Norman Park, nicely located right in the heart of town. LJ got to ride a pony for one dollar, went on a carousel for two bucks and also patronised two jumping castles.

The actual pyramid race starts in town, after limbering up in the official tent, the runners scale the nearby monolith of Walsh's pyramid, over 900m high, then return to town. The winner, Neil Labinsky, did the run 1hr 20min, more than 5 minutes ahead of the second place getter.

Most of the activities on the program are community based with the majority of the rides and catering done by non-profit groups so the event is especially genuine and charming. MB particularly enjoyed the wood chopping competition as well as an art exhibition in the nearby RSL Hall.

Spotted at the fair was Bob Katter, MP for Kennedy, in election mode. First time MB has seen him without a hat.

Perfect August weather today, sunny, cool and not too humid, it really was a lovely day out.

Shaylee Strawberries

2010-08-03T20:38:00.003+10:00

MB and assorted family did a run to the Tablelands today hoping to hand pick some fresh strawberries at Shaylee Strawberry Farm, and what a day for it, a clear and sunny 24c, just perfect.

Only after arriving there did the team discover from the most unwelcoming pair behind the counter that picking starts in September. Not to worry MB asks if it would be OK to take little 4 year old LJ over to the strawberry plants so he could see how strawberries grow.

Not a problem as long as you don't go past the multiple "No Entry" signs says Mrs Crabby.
Upon inspection it's more or less impossible to see any fruit, however LJ skips past the signs and checks out the crop, under the eagle eye of Mr Crabby who had surreptitiously appeared from the back of the shop to monitor the trespassers.

Grandma MB anxiously calls LJ back just in case a rabid pack of alsation guard dogs are unleashed from somewhere or other.

Strawberries were on sale, one kg of "Resort" strawberries was $12.00 and they are very nice. Won't be rushing back though anytime soon.

Dairy Discovery

2010-08-01T15:08:00.002+10:00

Whilst shopping at Coles in Earlville yesterday, with the charming young LJ in tow, MB spied a new milk in the dairy case. Upon closer inspection she noticed it was Jersey milk (reputed to be the creamiest milk) and not homogenized. This was enough for MB who purchased a bottle and wasn't disappointed, it is lovey and creamy and even has that real creamy colour, unlike most milks on sale nowadays, which are as white as chalk.

The milk is marketed as Misty Mountain Farms which MB suspects may be tied up with Mungalli Milk, MB's favourite dairy, she is of the opinion that Mungalli bio-dynamic yoghurt is absolutely the best in Australia.
This wonderful new local product really leaves mass produced and over processed milks for dead.

Last Meal - What would you choose?

2010-07-30T22:06:00.005+10:00

MB had an epiphany at the dinner table tonight, if she was ever on death row she would unreservedly request her last meal as follows; medium rare roast rack of lamb, infused with fresh rosemary & garlic, with oven roasted pumpkin, oven roasted potatoes or mashed dutch creams with a liberal helping of freshly picked and lightly sauteed baby broccoli.

Dessert would be a little difficult to choose, perhaps a duet of petite serves of crème brûlée and tiramisù plus some fresh plump cherries.

Of course, a nicely chilled crisp dry champagne would be a lovely accompaniment, especially with the hangover issue solved.

Retail Dissatisfaction

2010-07-30T16:35:00.007+10:00

Picked up 4 x engraved plaques from Trophy shop for MDR today. Trophy Guy said they'd be ready at midday. MB arrives 12:30 and only gains entry to the shop after some major unavoidable passive smoking compliments of the smokers huddled just outside the entrance. TG hands over one plaque.

MB asks about the other 3, TG looks startled then exclaims no worries will do them now. MB asks how long? TG asks why.
At this point MB wants to:

a. Point out that if it took 3 days to do one plaque then one may
reasonably expect an even longer time to complete the other
three plaques.
b. Remind him of the collection time he promised

c. Ask him if he has a quality assurance system in place

d. Tell him that the last thing she wants to do is stand around in his dusty, pokey shop surrounded by cheap, tacky trophies

However she politely responds that she's on her lunch hour.

ABC Far North Outside Broadcast

2010-07-21T14:28:00.001+10:00

MB helped out at Freshwater QCWA Hall this morning to set up for an ABC local radio outside broadcast from the Hall. MB was amazed that one person, Fiona Sewell, host of the ABC Far North mornings program, was able to set up the entire broadcast.

A fund raising morning tea for the Cancer Society was also on offer, so MB did get to help out with that.

This special event was convened to award a prize for the best bush poetry composition, a competition that has been running for the most of the year. Not sure who won but MB really enjoyed Jeff Mann's "Cropsitter" poem.

Credit Cards & Overseas Transactions

2010-07-15T15:34:00.000+10:00

Using one's credit card overseas used to be a fairly straight-forward process, nowadays however the banks are forever dreaming up all sorts of ways to charge extra transaction fees to supplement the cut they already receive from currency conversions.

Frequentflyer.com.au has some good forums on this subject and one post in particular provides an excellent link to the US based Mastercard Currency Conversion Tool.

This tool was created to assist Mastercard customers in Europe to comply with regulations that ensure transparency of exchange rate information. MasterCard has extended the range of currencies to assist customers and their cardholders globally, so it's also useful for us downunder.

Get ready to Celebrate!

2010-07-13T08:07:00.004+10:00

The Australian Taxation Office turns 100 in November 2010.
Australia Post are releasing a commemorative stamp on 27 July 2010 with a stimulating depiction of what appears to be a Doctor reading a file. It's probably some tax minimisation investment proposal from her accountant which will turn out to be a ponzi scheme. And what's with the chap pushing a wheelbarrow? Must be needed to move the loot into the vaults. There's also a person writing on a blackboard, brainstorming new and creative ways to collect more tax perhaps?

Latest Project

2010-07-12T11:06:00.004+10:00

MDR's latest project, hand crafted trophies for the CUA. He's designed a silhouette style trophy using Cairns Pencil Cedar.

You've got to be Yolking

2010-06-27T18:02:00.002+10:00

This 4 yolk egg weighing at just under 100grams was revealed today when MB was whipping up a plum cake.
An excited MB was sure it had to be a record breaker. MDR took this pic then MB googled and found a similar egg was reported in the UK in 2009, the article goes on to say that the record yolks in one egg is 9!
MB's hopes for a record have been completely scambled.
The egg is from a "super jumbo" pack purchased from Yamagishi Happy Eggs in Innisfail. The super jumbos often produce double yolkers but MB has never seen a triple or quad yolker before.

Lake Tinaroo

2010-06-18T19:00:00.011+10:00

Queen's Birthday weekend saw Mr & Mrs MB camping at Lake Tinaroo at the Tinaroo Sailing Club, the venue for the Wooden Boat Assoc. of Cairns' annual Tinaroo Raid.

Viking theme this year complete with Viking longboat and Viking raiders, check out the littlelest Viking raider here.

It's been about a hundred years since MDR & MB went camping. Luckily their generous neighbours loaned them a state of the art tent. First night was surprisingly very cold and the old sleeping bags were woefully inadequate. MB's airbed also deflated so it was a long night. Definitely investing in some state of the art campbeds before the next camping trip.

Tinaroo is a fantastic camping spot, the stars at night are spectacular and it's tremendously satisfying just sitting around the campfire. An added bonus is no mobile phone reception.

