Oysters Indulgence

I am no big fan of oysters. But, a trip to Tasmania without tasting oysters is like a trip to Penang without eating a bowl of the Teochew cendol along Penang Road.

On the way back from Port Arthur to Hobart on 29 March, we reminded ourselves to be on the look-out for any signboard about oysters. We were not disappointed and found a little store by a petrol station selling fresh oysters. Our first attempt - A$16 for a pack of twelve oysters.

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In Bicheno at Lobster Shark on 30 March, we ordered oysters for the second time - A$26 for a pack of twelve oysters. The higher price was "compensated" by a seafront view from Level 2 of the restaurant.

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The climax of the oysters search was on our way to Lauceston from Burnie on 3 April. We were taken to a "secret" spot by the sea by a local. At this vast seafront littered with rocks, there was endless supply of live oysters. It was left to the ingenuity of the individuals to find these creatures which are tightly "glued" to the rocks. Once found, the oyster has to be pried open with a screwdriver, sometimes with great effort. But by the time the succulent meat was slurped into the month, this was soon forgotten and we were on the move for more. 

In situation liked this, I could only wish to have a bigger stomach and more time. Despite the effort and ambient, this was still once in a life time of oyster eating experience!

In the absence of lime juice, Tabasco pepper sauce provided the kick and helped to neutralize the salinity of the bit of sea water trapped with the succulent meat.

Lucy's mom who joined the search was equally ecstatic to go through this 

tasting experience.

George Town - A Retirees Haven?

George Town was not in our original travel itinerary.  It was Lucy's idea to go and spend a morning there, partly to meet an ex-actor and artist, Lawrence Mah.

I was pleasantly surprised that George Town though small did present a few surprises. Top among the list is the Retirement Home adjacent to the seafront built by the Roman Catholic Church. I thought it's a very good and practical model.

There are two types of quarters. The single storey detached units which are next to the sea are designed for couples or single individuals who are without serious health issue. The residents who occupy these units are healthy enough to look after themselves. Each unit is offered at a one time non-returnable fixed sum of A$10,000 followed by monthly service fee of A$500 plus. The monthly fee covers utility charges and sewer disposal etc. For senior citizens or retirees who continue to live long life, the fixed sum payment is considered very economical. Upon death, the unit is reverted back to the Church.

For retirees who have health issue and are no longer able to take care of themselves, they are moved to units built at a higher platform and which are more communal in design. This I believe is to enable easier and quicker attention by the carers. The one time fixed payment is still the same but the monthly charges are higher.

Some may argue for a bigger city to spend the twilight years. But in those fading years, a peaceful and quiet outback is probably more suitable than a noisy metropolis.

Posing with Lawrence in front of his paintings. Lawrence 
stays in one of the units for the healthy retirees which 
is very comfortable.

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Lawrence, a resident of George Town for over forty years proved to be a good guide. We were taken by him to see some of the attractions in George town. The Hillwood Berry Farm is one place worth spending an hour or two. The is a 40-acre farm planted with strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries. Visitors can choose to pick and eat on the spot for free or pick and pay for takeaway. 

Berries are grown in polytunnels and almost all under
hydroponic growing principle.

Fruits blended ice cream at the Farmgate Cafe.

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Fish & Chips at the George Town Seafoods, an outlet that sells fresh seafood or cooked meals of fish and chips, acknowledged to be the best in town.

Cradle Mountain - The Enchanted Walk

After the trekking of the Dove Lake, Lucy was rather insistent that we do the "Enchanted Walk" which is just nearby. Here, one is promised of seeing cascading creek, ancient pines and myrtle trees surrounded by lichen and moss. For the lucky some, an encounter with wombats and platypus. 

As promised, we were not disappointed and the walk indeed was an enchanting experience. If anything is incomplete, it would be the elusive platypus which tested our patience. It never showed up and surfaced to greet us who had come from afar!

The ancient forest with lichen and moss.

Cascading creek.

Pool supposedly where platypus frequently hang out..

Trekking in Cradle Mountain - Dove Lake

Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park is widely acknowledged as a must-visit attraction in Tasmania. This National Park is a wilderness bestowed with alpine shore, rugged mountains, lakes, tarns, rain forests and even ancient mossy forests.

Dove Lake, a highland lake with a surface elevation of 939 m was formed by glaciation.  It is the largest and most popular lake. It's 2.1 Km long by 0.7 Km wide with a shore length of 6.6 Km. Had we traveled to Cradle Mountain without Lucy, we probably wouldn't have attempted the trekking of the 6.5 Km long Dove Lake Circuit. The huge Dove Lake and the towering peaks was simply too daunting a sight for us to consider doing the complete circuit! In the end, we were glad we did go through it and completed the circuit.

We spent just under three hours covering the whole route in a leisurely pace. There were plenty of picturesque scenery and stunning views throughout the walk and I was kept busy clicking my camera almost non-stop.  The trail is mostly boardwalk and the track is well maintained.

We had no hesitation drinking the clean mountain water!

The summit of Cradle Mountain and vegetation reminded us 
of Mt. Kinabalu.

At the most unlikely place and time, Lucy met this couple who were her previous neighbors when she was staying in Sydney before moving to Burnie.

The abundant moss and lichen is testament of its ancient history and clean unpolluted air. By comparison, it is the Enchanted Walk which we went through that further enhanced the authentic experience of being in an ancient forest.

Beaches at the lake shore.

The iconic hut is one favorite spot for photographers.