Now for something completely different

[Blackduck59]

6 minutes ago, MicCanberra said:

Fosters is an aussie export beer, I doubt you can buy it just anywhere (pubs, bars, bottle shops).

When I travel abroad I try to not buy beer I can get here. So Fosters probably won't be on my list nor will Steinlager both readily available here.

Other frosty suggestions gratefully accepted...cheers

[bazzaw]

Have been to the West Coast of Canada - BC, Alberta - and also been to Quebec. Our Quebecois friend (who was very polite with his speech, not like Aussies 🙂 ) finally got up the courage to ask me something. He said "Barry, when we are walking and we cross over a small road or footpath bridge , you and your wife stop at every one and look over the side of the bridge. What are you looking for?"  - I said it is not what we are looking for - it is what we are looking at - fresh clear running water.!!!!!  

[By The Bay]

Coopers is a family owned craft beer that has some ardent followers. You can find it on tap and in bottles.

[MicCanberra]

The dark ale is like a beer milkshake

[possum52]

10 hours ago, Blackduck59 said:

Hi Leigh I see you already found my little plea for information.

The Quest on Dorcas was $498 AUD for 3 nights for a 1 bedroom apartment. I like what I see on the website I just didn't like that they hosed me for full payment 11 months in advance without making it clear they were going to.

We have booked a night at Craig's in Ballarat I hope that is as nice as the photos.

To your question from the other thread we aren't going to be that far west...yet. We are driving Melbourne to Ballarat then to Port Campbell, we have 2 nights there, so maybe a drive west on the great ocean road could probably happen. Why Port Cambell you say? no particular reason, it's close to the Apostles and they say it's best to see those at sunrise and sunset so we can do both from there. We planned the legs to hopefully be a comfortable drive distance. From Port Campbell it's a drive on the great Ocean Road to Wallington for 1 night then on to Philip Island 2 nights. Then we will drop the car and fly to Sydney

Lyle, did you book the Quest through a booking site or directly through their website? I usually find that if you book direct with the hotel, they are more likely to charge you when you book. What you paid is quite reasonable for Melbourne. I would certainly reccommend a hotel with apartments as you will likely have laundry and cooking

facilities. Melbourne is fairly easy to travel around. 

 

Thanks for answering my query re Ballarat on the other thread. They are two of our favourite series too. Miss Fisher was based in Melbourne (St Kilda area) but I do remember at least one episode where she travelled to Ballarat. There are some wonderful old buildings too, built during the gold rush of the 1850s. 

 

Travelling from Ballarat to Port Campbell - I would perhaps seek advice from locals at Ballarat as to the best road to take. Google maps suggest a couple of different ways. One of the roads suggested is very much a back road and was not in good condition the last time we drove along it. 

 

Port Campbell is a lovely spot, my family used to visit there on Boxing Day quite often for a picnic or at nearby Peterborough. 

 

Port Campbell

 

 

Loch Ard Gorge

 

These above photos were taken nearly 2 years ago during a June visit to my parents at Warrnambool. We decided to detour of the Princes Highway down to Port Campbell and Loch Ard Gorge which is east of PC.

 

Leigh

[OzKiwiJJ]

3 hours ago, MicCanberra said:

For a mouth wash maybe.

Ditto Steinlager.

[OzKiwiJJ]

3 hours ago, Docker123 said:

I would reconsider the Quest on Dorcas street because of the location, good quality property. Essentially in a business and tall apartment building area and less suitable for tourists.

Southbank is better placed for attractions, restaurants etc, and very near the main railway station.

 

Quest on Kavannagh Street.

My sister recently stayed at the Oaks Melbourne and happy with it.

Mantra

Travelodge.

 

As with various suggestions, it depends on your budget.

 

I agree. Quest apartment are usually very nice, we've stayed in several, but Dorcas St isn't an ideal location. It's a tram ride to the CBD, and quite a long walk to the South Melbourne restaurant precinct. I'd recommend somewhere in the CBD or Southbank. We've stayed at the Mantra Southbank a couple of times in the past, but quite a long time ago, however Mantra is a very good apartment chain and the location is brilliant.

[OzKiwiJJ]

My best memory of a stop in Port Campbell, many years ago, was the great lobster dinner we had at the pub. 

[possum52]

3 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

My best memory of a stop in Port Campbell, many years ago, was the great lobster dinner we had at the pub. 