Got the camping bug now so looking forward to some more trips around the area.

Dragon Fruit

2010-05-03T07:00:00.006+10:00

MB was intrigued to see a dragon fruit plant for the very first time at the Liverpool River Banana farm during a recent Feast of the Senses food trail tour. The plant is a weird looking succulent grown on wooden poles. The folks at LRB grow about 5 different varieties, including a very unusual yellow variety, this is a sideline to their main crop which are bananas.
The Food Tour group got to see all aspects of banana farming from planting to harvesting and were then treated to an amazing spread for afternoon tea, which of course included banana cake and banana cream pie.

Happy Eggs

2010-05-03T06:44:00.009+10:00

Mr MB heard on the local ABC radio about a Food Trail tour, part of Innisfail's excellent annual Feast of the Senses, that included a visit to the Yamagishi Happy Egg Farm. These are the only eggs eaten in the MB household, a dozen or so super jumbo eggs are purchased each week from Rusty's Markets.
The duo booked in for the tour which included visits to Yamagishi, Liverpool River Banana plantation, Off the Rails Cafe in South Johnstone and the Mungalli Dairy (another of MB's food heroes).
The Yamagishi farm is located near Innisfail, established and run by a Japanese family and has around 18,000 hens which are fed daily with fresh cut grass and fresh tablelands corn, the hen houses are extremely clean with plenty of room to move for the hens. MDR is allergic to chook poo, but he didn't suffer any ill affects at all. MB was very excited to help collect 110 fresh eggs, some of them still warm.

Sandy Bay

2010-03-11T08:19:00.005+10:00

The last 3 nights in Hobart have been spent at the delightful Grosvenor Court in Sandy Bay, booked via Wotif.com. Grosvenor Court is set back a couple of blocks from the busy Sandy Bay Road in lovely leafy surrounds.
The apartment is well fitted out, very comfortable and even comes with free wi-fi, outstanding value compared to some of the holiday apartments the pair have stayed at. Nothing is too much trouble for the management team, they've gone out of their way to make the duo welcome.
Location is also excellent, shopping, pubs, restaurants, even Salamanca Place are within walking distance.

Cornelian Bay Boathouse

2010-03-10T19:38:00.001+10:00

A very nice dinner was had with Peter & Jan at their favourite restaurant, the Boathouse in Cornelian Bay, Hobart. This was the nicest restaurant MB & MDR have visited for quite a long time, great food, service and location combined with Peter & Jan's company made it a wonderful night out. Shall definitely be returning when the opportunity presents itself.

Antiques & Lunch in Hobart CBD

2010-03-09T16:37:00.001+10:00

MDR & MB are back in Hobart after some serious pampering at Aunty Monica's 7 star resort in Melbourne. Back to "work" today, organising insurance, property inspection, title searches and general research for the proposed purchase at Lachlan.
Found a wonderful lunch spot in Elizabeth St Hobart today, The Antiques Market & Cafe, a gorgeous shop packed to the gunnels with lovely old stuff. The cafe was advertising home made lamb, mushroom and rosemary pies which MB couldn't resist. The pies are very generously sized and made with real meat, very chunky and nicely spiced. The side salad was super fresh with locally grown and very ripe tomatoes.
While waiting for lunch one can browse through the store, MB can't think of a better way to have lunch!

Runnymede

2010-02-28T19:05:00.005+10:00

Another history immersion today for MB & MDR with a visit to Runnymede in suburban New Town, built circa 1840 on one of the first parcels of land allotted after the colonial settlement of Hobart.
The house is in nearly original condition and boasts some amazing features such as original wallpaper in one room which MB thought was 1970's Florence Broadhurst! There is a lovely complement of colonial furniture and a significant collection of scrimshaw and ivory ware. The last family who occupied the house for over 100 years were whalers who moved into shipping when whaling declined. MB & MDR, the only visitors at that time on Sunday afternoon, were given a very comprehensive lecture by the National Trust attendant and are both now very well versed in early Hobart history.
That's MDR emerging from Runnymede's cellar after an unsuccessful search for some vintage wine.

North Hobart

2010-02-28T18:50:00.007+10:00

Movie time today, the pair went to the excellent State Cinema in North Hobart to see North Face, a new German movie about a German team's attempt to climb the north face of the Eiger in Switzerland prior to WWII. The State Cinema oozes ambience, it's a very small independent cinema complete with it's own eclectic cafe in the foyer.
North Face was screening in Cinema 5 located in the basement, seating was 10 x 2 seater leather sofas with loads of leg room and one is able to take wine or coffee in. How civilised is that!
The movie was first rate, very chilly, lots of ice, snow and blizzards and when the pair emerged into the North Hobart afternoon it was appropriately cold, windy and raining. The record run of 89 days over 18c in Hobart has come to an abrupt end.
Pictured above is MB posting yet another postcard to her cherished grandchildren back in Cairns at the very conspicuous North Hobart Post Office across the road from the State Cinema.

Rosedown Open Garden

2010-02-28T08:33:00.003+10:00

Hidden behind a 5 metre cypress hedge on the outskirts of New Norfolk is another gem, Rosedown. The owners opened up their stunning and extensive garden to the public this weekend. Amongst the many lovely ornamentals MB discovered mulberries, 12 types of apples, plums and quince all laden with fruit. The owners have built the garden up from scratch over the past 20 years, the hedges though are believed to have been planted around the time of the second world war.

Bruny Island Bastard

2010-02-25T18:00:00.010+10:00

A beautiful, clear sunny day boded well for the MB team to visit Bruny Island. Access is via ferry from Kettering, about 5 mins from Snug. The pair planned to go across on the 9:30am ferry so arrived at the ferry wharf at at 9:10am which was packed with cars, buses, campervans, trucks and pedestrians.
MB paid the $28 ferry charge (return) and joined the queue. After some nail biting moments watching the ferry fill up, the car (Lancer) was beckoned in and squeezed into the very end of the deck of the jam packed ferry, but only by parking at an angle.
The crossing is only 20mins, on arrival there's a small wharf and a little kiosk, no town or anything very urban looking, so immediately one feels a long away from civilisation, a very pleasant feeling. MDR & MB hadn't really done any research but MB had seen a Berry Farm on the internet so they headed in that general direction.
After a while they spotted Bruny Island Cheese Company so swung in there to try and get some more information about the island. The very charming French lass at the counter was very welcoming and offered samples of their artisan cheeses, MB loved the "Bastard" cheese, a cows milk & goat's milk combo. Lovely French girl recommended a walk in Adventure Bay further south. Armed with some rye sourdough and a chunk of Bastard the pair set off.
Adventure Bay is at Southern End of Bruny Island on the windward side with brilliant white sandy beaches and crystal clear, azure water. The pair started out on a relatively flat walk to the nearby Grass Point then decided to explore further and walked up to Fluted Cape (elevation 272m). Photo above is taken just below Fluted Cape. MB encountered a Tiger Snake near the top, however it politely detoured away from her, she hasn't run so fast in years! The views from the track of the sheer cliffs and roiling sea are a delight. The walk is approx. 11.4km.
Returned to Adventure Bay at around 2pm, MDR was pretty hungry so the pair dropped into the local store and had a gourmet pie for lunch.
A visit to the Bruny Island Berry Farm was next on the agenda, looks to be a new venture run by two very switched on ladies. MB bought a punnet of fresh picked strawberries. Wasn't keen to pick her own as she was feeling pretty sun burnt after the long hike. MDR bought the pair a mixed berries in champagne jelly with Meander Valley double cream to share. It was just divine.
February is a fantastic month to be in Tasmania and a couple of weeks on Bruny Island would be wonderful getaway.

