Things be different in these here parts when it comes to what we Aussie’s ingest and how we shop for food.

On the plus side: sow stalls are banned in Tasmania and by the big supermarket chain Coles.  We’ve also banned plastic bags and battery hen farms; most of our beef (60% according to this article, which isn’t that great until they tell you they ship 2/3rd of the 40% of HG treated meat overseas – WTF?) and all of our chooks are growth hormone-free which is good news if you’re a conscientious omnivores.  We have a very well-regulated fishery if you eat local caught, and really, why wouldn’t you want a sustainably harvested, long-line caught yellow fin tuna that was pulled out of the pristine sub-Antarctic waters the same day?  Eh??  Plus an amazing grass-fee, free-range dairy industry (world class cheese and chocolate) who have banned hormones also.  Coffee is a big part of our culture and is taken seriously so while you won’t get free re-fills, it will likely be a delicious cup made by a highly trained barista and almost certainly free-trade and / or organic.  FYI we name our hot beverages different (see here), and there really is no greater pleasure than ordering a good “short black” when you need a caffeine jolt!  So that’s the good news.

The cons are: combined with our geographical location, vast terrain, comparatively small population, good wages and a bit of a duopoly with supermarkets, not much we eat or drink comes cheap.  A cooked breakfast in a cafe will be anything from around $12 (for two eggs on toast basically) to $18 or even $20 for something more elaborate like eggs benedict.  A bloody mary to wash it down will be $10+.  When you’re eating out and are offered water, best to always say “tap is fine” otherwise you’ll likely be bought bottled water which can also be several dollars a glass (plus our tap water is the best in the world so bottled water makes zero sense).  A case of beer (24 regular, draft stubbies or cans of local Tassie beer like Cascade or Boags) will be $50.  A bottle of drinkable ‘house’ red or white wine will be $12+ usually.  A sandwich from a deli and an orange juice could run to $15+.  This link here gives some other examples and I agree 100% with his advice re tipping (this is important – the reason we don’t generally tip is because staff are paid well and the food costs are already so high).  Supermarket and market shopping will drop the food costs down however they are still MUCH higher than the US.  Even I get surprised at the costs each time I go home and go grocery shopping – a full trolley with a few weeks supply of regular groceries and cleaning products once came to $500 when I was home last year.  Things like toiletries are much more too as all imported, so take your own of all that type of stuff (hair products and razors especially).  Believe me, I will be packing an eskie (cooler box) in the car for any of the days we’re traveling around with snacks, bevies (alcoholic and non), sandwich and salad making stuff etc to avoid costs mounting.  The homes you’re staying in are obviously going to have fully stocked pantry cupboards for general things like tea, coffee and cooking stuff which will help with costs significantly if you’re on a tighter budget (i.e. me) and want to make some meals at home or in advance.

One of my absolute favourite sayings learned during my five years of living in the States is the phrase “…shit or get off the pot”.  While it probably would be nicer and more polite to start this post with a rousing, Robin Williams’-style “carpe diem”, I think the other opener does the trick too!

Two years ago today I got the news that my wee Shed and all my precious personal possessions had been lost in the bush fires that ripped through my community in South East Tasmania.  In those horrible first days, I can remember thinking I would never recover from that event.  As the grief lessened, I started to become aware that I hadn’t lost everything I have, because I still have my family and friends who I love, and who love me right back.  The incredible waves of support – emotional, practical and financial – that I received in the aftermath of that disaster has actually changed who I am as a person.  I promise, I haven’t been watching Oprah, and am sober as I type this!  It was because of that outpouring of love that I decided to organize TassiePalooza, so I can bring people who I love together for something joyous and fun rather than in response to a tragedy.

Three calendar months from today, TassiePalooza will officially be underway.  Heather will have been mucking around on the island with me for 12 days; Andrew, Anni and Mandy will be a week in to their experience with some super fun pre-Palooza-ing under our belts; while Susan, Karla, Dustin and Amy will all be a few days into some serious relaxation after being scooped up at the Hobart airport on the 2nd January.  We will all have already spent a night camping on the farm, partied at the big beach house celebration and hung out at the Tasmanian Devil Park.  On this date, three months from now, we will all be about to go to MONA by catamaran and be preparing to leave the following day for our glorious 48 hours on the stunning East Coast.

