Now for something completely different

[SeaDog-46]

Is this thread turning into another bl..dy cooking show?

 

Pic. of a lovely $55 Tassie Lobster lunch @ Bichino last month.

 

John

[Blackduck59]

2 minutes ago, SeaDog-46 said:

Is this thread turning into another bl..dy cooking show?

 

Pic. of a lovely $55 Tassie Lobster lunch @ Bichino last month.

 

John

 

Very nice, we want to try local stuff, why go half way around the world just to eat what I can get at home. I have tried Australian Beef that we can get here and didn't really like it; I wonder if it is because it was frozen. I guess I will have to give it another try when I'm down there. Lynn will want to try the lamb, we have some locally grown small operation lambs that are raised just about 3 miles from us...Pretty outstanding.

[SeaDog-46]

New Zealand lamb is the best in the world & far better than the "dought fed" Aussie lamb.

It's a pity the cruise companies do not realise this when in NZ. 

A few years ago P&O UK Arcadia took a load of NZ lamb on a the round the world cruise along with green lipped mussels.

Best I have had on any cruise ship.

[Blackduck59]

Excellent, we have quite a lot of seafood here, there are very well known Oyster, Mussel and Scallop farms about 2 1/2 hour north of us. We have fresh local clams in live tanks at the local fish market. Also fresh live spot prawns in season and we can get fresh live Nova Scotia lobster. No lobster or crayfish (except some fresh water crayfish about the size of a small prawn) on this coast. The king of crustaceans around here is the mighty Dungeness Crab.

Edited April 14, 2020 by Blackduck59

[Obilix]

Dungeness crab ....  mmmmmm ....

 

.

[Chiliburn]

On 4/13/2020 at 11:12 PM, 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

I see you are driving from Ballarat to Port Campbell.
Its a bit out of your way but the Grampians is nice .Overnight in Halls gap.

 Personally ,Ballarat is nice but just worth a drive through.

[Blackduck59]

Thanks Chili it's an overnight in Ballarat at Craig's Royal Hotel, I hope it's as nice as the pictures. I also hope that the drive from Ballarat to Port Campbell is an easy few hours.

[Chiliburn]

1 hour ago, Blackduck59 said:

Thanks Chili it's an overnight in Ballarat at Craig's Royal Hotel, I hope it's as nice as the pictures. I also hope that the drive from Ballarat to Port Campbell is an easy few hours.

Sounds good.

Loch Ard  is a nice place for a picnic.Pick up some sandwiches ,it’s very nice .

Edited April 15, 2020 by Chiliburn

[SeaDog-46]

The story of the wreck of the sailing ship Loch Ard is well worth reading - as is a trip to the gorge & down to the beach.

The Peacock is ceramic & was part of the ship's cargo.  Drive further west to stay in Warrnambool  & visit maritime museum.

Edited April 15, 2020 by SeaDog-46

[Blackduck59]

37 minutes ago, Chiliburn said:

Sounds good.

Loch Ard  is a nice place for a picnic.Pick up some sandwiches ,it’s very nice .

 

Roger that. We love picnics, usually grab some fresh baguettes of buns some deli meat and throw it together at some roadside stop. We do that a lot here, if we are in wine country a few of the wineries have very nice picnic areas and you can buy a bottle of a wine you liked at the tasting bar....great memories

[Chiliburn]

10 minutes ago, Blackduck59 said:

 

Roger that. We love picnics, usually grab some fresh baguettes of buns some deli meat and throw it together at some roadside stop. We do that a lot here, if we are in wine country a few of the wineries have very nice picnic areas and you can buy a bottle of a wine you liked at the tasting bar....great memories

Sometimes the simple things are the best.

You won’t have time but rural Victoria has some lovely little towns , Grande Main Streets Much better than other states in Australia.I think because they put some thought into them.
A lot of towns in NSW where pretty haphazard so the best thing was to bypass them.

[Blackduck59]

10 minutes ago, Chiliburn said:

Sometimes the simple things are the best.

You won’t have time but rural Victoria has some lovely little towns , Grande Main Streets Much better than other states in Australia.I think because they put some thought into them.
A lot of towns in NSW where pretty haphazard so the best thing was to bypass them.

 

We are quite looking forward to this trip. Unfortunately there are some real rays of sunshine on here suggesting that I might as well forget i,t because Australia will banish all foreigners well into the next decade.

[lyndarra]

As the old saying goes "Expect the worst, hope for the best."

A wonderful word 'hope', don't ever lose it.

 

[Chiliburn]

1 minute ago, Blackduck59 said:

 

We are quite looking forward to this trip. Unfortunately there are some real rays of sunshine on here suggesting that I might as well forget i,t because Australia will banish all foreigners well into the next decade.

You have to have something to look forward to in life ,Lyle.

Yes there’s  are some happy souls on here,that’s what you get with forum’s.