Brush with Fame

2010-02-24T15:28:00.001+10:00

MB bought some organic, free range wood-smoked ham on Sunday at the Melville St Farmers' Market and realised as she was paying the stall holder that he was Matthew Evans of "Gourmet Farmer" fame, a TV series on SBS. Unfortunately MB hasn't seen one episode of this series, but has been told it's very good.
The ham is melt in the mouth excellent, MB even used some to flavour a leek & potato soup she made during the week.

Australian Antarctic Division

2010-02-24T15:16:00.003+10:00

Just up the road from Snug is the Australian Government's Antarctic Division and Huskie Haven in Kingston. MB got to cuddle some cute huskies and check out the visitor centre display. Visitors are also welcome to dine at the cafeteria which serves delicacies such as Braised Penguin, Walrus Blubber & Squeak and Krill Sorbet.

Fossicking

2010-02-24T15:11:00.006+10:00

Checked out some local attractions today in Margate, just north ~~south~~ of Snug. MDR found a marina where an ex-RAN ship is berthed, the Curlew. It's now privately owned and apparently the owners live on board. MDR was pretty excited to see it as he had worked on this vessel when he was an apprentice at Vickers Cockatoo Island Shipyard. After the marina MB wanted to visit a nearby local native garden which is open to the public (she'd seen it on Gardening Australia), however on arriving discovered it was $12 each visit so opted instead to explore the 3 large second hand-shops just over the road.
The second-hand shops were fantastic. Jam packed full of all sorts of trash and treasure, MDR even found bone fid, yes that's "fid", which one of his mates is looking for - it's something to do with rope making, it was marked at $22 and he got it for $10.
MB found some retro apple box labels for $2 each at the adjacent and paid full price for a set of 3, then got into strife with MDR for not bargaining! She's planning to frame them for the River Cottage.
On the way back to Snug to pair took one last detour into the tip as they were told the Dump Shops are pretty good. Amazingly the shop was very good, anything and everything could be had there, quite a lot of very good house fittings, as well as the usual ephemera, books, kitchenware, old cameras, electrical etc. MB picked up a good non-fiction Vikings book for a buck. This will be a great reference for MDR who is on the sub-committee for this year's wooden boat festival in Cairns which has adopted a Viking theme this year.
New Norfolk also has a great cluster of antique and second-hand shops, MB, went into the Drill Hall Emporium yesterday and was blown away, it's a very carefully crafted emporium, almost like an olden days department store, one could spend hours there drooling over their wares, many of which appear to be sourced in Europe, France in particular.

Salmon Ponds

2010-02-24T14:52:00.003+10:00

Whilst exploring the area north of New Norfolk yesterday Mr & Mrs MB detoured to the Salmon Ponds a heritage trout hatchery which is set in the most delightful gardens, in fact it should be called "Salmon Ponds & Arboretum", as there are over 50 species of very old, very beautiful and well established trees from all over the world. After a picnic lunch of steak sandwiches made by MDR with some plump cherries for dessert, in the shade of a massive Douglas Fir, the pair strolled through about the ponds. If you want to feed the fish you must buy some fish food, which of course the pair did. Each pond has different trout species as well as one pond with salmon. One of the trout species was an Albino Rainbow Trout, they looked quite freakish. MDR read on one of the signs that Salmon Ponds releases around 10 million trout fingerlings every year. The Salmon Ponds also has an excellent trout fishing museum that takes one back to another time & place. Well worth a visit.

Mobile Data Cash Cow

2010-02-22T18:34:00.005+10:00

After struggling with virtually no internet access in the happy holiday village of Snug, MB reluctantly bought a $99 wireless broadband modem last week at a major telecommunications store in Hobart.
She asked the nice young salesman, David who bore a striking resemblance to Prince William, for a prepaid data package as she only needs it while travelling. David offered her a "casual data plan" which was a monthly plan and no lock-in contract. The data cost was $49 for 3 gigabytes per month which MB thought wasn't too bad.

MB asked for a brochure with terms & conditions etc. None available, but on pressing David, he photocopied half the A4 sheet that he had used to show MB the details of the "casual data plans".
Back at Snug the setting up of the modem on the laptop was fairly trouble-free, got online in two shakes of a lamb's tail. Keeping track of data usage isn't so simple though, one has to register by phone and create an online account. MB duly called and registered then tried to open the online account, but her account number wasn't recognised. She called again and after about an hour of phone tag was told by the lady in India or somewhere in Asia that mobile billing would need to fix the problem and as it was night time they were closed. Asian lady then promised to call mobile billing the next day to fix the issue and to call MB to confirm by midday. Asian lady lived up to her promise, fixing the problem and calling MB back!
MB successfully accessed the online account and after some more hoops - one involving an SMS message to the wireless modem - she finally got to see her wireless data usage. The data was being charged per kb, per session, and worked out to about $1.93 per megabyte.
One session used 49,000 kb for the king's ransom of $89.57. In all the total owing for data for 5 days to date is $605.00 (562,000kb). A rather alarmed MB trundled into the snazzy telecomms shop in Hobart today and asked another nice young salesman, Dominic, to reconfirm the data plan on the account. He duly checked and noted that no casual data plan was included.
Dominic updated the account with the 3gb casual data plan but advised MB that she will get an invoice for the $605.00 charged so far and that she would need to take it in to a branch to have it reversed....
UPDATE
15 April 2010. Back at home in Cairns & received an invoice in the post from telecomms co. for $1,071.00 (approximately 1.5gb of data). Called the telecomms provider and spent 40 minutes being transferred from one department to another. Eventually was told to return to the shop where the modem was purchased to have the charges reversed.
This prompted a call to the complaints line where MB was put through to a higher level person in accounts and the charge was promptly reversed, with the just the $49.00 being payable.
MB's biggest beef, the time one has to waste just to receive the service one is promised.

Foraging

2010-02-21T20:22:00.001+10:00

Tasmania is brimming over with sweet, ripe, juicy blackberries. Everywhere the duo goes there are blackberry thickets - on roadsides, riverbanks, in gullys and climbing over walls and fences. During a drive down to Kettering & Woodbridge today MB couldn't stand passing by any more blackberries just begging to be picked. So they pulled up, got a bag and started picking blackberries, all the while keeping an eye out for snakes, blackberry thickets are a favourite haunt of those slippery serpents.
After picking about a Kg of berries, they headed back to base with a detour at the local shop where luckily MDR found some pectin, the shop owner didn't know what MB was talking about when she asked if he stocked it.
Back at Snug, MB got out the big pot, threw in the berries, sugar, juice of lime and pectin and an hour later had a beaut intensely flavoured blackberry conserve. The jam is just marvellous on crepes with a dab of fresh cream.

Tea Circa 1970

2010-02-21T20:03:00.001+10:00

MB's iconic morning tea in Hobart this morning would not have been possible without the very stylish Thermos from the Snug Holiday Home. MB is having a ball on this trip down memory lane.

Tinderbox Bay

2010-02-20T17:33:00.000+10:00

View to Bruny Island with Tinderbox Bay Vineyard on the right.

