Tasmania trip - part 3 - The lovely Swansea and beautiful Freycinet~

Day 4 - We headed to Sullivan's Cove for breakfast, our original plan is to have breakfast at Jam Packed Cafe situated at the IXL atrium at Henry Jones Art Hotel, but we were very early, and they only start serving breakfast by 8am, so we went to Timeless Way instead. In Hobart, most decent cafe would serve pretty good breakfast, so we decided to change our plan.

The service was pretty good, we decided to share the breakfast and they offer to separate it into two portions for us. The breakfast has nothing to shout about, well it is definitely better than most of the western breakfasts I can get in Malaysia, but in Australian standard this is just average. Good enough to kick start my day :)

IXL building

After breakfast, we headed down to Franklin Square, to where the big chess board is. Do drop by the park to play chess here, from 8.30am -3.30pm only on weekdays. :) 

the big chess board at Franklin Square

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We left for Swansea soon after, stopping by at Richmond on the way. It took about 30mins from Hobart-Richmond.

In Richmond, we stopped by a popular tourist attraction, which is the Old Hobart Town, a place where you can step back in time and learn the history of Hobart town.

the models at Old Hobart Town

all the buildings are made in detail

There is a nice wood craft shop next door, a place where you'll find a lot of handmade items, good place to shop for souvenirs if you didn't get any from the Salamanca market.

Another attraction in Richmond is the Richmond bridge itself. The stone arch bridge is one of Australia's oldest stone bridge, built by the convict labour during the old time.

the stone arch bridge

The journey from Richmond to Swansea took about 1.5 hours, with beautiful scenery, slightly windy country roads, lots of green fields and flocks of sheep. I was so tempted to stop by to snap some photos, managed to make a few stops on our way, and i love the sheep!, so cute!

the sheep who look at my camera :)

Upon reaching Swansea, we checked in to the Meredith & Mews, a lovely place! We booked into one of the studio rooms adjoining the main house, it is like a small house with a porch in front, and a balcony where you can walk out to the house garden. Suitable for those who are driving around as you can just park your car right in front at the porch. And there's hot muffins, fresh out of oven for you when you check in. :)

We then grabbed lunch at Horny Cray, takeaway lunch to eat on our way to Freycinet National Park. Oh ya, the salmon sandwhich/burger is really good.

The Horny Cray - great place to takeaway your lunch/picnic 

Share a Coke with ME!~ 

It took about 1 hour from Swansea to Freycinet Park. If you happen to be driving, take extra care and be cautious as there are many small animals which do not have road sense. I see so many dead ones along the way :( so be really careful especially if you're driving there early morning / at dusk. 

Freycinet National Park in Coles Bay is one of Tasmania's oldest park, located on the sunny east coast of Tasmania. You will need to get a park entry pass, depending whether you are driving or you want to get a per person pass. We got a pass for vehicle (up to 8 people) for $24. 

There are various walks in the park, depending on the time you have, you can opt for longer walks. We took the Wineglass bay lookout (1-2 hours return). Wineglass Bay is a crescent moon shaped beach, listed as one of the most beautiful in the world and known as a remote beach due to the fact that there is only two way there : by foot (and the walk is definitely not an easy one) and by tour boats.

There are quite a number of rough steps on this route and pretty steep at certain points, but it is a well constructed track. The views of the beautiful white sandy beach and crystal blue water is definitely worth the walk. 

the magnificent view

Next, we went for the Cape Tourville walk. Thank God, the weather was perfect that day, and since it's end of spring, we have longer daylight thus longer time to explore the beautiful places of Tasmania.

It is a short 20 minutes walk and you get to see the stupendous coastal views of Freycinet. This track is wide and has even surfaces. 

Since we still have some time, we went for the Sleepy Bay walk and to the Little Gravelly Beach at Sleepy Bay. Both walks took us about 40 minutes-1hour (return). From here, you can see the rocky shore line of Sleepy Bay, and if you follow the track on the right you will come to the cove. This track is rather tricky as it passes through some high cliff tops. There are uneven steps leading to the beach. The view is definitely rewarding.

There are few other more challenging walks which are equally rewarding but due to time constraint we were not able to go for those. I really want to try out the Wineglass Bay walk which takes about 3-4 hours, and you get to enjoy the beach.