I know some of you are still seriously considering pulling the trigger and booking flights and time off work to make this happen, and I have to strongly encourage you to do that as soon as humanly possible.  As in, if you’re going to do this, do it right now.  Domestic flights are starting to get expensive and less available; international flights are creeping up every day too.  At this 12-weeks-out point, I’m starting to really nail down logistics for the time on the island with sorting the free accommodation and working out the best transport options as we tootle around the place, so will need to have a firm list of who’s coming as soon as possible.  Of course, if any of you have a last minute change of heart, or win the lotto which means an 11th hour first-class ticket purchase is feasible, I will of course welcome you gleefully and with open arms, but the reality is if this is going to happen on an achievable budget, now is the time to book.

Life is too short… I’ve been reminded of that again during my trip back ‘home’ to the UK last month, seeing friends who I love dealing with the hardest stuff that we humans all have to deal with.  We don’t know what’s around the corner for any of us, and to waste time seems to be the worst crime of all.  If you want to and are able to join me this January – and god I hope you do – I promise this week long experience will be an unforgettable celebration of all the good stuff that life brings.

Carpe. Diem.

Andi x

MONEY: OK, there’s no getting around the fact that Australia is expensive when compared to the USA, and even the UK based on my recent sojourn.  This is especially true for daily spending on things we all take for granted like cheap fast food, coffee, booze and taxis.  To avoid sticker shock, I want to prepare for the worst so you can all just enjoy your time rather than having your mouth drop open when you’re told that’ll be a $4 latte!  American mates, it’s best just to work out the currency conversion as dollar-to-dollar when figuring if you can afford things (at the moment it’s about 0.91 cents US for every Aussie buck) as it gives a buffer for transaction fees and the slightly more comfortable feeling of getting back and having spent 10% less than you though 🙂

Not teaching any of you to suck eggs as I know you’ve all traveled but here are some tips that should help ease the sticker shock.

1. Try to minimize cash withdrawals as the ATMs can whack anything from $3-$7.50 as a one-time “you’re not our customer so fuck you” fee.  Aussie banks are pretty much all in cahoots on this so I’d recommend taking a chunkier lump sum and then splitting the dosh and stashing amounts away in various locations to avoid drama if a bag or wallet is lost or stolen (very unlikely but can obviously happen anywhere).
2. I recommend using an ATM at Brisbane, Melbourne or Sydney airport as soon as you land from the international flight as sometimes the airport bus that transports you from the International to Domestic terminal has a charge ($5.50 in Sydney from memory) and sometimes don’t take cards.  This is a super stupid system and may be different now (I got caught out a few years ago with no cash and had to beg coins from other passengers to make my connecting flight which was a good look!) but just in case, be prepared with some of our hilarious, brilliantly colourful, “you can see exactly how much you’ve got even when drunk cause blue means $10, orange means $20 etc” and “don’t worry about putting it through the washing machine as it’s indestructible” currency notes.
3. Find out if your credit card company have a policy of not charging international transaction fees.  Chase United doesn’t, plus they have the awesome massive points bonus AND you can earn points while spending money on holidays.  If your provider doesn’t charge fees for overseas use, happy days!  If they do, consider doing a balance transfer to one that does, you can save a lot by using your credit card at every opportunity, however be mindful that some Aussie merchants have a minimum $10 charge before you can use plastic so you will still need to carry some cash for smaller purchases.

MEDICAL: Yankee mates, make sure y’all get full travel insurance for your visit.  Unfortunately the US don’t participate in the wonderful Reciprocal Health Care Agreement that Aussie’s and a bunch of other nations do, so if you’re unlucky and stub your toe while visiting you are going to be billed for any treatment you receive.  While medical care is MUCH cheaper Down Under than in the States, a trip to a general doctor for something not too serious is $40-$80 plus the cost of medications (definitely less than a short-term policy); a visit to the emergency room could be hundreds or even thousands of dollars.  UK friends, feel free to do whatever physical damage and repair work you like, it’s on us 🙂

While not the most exciting series of posts, I’m going to start providing nuggets of logistical information here that should prove to be helpful, money-saving and most importantly, stress-eliminating factoids for your trip Down Under (which is approximately 15 weeks away for most of you, if you can believe that).  This first one is the least interesting and possibly most important… getting in.

