AFF Gathering #7 at HBA on 29 November - 1 December

[JessicaTam]

Given that the mercure that i have booked into has transformed into a best western, i dont think i will be staying there anymore.

I have bitten the bullet and reserved 3 nights at 2 different hotels.

29 november night will be at Mona Pavilions
30 november night will be at Islington
1 december night will be back at Mona Pavilions.

Happy to host pre/post dinner parties at the pavilions.

Careful what you wish for!

 

[JessicaTam]

We have held off posting details about Saturday's events until everything was finalised, however it has taken a little longer than we would have liked. So here is a fair bit of the program, just without some of the details. As soon as we have them, they will be updated accordingly.

Schedule

Friday 29th Nov
Dinner and Drinks central Hobart as people arrive.

Some more info regarding Friday night:

Drinks will be at The Lobby Bar, which is located in Hadley's Hotel, 34 Murray St Hobart. Anytime from 6pm onwards.

Thanks to jdevereux3 for organising the venue. We have an area off the bar set aside for us, and the snack menu is available - or the dining room if people so wish.

Saturday 30th November
From 8.30am Salamanca Market

11.00am Catch ferry to MONA. This can be booked online , and there is a regular and premium seat for $20 and $50 respectively.

MONA: At the museum there are a range of eateries should you wish to have lunch. If you want to maximise time viewing the exhibits, then I suggest eating your fill at the market before the ferry ride. You can book your entry into the museum online, which will save queuing on the day.

1.30pm Catch chartered bus to Cascade Brewery tour, via the city to drop off those who do not wish to attend. Anyone getting to HBA this morning can also be picked up from the city for the brewery tour. The drop off and pick up places are yet to be finalised, but should include a couple of city hotels. Note that the return ferry is the same cost as a one way trip so you are welcome to head back into town on the ferry if you choose. You will need to book your return journey, and it will not be possible to do the brewery tour if you do.

2.15pm Cascade Brewery tour. The tour takes 90 minutes and participants must be over 16 years of age.
I am still finalising booking arrangements for this, but it should be able to be booked online. Pricing is $15 locals, $20 students and seniors, $25 everyone else. The bus will take us back to the city after the tour.

7.00 for 7.30pm Dinner at Smolt. Dinner will be a fixed menu with a range of choices showing off Tassie's local produce. We will have our own room, and we are still to confirm our guest speaker. So I will post their details when available.

Menu Link

The cost is $75 for three courses, and it will need to be prepaid in full. Drinks can be ordered at the table, and paid for at the end of the night. And yes they do take AMEX.

Please let me know if there are any specific dietary requirements that have not been catered for on the menu.

Sunday 1st December
Recovery brunch at Rendezvous Cafe, 4 Salamanca Sq (next door to Smolt). Booked for arrivals from/to 10:00am to midday.

Golf is still to be finalised for those interested. --- CANCELLED

Day tours of Port Arthur are available to be booked individually:
Gray Line Tours

Departure
or Dinner for those staying until Monday.

Monday 2nd December
Departure

Payment

This thread/post requires a link to the Recommended Guidelines for the collection of funds from members attending AFF events.

See http://www.australianfrequentflyer.c...ing-46200.html

Funds collected for this event DO COMPLY with the Recommended Guidelines.

The cost of the bus is $15 p.p. and dinner is $75. A bank account has been setup with Penegal and myself as signatories, and details on how to make payments will be available soon. There are not expected to be any administrative costs.

The final cutoff date for payment is Friday 22nd November. Full refunds for cancellations up until Friday 15th November. Any refunds after that date (15/11) will be determined on a case-by-case basis, as the restaurant may require payment for any 'no-shows'.

Any surplus funds will be donated to the Royal Flying Doctor Service.

Note that the MONA ferry and admission is to be booked and paid for directly with MONA via the links above.
The Cascade Brewery payment method is yet to be finalised.

 

[JessicaTam]

Hi friendly mod! Can the above post #242 please be moved/copied in its entirety to replace post #2?

Thanks.

 

[admin]

Finally managed to organise a few things, and am happy to report that I'll definitely be coming. So mark me as Platinum! Looking forward to seeing old faces and some new ones!

 

[RooFlyer]

We have held off posting details about Saturday's events until everything was finalised, however it has taken a little longer than we would have liked. So here is a fair bit of the program, just without some of the details. As soon as we have them, they will be updated accordingly.

Schedule

<snip>.

Great itinerary!

To put people in the mood, I attach pics of some of the the Tall Ships currently in Hobart, and the MONA ferry Hobart has a couple of old timer sail boats but a bit smaller than these. Those with a maritime hankering may want to look up sailings by the 'Lady Nelson'.

