My last post indicated we would be off to Tassie to explore all that it has to offer, particularly in the area of wines, winemaking and wine tasting etc., in less than 9 weeks from our return from Western Australia (where we had been delighted by the wines from different wine growing regions in the south west part of that state).

Omicron, and the lack of availability of rapid antigen tests (RATs) required for departure from Queensland to Tasmania back in February 2022, amongst other things, meant we needed to postpone our plans. Luckily everything that had been booked was able to be cancelled or rescheduled without much problem. The only noticeable difference was in the cost of a hire car. The prices had doubled. But, what could we do? We still need to get around the state during our 3 week stay.

Mick has requested that this trip not be fully organised before we leave. He wants to have some flexibility and spontaneity during this trip. If we like a particular spot, he says, we can stay an extra day or two. Me on the the other hand, I like to know we have a hotel booked in advance. For a ‘control freak’, this whole idea makes me feel very uncomfortable.

But, I have compromised. I have booked the first week’s accommodation and the final night before we have to return the hire car and depart for home. That leaves Mick 12 ‘flexible’ days to find the best spots in Tassie. We have a few places other than wineries we want to visit, so I’ll keep you posted as to how that pans out.

We have been to Tasmania before. In the 1990s when we spent 3 days based in Hobart. We hired a car back then too, and visited a few memorable places including Port Arthur and The Wooden Boat School in Franklin, where old Huon Pine logs are used in traditional methods to make timber boats. We do not plan on visiting either of those places during this trip.

Our trip in the 1990s was booked through a travel site, and our Hobart accommodation was very (VERY) ordinary, and located quite a way from anything, including restaurants or pubs. We left thinking Hobart was dull and old fashioned. It wasn’t all bad though, as we do have very fond memories of attending the Salamanca Markets and finding some freshly cooked fish and chips which we ate on the wharf.

We also vividly remember the very chatty guy who collected us from Hobart airport. As it was our first visit he had some advice which we were happy to hear, but he concluded by saying, “I’ll tell you something for nothing, we don’t even like Booney!”

We are flying from Brisbane – into and out of Launceston. I was very surprised to find out that the flight time is only 2.5 hours.

In February, during the dates for our first planned trip, Launceston hosts a 3 day food, wine and beer festival (called Festivale). We were very keen to attend this. Sadly, Festivale was cancelled this year, due to Omicron. So even if we had stuck to our original dates, we would have missed this event.

Very interestingly though, and only in the last few days, Launceston has been named “Australia’s Best Town“.

That’s a pretty impressive tag, and we are looking forward to finding out why. Our first four nights and our final night will be spent in Launceston, so we should have some time to find out if that title is valid.