Tassie On My Mind, September 2009
- Spring has sprung in Tasmania
Welcome to the September 2009 issue of Tassie On My Mind, a free monthly newsletter keeping you informed of the latest news on what makes Tasmania such an attractive travel destination.
What do dolls, surf, chocolates, good wine and beaches have in common?
The answer is...
You can enjoy all these in Tasmania!!!
Isn't it wonderful that on just one island you can enjoy such a variety of attractions? For the size it is, Tasmania sure packs a punch. Tasmania is unique in all the world.
Keep reading and you'll find out how dolls, surf, chocolates, great wine and beaches feature in Tasmania... This issue:
- Royal showing at Hobart Doll Show
- Shipstern not for the faint-hearted
- Return of the original
- Tassie wines impress yet again
- New book about Tasmania's east coast beaches
Royal showing at Hobart Doll Show
Have you heard of the annual Hobart Doll Show? It is run by the Hobart Doll Club. On display are dolls hand-crafted by talented doll makers. You can see porcelain dolls, cloth dolls and teddy bears. Not only that, you can learn about the latest trends in dolls. Plus, dolls are available for purchase from the 40 or so stalls.
This year, the 24th Hobart Doll Show was held over the last weekend of August.
The main attraction was reported to be the Mary-Tassie doll, fashioned in the likeness of a certain very well-known Mary.
Well she certainly rates highly on my list of famous Tasmanians anyway.
Prizes are awarded for the best dolls in a range of categories. These include "Antique Doll", "Modern Doll", and even "Reborn Doll". The proceeds from the show are going to Cystic Fibrosis Tasmania. Well done Hobart Doll Club for holding a wonderful event supporting a very worthy cause!
Shipstern not for the faint-hearted
Surf Shipstern?
For decades, this was not even considered. Why? Well... Here's a clue... It used to be called Devil's Point!
This almost mythical surfing location, off the south coast of Tasmania, has been featured in a book, "50 places to surf before you die".
Yes things have changed. Shipstern has been surfed, in spite of the huge waves and big white sharks that can be found there.
Following the biggest southwest swell to hit Tasmania in the last 12 months, the time was ripe.
Over the last weekend of August some brave surfers headed into the waves on jet ski. Yes there were wipeouts, some so severe that surfers were kept under during 2 wave passes. But the local diehard thrill-seekers were not disappointed with what Shipstern had to offer that day...
Return of the original
And now, I have amazing news for chocolate lovers...
But first, let's do a recap...
In the June issue of Tassie on my mind, I mentioned Cadbury's decision to add vegetable fat to its chocolate.
And now for the update:
Cadbury has promised to return to the original recipe in Tasmanian-made chocolate blocks. Which means it's back to cocoa butter only, and no more palm oil!
How do you like that? There were obviously more than just a few complaints! I must say I'm impressed that Cadbury has been listening to chocolate fans. They know their chocolate after all.
I have not had the chance to do a taste comparison between the cocoa butter and the palm oil versions, but I'm really itching to now. We'll see...
Tassie wines impress yet again
Tasmania’s largest event promoting wine to the mainland ended last week.
Tasmanian Unbottled 2009 involved 32 Tasmanian wineries and 200 wines. Masterclasses on Tasmanian sparkling wine were conducted. Tasmanian wine dinners were held in Melbourne.
Participating wine producers included Bay of Fires, Clover Hill, Freycinet, Jansz Pirie and Stefano Lubiana.
What did the mainlanders think? Well one leading Sydney retailer was reportedly impressed by what he referred to as "the standout wines of Derwent Estate".
As described at the Wine Industry Tasmania website, Tasmania's European-like climate ripens the grapes slowly. Resulting wines are found to be comparable to well-known European wines. Fascinating...
New book about Tasmania's east coast beaches
A new book has just been released. It's about what's available for beach-lovers on the east coast of Tasmania. It's called "From Petal Point to Cockle Creek a Beach Explorer's Guide to the East Coast of Tasmania". The author is Marianne Robertson.
There are so many wonderful places to visit on Tasmania's east coast.
I'm thrilled that there is a new book out about it.
This is what I've heard about the book:
- More than 200 beaches are featured
- It contains photos
- Water, swimming conditions and facilities are described
- It has information on coastal walks
- Even maps and travel directories are included
Sounds interesting... I might get hold of a copy and check it out.
Well that's it for this issue. Yay, spring is finally here...
Someone mentioned that spring actually begins on September 21/22 in the Southern Hemisphere. But then someone else said that in Australia we have made it easy on ourselves. For us a new season begins on the first of the month.
Ooh yeh, that's much easier to remember! See you in October!
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