BTW, the English tall ship the 'Lord Nelson' met the more demure Hobart vessel 'Lady Nelson' when it came into Hobart. But would you believe the wrenched ship the 'Lady Hamilton' was also in Hobart at the time :shock:

Europa arriving in Hobart:



New MONA ferry (this thing really POWERS!)



Tall ships:

 

[penegal]

They painted the MONA ferry... it used to be white!

 

[samh004]

They painted the MONA ferry... it used to be white!

Looks like it should be fighting with the Sea Shepherd Society in the Antarctic

 

[RooFlyer]

They painted the MONA ferry... it used to be white!

Its a new ferry (few months old). But it may have been originally white, as you say.

 

[Grogan]

7.00 for 7.30pm Dinner at Smolt. Dinner will be a fixed menu with a range of choices showing off Tassie's local produce. We will have our own room, and we are still to confirm our guest speaker. So I will post their details when available.

Menu Link

Great choice, we ate there in July and it was fantastic food.

 

[gwilli1]

I concur ... I ate there last year when i was in HBA . Food was fantastic. Great choice JessicaTam

 

[JessicaTam]

Great choice, we ate there in July and it was fantastic food.

I concur ... I ate there last year when i was in HBA . Food was fantastic. Great choice JessicaTam

Phew, pressure's off.

 

[gwilli1]

I have booked my flight to HBA and decided to take the early flight from SYD arriving on VA1528 @ 9.35am on Friday 29th Nov.

I plan to pick up a car for the day and take a sightseeing drive up the Tasman Highway towards at least Swansea & Bicheno (if time permits) on the shores of Great Oyster Bay and grab some lunch up there before returning to HBA in the afternoon. If any other AFF'ers have the day free & would like to get into HBA early on the Friday and join me, you are more than welcome to come along for the drive. I will have seats for another 3 .

I noticed that on post #2 Im still GOLD for this event , i guess this makes me PLATINUM.
Im still looking at flights home on the Sunday & accommodation.

 

[RooFlyer]

I have booked my flight to HBA and decided to take the early flight from SYD arriving on VA1528 @ 9.35am on Friday 29th Nov.

I plan to pick up a car for the day and take a sightseeing drive up the Tasman Highway towards at least Swansea & Bicheno (if time permits) on the shores of Great Oyster Bay and grab some lunch up there before returning to HBA in the afternoon. If any other AFF'ers have the day free & would like to get into HBA early on the Friday and join me, you are more than welcome to come along for the drive. I will have seats for another 3 .

I noticed that on post #2 Im still GOLD for this event , i guess this makes me PLATINUM.
Im still looking at flights home on the Sunday & accommodation.

Great gourmet pizzas at Scorchers Cafe at Orford ( instead if going left at the bridge, if you are driving north) go straight on, it's on the immediate right.

At Swansea, visit the info centre and history museum. On the left, about mid way through town, with picket fence. Good tourist info, and the history museum is quite good. Very good loos as well . Also admire the $250,000 new extension, funds raised entirely by local efforts and drive.

The cafe on the left of the main road, immediately beyond the museum used to be very good; it's changed hands recently.

Not sure if Bicheno is worth the drive, with the time available. Pretty coastal scenes etc. the bakery is very good. If you are making good time though, take the turn to Coles Bay rather than going on to Bicheno. 20 mins drive to views of The Hazards. Wineglass Bay view would be a further 30 minute or so hike up to the National Park lookout!

On the way back, make sure you stop at Kate's Berry Farm. It's just after Swansea, heading south, about 5 mins of the highway. Great fruity experience, plus quaint afternoon teas, snacks etc. I love their blackberry milkshakes! You can also get hand made 'emergency' chocolate rations.

Watch out for the wallopers between Orford and Buckland.

 

[Lowjhg]

I have booked my flight to HBA and decided to take the early flight from SYD arriving on VA1528 @ 9.35am on Friday 29th Nov.

I plan to pick up a car for the day and take a sightseeing drive up the Tasman Highway towards at least Swansea & Bicheno (if time permits) on the shores of Great Oyster Bay and grab some lunch up there before returning to HBA in the afternoon. If any other AFF'ers have the day free & would like to get into HBA early on the Friday and join me, you are more than welcome to come along for the drive. I will have seats for another 3 .

I noticed that on post #2 Im still GOLD for this event , i guess this makes me PLATINUM.
Im still looking at flights home on the Sunday & accommodation.

I arrive at 1115 on the 29th. If you dont mind waiting for me?