Feral Oysters

2010-02-20T17:22:00.005+10:00

Heatwave conditions in Tasmania today, top temperature forecast of 31c! Mr & Mrs MB decided to do some sightseeing around Blackman's Bay & Tinderbox Bay, which are just south of Hobart (north of Snug).
First stop was a little reserve on the water where a little picnic lunch could be had in the shade. MB made some gourmet veal & caramelised onion burgers which went down very well, but forgot to bring the ale! MDR ventured out in the shallow water to collect some feral pacific oysters for his next course, luckily he remembered his oyster shucker. As you can see in the photo these pacific oysters are monsters. Oddly enough the pacific oysters are classed as feral oysters and there are ongoing campaigns to eradicate them. It appears that posses of blokes arm themselves with hammers and other suitable weapons then visit areas infested with the oysters and smash them. MB reckons she could team up with Mr Valley to bring groups of Chinese food lovers down to Tassie where they could gorge themselves on feral oysters to their hearts' delight!
Pacific Oyster Blitz
Over the next few months people may see the results of an interesting new project. The project, run by the Southern Coastcare Association of Tasmania - SCAT, aims to bring together local groups and Conservation Volunteers Australia to remove Pacific Oyster infestations from valuable areas of our coast. Pacific oysters may taste great but as an introduced marine animal can overrun an area quickly and spoil recreational opportunities and environmental values. For more information and to get involved in Coastcare, please contact Council's Bushcare Officer on 6211 8200 http://www.kingborough.tas.gov.au/webdata/resources/files/Kingborough_News_-_February_2010.pdf.

Huon Pine Canoe

2010-02-20T07:47:00.003+10:00

Pictured above is the "skeleton" of a huon pine canoe being made by one of MDR's fellow wooden boat enthusiasts, Peter, who lives just north of Hobart. The finished canoe will be lined with dacron fabric and weigh in at a meagre 5-6kgs. Peter's workmanship is second to none, these are amazing canoes.

Digs at Snug

2010-02-20T07:41:00.003+10:00

Yep, Snug is the name of a small seaside village south of Hobart. Pictured above is the very well equipped 1969 built Holiday home where the MB family are staying. It's quite a time capsule, the Hobart street directory in the house is the 1971 edition.

Masaaki's Sushi in Geeveston

2010-02-18T18:31:00.007+10:00

MB & MDR stumbled on a very charming sushi restaurant in Geeveston (approx. 70klm south of Hobart) today. MDR peered in the window as the "closed" sign was up and lo & behold the proprietor, Masaaki, popped out to tell the pair that all the sushi had run out today.
MB exclaimed that it was such a surprise to find a Japanese restaurant in the deep south of Tasmania. Turns out Masaaki met and married an Aussie lass, Lucy, while she was teaching English in Japan.
MB noticed Masaaki was using local free range eggs and asked where he sourced them. Turns out they are supplied locally but not available to buy through normal channels. Masaaki however very kindly checked his stocks and sold a dozen to MB for a very reasonable five bucks.
Looking forward to returning for some sushi.
Stop Press: The eggs are amazing, huge orange yolks and so fresh. MB made some pancakes which were really yellow, totally unlike pancakes made with supermarket eggs.

Conningham Beach

2010-02-18T18:26:00.005+10:00

This is a lovely little bay just south of Snug, beach houses here unfortunately way over the MB family budget!

Snug Falls

2010-02-18T18:16:00.003+10:00

After a few days of driving here and there looking at property for the MB family summer getaway, the pair deviated and did a short walk to the nearby Snug Falls. The falls are at the end of an easy downhill 2klm track, however at this time of year the water wasn't much more than a dribble, but the serenity was a delight.

Wireless Internet Hotspots in Tasmania?

2010-02-17T11:29:00.001+10:00

Not very many unfortunately!
Internode, the ISP that MB uses at home, has only one hotspot in the entire State. Other hotspot providers are very thin on the ground also. The Internode hotspot is located at Ready Lunch in an arcade off the Elizabeth St Mall in Hobart and it's a very good cafe, the food is super and the coffees are absolutely superb, the owner really takes care to create the best coffees possible, so double happiness for MB & MDR.

Melville St Sunday Markets Hobart

2010-02-17T11:25:00.003+10:00

Mr & Mrs MB found a little gem of a Sunday farmers' market in the centre of Hobart at a Council car parking lot in Melville St. Unlike the Salamanca Markets of a Saturday car parking was a snap and 99% of the stands were selling lovely fresh produce, not tourist tacky. The pair were able to pick up just about everything they needed, including a flat white, quickly and easily.

Tropical Paradise

2010-02-01T12:34:00.003+10:00

Growing things in Far North Queensland is a breeze, just hang something on a spare hook, don't worry about watering or any care whatsoever and voila you will have amazing "greenery" in no time. Pictured is MDR's mildewed croc skin belt which he hasn't worn for a few weeks!

Just call her Flo

2010-01-30T19:04:00.003+10:00

MB can claim to be a fair dinkum Queenslander now that she's mastered Pumpkin Scones. First born daughter has dropped in three whole pumpkins over the course of a week from a friend on an acreage who is has them coming out of his ears.

Fuming Smokers

2010-01-13T15:18:00.007+10:00

At last the vice is closing. Smokers are choking on the news that the Department of Health is to ban smoking breaks.
MB is surprised at the malevolent reaction by smokers reported in the media to this so called infringement of their civil rights. Smokers are still able to smoke in their own time, ie at lunch time or morn. & a/noon tea time, in their designated outdoor area are they not?
Currently smokers in the workplace essentially get as many smoking breaks of indeterminate length as they like. How is this fair to non-smokers?
MB calculates that smokers spend at least 40 minutes of their employer's time per day ducking out for a smoke and a gossip with the other puffers. This equates to 3.3 hours per week or 173 hours per annum (4.3 weeks).
How about paying non-smokers a loading equivalent to at least 4 weeks' wages per annum? This will compensate the non-smokers for keeping the wheels of commerce going while their smoking colleagues are paid to pollute their bodies and the air around the entryways & exits to their workplace.

Cannonball Tree (Couroupita Guianensis)

2010-01-04T14:41:00.003+10:00

MB spotted this amazing tree, a native of South America, on the Cairns' Esplanade this morning on her way for a chinwag and coffee at the new Cocoa Amour on the Esplanade.
The fruit are as big as bowling balls and very heavy. The pink flowers are also very showy.
There is also one of these trees at the Flecker Botanic Gardens in Cairns, however the one on the Esplanade is far more spectacular. It has to be the weirdest tree one could ever see.

Festivus, it's all going to fall into a big heap

2009-12-24T17:59:00.003+10:00

This was the response from MDR when I asked him for a quote about the MB family's preparedness for Xmas Day. MDR then made MB repeat the mantra "Be nice to everybody, no matter how much they're annoying you!" MB, being the glass half full partner, is feeling rather smug, she's never been so ready for a Christmas day lunch. She's already made the Breton style crepes for the smoked salmon and creme fraiche appetisers, the potatoes are cooked and ready to roast (nothing like a twice cooked spud). The pudding is cooked and the egg custard is nicely chilled down in the fridge. A few non-drinkers will be in attendance tomorrow so a big pot of tea has just been made to put together a festive fruit punch. A first for MB this year is the making of a home made cranberry sauce from frozen cranberry fruit, MB has just consulted Margaret Fulton's excellent Christmas cookbook and found a suitable and fairly easy recipe.
The grand-kids will be over in the morning to tear into their presents, little LJ (3yrs) has asked Santa for an ambulance, he seems to be past the garbage truck phase now.
Oh for such simple pleasures, enjoy your Christmas Day.