VISAS: although we (Aussie’s, Poms and Yanks) are all part of the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) where we can all pop by to visit each other for up to 90 days with a valid passport that is at least six months away from expiring (double check this one as it is a bitch to navigate if you discover this fun fact in transit), there is apparently now a requirement for an extra step in the process.  There are lots of places to get information on this (here for example) however between Anni and my sleuthing it looks like the Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) is the one and you can apply for that online here for a AUS$20 fee anytime up to 72 hours prior to departure.  There is no label or stamp, it’s all electronic.  Don’t pay any more than the $20 to a third-party, this is a super easy thing to do and the linked site is the official government one.

TassiePalooza_Sydney Trip Flip pitch

TassiePalooza_Trip Flip Tassie pitch

The links to the PDFs above should give an idea of things you might want to do if you’re arriving earlier, staying later or spending time in Sydney.  Bear in mind that both of these pitches were for a luxury travel show I was working on a few years ago so some of the activities are “high budget”, some won’t be on (Sculptures By The Sea sadly) and some won’t be possible to arrange personally.  Some things listed are free though, like checking out our life savers bums on Bondi Beach!  Quite a few of the activities in the Tassie brief are already being covered as part of our planned fun times however there are some extra bits in there I’d forgotten about that might be fun if folk have time.  Bear in mind both were written for TV Executives so are designed for the short-attention span 🙂

Then here they are!  Click ze link below ma dahlinks.

26 more good reasons…

“A goal without a plan is just a wish.” ― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

“I am not the same having seen the moon shine on the other side of the world.” ― Mary Anne Radmacher

As we get closer to TassiePalooza, and more of you start booking tickets or getting REALLY close to doing so, I want to make sure you all know the list of activities we’ve got planned and some basic costings so am sort of recycling this post.

When you’re working out your budget, remember that ALL visitors are staying for free while in Tassie with the exception of two nights on the East Coast (which are around $50 pp/pn) and there will always be a range of options as far as transport (borrowed cars, shared rentals, loaned bikes).   I’m adding the minimum costs to each day to help you work things out further; you can obviously each do whatever you like as extras (e.g. like an eight course, world class degustation menu at sunset over Freycinet Peninsula or an hour-long massage at the luxury spa in the old bank vault in Hobart or sharing a helicopter ride with me up into the Central Plateau to look at the Glacial Lakes, that kind of thing).  Again, there is zero obligation to follow this schedule if you prefer to dance to the beat of your own drum.   Everything listed here will work for small or large groups… the theme here is flexibility, relaxation and fun.

24th December 2014 to New Years Day 2015 – PRE-PALOOZA  With a few of you coming earlier to take advantage of cheaper flights (which I TOTALLY encourage!) there are lots of things to do before the official start of the Palooza.  Check out the post of the same name for details on this…

2nd January – the “official” start of TassiePalooza, kicking off with a gathering on the farm (aka ‘Bomana’) and The Shed (2.0).  A very relaxed night of camping, involving sitting on my deck, eating, drinking, laughing, reflecting, watching the sun set over the Carlton River and catching up on the land that I love SO much, with a bit of an outdoor cinema set-up too.  Options to stay in Hobart (40 mins away) or at beach houses down at Primrose Sands (15 mins down the road) if tents aren’t appealing; I highly recommend soaking up the Aussie bush experience and roughing it a little!  $$ = FREE

3rd January – the only part of the TassiePalooza that I would very much like you all to be together for.  A relaxed day at the beach with a spot of cricket and a big party that night at my girlfriends family shack with my Tasmanian friends and my kin (we are legion!).  There will be great local food, wine and beer, live music, dancing and shenanigans. $$ = FREE

4th January – a chilled out day for most I reckon, with a trip planned in the afternoon to the Tasmanian Devil Park.  I actually really love this experience so will be putting on my tourist hat to join any of you who are keen to “…come face to face with endangered devils, meet our little endemic quolls and pademelons, hand feed friendly kangaroos and join some crazy parrots in Tasmanian’s only free-flight bird show.”  $$33 PP FOR THE DEVIL PARK; FREE IF YOU WANT TO SPEND THE DAY LYING ON THE BEACH OR HANGING OUT IN HOBART TOWN.                                                                           * Please note not all devils are this cute and little and if you try to pick an adult up it will almost certainly bite off your hand 🙂

5th January – staying around Hobart and heading out on the ferry to MONA (Museum of Old and New Art ($20 entry fee plus $20 ferry charge).