Dinner that night at Bark Mill Tavern. This place is also a museum, but we did not get to visit, coz it was closed by the time we reached. However, it is a good place to have your meal and to have a feel of the region. Indulging in a good meal after a long day walk with great company is just enjoyable.

our table :)

fresh oysters

risotto

specialty wood-fired pizza

Day 5 - The next morning, I woke up to such beautiful scenery and the best of all home-cooked breakfast. I checked out tripadvisor before my road trip and found that House of Meredith offers one of the best breakfast in town. And indeed, it was such a sumptuous breakfast, I wish to come back for more!~ A very good choice for a short stay at Swansea.

our car parked outside the studio room

home-baked muffins, croissants and assorted pastry

buffet breakfast

home-made jam

the super soft and fluffy croissant, one of the best I've tried so far

the made-to-order breakfast

juices and cereal

the garden behind our studio room

beautiful flowers

Bear Cottage craft - the place I bought my little cute hoggie(hedgehog)

After breakfast and packed some fresh muffins for morning tea later, we left for Kate's Berry farm.It is open at 9.30am, 7 days a week. Just Dessert Cafe in the farm is famous dessert house and a must visit in Swansea. Although there were no rows of berries' trees, due to the prolong drought, this place is still pleasant to visit. You can buy so many hand-made products made out of Tasmania's fresh fruits, and get to try the mouth watering desserts. I bought homemade jam and chocolate-coated berries :) yum!~ And the humbleberry pie is just delicious. 

cafe overlooking the farm

humbleberry pie with vanilla ice cream 

(humbleberry is a combination of boysenberries, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries and blueberries)

hoggie!~

Swansea town has so much to offer, yet I only manage to squeeze in 1 day for Swansea and Freycinet. I have yet to visit the Friendly beaches which I heard from the locals, is a beautiful place. So much more Tasmanian delights in Swansea, more lovely desserts and yummy food and many other craft stores. 

Hope to drop by in future :)

Upcoming next: Visit to Tasmazia and the Village of Lower Crackpot

Tasmania Trip Part 1 >>

Tasmania Trip Part 2 >>

To get more information on the places I've mentioned above, please visit their respective websites.

Freycinet National Park:

http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/index.aspx?base=3371 

Meredith House & Mews:

http://meredith-house.com.au/accommodation.htm 

Bark Mill Tavern:

http://www.barkmilltavern.com.au/ 

Kates Berry Farm:

http://www.katesberryfarm.com/ 

Frustrated !

I am so frustrated today!!!!!
Firstly, there are some people who doesn't know how to reply emails or return calls. Then, they come back and said you're rude.. you like to complain.. this and that.
I encountered this so many times across Sunway.. be it the parking management, the education side, the club, etc.

As far as I know, complains from customers should be treated as an encouragement to improve your services and performance. If not, why do you need survey since most normal complaints are thrown away?
Are they too comfortable in their work and lack of performance?
I strongly believe that those in the customer service line or at least those who has the chance to talk to customer should be given a basic training! Don't serve customers as if they owe you a million dollar! =.=
Please learn some common courtesy first. Wherever you go, customer always comes first, of coz in this sense, a reasonable customer.

Hello people, you have a long way to go. Boooooo!

That shows why I really love going shopping and going around places in Australia because they do give me a warm feeling, a simple Hello and Hie when I enter their shop brightens my day. Here in Malaysia, most promoters just acted as if you were invisible. Well most shops.. Some are still quite friendly and offer help with a smile.

Some really good and commendable service include the ones I receive when I visit YTL hotels. Their staffs remember your name, your preferences, and when there is a complain they take it seriously. YTL hotels make me feel appreciated as a customer. This is what I call 5 star customer service.~ *clap clap*

I'm still frustrated, because I have 1.5 years to finish my masters, and meanwhile I've to face these childish people.. Grrrrr..

I wonder if they do read my blog, will they say I'm complaining again? ^^ As a reminder. this is my personal space :D. *ROTFL*

Signing out to eat some ice-cream. :)

The Valentine's post

Hello all,

How has your V-day been this year? It's almost 5pm, time to get off from work soon :) Take some time off today to pamper yourself, do something you love.. and remember to celebrate it with those whom you love..♥♥

I DIY-ed two little heart balloons for the bobble-head peanut in my car.. and here's to wish all readers ..

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

--beanie's having a sorethroat :( - due to overdose of chocolates from Godiva last Sunday--

Machine Laundry Cafe @ Salamanca Place, Hobart

Here's my review on the great breakfast served in Machine Laundry Cafe. We dropped by this cafe to have breakfast before starting our shopping spree at the well-known Salamanca Market, only happens on Saturdays, so be sure to drop by if you're around town. Really a good place to buy lotsa stuff and see so many special handicrafts. - see the photos I've posted here.

