The view from my "office"

[Captain Halliday]

My office today is my parent’s place.

After four days the water has fallen to a level where clean up can begin.



Here’s the river levels for the week.

About 4 metres is when the trouble starts:


I’ve tried putting this on a few things. It’s not restoring much.


St Lucia, Queensland

 

[mrs.dr.ron]

The Maltshovel Taphouse, Birtinya

 

[Daver6]

Winthrop Hall at UWA

 

[mrs.dr.ron]

Now thats an ORGAN !

 

[Daver6]

Now thats an ORGAN !

You're making my blush @mrs.dr.ron

 

[Flashback]

After a failed attempt at leaving 2 weeks ago.... Let's try again.

 

[mrs.dr.ron]

Having a drink on our patio in a thunder storm, swans swim past !! And a sunset of sorts !

 

[Captain Halliday]

A few more from the “clean up” office helping my folks and their neighbours.

My mother swore she took all the valuables upstairs. Apparently not.


With help from the army and some uni students we removed all the debris from my parent’s place and about six other places in around seven hours.

In the unlikely event any of those people are on AFF: Many thanks. Your help was greatly appreciated.





Done for the day and I could do with a swim. Maybe another time.


St Lucia, Queensland

 

[drron]

A totally different sunset tonight. Started off with what is an all too common sight recently.


Then the sun appeared.
.

And slowly the scene evolved.

 

[Flashback]

The view from my Eastern Polish office.


Trying out a milk bar, as they call it. Canteen style essentially.

 

[RooFlyer]

Todays office was day 1 the Tasmanian Southern Vineyards open ( long) weekend. Great opportunity to visit many small wineries that don’t normally operate a cellar door. Coal River Valley today.



Stop 1 was Every Man ( or Woman) and His ( or Her) Dog, just south of Richmond



One of the few we visited that operate a 'regular' cellar door.





It was a former CSIRO experimental vineyard, so several ‘exotic’ varieties that they bottle in very small amounts. Large Pinot noir bottling.

Next, Pressing Matters, well up the valley, beyond Richmond. A favourite of mine with their dry Rieslings - R0, R9, and then there is R69 and a sticky R139.





And a quaint tasting set-up, not unusual this weekend




Bit of a waste!

 

[tgh]

envy…….

 

[RooFlyer]

Then, one we hadn’t heard of, although the winemaker said he’d been in the market for 20 years. Drew winery which also has 3rd Child label (no web site ... which when you visit, you can understand why ....

They sell in major stores but the temporary cellar door was very rustic!! I had to show them how to operate the ‘square’ card reader .

They were the find of the day. Wide range and well priced for Tasmanian wine - low $20s rather than low $30s - mid $40s / bottle - and nice, easy drinking. Their cool climate Shiraz was perfectly acceptable. Sav Blanc pure passionfruit.



Today's cellar door



Wine maker and owner behind the 'bar'

 

[RooFlyer]

Nocton, in the central Coal River valley. I drive past ot often and have never gone in, so today was the day.

A very undistinguished entrance to the 'cellar door' (actually a demountable). OK selection of wine including a nice (and unique for Tasmania) chenin blanc. Also merlots, which isn't my thing.





Tomorrow - New Norfolk

 

[ellen10]

RSL memorial Bermagui, the tree is from seeds brought home from Gallipolibirds nesting in the tree from gallipoli

 

[Flashback]

They do not seem to be fans of Putin in Lodz, Poland.


Some interesting pastimes though.

 

[RooFlyer]

Day 2 of the Southern Tasmanian wine weekend. New Norfolk and the Derwent Valley for us.

First stop was Glen Derwent Tea rooms at New Norfolk for morning tea. Closed for a function, but a nice place.





Next stop was the Black Swan book store in New Norfork. I've posted about this before. Fantastic coffee and a very eclectic selection of books. Fab-o.

Then we headed back towards Hobart from New Norfolk and first winery was the Derwent Estate, which I'd heard a lot about. Very historic property. Its a fabulous setting, which they have started to planting out and a new building to house a restauant, under construction.

Sheltering under the well-known Mt Nassau:



Rathbone Cottage c 1820s is the tasting room, also on the lawns outside. Derwent River on the right.





View from that verandah







The new restaurant in the background, being finished



Adjacent is another colonial house, with the Derwent River to the left, used for staff accomodation (you'd pay $'00s / night for the privelidge!!

 

[RooFlyer]

As I said, the well-known Mt Nassau. A classic piece of Permian stratigraphy with lots of fossils, and the owners, their credit, are aware of this.





So we elected for the 11-wine tasting, for $10. They were very busy and the experience was under-whelming, coupled with under-whelming wines, Very, very disappointing. No pics of the wine, which was given in VERY small tastings - more of a sip. And an underwelming cheese platter for 4:



Normal tasmanian prices




Departing image. I bought a couple of the resisling, to give them a second chance, but an extremely disappointing experience, all round.

 

[RooFlyer]

Next, Stefano Lubiano wines, almost next door, just north of Granton.

A bit of a Tasmanian institution, strong northern Italian connections, about third generation here. I've been wanting to visit for years.

Mediterranean type tasting rooms and a 'Osteria' style restaurant. Wasn't very busy, which I though was surprising, given yhe weekend

Entrance. Obligatory olive trees:



Their restaurant. Set Italian menu:



Set high on a hill, as great views over Derwent and Bridgewater, but the trees need trimming:





The winery/tasting rooms:





Pleasant wines, not a as good as I expected, but probably unfair as I was expecting a lot, given how much I wanted to visit. Some nice Italian style liqueurs.

Worth a visit, as very nice cellar door/restaurant experience, far more sophisticated than others in the region.

 

[RooFlyer]

Lastly, Laurel Bank wines, on a hill behind Granton. One of those without a regular cellar door, this weekend only.

*Fantastic*. This is what the Southern Tasmania Wine Weekend should be like. Bit of a drive to get up the hill, and again, a 'rustic' cellar door:





We took seats next to the ladies in the top pic. It was a humid day, so the outside breeze was nice. We got chatting, and the lady seated next to us was 'Laurel' - as in Laurel Bank! - The winemaker's wife - that's him in the second pic. Got then entire story, which was wonderful.

She was giving the guy who was serving the wines a slightly hard time - turns out he's the son-in-law, the winemaker, married to Laurel's winemaker daughter. He was previously at Pressing Matters, which we visited verterday and is a favourite.



Amazing, generous host. Great company, generous tasting pours (no charge), the entire range. Wines the best of the day, too. Another great find. Reislings not so much (but OK) - some excellent Pinot Noirs and Syrah. 'Non Tasmanian' prices too



Quiet Mutiny, the range of the son-in-law and daughter were more to my likeing than the Laurel bank range, but I couldn't say that in front of Laurel!! Laurel eventally left to put dinner on





Really glad we found this place. A really enjoyable tasting experience and some good to very good wines.

So to (friend's) home and another tasting platter:



... actually no Friend's daughter prepared it for a mate.