I was planning to take my daughter to Venice next year and do a cruise but I don’t think that will be happening but let’s see.

 

My biggest concern is giving money to someone and not getting it back.My old boss was telling me he has lost about $110,000 in holiday money which he may never see again.

 

 

[Blackduck59]

We have cancel for any reason insurance and the cruise is still months away from final payment and the deposit is quite low. The Airfare is refundable up to 48 hrs before with a $800.00 cancellation fee which would be covered by the insurance. So we are pretty safe for now as far as money being covered. We only have one motel that is prepaid but is also free cancellation.

[Docker123]

The drive from Ballarat to Port Campbell is approximately 2 1/2 hours, depending on stops. Mostly through grazing land. State roads, not big highways, so often 1 lane each way.

 

I can’t think of any wineries along the way, nor really at either end. Plenty of cheese and other niceties.

 

I guess you will be driving back towards Melbourne along the Great Ocean Road. Lord Ard Gorge has already been mentioned, as well as the Apostles.  Cape Otway lighthouse is a very nice spot if not afraid of heights. The road in from GOR to the lighthouse is a almost guaranteed spot to see koalas.

 

[Blackduck59]

22 minutes ago, Chiliburn said:

You have to have something to look forward to in life ,Lyle.

Yes there’s  are some happy souls on here,that’s what you get with forum’s.

I was planning to take my daughter to Venice next year and do a cruise but I don’t think that will be happening but let’s see.

 

My biggest concern is giving money to someone and not getting it back.My old boss was telling me he has lost about $110,000 in holiday money which he may never see again.

 

 

 You should look forward to that trip too, although Italy is a bit of a thing right now. And Venice is apparently all bent outta shape about the crowds from cruise ships. Friggin cruise ship hoards😁

[Chiliburn]

25 minutes ago, Docker123 said:

I can’t think of any wineries along the way, nor really at either end. Plenty of cheese and other niceties.

 

 

 

No wineries but just about every town has a Royal and a shamrock Hotel.

 Reflecting the pommie bastards and trouble making Irish.

[Blackduck59]

As opposed to the peaceful Australians😉

[GUT2407]

Keep looking forward to it, I am one who thinks by February things will be well on the way back to normal. But be prepared both mentally and financially for it not to happen, that’s the best advice I can give.

 

My cruising days look not so good, but I am not cancelling our December cruise Corona Virus  (beer bug by true name) or not. For one reason because I am hoping by then either they have resolved some of my back issues or a wheelchair, new or current one modified, with suspension that makes it bareable.

 

[possum52]

2 hours ago, SeaDog-46 said:

The story of the wreck of the sailing ship Loch Ard is well worth reading - as is a trip to the gorge & down to the beach.

The Peacock is ceramic & was part of the ship's cargo.  Drive further west to stay in Warrnambool  & visit maritime museum.

One of the cottages at Flagstaff Maritime Village is where my great grandparents lived when my great grandfather was a lighthouse keeper at Warrnambool. The cottage is tiny.

 

Leigh

[Blackduck59]

Hey Leigh, Your Great Grandfather was a Lightkeeper? Cool they were a special breed.

[Chiliburn]

13 minutes ago, GUT2407 said:

Keep looking forward to it, I am one who thinks by February things will be well on the way back to normal. But be prepared both mentally and financially for it not to happen, that’s the best advice I can give.

 

My cruising days look not so good, but I am not cancelling our December cruise Corona Virus  (beer bug by true name) or not. For one reason because I am hoping by then either they have resolved some of my back issues or a wheelchair, new or current one modified, with suspension that makes it bareable.

 

So Tasmania 12 /December is still a goer?

[possum52]

14 minutes ago, Blackduck59 said:

Hey Leigh, Your Great Grandfather was a Lightkeeper? Cool they were a special breed.

Yes Lyle he was, born in Kent UK, joined the Royal Navy. When his 12 years was up, he joined the merchant navy, did a return voyage to Melbourne and on his return married my great grandmother who was a servant at Windsor Castle. We have no idea how they met! Within days of their marriage they were on their way to their new life in Melbourne. 

 

Leigh

Edited April 15, 2020 by possum52

[Blackduck59]

3 minutes ago, possum52 said:

Yes Lyle he was, born in Kent UK, joined the Royal Navy. When his 12 years was up, he joined the merchant navy, did a return voyage to Melbourne and on his return married my great grandmother who was a servant at Windsor Castle. We have no idea how they met! Within days of their marriage they were on their way to their new life in Melbourne. 

 

Leigh

Wow, I have a sorta similar story, My Great Grandfather did a very short hitch in the merchant navy (details very sketchy) After he married my Great Grandmother they moved to Canada for the promise of "Free Land" My Great Grandmother's sister Emma came along, she was a servant in Buckingham Palace (we have the Christmas pudding recipe). Aunt Emma never married and lived here in Victoria until she died.