Good burgers in Hobart?

The Corner Bite is pretty good.  Home made pattie cooked fresh in a toasted pide with bacon, egg, cheese and onion.  $6.00.  Corner Augusta and Creek Roads, Lenah Valley.

Bottled water rant

Woolies New Town, about an hour ago: The LARGE BOTTLE of WATER is cheaper than the SMALL BOTTLE of WATER by 11 cents. That's $3.27 for a LITRE of WATER versus $5.91 for a LITRE of WATER. The difference? The smaller one has a coloured lid and a Disney picture. Yeah, the supermarkets are all about the consumer.

Keating! The Musical Hits Hobart

It's on! It's in Hobart! It's quality! I'm involved!

Book your tickets now! Great group rates!

Here's the TV Ad on YouTube.

Mojitos on Murray Street?

Spotted flying above a building opposite the State Treasury today:

Is there another plan afoot for March 20?
Viva Cuba!

"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.

Tasmanian BeerFest 2009

Well, the concept is finally right!

After four years or so, and three venues, the Tasmanian Beerfest 2009 at Princes Wharf was an absolute corker!

Lots of independent and major breweries from Tasmania and the mainland were there, pouring their liquid amber (and brown and black) for all to taste and enjoy. The weather was perfect at about 18 degrees, the crowd was happy, the food quality, and the music original (take a hint, Taste of Tasmania organisers!).


Photo by Harry Plimpton

Andrew and I even got in on the behind action, looking after the Tas Home Brew Supplies stand for half an hour or so while Mick went for a fag and a feed. He'd put together 100 litres of a tasty little wheat pale number, which they were giving away! Needless to say, the THBS stand was a very popular attraction (while it lasted).


Yep, congrats must go to the crew who organised the festival. Long may it stay independent and reign on Hobart's late spring calendar.

There's an album of photos right here.

James Squire is Coming to Town

UPDATE 11 DECEMBER: Squires Salamanca Pub opened for business yesterday, under ownership of Paul and Tony Jubb, of the Customs House Hotel and other Sullivan's Cove drinking establishments. As yet there is no brewery on premises. Premier David Bartlett was spotted with a sly ten ounce there on the pub's second day of trade.

In what could be a bit of a shake-up for landlords in Hobart, the James Squire sub-brand of Tooheys-Lion Nathan (which is in turn owned by Japanese conglomerate Kirin Holdings, who also own Boags and PURA MILK) will be rolling out a microbrewery and pub in the Salamanca Square entertainment district of town.

According to their website, there are already four James Squire "Brewhouses" around the country.

In fact, we had drinks at the Sydney one the day after our wedding. It was a grand day. The food was expensive, the beer was great (yet also expensive), and some of it was made on premises. It will be interesting to see what the ratio of "Salamanca" product will be to their main brands, which currently come out of their brewery in Sydney (though could they now switch some production to Boag's Esk Brewery? Ve shall see).

Anyhow, it's good beer, and a new concept for Hobart (well, since St Ives closed it's microbrewery quite some years ago). It will be interesting to see how it goes, and how it affects the local scene.

I saw one local publican scurrying in the direction of the building site earlier today, after MD and Head Brewer, Chuck Hahn, announced on local radio that they would be opening soon. How soon? I spoke to a builder on site today, and he said they were aiming for four weeks from today. Which, if you look at my picture of the site, will be a sterling effort.

Anyhow, I daresay I'll be there on opening day, contributing to Kirin's bottom line (sorry, Tas Dairy Farmers) and celebrating another step in what is the renaissance of quality beer in Australia.

Actually, is it a renaissance or a whole new era?

There's some pix of the site here.

Envirocrime: Grape Bar, Salamanca

I was just walking along Salamanca, it's a beautifully sunny Monday lunchtime. Seventeen degrees celsius according to the radio.

Grape Bar - no customers inside or out, six electric radiators going full pelt underneath their exterior umbrellas. I walked in to just tell them of this oversight, as I thought it must have been.

"Hi, you've got your radiators on outisde"
"What?"
"Your outside radiators are on, and it's almost twenty degrees out there."
"No, they're on because some people like them on."
"But there's nobody there, it's a bit wasteful don't you think?"
Blank stare. Walk out of bar.

I mean ter say, these outdoor space heaters are enough of a blight on the environment (wear a jacket or go inside if you're cold!), let alone having them pumping the hydrocarbons when it's sunny in the middle of the day.

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.

Bridgewater Jerry, 22 May 2009

View down Warwick Street to Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church.
Click image for full size

The Bridgewater Jerry has been lurking around Hobart a fair bit over the last week or so. Finally I remembered to take my camera with me.

There's a few more photos here.

Hobart's ANZAC Day Parade

ALBUM OF PHOTOS HERE

Uncle Ian (behind RH shoulder of marshall in orange jacket) marches down Macquarie Street with his comrades. Larger view here.

Ian with a comrade in New Guinea, April 1944.

It was bucketing with rain on ANZAC Day morning. I'm sure the Dawn Service musty have been pretty hard going. But, come 10am, an hour before the main parade kicks off, the rain decided to abate.

