tasmania day 2
After an amazingly cosy night at Woodbridge Hill Hideaway, where Michelle and I stayed in two separate cabins, nestled in the trees and forest, high up in the hills of the stunning Woodbridge area about 40–45 mins south of Hobart, and a dinner comprising of some amazing meats, cheeses and goodies collected throughout day 1 of my Tassie trip in Hobart, we awoke the next day to some rather crappy weather.
Woodbridge Hill Hideaway, I have to add, is a gorgeous, cosy and romantic location ~ it would be amazing for a lovey-dovey romantic getaway with your 'significant other'. The cabins are beautifully fitted-out and very comfy. We arrived to a roaring fire in a potbelly stove nestled in the corner of each of our very large rooms. The place was spotless, bathroom huge, complete with spa bath, and it was fab to hear the rain pelting down outside as we enjoyed dinner along with a bottle or two of great Tassie Pinot and a really good, girly natter. The view the next morning from the expansive outside deck was stunning and I looked forward to seeing more of the gorgeous surrounding countryside.
DAY 2
I had always sort of pictured Tassie as a place where it rained a lot ~ a bit like Ireland, but I was wrong, seemingly it’s a rarity to get much rain so we were a little unfortunate on day 2 when the sun failed to put on a show for us. But no bother, we weren’t going to let that stop us snapping away and enjoying all the beautiful scenery and surrounds of our next destination, which was: Bruny Island.
Bruny Island is located off the south-eastern coast of Tassie and is home of the beautiful South Bruny National Park. The island is about 100 km long, home to about 620 people and separated into the North and South islands which are joined by a long, sandy strip of land called ‘The Neck’. If you head over to the island, you’ll see fur seals, fairy penguins and white wallabies. It offers visitors locally produced food and premium-quality wines, handmade fudge, chocolate, truffles, cheese and fresh oysters. The island is also home to Australia's southernmost vineyard and there are some excellent restaurants and cafés scattered across the island's townships.
After a 20-minute car ferry ride over to the island, Michelle and I drove to our first spot on our day 2 adventure: Bruny Island Cheese Co.
Started by a great bloke called Nick Haddow, who was incredibly welcoming and amicable. From the get-go Nick was offering us morning coffee and hot toast, which we enjoyed in the cosy restaurant area of the cheese co. whilst we all had a chat and looked at samples of his new TV show and book.
Nick spent 10 years working with specialist cheesemakers in many different countries around the world. He and his partner Leonie (remember The Maker Shop from Day 1 post ~ that is Leonie’s shop) settled on Bruny Island in southern Tasmania in 2001 to start making cheese for themselves. Nick is a traditionalist, who recognises that great cheese was made for centuries before modern technology played a role and believes passionately in the old way of making and maturing cheese. For him, cheese making is a pursuit of integrity and flavour.
The cheeses Bruny Island Cheese Co. makes are very much the product of Nick's travels and training throughout the great cheese-producing regions of France, Italy, Spain and the UK. They are the cheeses he loves to make and eat. Although Nick and his team are inspired by the artisan cheeses from their travels, they do not seek to copy them. Instead, he wants to make cheeses that are connected to their environment... cheeses with a distinctly Tasmanian character.
Bruny Island Cheese Co. use both cow’s and goat’s milk to make its range of cheeses. The animals are farmed in an environmentally sustainable way, with the focus of the farming practices on producing the best milk possible. They believe profoundly that the milk is what makes the cheese and therefore the good treatment of animals and their milk is paramount.