Cacophony at Tongarra

2009-12-10T07:33:00.012+10:00

Last Saturday Aunty & Uncle took MB for a visit to Annie & Steve's new digs just outside of the Gong, which is an easy 1.45hr drive from Manly. The first thing that struck MB was the cacophony of cicadas
in the bushland surrounding the homestead, very loud, but one becomes accustomed to the sound quite quickly.
Annie & Steve have found a real piece of paradise, off the grid, with views to the Illawarra Escarpment, hard to believe this rugged country is so close to Sydney.
Photo above is the amazing picture window view from the bathroom.

Pilgrimage to Newtown

2009-12-03T10:42:00.003+10:00

MB has a few days in Sydney with a free day today so it's off to Newtown, home of funky shopping and great secondhand bookstores. Before leaving home base in Balgowlah she entered "Newtown" into Google Maps and came up with Black Star Pastry in Australia St, Newtown. As she was feeling patriotic she thought this would be as good a destination as any.
After a bus to the city and train to Newtown she found the cafe it quite easily, virtually across the road from the station, a little behind King St.
Black Star has some mouth watering delights on offer, too early for the Lamb Shank, red wine & vegie pie so MB settled for a strawberry, watermelon and rose gateaux with a flat white. The cake was sublime, coffee was pretty good but a touch too cold. The cafe is tiny, in a converted terrace house, very cute with lots of boy couples lolling around.

Last Night in Twisted River

2009-11-25T09:31:00.008+10:00

MB has just received notification from her Library that the new novel by John Irving, Last Night in Twisted River, has arrived and is available for collection. MB will be the first borrower so she'll be able to caress this new book and drink in that crisp just bought fragrance. MB is positively salivating at the thought of burying herself in another of John Irving's spellbinding tales. Ever since discovering this author when she read The Cider House Rules, MB has sought out every book by John Irving and with the exception of The Water Method Man, has never been disappointed. Some of the recurring themes through Irving's stories are New England & Maine, bears, tortured relationships and of course very complex characters. His multi-layered story telling genius really makes you feel as if you are there inside the story and his humour has MB laughing out loud - to MB this is truly a marker for a great read.

Shinto Stool

2009-11-16T11:35:00.002+10:00

HTML MessageHot out of "The Shed", MDR's latest creation, a pair of Shinto style bar stools, a Christmas gift for PTA & his beloved Mamiko.
As usual MDR has lavished a great deal of time - and sweat - to craft these works of art and not one nail has been used. The timber used is Cairns Pencil Cedar, from a tree that was felled in nearby Kamerunga about two years ago. The stools are finished with a clear matt oil based seal, unstained.

Family Fun Day at the MRF aka The Dump

2009-11-15T11:02:00.005+10:00

Cairns Regional Council opened up the Materials Recycling Facility today which was a great chance to take little Levi, the would be rubbish truck driver. This 3yr old is completely obsessed with rubbish trucks, wheelie bins and any other rubbish related item. He loved seeing the conveyor belts that sort the recyclables, and amazingly enough he even spotted some empty milk bottles from home that he had put in his recycle bin!

Banana Pecan Muffins

2009-11-01T18:36:00.002+10:00

Mr & Mrs MB have been very lucky to share in their neighbours', John & Teresa's, bounty of home grown bananas. These bananas have been just delightful, so full of flavour they leave the shop bought fruit a million miles behind.
After watching Tony Bourdain today MB was inspired to make some banana muffins with a difference and here are the results, the muffins also have bits of dark chocolate in them as well, so MB could clear some lonely looking chocolate from the fridge. Bon Appetit!

6 Coffees a day to keep the Doctor Awake

2009-09-08T18:58:00.005+10:00

The brains trust at Queensland Health have responded to their overworked doctors' complaints with the most novel of solutions, drink at least 6 cups of coffee a day. MB must remember if she needs to visit a Queensland hospital to take a few jumbo sized triple shot freetrade arabica beverages for the attending doctor. Of course after the lengthy wait the coffee will be stone cold - hope that still counts as a fatigue cure.
Better still MB could install a 24hr coffee vending machine at the entrance to the Emergency Department, could be a quite a money spinner...

$20,000 Toaster

2009-09-07T11:38:00.007+10:00

If one spends $20,000 at Coles, KMart, Target and related merchants, within a 3 year period, one will be able to redeem with the points earned, 8000, for a Tefal 2 slice toaster using Flybuys points*. The toaster is probably worth around $40.00.
When MB first joined Flybuys in the early nineties the points per spend were much more reasonable but even then she could never amass enough points to redeem free air travel, which was used to market the program.
Every two to three years she was able to accrue enough points (11,000) for 12 x movie vouchers, but since the reduction to 2 points earned per $5.00 spend this is now impossible.
With points expiring after 3 years, it's well nigh impossible for MB to even reach 6,000 points, so she has taken the decision to cash in what she can (2 x $20 vouchers) and drop out of the program.
Flybuys is obviously a fantastic data collection tool for Coles but MB for one is no longer going to have her shopping habits logged for little or no recompense.
*Flybuys hot rewards August 2009

Whale Frolics Fitzroy Island

2009-08-27T15:37:00.002+10:00

A work colleague of MB's captured this great pic whilst out fishing near Fitzroy Island last Saturday. This whale was one of a group of 3 whales frolicking quite happily near colleague's boat.

Chandler Markets, Brisbane

2009-08-24T10:14:00.004+10:00

MB stumbed upon a huge market at the Sleeman Sports Centre in Chandler early on Sunday morning when she dropped MDR off at the Aquatic Centre for the Qld Underwater Hockey Championships.
She was just leaving and saw a vacant car parking slot near the entrance so decided to stop and do a walk through. The markets are a great mix of farmers market and second hand. One chap was selling a fantastic selection of heritage tomatoes which MB couldn't resist, so she bought one Black Krim & one Black Russian for a taste test with MDR. The Black Krim won hands down, a nice meaty tomato with lots of flavour.

Rocklea Markets, Brisbane

2009-08-24T09:45:00.004+10:00

The dynamic duo arrived into Brisbane early on Saturday morning, the pefect time to visit Rocklea Markets with Hana.
After checking out some pretty heliconia plants and nice produce with Hana, MB thinks $2 for a lovely fresh cauliflower is amazingly cheap, the pair stopped by the Fromart stand where VT is moonlighting to sample some superb swiss cheeses, some made locally and a couple of imported ones - including a nice raw milk cheese.
MB was hoping VT would have the Raclette burner there so she could gorge herself on fondue, but not to be. Alas she'll have to wait for a dinner party invitation. She did however find a Hungarian food hero making fresh Hungarian donuts which were lovely, very light with a subtle taste of orange.