It would have been local crayfish probably.

[OzKiwiJJ]

14 minutes ago, possum52 said:

It would have been local crayfish probably.

Yes, it was. The best crayfish in Australia, almost as good as NZ crayfish. 😋 We used to always go to Melbourne for family Christmases, where we'd get together on Christmas day. We always stayed in an apartment and our Christmas Eve dinner was always crayfish. We'd head to Prahran markets early in the morning and DH would queue up for the cray while I raced around buying salad stuff etc.

Edited April 14, 2020 by OzKiwiJJ

[possum52]

10 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Yes, it was. The best crayfish in Australia, almost as good as NZ crayfish. 😋 We used to always go to Melbourne for family Christmases, where we'd get together on Christmas day. We always stayed in an apartment and our Christmas Eve dinner was always crayfish. We'd head to Prahran markets early in the morning and DH would queue up for the cray while I raced around buying salad stuff etc.

We would always go to Port Fairy on our trips back home to Warrnambool to buy crays for us and my Mum. But over the past few years they’ve become so expensive as the fishermen’s co-op doesn’t exist as it was in the past. It was cheaper to buy crays at a Warrnambool fish shop.

 

Our Christmas Eve tradition is to go and buy fresh prawns, enough for the two of us for that evening and enough for the family to serve as entree on Christmas Day. 
 

Leigh

[Blackduck59]

Yes the infinite conundrum, So many people refer to them as "lobster" even the restaurant I worked at when I was first out of High School some 43 years ago. "Lobster" tails were imported from the south pacific. Live eastern lobster from Nova Scotia was very rare out here then...You had to know somebody. Now live Nova Scotia lobster is quite common many grocery stores have live tanks. And the southern variety which would probably still be referred to as lobster is pretty uncommon. In north America crayfish or "crawfish" as they say in Louisiana are those little small prawn sizes things the have claws like miniature lobsters. It's sort of like the old tourism Australia commercials from 40 years age. Paul Hogan looking all cool telling us we should come down under and he'll "throw another shrimp on the barby for ya" as he plops a bloody great prawn on the grill. Good thing I know to ask for Crayfish and prawns, at least I won't look like a complete pillock.

Damn I just had supper and now I'm hungry for Garlic prawns. 

[Kiwi Kruzer]

On 4/13/2020 at 2:15 PM, Blackduck59 said:

 

That's not surprising 75% of the world supply of maple syrup comes from Canada and most of that from Quebec which is a long way from me.

I make a real mean peach and maple cheesecake . Tried all the syrups but now only use the real Canadian maple . 

[OzKiwiJJ]

5 minutes ago, Blackduck59 said:

Yes the infinite conundrum, So many people refer to them as "lobster" even the restaurant I worked at when I was first out of High School some 43 years ago. "Lobster" tails were imported from the south pacific. Live eastern lobster from Nova Scotia was very rare out here then...You had to know somebody. Now live Nova Scotia lobster is quite common many grocery stores have live tanks. And the southern variety which would probably still be referred to as lobster is pretty uncommon. In north America crayfish or "crawfish" as they say in Louisiana are those little small prawn sizes things the have claws like miniature lobsters. It's sort of like the old tourism Australia commercials from 40 years age. Paul Hogan looking all cool telling us we should come down under and he'll "throw another shrimp on the barby for ya" as he plops a bloody great prawn on the grill. Good thing I know to ask for Crayfish and prawns, at least I won't look like a complete pillock.

Damn I just had supper and now I'm hungry for Garlic prawns. 

The Australian and NZ lobsters are rock lobsters, they don't have the big claws. NZ and Victoria call them crayfish but they are called lobster in the rest of Australia. Prawns are prawns in both Australia and NZ. Australia also has bugs, Morton Bay bugs and Balmain bugs. They are actually a type of lobster, called slipper lobster or shovelnosed lobster in other parts of the world although in Singapore I've seen them called crayfish. Then there are scampi, which are not battered and fried prawns, but a prawn-sized, similar looking crustacean but with a much harder shell and that taste like lobster. The ones in Australia come from NZ. They are best split in half and quickly grilled with garlic butter. I do love lobster and bugs but don't try to get between me and a plate of scampi - you'd get trampled! 😁

[OzKiwiJJ]

28 minutes ago, possum52 said:

 

Our Christmas Eve tradition is to go and buy fresh prawns, enough for the two of us for that evening and enough for the family to serve as entree on Christmas Day. 

