Odd + Even Makers' Market

The Odd + Even Makers' Market ran yesterday in the Peacock Theatre and the adjacent courtyard, at Salamanca Place. A great location, a wide range of stalls from Tasmanian designers and crafters and a relaxed vibe. Some gorgeous things were on sale, often by the makers themselves. The products ranged from jewellery, cards, clothes, toys, homewares, bags...you know the drill!

It's great to see yet another locally initiated opportunity for small-scale designers and makers to tout their wares and meet the peeps. I love to look, and occasionally fondle (the products, naturally!), and one day at the end of the rainbow I would love to shop!

(The interior of the Peacock Theatre...the natural rock wall of the old quarry is built into the theatre. Cool!)

Glenorchy Library Toddlers' Rock 'n' Rhyme

The Toddlers' Rock 'n' Rhyme at Glenorchy Library is a delight to attend, and easily the best of these I have had the pleasure of participating in! The Children's team just happen to be an extremely affable bunch of folks who clearly get along well and enjoy each other's company. Led by Phil and accompanied by Lynn (retired but still devoted, with her trusty guitar) and various other children's team members, the session consists mostly of songs and nursery rhymes with the occasional story and lots of enthusiastic audience participation. The dancing at the end is a bonding, energetic climax!

Where: Glenorchy Library, Terry St, Glenorchy.
When: 10.30-11.00 every Wednesday morning, recommencing Jan 14, 2009.

Intercity Cycleway mural

Intercity Cycleway, near corner Derwent Park Rd.

The Churros Cafe

The Churros Cafe, located in Moonah's Island Markets, is an understated little gem. Great fresh churros (Spanish doughnuts - long ridged deep-fried cinnamon-dusted delights with thick chocolate dipping sauce for the mighty price of $4.00 a serve [take a friend!]), fresh authentic paella, and something called a cold caramel souffle...

...all served with a smile by the friendly Spanish tias...that's aunties to you!
I will be making regular outings to Churros to sample the various other eclairs and baked goodies, and to have a soul-food Spanish chat to the senoras.

Where: Island Markets, 54-56 Gormanston Rd, Moonah.

Island Markets

Island Markets in Moonah is an undercover market housing a small selection of stalls (naff crafty stuff, some overpriced flea market things, plants, eggs + honey, handmade chocolates) with a fruit/fish/meat section (the live fish in the tanks are a huge hit with the kids - both big and little!) and a fantastic liquidation outlet selling clothes, DVDs and books. I can't go in and leave without a new addition to the home library! There's also a manchester liquidation outlet which I haven't yet looked at.

The fruit and veg section usually has some great specials on a few things and always very competitive prices on everything else. There's also a cheese store by the carpark entrance (Wicked Cheese Co.) which does a mean chilli camembert!
A fun outing, some good shopping, books agogo... if only there was some lawn outside for the restless toddlers, you could make more of a day of it!

Where: 54-56 Gormanston Rd, Moonah (accessible from the Intercity Cycleway)
http://www.islandmarkets.com.au

Royal Hobart Showground Sunday market

The Sunday market at the showground is a bit of a mixed bag. There are several second-hand dealers charging their optimistic second-hand prices, a few drop-ins trying to clear the house of junk, and a fair whack of kitsch (the bad kind!), tat and crap, including the widest range of awful skull-art tees I've ever seen. I'm mesmerized every time by the lolly stall chock with sherbet bottles, White Knights and many other sugary concoctions. It brings out the 10-y.o. in me, and she begs in ever-increasing tones for two bucks to spend! Most of the stuff is overpriced, but if you hunt and don't have high expectations, you can find a bargain still. It's populated mostly by slightly scary northern suburbs types (of which I am now one!) and can be a bit of a freak show, but for an entertaining Sunday outing, a mere 10 minutes walk along the Intercity Cycleway from Glenorchy centre, I think it rates OK.

Just a word on dagwood dogs. I made a mistake, alright? The first bite was kind of delicious in a greasy, nostalgic way, but by the end I knew that baby done a bad bad thing.

Where: Howard Rd, Glenorchy


(I got a novel, kids book, two cars and a Fisher Price Xylophone for $8.50 total. Not a bad haul!)

2009 Tasmanian Circus Festival

How freakin' cool does this sound???

A circus festival in the north of the state, set over three days with circus bands, comedians, clowns, fire performances and freak shows in a 50-acre parkland with camping or day passes. Workshops in trapeze, tight wire, acrobatics, hula hooping and object manipulation led by professional performers, kids workshops, morning yoga for the campers and all with a minimal enviro footprint.

The 2009 Tasmanian Circus Festival - Carnival of Living Wonders takes place February 7-8-9 in the Lone Star Valley in the Panama Forest.

Go to their website for all details.