Cadbury Backflip

2009-08-20T10:12:00.008+10:00

Readers may be aware that Cadbury recently "dumbed down" their chocolate products by replacing cocoa butter with palm oil and reducing the block size. The paper wrap packaging was increased to a cardboard package to disguise the 10% decrease in size - whilst keeping the retail price the same.
The inclusion of palm oil has infuriated conservationists, particulary those concerned with orangutangs losing their rainforst habitat in South-East Asia to palm oil plantations. Cadbury claims the palm oil is from some sort of "eco-friendly" palm oil source.
Cadbury's lame and insulting excuse for the reduced block size is that it reduces one's "DI" or daily intake of a calorie laden food.
Needless to say all of the above has whipped up a storm amongst Cadbury consumers and today's press reports that Cadbury has backed away from using palm oil.
Picture above is a scan of an old paper wrap.

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

2009-08-15T19:59:00.002+10:00

One of Marc's colleagues tragically lost his beloved pet cat this week. Due to the cooler weather the cat had taken a liking to climbing onto the roof of the house to sun itself. One morning colleague heard some commotion on the roof and raced out to investigate. He was completely taken aback to see a hawk carrying off kitty. Colleague was completely helpless and unable to do anything. Unbelievable but true!

Peter & His Droughtmasters

2009-08-02T14:47:00.002+10:00

MB, plus 4 female friends who were visiting from Japan, were very lucky to visit Peter & Maureen at their sugarcane farm near Mossman on 23 July. Peter & Maureen are growing many acres of sugarcane not only in Mossman but also at their second property in Julatten, just up on the tablelands behind Mossman. After a lunch feast prepared by Maureen, Peter took the 5 girls on a tour to the Julatten property, over one hundred acres with 3 creeks and a beautiful rainforest backdrop. Peter also has a herd of Droughtmaster cattle there which he started in 1979. When the cattle realised Peter had arrived they bounded up quite happily to the gate and Peter gave them all a treat of molasses to slurp on.
Peter is a great racontuer and had the girls giggling all afternoon.

Food Hero Discovery

2009-08-02T14:32:00.006+10:00

MB was pretty chuffed when she stumbled upon a stall at the Cairns' Rusty's Markets selling locally grown organic vanilla. She had quite a chinwag with the grower, Russell Spanton, who with his wife, Mary, grows the vanilla in Port Douglas and are the first commercial vanilla growers in Australia.
Russell has had the vanilla tested by the CSIRO and was told it has 4 times more vanilla content than any other beans tested, including beans from Tonga, Tahiti, PNG and Madagascar.
Russell also shared some of his colourful experiences with other local vanilla growers, lots of argy bargy going on. Up until encountering Vanilla Australia (vanillaaustralia@bigpond.com) at Rustys Markets MB had no idea any vanilla beans for commercial sale were even being grown in FNQ.
MB did of course purchase some beans but as yet hasn't used them. She's planning to make some crème brûlée soon and will report back.

Cairns - New Ukulele Capital

2009-06-15T10:13:00.009+10:00

If Val has her way (Mayoress of Cairns) her city will be the festival capital of the world with a film festival to rival Cannes.
The similarity in names may just work in favour of Cairns. If the Cairns Film Festival was convened on exactly the same dates as the one in Cannes, MB could easily imagine some literacy challenged travel agents booking travel for festival goers to Cairns, rather than Cannes.
The gutsy 10 year old MB spotted busking with her ukulele at Redlynch Shopping Centre recently would no doubt be happy to hear about a possible ukulele festival in her hometown.
The festival would have real credibility if Val has lined up Jake Shimabukuro, ukulele virtuoso, to perform. He is a true master of the ukulele.

Atherton Poultry Show

2009-06-08T19:41:00.006+10:00

After visiting the Atherton Orchid Show at the Atherton Showgrounds MDR spotted another event in the nearby poultry pavilion. Turned out the local bird fanciers had also put on a show of their poultry. MB is a bit of a closet poultry fancier herself so the pair decided to inspect Atherton's finest.
This show was just wrapping too, so the pair did a quick tour. MB's favourite was the White Pekin which the owner happily took out of his cage so she could take a photo. MB thought this lovely looking bird with silky feathers was a "she" but the owner, trying to hide his smirk, told her the fowl was a "he". MB asked how did he keep him so clean, apparently Dynamo does the trick, as does keeping the fowl on clean wood shavings.
MDR is pictured above next to a cage containing two of the biggest fowl the pair had ever seen, unfortunately couldn't find out what breed they were. The diversity of poultry is truly amazing and never fails to fascinate MB.
Where would mankind be without such an easily and quickly raised source of protein?

Atherton Orchid Show

2009-06-08T19:32:00.006+10:00

Queen's Birthday long weekend saw MDR & MB make their annual pilgrimage to Lake Tinaroo for the Wooden Boat Assoc. of Cairns' annual "Tinaroo Raid".
This is a fun event which is beautifully organised and very relaxed. Weather was superb and the company great.
After the Raid finished early Sunday afternoon the pair made a dash for nearby Atherton to visit the 44th Tropical Queensland Orchid Council Conference & Show at the local showgrounds. The conference was just wrapping up but the floral displays were still in place and MB wasn't disappointed, the orchids were enchanting.

Lake Tinaroo Terraces - Thumbs Down

2009-06-08T19:31:00.006+10:00

MB & MDR were really disappointed with the 2 nights in their 2 bedroom lake view lodge at Lake Tinaroo Terraces.
On arrival they report to reception, which looks like a radioactive waste dump, but it's unattended. Eventually a slovenly looking man who bears an amazing resemblance to Jabba the Hutt, waddles in, apparently from a house across the road. He grunts, we supply our name and he can’t find the booking, even though MB phoned twice and emailed once (no reply to the email). Jabba swipes our visa card and with a huge sigh, forces himself upright & waddles out to show us where the lake view unit is.
The "lodge" turns out to be a tiny painted corrugated iron tin shed that shakes & groans every time you walk in it. The "lake view" is actually the back of two tin sheds immediately in front of the tin shed.
Not long after arrival MB boils the jug for a cuppa. MDR had bought Danish pastries from his favourite patisserie in Redlynch so MB grabbed a plate. When she picked up the plate it was stuck to the plate beneath it and on closer inspection she noticed it hadn’t been cleaned. She checked the crockery and noticed many items were dirty, so of course she had to clean all of the dishes! There was not a drop of milk in the fridge, not even some little UHT packs.
One of the light fittings on the lounge wall was missing its cover and didn’t have a light bulb in it. Great if you have kiddies with you!
Cleaning and upkeep of the tin shed was rudimentary to say the least, filthy crockery, musty soft furnishings, coating of dust on everything and grimy windows. God knows when the bedding was last washed..
The master bedroom was in a loft and was the most spacious room. Only 1 light bulb missing there. The bed lamp was a doozy, looked like it had been dropped as the base was cracked and a large opening revealed internal workings. The clock radio was helpfully switched off at the power point
First night in MB & MDR settled down to watch a DVD (French Classic Cinema bought from home) but of course the remote didn’t work, checked the batteries and find none in the remote, just a rusted out cavity where batteries are meant to be go.
The second bedroom had a bunk bed squeezed into a room not much bigger then the bunk itself. Again the clock radio was helpfully switched off at the wall.
Any chance of a hair dryer in the bathroom? No way, that would be far too generous.
On day 2 when MB walked past the unattended reception there was a sign advising the office was closed as there were no vacancies. No details on how one can contact the manager and no emergency contact details.
Also in the tin shed there is no information and no way to contact the "on-site" manager as there are no internal telephones, just a bare phone point on the nano-kitchenette wall. Can't have pesky guests bothering the management.
Of course one could just call Lake Tinaroo Terraces on the mobile. That is if there is mobile phone coverage. MB has a Vodafone and MDR has a Telstra mobile, both of these did not have a signal there. MB is sure Jabba would gleefully let guests know there is a public phone booth about one kilometer away, if you could track him down that is.
Needless to say hospitality at Lake Tinaroo Terraces is absolutely zero and it was one of the most unpleasant stays MB has ever experienced. Accommodation standards do not merit the tariff charged by a long shot.
MB's advice - give this place a very wide berth.

