Our Winter Weekend getaway this year will see us slowly make our way up the East Coast from Hobart to Diamond Island Oceanview Apartments on the shore near Bicheno where we spend Saturday night. The comfortable, contemporary rooms have floor-to-ceiling glass windows through which stretch views of the coast as far north as the eye can see. At the foot of the garden lives a colony of little penguins. There is private beach access, tennis court and outdoor pool.
Our first stop after the bus leaves Campbell Street outside the Grand Chancellor is morning coffee at Orford and then on to Bill and Paula Lawson’s, The Olive People, at Little Swanport, where we’ll have a tutored olive oil tasting and, depending on how the season has gone, see olives crushed. Bill Lawson is to olive growers what Andrew Hood is to grape growers; he pressed five of the eight Tasmanian olive oils that won medals at the National Fine Foods Competition in 2003.
Lunch is at The Blue House in Swansea, with a choice of two soups, with bread and dips.
Then we are off to Freycinet Marine Farm, where Andrea Cole will tell us how she raises Pacific Oysters, which are mainly sold directly to the Sydney restaurant market. We will taste Pacific, the native angasi oysters, scallops and mussels she grows.
We drive on up to Bicheno, where our last visit for the day is to Australian Abalone Farms, where Miles Cropp will show us how “cocktail” abalone are raised for a world market.
After the tour of the abalone farm we repair to Diamond Island and our rooms to get ready for dinner prepared by longtime friend of Slow Food, Karen Pridham, who will prepare a gala dinner for us splendidly placed in its locale and season.
Day two Sunday July 31
After breakfast we walk along to the conference room for discussion on how two Tasmanian products might take their place in the Ark of Taste - leatherwood honey and Pyengana cheese . The Ark of Taste is a Slow Food International imitative that aims “to rediscover, catalogue, describe and publicise forgotten flavours. It is a metaphorical recipient of excellent gastronomic products that are threatened by industrial standardisation, hygiene laws, the regulations of large-scale distribution and environmental damage.”
Leatherwood honey is threatened in that leatherwood trees are increasingly being threatened by forestry. Leatherwood honey is unique in the world to Tasmania and is the standard bearer of the state’s honey industry – if beekeepers do not have leatherwood honey the industry will not be sustained by other varieties. President of the Tasmanian Beekeepers Association Julian Wolfhagen of the Tasmanian Honey Company will explain.
Jon Healey will tell us how he is the last to make “cheddar” in the way it has been made in the Pyengana valley for five generations.
After lunch at Diamond Island, featuring honey and cheese, we will set off for Freycinet Vineyard and a conducted tour and full tasting before we proceed back to Hobart.
The weekend tour costs $285 for Slow Food members, plus the room of your choice or $335 for non-members, plus the room of your choice.
Included in the cost is the coach seat from Hobart to Bicheno and back, morning coffee, visit to The Olive People and tastings, lunch at The Blue House, visit to Freycinet Marine Farm and tastings, visit to Australian Abalone Farms, gala dinner including welcome glass of sparkling and four-dinner wines, breakfast, talks and tastings of honey and cheese and morning coffee, lunch, talk and tastings at Freycinet Vineyard.
As usual, we not only have the opportunity to taste as we go, but to buy. Bring an eski to take advantage of prices and opportunities not available to the ordinary shopper or tourist.
The coach will leave Hobart from outside the Hotel Grand Chancellor in Campbell Street promptly at 8:30am on Saturday, July 30 and return there at about 6.30pm on Sunday, July 31.
Slow Food Big Winter Weekend, PO Box 180, Cygnet 7112
Phone Elaine Reeves 6295 1870 if your have any questions.
Posted by Elaine Reeves on 16/06/05 at 03:18 PM
Well, that all sounds awesome.
If I had the time and money it would be a great way to spend the weekend.
I hope you have a full coach and enjoy what this great state can offer.
I hope the champions of leatherwood win their fight — I love the stuff — it is the most amazing substance — a true blessing.
Good luck too you all, I hope the sun shines on your back and you have a gentle breeze on your face.
Dave
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