Tricycle Cafe Bar

The short and sweet of it:
Tricycle Cafe Bar is a cute little spot in the Salamanca Arts Centre, with great coffees (about $3.50 apiece) and a fantastic decor. Lush flocked wallpaper and cool old trikes hanging everywhere. Plenty of room to bring a pram, a few different areas to sit, both outdoors and in, and ample elbow room. Next time we have a breakfast budget, would love to come back and eat.

Where: Salamanca Arts Centre, 77 Salamanca Place, Hobart.

Tin Sunlight Soap sign

Hunter St, Hobart docks.

Red FJ Holden

Elizabeth St, Hobart.

Designed & Made market

The Designed & Made Market, run by the Furniture Designers Association, ran through the day in the IXL external courtyard today. I thought it was going to be quite a bit larger for some reason, and whilst most of the fare was fashionable and interesting, I was disappointed to see the old Huon Pine spice mills making an appearance. The courtyard itself seemed more space than the number of stalls required, so it felt rather windswept and short on people both times we ducked in. I wonder about the wisdom of a market in a spot that is otherwise very quiet on a Sunday. Having said that, it still gladdens the heart to see designers and makers out and about with contemporary work.

Mothers' Market

The Mothers' Market is a collective of creative, skilled and motivated Tassie mums who who wanted an outlet for sharing their wares. This weekend's market was held in the St Georges Church Hall in Cromwell St, Battery Point. An utterly gorgeous venue, the hall was a perfect setting for a delight of a market. Well- stocked, but not uncomfortably jam-packed, there was the usual fare of bags, baked goods, kids clothes, prints, fabric buttons, stuffed toys, cards, Christmas decorations and jewellery. Lots of the imagery that is very in-vogue at the moment: silhouettes of deer and bare trees and bold animals, leaves and retro prints. But all extremely pleasing to look at and touch and imagine owning. (Or indeed buy if you had any spare spondoolies!)
I had the delightful surprise of running into a very old school friend, and the performance piece de resistance had to be the woman who made and served excellent coffees one-handed with a baby on her hip! The essence of the Mothers' Market!

Next market is supposedly March next year. Watch this space for details. Perhaps I will be part of it!

Disclaimer:

It should be noted that this blog comes to you from a three-quarter income, three-person household, hence while I would love to tell you about all the fabulous high-end restaurants and classy B&Bs, I will mostly be posting about cheap or free places, activities and events.

As soon as I win Lotto I will gladly bring you the good stuff on the money-is-no-object side of island life!

Hana Sushi & Noodles

Hana Sushi and Noodle bar in Glenorchy caught my eye the first day I wandered around my new shopping district. An extensive menu of sushi, sashimi and other cold Japanese snacks as well as a hot menu ranging from Cantonese to Malaysian, it all looked really fresh and tempting. We had a sushi lunch pack for $7.50, consisting of sushi, sashimi, California rolls and that sweet egg omelette stuff (sorry!) and a huuuuge plate of Malaysian Fried Kei Tiew ($9.50) to share between two. Both were very good (although I'm wondering if there was MSG in the noodles judging by my thirst throughout the afternoon...pity) and great value. One serve of the noodles alone would have still been too much for two.
As a lunch spot or somewhere to collect a hearty and tasty take-away, I'd recommend it. (Just be wary if you are particularly MSG-sensitive. I can't promise they don't use it.)

Where: Shop 8, Glenorchy Plaza, 350-360 Main Rd.

Kawasemi Japanese Tea House

I'm far from the first to blog about Kawasemi Japanese Tea House in Main Rd, Moonah, but according to the rules of this blog, it must go on the list.

We'd heard various raves about it for quality and value, so on my birthday we "splashed out" ($45 for three of us!!) on lunch there. The Bento Box, at $15, was a huge feed of excellent fresh sushi, tempura, miso, sashimi and other nibblies I don't know the Japanese names for. I also tried for the first time a truly excellent green tea, Genmaicha if I remember correctly, which consists of a mix of green tea and toasted rice grains, resulting in a gorgeous nutty sweetness that took away the faint bitterness I don't usually love about green tea proper. Delish! There was also a complimentary starter of a spicy noodle salad which took the edge off the appetite and allowed me to savour the Bento Box instead of rushing in like a hog at a trough.

Tucked away in Dickenson's Arcade, off Main Rd, this little restaurant is a great find for the budget-conscious yet discerning!

Where: 109 Main Rd, Moonah.

The mountain.

Mount Wellington dominates the Hobart skyline, from pretty much any vantage point you choose. Its magnificent blue humped back cuts a crisp edge to the sky, and from a profile view, either from my place in the northern suburbs or directly over the other side down Kingston way it resembles the proud, shaggy shoulder of a bison or mammoth. It's a focal point for all Hobartians. The weather rolls in over its back or blows in from the river and shrouds it in mist, hazy wet clouds and sheets of rain.