Biltong at Yeronga

2009-06-02T19:19:00.003+10:00

Check out VT's super home made biltong dryer.
Whilst in Brisbane on Monday MB had few hours to spare before flying back to Cairns so dropped in for a quick visit. Hana whipped up a great dinner in no time which was very much appreciated, and much nicer than eating at the airport!
VT has constructed a plywood biltong dryer which uses 1 x 100 watt lamp to dry out strips of marinated beef in approximately one week. The beef strips are marinated in a vinegar and spice mix beforehand.
Hopefully next visit a small sample will be ready...

Adelaide Central Markets

2009-05-08T10:29:00.002+10:00

The two chocolate fountains pictured above were almost irresistible to MB & MDR. The perfect combination - melted Belgian chocolate and fresh strawberries. MB & MDR reluctantly settled for a photo rather than the calories....

Coffin Bay National Park

2009-05-06T08:17:00.002+10:00

Approx. 30k from Port Lincoln is the Coffin Bay National Park, well worth a visit to see the rugged coastline and amazing sand dunes. MB & MDR lucked out with the weather with a warm northerly wind so nearly t-shirt weather. Pictured above is Almonta Beach, just near Point Avoid. More pics on Flickr.

Port Lincoln

2009-05-06T08:10:00.002+10:00

View of Port Lincoln from our B&B, The Yardarm, which turned out to be a wonderful spot to stay. Our hosts, Judy & Ken have thought of everything ensuring a stay in the fully self-contained studio is incredibly comfortable. Plenty of hot water too, unlike MB & MDR's city digs, Walter St Mews! Port Lincoln is a small and very prosperous city centered in what appears to be a thriving wheat growing area, judging by the massive silo & grain handling complex which dominates the waterfront. Of course Port Lincoln is famous for white pointer sharks, tuna and seafood and has many wealthy fisherman, including Tony Santic the owner of Makybe Diva. This famous racehorse has been immortalised on the Port Lincoln foreshore reserve in the form of a bronze statue.

Adelaide to Port Lincoln

2009-05-05T08:17:00.004+10:00

The duo made a short side trip to Port Lincoln which was a three stage journey:
Adelaide to Wallaroo, Yorke Peninsula - approx. 1hr 45mins
Ferry across the Spencer Gulf from Wallaroo to Lucky Bay on the Eyre Peninsula - approx 2hrs
Lucky Bay to Port Lincoln - just over 2 hours by car.
The ferry shaves about 2 hours off the car trip which would necessitate driving north to Port Augusta which is at the top of the Spencer Gulf and then south down to Port Lincoln.
The ferry was excellent, very comfortable with a snack bar, drinks and even wireless internet. MDR spotted an historical SA Ketches doco on one of the big plasma screens dotted around the cabin so sat down to watch it and was snoozing away in no time.
As the weather was pretty good, MB went up to the top deck to get some photos and had a chat to some of SA's finest from Moonta (near Wallaroo) on their annual pilgrimage, sans wives, to their shack at Lucky Bay. These chaps very kindly invited MB & MDR to their cabin number 16 for drinks, directions from one of the guys were "you'll be able to find the cabin easily, just look for the spew!" Due to time constraints the pair had to decline.
Stop Press from SeaSA website: All ferry services have been temporarily suspended until October 2009. Sea SA apologises to customers for this unavoidable disruption.

Oysters

2009-05-03T13:37:00.004+10:00

One dozen fresh Spencer Gulf oysters - picked 'em up at the Caltex Servo in Cowell, on the Eyre Peninsula. MDR remembered to pack his oyster shucker this trip.
MB was intrigued to learn that Cowell is also home to a Jade deposit, so she bought herself a jade pendant at the Jade Motel.
From SMH 08 Feb 2004 - Cowell Jade Factory
"The history of jade in the Cowell area is a recent development. In 1965, Harry Schiller, a local farmer first discovered significant deposits of nephrite jade near Cowell. The next decade saw little real development and it wasn't until 1974, when the South Australian government became involved, that the potential of the area was realised. A geological assessment found a total of 91 separate jade outcrops (this has subsequently been increased to 115) in a small 10 sq km area which is now known as the Cowell Jade Province. The deposit is recognised as containing about 80 000 tonnes which means that it represents about 90 per cent of the world's known jade reserves (this excludes China for which figures are not available). In the decade to 1987 over 1500 tonnes of jade had been extracted of which 40 per cent was either dark green or black. Cowell jade is now exported to countries as diverse as India, West Germany, USA, Japan, Canada, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Italy and New Zealand."
http://www.smh.com.au/news/South-Australia/Cowell/2005/02/17/1108500204228.html

Walter St Mews

2009-05-03T13:33:00.002+10:00

Our accommodation in North Adelaide, has it all - location, location, location.

Barossa

2009-04-30T12:13:00.003+10:00

Wednesday the pair decided to take a run up to Rosesale in the Barossa to see if their 1.5ha of vines were still extant (it's one of those MIS investments).

The vineyards looked pretty healthy and well tended so that was a relief. The pair visited the office to find two farmhands who told us that the office had moved to "Waltons" in Seppeltsfield. One of the guys generously offered to show us the way. The new office is an old bluestone farmhouse and it turns out Barossa Vines has set up a wine making operation, Rosedale Wines, with the actual winemaking contracted out to Martincellars and Barossa Valley Estate. The duo met with Rosedale Wine's winemaker Matt and sales manager Chris and sampled the 2007 Shiraz & Shiraz Grenache which were pretty damn good.

Had a stopover in very picturesque Tanunda and found a little cafe doing steak wraps which were delicious.

Made a nice coq au vin for dinner with a bottle of Rosedale Shiraz Grenache, Mt Lofty thyme and beautiful fresh swiss brown button mushrooms from Adelaide Central markets.

Mt Lofty

2009-04-30T11:54:00.003+10:00

Tuesday dawned clear and sunny so the pair headed for the hills to visit Mt Lofty Botanical Gardens. The autumn colours were delightful and MDR & MB got a quite a workout walking up to the lookout, via some quite steep tracks.
Stopped in at nearby Hahndorf for lunch and spotted little cafe offering minestrone. Weren't disappointed either, it was lovely, hot home made soup, just the ticket for such a cold day. The Adelaide Hills are such a contrast to Adelaide, rolling green hills rather than flat desert.

Urbanised

2009-04-29T17:20:00.002+10:00

Landed in Adelaide Mon. morning, a very grey day, cold and wet so headed straight for the Central Markets in the city, but not open on a Monday. Not to worry went to Chinatown next door and found an Asian food hall, MB opted for some Vietnamese Pho Po (beef broth) and MDR got a trayful of Yum Cha, a nice, cheap and cheerful lunch.