I headed down to the city, camera in hand ready to watch, and to get a couple of photos of my Uncle, Ian Tynan who served in the RAAF in New Guinea in WWII.

I got a perfect spot, right outside The Mercury building, and directly opposite the Town Hall, where the Governor takes the salute.

First off down Macquarie Street were five infrantry on their horses. Then came those no longer able to walk the parade route, ferried in buses, taxis and WWII Jeeps.

After that, came the various units and battalions, starting with the Boer War, then to WWI (our grandfather, Algy Tynan fought in the 1/12th). It's quite poignant and emotional to see the signs for the units being borne by schoolchildren, with no actual servicemen left. Pop died in 1974, and I think Tasmania's last WWI Veteran died about three or four years ago. I have quite vivid memories of going to the marches with Mum, Dad and Brent when we were kids.

Pop's Battalion, the 1/12th.

A War memorial Portrait of Pop, 1914.

The crew of the HMAS Darwin, in town for ANZAC Day duty were impressive as they marched past with "eyes righted" to the plinth.

As it got to the WWII units, I was keeping my eyes peeled for Ian and his crew. I don't know what happened, but I bloody well missed him as he marched straight past my vantage point. Luckily, I got a picture of the RAAF unit just as it left Franklin Square, and can make Ian out in the shot. Still, quite dissapointing that I missed him.

It's funny how my attitude has changed over the years, from a kid not really understanding what it was all about, to young adult, not wanting anything to do with the march, apart from the opportunity for another holiday, to now, where I'm thinking about what these people must have gone through, and how they're still here today. While I'm by no means a proponent of war as a means of resolving anything, I do thank those who marched, and those who didn't or couldn't for all they've done and been through for the greater good. And Ian, I'll get a much better picture next year!

ALBUM OF 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.

Old girl's going strong...

Click on photos for full size images.

Don't know when Dad took this first photo of Brent, myself and the James Craig at the Domain Slipyard, but the Tasman Bridge has been repaired, so that's betwen October 1977 and when the James Craig was towed to Sydney in 1981.

I took the second photo today, on Macquarie Wharf. Great to see her back in Hobart, in all her restored glory.

OH & S? What's that?

We spotted a repair crew replacing a piece of slate on the roof of Parliament House in Hobart yesterday. Click on the photos for full size.

It must be a 20 metre drop from the roof to the carpark.

Wild Oats XI takes the Sydney Hobart again

Album of photos here.

The 30 metre maxi, Wild Oats XI won line honours for the fourth consecutive time in the Sydney - Hobart Yacht Race this morning. The race record stayed intact, with a quite civilised 9.34am finish at Castray Esplanade.


I went down to Alexandra Battery in Sandy Bay to take a few photos as they were in the home stretch. Katie and I then got down to just above the finish box as she was about to take the cannon.

Now we're off to the first day of the Taste Festival. Tis a good time to be in Hobart.

There's an Album of photos here.

Terrible buildings of Hobart: #1: The Federation Concert Hall

Most cities these days try to present their best face to welcome visitors when they come in on the major road from that city's airport. Not Hobart.

As you drive along the first section of Davey Street, just after the Tasman Highway ends, this is the view with which you're faced:

Zero Davey, a residential development that somehow turned out to be a bit larger than what was originally approved, the Grand Chancellor Hotel (aka "Gray's Edifice"), which is simply a carbon copy of a hotel in Malaysia that the developers also own, and the crowning glory, the Federation Concert Hall, a building resembling a massive colorbond clad water tank, complete with dented panels and insulation hanging out of the joins. Apparently it's a "tribute" to an old gasometer that used to be on the site.

The Federation and its neighbours successfully block what could be a fantastic vista of Hobart's beautiful waterfront and Sullivans Cove district. I wanted to demonstrate to a friend what a shocking building it was, and lo and behold, I really couldn't find any proper pictures on google images, only ones put up by the Grand Chancellor and other tourist type sites that manage to shoot it from an angle that belies its inate hideousness.

So, as a public service, here is an album full of photos of the Federation Concert Hall in Hobart, Tasmania!

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.

Up on the dry

Was driving past the Domain Slipyards the other day, when I noticed that two of the oldest vessels still floating on the Derwent, the May Queen and the Cartela were both out of the water for maintenance.

I took me some photos.

A lunchtime ride

I went for a brisk lunchtime ride today with my mate Mike, who works in the CBD. We rode from the centre of Hobart, up the rivulet track, then up Macquarie Street, Cascade Road, past the brewery and up Strickland Avenue. I lasted about 1500 m past the brewery, while Mike carried on grinding uphill for another ten minutes or so. He commutes from his house, just before the start of the Pinnacle Road on Mt Wellington every day, so he should be bloody fit. I was pleased with how I went, considering the bike hasn't been getting much use lately.

Here's a pic of Mike on his way down, from where I conked out:
Click the image for full size.

There's not many capital cities where you can get surroundings like this on a lunchtime ride from the office. He was back at his desk by ten past two, after a one o'clock departure.

Now I'm off to find some lard to make pork pies with the leftovers from my Buck's Weekend. Watch this space.