We still have a lobster as our Christmas Eve treat but these days we have to get them from the Sydney Fish Markets and they aren't quite as nice as the Melbourne ones, unless I can get a Tasmanian one. 

[Blackduck59]

2 minutes ago, Kiwi Kruzer said:

I make a real mean peach and maple cheesecake . Tried all the syrups but now only use the real Canadian maple . 

 

Any chance of getting a piece of that when we are in New Zealand? I'll even bring some syrup to trade.

[OzKiwiJJ]

7 minutes ago, Kiwi Kruzer said:

I make a real mean peach and maple cheesecake . Tried all the syrups but now only use the real Canadian maple . 

Recipe please.

 

I always buy Canadian maple syrup. Our local greengrocer has a deli section and usually has some very interesting maple syrups. 

 

We did have some US maple syrup once, from Vermont, that a friend who lived there brought over. Apparently it was from a small farm who made limited quantities for local sales only. That was rather special.

[Kiwi Kruzer]

9 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Recipe please.

If I can make it ,it’s real easy

 

https://www.foodinaminute.co.nz/Recipes/No-Bake-Peach-Cheesecake

 

[OzKiwiJJ]

5 minutes ago, Kiwi Kruzer said:

If I can make it ,it’s real easy

 

https://www.foodinaminute.co.nz/Recipes/No-Bake-Peach-Cheesecake

 

Thanks, it sounds good but with real maple syrup not that maple-flavoured rubbish.

 

Hmmm, to accentuate the flavours you could poach fresh peaches in a syrup enhanced with maple syrup instead of using the tinned ones. 

Edited April 14, 2020 by OzKiwiJJ

[Blackduck59]

2 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Thanks, it sounds good but with real maple syrup not that maple-flavoured rubbish.

 

Hmmm, to accentuate the flavours you could poach fresh peaches in a syrup enhanced with maple syrup instead of using the tinned ones. 

Try grilling the peaches

[Blackduck59]

Okay the Oaks Melbourne is looking pretty good, is it easy to get across the river? I think we are going to book that, there is in suite laundry we will need that after an 11 night cruise. The price seems good, about the same as the other except no pre-pay. I really was choked that they charged in full 11 months in advance.

[OzKiwiJJ]

38 minutes ago, Blackduck59 said:

Okay the Oaks Melbourne is looking pretty good, is it easy to get across the river? I think we are going to book that, there is in suite laundry we will need that after an 11 night cruise. The price seems good, about the same as the other except no pre-pay. I really was choked that they charged in full 11 months in advance.

At Southbank? Yes, great location. Plenty of bridges for crossing the river and an easy walk. There are heaps of restaurants on the Southbank side and once you cross the river you are in the heart of the city. I haven't stayed at that particular Oaks but stayed in one elsewhere in Melbourne years ago.

 

Most of the apartment hotels have in-suite laundries.

[Ondine]

If you like native animals try to go to the Ballarat Wildlife Park.  It is not that large but you can wander around and feed kangaroos and get up close to many others species.  Went there a few years ago and I believe they have even got penguins now.  Lovely place to spend a few hours.  Wasn't really mad about the snakes but to each his own.

[Blackduck59]

19 minutes ago, Ondine said:

If you like native animals try to go to the Ballarat Wildlife Park.  It is not that large but you can wander around and feed kangaroos and get up close to many others species.  Went there a few years ago and I believe they have even got penguins now.  Lovely place to spend a few hours.  Wasn't really mad about the snakes but to each his own.

 Thanks for the suggestion. there will be no snakes for us, Lynn is incredibly afraid of snakes; she can't even watch them on TV

[Blackduck59]

33 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

At Southbank? Yes, great location. Plenty of bridges for crossing the river and an easy walk. There are heaps of restaurants on the Southbank side and once you cross the river you are in the heart of the city. I haven't stayed at that particular Oaks but stayed in one elsewhere in Melbourne years ago.

 

Most of the apartment hotels have in-suite laundries.

Yes at Southbank, we cancelled the Quest on Dorcas. And while I was getting my credit card ready some super special thing came up and we saved about $40,00 so that was a bonus. This is the second change we have made from the original bookings. Once in Auckland and now Melbourne.

Edited April 14, 2020 by Blackduck59