Lodgings are called Walter St Mews, just off O'Connell Rd in North Adelaide. Not a bad location, lots of pubs, restaurants & shops within walking distance. The Mews is a heritage listed cottage which is very quaint indeed, looks a lot better from the outside. Interior is a mix of seventies vogue and op shop shabby. Our first night there was freezing, got down to 9C and we didn't realise there was heating in the bedroom until the next day!

Picked up a fantastic takeaway dinner from a nearby Thai restaurant, "Basil & Lemongrass", one of the best Thai curries we've had.

Move over Hills Hoist

2009-04-23T22:35:00.002+10:00

Browsing today's Google news MB stumbled on this headline: "Australia's CSIRO wins big Wi-Fi patent battle". Turns out the CSIRO registered a patent over wi-fi way back in 1993 and have successfully claimed royalties from many of the major technology giants.
This is sensational news but MB has not seen anything in the mainstream media, guess it's too positive!
Just last week an Aussie successfully sued Microsoft for using software he developed to lock software programs. The gist of the story was that he took his software to Microsoft in the 1990's, Microsoft declined to purchase it but then started using it in all of their software shortly thereafter. The judgment amount (which is being appealed) was around $500 million dollars, a great result for the Aussie battler.

If I had a week in Melbourne

2009-04-23T08:02:00.003+10:00

Apart from eating herself silly, drinking lots of latte and reading The Age everyday MB would:

View the iconic photographs of Max Dupain on exhibition at the Victorian Archives - http://www.prov.vic.gov.au/online/dupain2009.asp

Visit the National Gallery on St Kilda Rd: http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/ngvinternational/

At least one visit to the Queen Victoria Market is mandatory: http://www.qvm.com.au/ Jam donuts there are the best. Prahran & South Melbourne markets are worth a visit too.

Take a stroll through the Botanic Gardens: http://www.rbg.vic.gov.au/

On Mothers Day - 10 May: MB would head out to Langwarrin to check out Lady Elisabeth Murdoch's gardens which will be open to public - http://www.opengarden.org.au/regions/vic_calendar.html

MDR would love to do Foster's Brewery Tour in Abbotsford: http://brewhouse.melbourneaustralia.com.au/

MB would definitely catch some Cuban music http://www.ticketmaster.com.au/The-Bar-At-Buena-Vista-tickets/artist/1293942?tm_link=tm_homeA_music_header_r3

Browsing in Chapel Street, eating in Brunswick Street and at little Vietnam in Richmond. A kebab at Alasya always goes down well too.

Of course this is only the tip of the iceberg....

The Fat Controller

2009-04-18T14:45:00.002+10:00

To keep little grandson LJ entertained during his frequent visits with the oldies MB bought a DVD of Thomas the Tank Engine which he enjoys very much, so much so he wants go to the Island of Sodor.
MB & MDR thought TtT, which is written by a Rev. W.V. Awdrey, was a very conservative, safe program suitable for very young children, so they were pretty surprised when the narrator, in his very best children's program voice, referred to the "Fat Controller". At first they thought they had misheard the narrator but it turns out to be correct and he's the manager of the railway company. The Rev. Awdrey has a very dry sense of humour indeed.

British Tories on Fire

2009-03-07T13:34:00.002+10:00

This would be perfect for the current Queensland state elections, much more entertaining than watching a bunch of mediocre candidates from both sides of the political spectrum pork barreling their way around the state:

"In his speech to Congress, Gordon Brown yet again bottled out of saying sorry for taking Britain to the brink of bankruptcy. So we have set up www.sorryfromgordon.com where you can write an apology note from Gordon Brown and send it on to everyone you think the Prime Minister should say sorry to. Jeremy Hunt, our Spokesman for Online Campaigning, said, "If Gordon Brown is struggling to spit the words out, hopefully our online viral will give him a few ideas."

Another Gourmet Delight

2009-03-07T13:16:00.002+10:00

A lovely gift of Marzipan from the Stumpf's in Germany was had by MB via VT en-route to Brisbane in Janauary. This is a most delicious marzipan, not too sweet. A truly delightful, and much appreciated, gift.

Bush Fire Tragedy in Victoria

2009-02-10T20:20:00.003+10:00

Keenie

2009-02-04T08:33:00.007+10:00

MB was forced to buy the Cairns Post yesterday as she had a long wait at the Doctor's (she may have Dengue Fever).
The Cairns Post doesn't appear to hold to any rigorous standards with regard to factual reporting, literacy and grammar but it seems the good folks at the CP are trail blazing the use of a new word, "Keenie". An enraged husband* from Machans Beach accused his female neighbour of having a lesbian affair with his wife and stated "She was denying the fact that she had a keenie on my wife."
Apparently this came about when the hapless neighbour sent a thank you card to Mrs & Mrs Enraged Husband and failed to write His name in the card.
Naturally MB googled "keenie" as she hadn't come across this before and came up with the following at: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=keenie
It appears the Urban Dictionary editors may have to add a second definition. BTW this site has an hilarious definition of "AFL"

*Husband Attacks Lesbian Love Rival, Cairns Post 3 Feb 09

Banana Fritter Day

2009-02-03T21:28:00.003+10:00

The MB family got to enjoy some calorie laden banana fritters and ice cream today as it's JB's birthday (MB's late father). You guessed it, JB's favourite dessert was banana fritters. His favourite meal was a couple of lamb chops cooked in lots of extra fat, a real Aussie classic. He was also a huge fan of freshly shucked natural oysters. A more formal commemoration would have to include all of the above food items (in a room filled with "Drum" cigarette smoke of course!)
MB always has a chuckle when she remembers her Dad returning to Oz after his first trip to Hong Kong and exclaiming that none of the Chinese restaurants there had banana fritter on the menu, he was awfully taken aback. MB could just imagine him winging his way to Hong Kong and dreaming of banana fritters every time he ate out in HK.

Movie Reviews

2009-02-02T15:40:00.004+10:00

MB has endured a longish podcast drought due to her Creative Zen MP3 player packing it in last year.
On learning that digital radio broadcasting is being introduced this year she decided to try to future-proof herself by buying an MP3/MP4 player with DAB radio but after lots of googling it seems that there are hardly any portable DAB MP3 players anywhere in the world.
MB has settled instead for a basic Philips 2gb MP3 with FM radio (thanks to her Mum who sent her a Dick Smith voucher for her birthday).
After downloading over three months' worth of podcasts MB is enjoying a feast of Jonathon Dawson film reviews. JD bounces his movie reviews off Tim Cox on ABC radio in Hobart, presenting remarkably funny and entertaining reviews. This program is a real treat if you like dry humour from two unpretentious guys who don't really take anything too seriously.

Fatwa against Smoking

2009-02-02T10:48:00.001+10:00

MB congratulates the Ulemas Council in Indonesia for proclaiming a Fatwa prohibiting smoking in public places and also prohibiting children and pregnant women smoking.
Indonesia must have one of the highest smoking rates in the world and this Fatwa is certainly a novel way to deal with such a serious health issue.

ABC Style Guide

2009-01-21T14:19:00.005+10:00

Browsing on the ABC Radio National website MB stumbled on this excellent online style guide.
When writing MB often trips up on grammatical challenges such as accents over the "e" in French words, ie café or résumé.
Buying an Australian style guide sets you back a quite a few dollars, so this online guide is an excellent resource for writers and bloggers.
Well done Aunty.