"Admiral" arrives home in Sullivan's Cove

The “Admiral”, which was relaunched in Huonville last week after an extensive restoration under the guidance of Bern Cuthbertson and the “Admirality” arrived back in her home port last Saturday.

Aboard for the final leg of the trip was the Governor of Tasmania, Peter Underwood. The vessel was greeted at Watermans’ Dock by the Lord Mayor, his deputy and a throng of family, friends and assorted others. It turned out that last Saturday was exactly 144 (tbc) years to the day that “Admiral” was first used as a Governor’s barge.

In his speech, Governor Underwood indicated that he would be happy for “Admiral” to serve as Governor’s barge once more, at least for the time he was the occupant of Government House.

The Governor also mentioned the fact that a permanent home needed to be found for “Admiral” somewhere on the waterfront. Currently there seems to be a bit of a battle raging between TasPorts, The State Government and the HCC as to where the vessel will eventually wind up.

Here’s hoping the various authorities come to their senses and the “Admiral” finds a home deserving of its long and direct link to the early years of Hobart’s European history.

There’s an album of photos from the day right here.

Contrast in Sullivans Cove

This morning, Sea Shepherd's new high speed Japanese whaling ship chaser, the "Ady Gil" pulled into Hobart for some maintenance prior to heading way south for the whaling season in the Southern Ocean. It's a pretty fearsome looking machine...

Click on images for full size, and more photos.

Diggin the fully sick sub woofers in the cockpit too:

Hopefully, the Ady Gil will be a worthwhile investment in the ongoing stoush between the murderous Japanese whale slaughter fleet, and those fighting the good fight for these magnificent creatures. I fully support their efforts.

Now, over the other side of Elizabeth Street Pier, and in town for a completely different reason is the beautiful and very rare three masted schooner, the Shenandoah. Owned by an Italian milionaire, she's here until at least Christmas, entertaining some of the owner's guests. He's not actually coming to town. She was built in 1902, and is absolutely spectacular in every way:

Click on images for full size, and more photos.

Just another day in the life of the Port of Hobart.

As any good Hobartian knows.....

......you'd best not have your car parked at the Domain when faced with this view at lunchtime.

In a not totally unrelated story, I know a bloke who was chained to the mooring rings on these steps at low tide and left there for the day as part of his buck's celebrations.

Today on Sullivan's Cove

Lifting a new catamaran onto a freighter for (presumably) a long distance delivery. Who says Hobart's a dead port?

A few more photos here

Today on Sullivans Cove

There's a ship (The Bryggen from Bergen) tied up on Macquarie Wharf. They've flooded the front holds so as they can work on the propellor or something similar.

Today in Sullivan's Cove

The Sun Princess leaving Hobart at 11.30 this morning. The Diamond Princess (still docked) pushed off about 6pm. They're just floating motels really.

Bring back the QE2:

Click the images for full size.

The view from my desk

If I swivel 180 degrees. Click the pic for full image, cos there's some missing.

Tassie Whisky is the bollox

ONE of the world's foremost authorities on whisky has brought a Tasmanian distillery to the attention of whisky connoisseurs worldwide.

In this year's edition of his Whisky Bible, UK whisky guru Jim Murray is effusive in his praise of the Tasmania Distillery, at Cambridge.

He rated its six-year-old Sullivans Cove Bourbon Cask an impressive 95 points out of a possible 100, describing it as "sensational, truly beautiful and brilliant".

Murray said the result was the "biggest Australian comeback since Larwood and Voce taught them how to bowl", referring to England's Bodyline cricket series bowlers.

Murray tasted 3600 whiskies before rating them for the Whisky Bible, with just three Scottish whiskies rating 97 and another 25 given 96 points.

Distillery manager and part-owner Patrick Maguire said yesterday the high ranking was great news for Tasmanian whisky producers.

"There are three distilleries operating in the state and another two coming on line this year and I believe we all make excellent whisky," he said.

The Tasmania Distillery was established in 1996 by Robert Hosken and was originally located on Hobart's Gasworks site, between Macquarie and Davey Sts.

Mr Hosken later sold the distillery and it went into liquidation in 2003.

Ironically, it was the whisky made by the former owners that Murray rated so highly.

Mr Maguire's group bought the stock and plant and relocated it to Cambridge.

He said half the flavours and all the colours came from the cask.

"We use American oak casks previously filled with bourbon, or French oak casks previously filled with port," he said. Other Sullivans Cove malts were also rated highly by Murray, with the six-year-old Port Cask scoring 90 points and the Double Cask rated at 88.

Outlets that do tastings and sales of Sullivans Cove whiskies are the Barilla Restaurant, the Tasting House at Richmond, the Forest and Heritage Centre at Geeveston, the Tasmanian Scottish Centre at Ross and the Gourmet Delicatessen in Elizabeth Mall.