Words can’t really describe this place – I know I’ve tried to explain its impact to many of you – however this reviewer gives it a crack: “…the $75 million Museum of Old and New Art, which owner David Walsh describes as ‘a subversive adult Disneyland’. The extraordinary installation is arrayed across three underground levels concealed inside a sheer rock face. Ancient antiquities are showcased next to more recent works by Sir Sidney Nolan and British enfant terrible, Damien Hirst. Even if you’re not an art fan, don’t miss this eccentric, but world-class, museum.” So did this one: “All we can say is thank you David Walsh!! What an incredible vision (and piggy bank) to bring something as wondrous as this to Hobart, Tasmania for all to love and admire.  Make sure you arrive by ferry to see this building in all its grandeur with the rusted facade hugging the native landscape that surrounds it. From the moment you arrive, you can see why this gallery is like no other. The art delights, shocks, puzzles and pleases all the senses and be prepared to spend the day here to uncover hidden rooms and nooks. This place is a must and worth a single trip to the Apple Isle alone. What are you waiting for!?” I also strongly recommend seeing this place and will be taking a ferry in the morning from the Hobart waterfront  ($20 round trip), spending at least a few hours in the gallery, then tootling back by ferry to the city centre.  If the weather is nice, I’ll pop up Mount Wellington for a hike and view over the city, most likely pop into the Fern Tree Tavern for a refreshing coldie (a beer) then come back down the hill for a relaxed meal of Tassie seafood on the waterfront.  There is a full range of options on the wharf for all budgets, from fish and chip floats to five-star dining.  I’ll be going the fish and chips I reckon 🙂

$$40 FOR MONA TRANSPORT & ENTRY; FOOD MONEY MIN $40 FOR LUNCH AT MONA + DINNER ON THE WHARF.  FYI LUXE DINING OPTIONS EXIST AT BOTH THESE LOCATIONS PLUS GREAT BARS…

Tuesday 6th & Wednesday 7th – although I really couldn’t be more excited about the first four days of the Palooza, these next two are going to be hard to beat.  I’ll be heading up the East Coast towards Coles Bay and Freycinet National Park and all who join me will be staying in some amazing, knock-your-socks-off accommodation.  There are two properties that are being booked within walking distance of each other, ranging from 2-bedrooms (4 people) to 6-bedrooms (10 people).  There is so much to see and do here: a hike to Wineglass Bay is a must; going fishing and diving are always fun and usually produce goodies for eating; climbing and biking if you like; sea kayaking (my favourite); wading out for a private tour of the oyster farm (including shucking and more eatin’!); taking ATVs for a spin; sitting in the sun on the deck of one of the houses we’ve reserved reading a book or just daydreaming; enjoying world class fine dining or simply eating a meat pie with tomato sauce… you name it, Coles Bay will provide it.                 

Wineglass Bay: a moderately steep climb for about an hour for a massive payoff.

Wallabies on the beach.  We can eat them too.

Sea kayaking – you’ll often see dolphins here.

Biking and climbing for those of you who must!

Susan Engquist (and I reckon a few other revheads in the group) will love this one, I did it once years ago and it was a hoot!

I can’t wait to do this – yes, they are wearing waders and yes, they are eating oysters freshly shucked out of the bay, drinking local wines and generally enjoying themselves 🙂

Coles Bay is about an hours drive south of the Douglas Aspley National Park which is a stunning place with gorges and waterfalls and crystal clear water…

$$100 PP FOR ACCOMMODATION; $_TBC FOR TRANSPORT (at the very least you’ll need to figure some gas money but I’m still nailing down the best option for transport here.  We might hire and split costs for a 12-seater van so we can all relax (e.g. drink) or take multiple cars (a combo of borrowing and renting cars, splitting costs evenly.  Will let you know asap); $40 PER DAY FOR FOOD  (we can easily do a market or grocery shop for brekkie and lunch stuff to reduce this cost further.  Swimming, hiking and hanging on the beach are obviously free; I’ll get activities costs asap); $_?? for activities depending on what you want to do. 

Thursday 8th – a lazy day meandering our way back to Hobart via the historic town of Richmond which boasts Australia’s oldest bridge and looks a lot like Hobbiton!  For any history buffs amongst you, it’s a gorgeously preserved little town and gives a bit of a sense of how our little island used to look when most of us were only recently out of shackles.