 

[samh004]

I have updated lists for participants:

Platinum (yes)
penegal
JessicaTam
samh004 +1
Ewing
PeteJ
oz_mark +1
jdevereux3
gwilli1
jetlagger
anchew
straitman
Bundy Bear
Doug_Westcott
Lowjhg
Newk
Cat207
blackcat20
GDSman
vicsta
Kiwi
Anna
admin

Gold (maybe)
tuapekastar
cmon0005 +1
*A Flyer
SQ421
AaronBradford
BVT
Lawlass
ChrisCh
RooFlyer

Silver (maybe-not)
Simo
swanning_it
Taezar
Sprucegoose
Jkyn
BindiBratz
Beta4Me

Bronze (no)
Princess Fiona
kpc
drron
awilcockson
Inver
Alanslegal
serfty
stewiejp
JohnK

Accommodation:

Grand Chancellor

Newk

Islington

Lowjhg (30th)

Mona Pavillions

Lowjhg (29th & 1st)

Quest Savoy

anchew, Doug_Westcott

Quest Waterfront

PeteJ, Cat207

Zero Davey Boutique Apartments Hobart

samh004 +1

and Transport:

Arriving

Friday

09:35 VA1528 - gwilli1
11:15 QF1019 - Lowjhg
16:10 QF1015 - samh004 +1, anchew, Doug_Westcott, Cat207
16:55 JQ709 - JessicaTam, blackcat20
17:45 VA1328 - Newk
19:30 TT426 - Newk (plan B)

Saturday

11:15 QF1019 - Ewing, PeteJ
16:10 QF1015 - Kiwi


Departing

Sunday

16:50 QF1016 - Ewing, anchew, Doug_Westcott
17:25 JQ708 - blackcat20
18:15 VA1333 - Newk, JessicaTam
19:35 JQ724 - Kiwi

Monday

08:55 QF1012 - samh004 +1, Cat207, Lowjhg
12:00 QF1020 - PeteJ

These have not been updated at the start of the thread (unless a moderator would be so kind, but it's not urgent).

 

[gwilli1]

RooFlyer - What sort of travelling time from HBA Airport would I be looking at to :

A) Swansea
B) Coles Bay

Great gourmet pizzas at Scorchers Cafe at Orford ( instead if going left at the bridge, if you are driving north) go straight on, it's on the immediate right.

At Swansea, visit the info centre and history museum. On the left, about mid way through town, with picket fence. Good tourist info, and the history museum is quite good. Very good loos as well . Also admire the $250,000 new extension, funds raised entirely by local efforts and drive.

The cafe on the left of the main road, immediately beyond the museum used to be very good; it's changed hands recently.

Not sure if Bicheno is worth the drive, with the time available. Pretty coastal scenes etc. the bakery is very good. If you are making good time though, take the turn to Coles Bay rather than going on to Bicheno. 20 mins drive to views of The Hazards. Wineglass Bay view would be a further 30 minute or so hike up to the National Park lookout!

On the way back, make sure you stop at Kate's Berry Farm. It's just after Swansea, heading south, about 5 mins of the highway. Great fruity experience, plus quaint afternoon teas, snacks etc. I love their blackberry milkshakes! You can also get hand made 'emergency' chocolate rations.

Watch out for the wallopers between Orford and Buckland.

 

[serfty]

RooFlyer - What sort of travelling time from HBA Airport would I be looking at to :

A) Swansea
B) Coles Bay

I'd allow 2 hours for the first and another 1 for the second.

I can remember picnicking on Crayfish and bubbles ot the Orford foreshore over a decade ago before we drove back to the airport.

maps.google.com/maps?saddr=hobart+a...8NxZ3txqjFw-93QTckDBA&oq=coles&mra=ls&t=m&z=9

 

[QF WP]

This has now hit my radar (based on the timing) as I couldn't even begin to say yes when it was first posted.

Will scan Social Calendar and seek approval from the Social Director and report back if there are no clashes.

 

[jetlagger]

I have updated lists for participants:



Accommodation:



and Transport:



These have not been updated at the start of the thread (unless a moderator would be so kind, but it's not urgent).

Well done Sam.. & I'm happy to nudge you to 1K in likes.. Congratulations!! :mrgreen:

 

[gwilli1]

I'd allow 2 hours for the first and another 1 for the second.

I can remember picnicking on Crayfish and bubbles ot the Orford foreshore over a decade ago before we drove back to the airport.

maps.google.com/maps?saddr=hobart+airport&daddr=swansea,+tasmania,+australia+to:Coles+Bay,+Tasmania,+Australia&hl=en&sll=-42.620318,147.770233&sspn=0.419883,0.535583&geocode=FbJbcv0dGcHKCCEQcFG0TskDDykVojVlP-FtqjEQcFG0TskDDw%3BFTA9ff0dYHbTCClpE1oia51xqjFQ_t3QTckDBA%3BFUlGff0dHLPWCCldZ8NxZ3txqjFw-93QTckDBA&oq=coles&mra=ls&t=m&z=9

Thanks serfty. Coles Bay looks like a bit of a stretch for a 6 hour round trip , considering there is likely to be multiple stops before i get there & wanting to be back in HBA by around 5pm. I don't want to be knackered from driving before festivities start on Friday evening