I didn't realise until I was once again living at its foot, how much I had missed having a mountain nearby and always within sight. It's an ever-present reminder of the grandeur and agelessness of nature. It's made of ancient stuff, and you can still die up there without trying too hard. It's rock, tree, earth, water, ice, snow (sometimes even on Christmas Day!), fire, fur, blood, life and death. It's a late-sleeping woman who has pulled the sheets up around herself, and we nestle our stilted and stepped homes in the low tangle and rumples below.

Jackman & McRoss

(Photo: Pork & apple sausage roll and chorizo and gruyere pastry roll, both with spicy homemade chutney)

We love Jackman & McRoss.

Great coffee, great food, great ambiance!

Jackman & McRoss is a little gem of a cafe and bakery, one of which is found in Battery Point, the part of Hobart so cute you just have to pinch its cheeks and chuck it under the chin! A short walk from Salamanca Market, this bright, airy and pram-friendly cafe (an important consideration for us these days!) has excellent fare (we've tried a couple of the pies) and very good coffee. We sat there rhapsodising over our food and decided it rivalled the very best cafes we've patronised in Melbourne. Its decor is stylish yet understated, the vibe is relaxed and comfortable and the prices are about average for cafes of this ilk. We've also sampled various sweet pastries, filled rolls and savoury tarts, and everything has been unfailingly excellent! This is definitely going to be our Hobart coffee house!

Where: 57-59 Hampton Rd, Battery Point; 4 Victoria St, Hobart; 32 Cross St, New Town

Meredith's Orchard

A few minutes drive south of Margate, Meredith's Orchard has a good range of fresh produce, from fruit and veg to eggs and honey, as well as some organic and gluten-free products if they float your boat, and for very good prices. I was delighted to walk away with a huge box of stuff, including free-range eggs, fancy things like mangoes and asparagus as well as the bog-standards like carrots and spuds, for less than $50. Supplies for four for a week. Pretty good I reckon!

Where: Channel Highway, Margate

Tant Pour Tant Cafe/Bakery

Possibly the most delectable breakfast I've ever eaten, the ragout of mushrooms and spinach on gruyere toast was my first meal in Tasmania upon returning here to live, and a very good omen indeed! We'd had Charles St, Launceston recommended as the place most likely for a good feed after landing in Devonport, and Tant Pour Tant just happened to be the first place we came across. The menu sounded pretty good so we didn't bother to shop around, and man, am I glad! I was actually making embarrassing noises of pleasure as I ate my mushrooms! I gushed to all the staff, and my partner practically had to drag me out of there before I ordered seconds (and at $9.50 a serve, it would have been well worth it!).

The selection of pastries and cakes also looked amazing. If I lived in Launceston I would be down there as often as my budget would allow. I certainly won't be passing up another breakfast opportunity there.

Where: 226 Charles Street, Launceston

www.tantpourtant.com.au

Mission control...prepare for lift-off!

Well, the time for my Tassie research project approaches... one week to departure for the apple isle. I can't wait to take the little guy to a beach (without hoofing through two hours of traffic and smoggy suburbs to get to it, thank you Melbourne!), go stand on our block of land and put on my rose-coloured future glasses, see my Mum and Dad and the rest of the clan, and basically start the rest of my life.

The world is my apple.

Butter-yellow ute...mmmm!

We saw this wonderful old FX Holden ute in Battery Point in April and I couldn't resist taking a few photos. What a delicious colour! What gorgeous curves!

Who needs this blog, anyway?

In a nutshell, I do.

I'm four months away from moving from Melbourne, land of my adulthood, back to Tasmania, where I grew up. As D-day draws ever nearer, I am having more frequent attacks of nostalgia and grief over leaving Melbourne and returning to my childhood state (that is, historically, hopefully not emotionally!), with the prospect of saying goodbye (but in many cases only 'see you soon') to friends, lifestyle and cultural diversity. So I thought that if I set myself a goal of finding and cataloging all the awesome things about living in Tassie (including trying to find as many looks-like sounds-like tastes-like versions of the qualities I love about Melbourne) it might remind me of the adventure I am embarking on and why it is a good idea!

(Naturally there are things in Melbourne that I won't be able to replicate in Hobart, certain people - like the in-laws and friends - and places like the Melbourne Zoo, Werribee Open Range Zoo (if it doesn't get horribly World-ised, that is...*mutter mutter*) and the Melbourne Aquarium, but these are all good excuses for annual visits!)

There are the obvious good reasons for going: we bought affordable, beautiful land and plan to build our own house, something that was never going to happen anywhere within a three-hour radius of Melbourne; my son will be able to grow up among my family; we have ready access to beaches, bush, mountains, snow and general naycha without having to drive through miles of burbia, and Dan can study furniture design in arguably the best course of its kind in the country.

So despite the slightly sad rationale for creating this blog (and if it only ever has an audience of one, that's fine by me!), I really want this to be a celebration of what Tassie has to offer, and I promise to really try and minimise the use of Melbourne as a benchmark of greatness!

Let the good times roll!