On the way I’ll also be stopping off at Frogmore Creek Vineyard, an award-winning producer of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Gris, having a glass of something lovely  and a little nibble of something yummy so hope some of you are keen to join me here too…

$$35 (one course / one glass) to $165 (if you went crazy on the Frogmore Creek menu – see link below).  Alternatively lunch could be as little as $10-$15 if you’re happy with a pie with sauce and a coffee from the little town nearby or $5 if you pack lunch. 

Click to access Restaurant_menu_v010714.pdf

Friday 9th – oh my god, writing all this down is making me too excited to focus!  On Friday I’ll be at the waterfront in Hobart, about to board a seaplane, hopefully with five of you too (around $100 each once my darling friend Elise works her discount magic!), making our way by air to Bruny Island.  There will be vehicle transport leaving Hobart about an hour prior to this (probably an 8-or-12-seater van) which will take those not taking the plane and to meet those flying in.  While I’m sure the scenic flight is going to be pretty amazing, the 40 minute drive is gorgeous too as you head down south to catch the ferry from Kettering ($30 round trip pp, 20 mins).  After we rendezvous at Dennes Point and have a bite to eat at the Jetty Cafe we’ll have wheels to tootle around the island with if folk want to explore beyond walking distance. Bruny is a pretty magical place, really wild and wooly.  From one side of the island, you can look across the channel to the little town of Southport, where my grandparents had a shack and I spent every holiday for the first 18 years of my life so this is a really significant place for me.

It doesn’t hurt that there are also lots of award winning producers specializing in hand made fudge, chocolate, truffles, berries, cheese and fresh oysters located on the island.  Bruny also has loads of wildlife, including seals and fairy penguins.  No, I’m not making that name up, and these little guys are the freakin’ cutest.

After everyone has had enough, we’ll make our way back to Hobart (no plans that night, I reckon I’ll be ready for a nap!).  If we can figure numbers over the next few months, I reckon the people who drove down should fly back, and the fliers drive.  That would reduce the costs even further (basically $70 each) and give both experiences, so let me know if that sounds appealing and I’ll make it happen.  If you want to drive yourself, that’s easy; if you chose to stay the night there, great; if the idea of Bruny isn’t your thing, no worries mate!  Just be aware accommodation options on the island are limited and not cheap, so if you’re wanting to make a diversion here I’d recommend getting in early to book something (try www.stayz.com.au as an option, it’s like VRBO).

$$10 to $100 for food and booze (again, depending on what you want to do); $30 – $100 for transport (HIGHLY recommend everyone doing $70 each and flying one way, bus the other).                      

Saturday 10th – a Hobart-based day for me and anyone who wants to join me (and my sisters birthday!).  I reckon I’ll have a bit of eggs benny and a bloody at T42 for brunch before having a leisurely wander at Salamanca Markets.  

There are 300 stalls which pop up down this esplanade on Saturdays and are a really fun thing to check out (as well as being excellent for any souvenir-type action).  I’d also really like to check out Lark Distillery for a tasting of their beautiful malt whisky.  It’s quite possible the Cygnet Folk Festival will be on this weekend which is just a great little event, if the whim takes me I might cruise down to check that out.  Maybe you fancy sailing down the river on an old ship like the Lady Nelson?  Or learn about some of my home states truly loopy history by touring the (slightly spookily named) Female Factory?  Or catch some live music at an iconic local venue like the Republic Bar?  The point is there are loads of things to do… so come do ’em!

$$FREE through to “spend as much as you like” 🙂

Salamanca Place at night

 Sunday 11th to as-long-as-you-want-to-stay 2015 – POST-PALOOZA.  Check out the post of the same name for details on this…

All of these jaunts are 100% optional of course.  You could join in on one, none or all of these things.  If you decided to only spend a few days in Tasmania because there are other things on the mainland that take your fancy, I totally understand.  If you want to be in Tassie but prefer traveling solo or in small groups doing other stuff, no worries at all.  And if you want to stay by my side the entire month, that’s great too!  I personally will be doing each of the things listed but there would always be lots of other super fun things to do or see in the same area.

Wanted to give a little more inspiration to those of you who are committed too, close to deciding on or still considering joining me and what will be one of the worlds merriest bands of nitwits for TassiePalooza in January.  In recent years, my island home has begun regularly punching above its weight in the “amazing life experience” category.  This is what my fellow Taswegians were enjoying last week, and is a colder, darker version of just some of the fun we will have in just over six months time… Getting. Very. Excited.

http://www.abc.net.au/arts/stories/s4030053.htm

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