The concept of this cafe is unique - the cafe shares place with a laundromat, so you get to see your laundry spinning in the washing machine while having your breakfast. :)

We were there early, at about 8.30am, so we do not need to wait for a table. I have seen reviews saying that the place is really crowded later in the morning.

the machines

the menu

 flat white - one of the best so far :)

 hot chocolate (AUD3.50)

Free range eggs with multigrain toast (AUD9.50)

Added sides: mushrooms and machine-baked beans (AUD6.00)

Machine packed roti bread (AUD14.00)

Added sides: machine-baked beans (AUD3.00)

Plain machine packed roti bread (AUD14.00)

I had the free range scrambled eggs - the eggs were perfectly done. Machine laundry cafe uses the famous Jackman & McRoss's bread, so the wholegrain toast was good as well and the mushrooms are really big and juicy. Last but not least, the special baked beans by their cafe. The baked beans definitely tasted different from the normal tomato sauce-based beans as these have tastier spices and herbs in it and they have a rough texture.

The hot chocolate is thick and chocolaty - just the way I liked it. Perfect for a cold morning :)

The other dish we ordered, the roti bread is filled with herb scrambled eggs and chilli jam. The chilli jam's not spicy, slightly on the sweet side. It is like wrapping fragrant herb scrambled eggs in our very own Malaysia-roti canai. Tasted good- I've been so tempted to try out with the roti canai here in Malaysia - which means I need to make my own scrambled eggs so let's see if I'm hardworking enough. :P

I am really amazed with the cafes here in Hobart as each has their own identity and serves really good breakfast. It's so hard to find one which serves breakfast as good here in KL. *sigh*

Address:

12 Salamanca Square, Hobart 7004, Australia

Tasmania trip - Part 2

A continuation from previous posts:

Day 3 - Woke up early today for the Bruny Island Adventure Cruise. We drive down to Kettering to meet up with the tour group. We had to take the ferry across to Bruny Island, this is the ferry which carries you together with your cars across. :) Some rental cars' companies might not allow you to take the rental car along on this ferry or go on unpaved roads. so you can check it out first before proceeding.
For those who are interested, do book this cruise online before hand, as they are most of the time fully booked.

Through this cruise, we're brought to some of the beautiful, unspoilt coastline of Tasmania. I am not sure if we're allowed to cruise to this area on our own, but I always prefer to leave it to the hands of the experts, since they know which is the best time/angle/spot for you.  We managed to spot dolphins, however I can't find a nice photo to put up. They're so fast (well maybe we're too slow :P), so the pictures only shows the waves they created, the best only has their tails disappearing into the water.

We also get to see seals up-close!~ Really close, they stopped the boat next to the rocks where the seals are having their daily 'sun-tanning'. LOL. We also got to go so close to the sea cliffs, and also the blowholes. They actually turned the boat 360degrees to allow everyone on the boat to feel the blasts of water, so we sort of waited there for the next blast to come.

However, this whole journey was quite bumpy, gets worst when we gets into the middle of the ocean where the waves on that day were quite strong. But it is worth the experience (They hand out ginger pills before they start off - to me I think it was just a  psychological effect to calm us down).

These are some of the photos taken before & during the cruise - we need to hide the camera every now and then coz the water do splash into the boat often.

 Kettering pick-up point

 our coach entering the ferry

 views from the ferry

 all bundled up - and in the middle of the ocean it is still freaking cold..

 the monument

 the blowhole

seals

The Kettering pick-up cruise costs AUD125 per adult - you have an option to add on lunch and morning tea with an additional cost. Do check out their site.

In the evening, we head to Mount Wellington - the journey up to the mountain takes about 1 hour. The roads are windy and they do post up warnings on rainy days and you may not be able to access the top. We did not make it to the top, mainly cause the winds are so strong and it is already snowing (very small, light snow flakes) - we turn back when we're about 1.7km away from the top :( (I was too paranoid to continue :P). sigh.

We went down, snap some photos along the way and went for dinner at Ball & Chain Grill at Salamanca Place.

 from the highest point we went to

 freezing cold

 a glimpse of the rainbow

 Ball & Chain grill

 grilled sausages

grilled steak

lamb shank

The dinner was forgettable. I would say not bad but there's nothing to shout about. There are much better places that I've been to so this explains the lack of information about the main dishes I ordered :P ( I can't actually remember the exact taste or what exactly I've ordered). I'll try to look for the receipt so that I can at least put up the prices. 

Day 4, 5 and 6 in upcoming posts.. I can't wait to blog about Swansea town , I regret I did not stay longer here, Swansea is a lovely town with beautiful sceneries and home cooked cuisine.

Back to my coding and more readings. ......