An exciting new market for Hobart

Hobart has a formidable number of high-quality markets; including the iconic Salamanca Markets every Saturday, the hugely popular Farm Gate Market on Sundays, and the MONA Market during summer. 

Now market lovers (and visitors to Tasmania's capital) can add a new market to the list; the Hobart Twilight Market kicks off this Friday at Sandy Bay. 

Nick Haddow's Bruny Island Cheeses are a major drawcard 

Stallholders will include food operators, cider and wine makers along with arts and crafts.

The market will be launched at 3pm on Friday at Long Beach Reserve, Sandy Bay, after several months of preparation. It will run until 7pm. 

Hobart Twilight Market co-founder Justin Davies said: “We want to give small business an opportunity to engage with the public and act as a springboard for artisan producers. We hope everyone comes out to enjoy the evening and support all the stall holders.” 

The market will showcase over 50 stalls featuring iconic names like Lark Distillery, Franks and Lost Pippin cider and Thalia and Bianca’s paté that was a hit on My Kitchen Rules. 

Think also Bruny Island cheeses, d'Entrecasteaux oysters, sweet treats from Fudgey and wines from Gerald Ellis's Ticklebelly label, along with a large range of gourmet fast foods perfect for a post-work snack.

 

Gerald Ellis of Ticklebelly in his vineyard

Arts and crafts lovers can check out Richard Martin's metal sculptures and Difilia by Design while there will be several artisan designers in attendance. 

Market patrons are encouraged to bring along a picnic rug and soak up the atmosphere as the sun sets over the sea. Locals can stop by on an evening stroll or make use of new bicycle lanes on Sandy Bay Road.

The market schedule is: 

Friday 3 October, 

Friday 17 October, 

Friday 31 October, 

Friday 14 November, 

Friday 28 November, 

Friday 12 December, 

Friday 19 December. 

After daylight saving returns the market will run from 48pm 

See the full register of market stallholders attached or view online at www.facebook.com/HobartTwilightMarket

A totally private Tasmanian getaway

Far be it from me to suggest an illicit liaison, but anyone looking for a beautiful - and completely private - place to stay in Launceston, Tasmania, would be well advised to check out the two new Hatherley Birrell Collection pavilions. 

Tucked away overlooking a beautiful and stylish garden, the Magnolia and Muse pavilions are delightfully quiet and very well equipped. 

This pair of eco-friendly retreats have an Asian feel, having been inspired by Chinese lanterns. but overlook a classically European jardin folie based on 17th-18th century landscape design. 

Enjoy your own private outdoor bath

I stayed in Muse this weekend and loved the art-filled studio space with massive windows and a private deck with a large outdoor bath carved from volcanic stone. 

And for those guests looking for complete privacy and discretion you do not have to see another person for the duration of your stay. 

There is a keyless entry system so you are given passcodes for entry to the car park, your pavilion and the code for the free wi-fi (hallelujah!) in advance.

And rather than a communal breakfast, some local breakfast provisions are left in your fridge; hand-made fruit compote, yoghurt, muesli, bread for fruit toast, along with juices, milk, tea and coffee. 

This is a bonus in my view, meaning you can eat as early or as late as you wish.

The pavilions are furnished with sublimely comfortable beds, a library of in-house movies; a nicely provisioned minibar, modern bathrooms with luxury amenities (although I would have liked the bath towels to have been a little bit bigger - something that can be easily addressed).  

Both pavilions have kitchenettes, flat-screen TVs, private outdoor areas, contemporary artworks, hairdryers, free and secure off-street parking and, a nice touch, complimentary port for a pre-sleep treat. Prices are around $340 per night per couple. 

The Pavilions both overlook a delightful garden

There are two other apartments in the main building of Hatherley House, a grand 1830s mansion listed on the National Estate register; The Ballroom spa apartment and La Petite Chambre Matisse - both art influenced and also designed for couples but a little cheaper. 

The Hatherley Birrell collection also comprises another apartment in Tamar Street, close to the downtown core and hosts Rebecca and Jack Birrell, a graphic designer and architect team, have the art of hospitality down pat without having to intrude on guests' privacy.

Hatherley House proper, and its pavilions, are set high on a hill overlooking Launceston and are around a 10-minute downhill walk to the cafe and restaurant precinct. The vineyards of the Tamar Valley are just a short drive away.

The Hatherley Birrell Collection. 0458 947 727. www.hatherley.com.au.  

# I was a guest of Tourism Tasmania and the Hatherley Birrell Collection   
    

Dubrovnik; a delightful Adriatic playground

A palatial motor yacht, complete with two helicopters, belonging to Russian multi-billionaire Roman Abramovich was moored just off shore. Sir Roger Moore was in town for a few days and Austrian violin maestro Julian Rachlin was giving a series of concerts.

It was a couple of years ago now, but my memories are still vivid. Dubrovnik is somewhere I can't wait to return to. 

The streets of the Stari Grad (Old Town) were alive; French, German, Russian and Italian being spoken in the cafes and restaurants that dot the main pedestrian thoroughfare, Stradun, and nearby Prijeko.

Just another summer day in the Croatian resort town that in just a decade transformed itself from a war zone to the new Nice or Monte Carlo – a haven for water babes, pleasure seekers and jet-setters.

Dubrovnik, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage list, is known as the “Pearl of the Adriatic” and dubs itself the “city of style”.

The entire Dalmatian coast, with its dramatic vistas and untouched outposts, is rapidly becoming the new French Riviera – but for now, at least, it is still the preserve of those in the know.

It is hard to believe that 25 years ago this chic place was on the wrong side of the Iron Curtain. That until 1995 it was at the heart of bloody fighting as the former Yugoslavia ripped itself apart.

Today many Croat expats have returned, largely from the US and Australia, as they sense huge economic possibilities. Croatia joined the European Union in 2013.

The Old Town of Dubrovnik looks much as it has looked for centuries with its gracious old buildings and winding, narrow streets that are largely barred to traffic.The climbs can be intimidating for anyone who is not fit – some of the steps are steep and hard work, but the views of the red tile roofs of the old quarter and the Adriatic make a climb well worthwhile.

While you’ll still find old ladies dressed in black dresses and shawls and grizzled old fishermen with three-day growths, young Croatians are very much in tune with their western European counterparts. Internet cafes abound, wine bars are all over the place.

In peak summer season, when the cruise ships disgorge their loads, the Stari Grad throbs with activity. The light is amazing, chamber music can be heard coming from old churches, rock from interlopers; a couple of Irish pubs.

The area within the 800-year-old city walls, which are just 2 kilometres long, is relatively small – and unspoilt. There are two main gates to the centre, Pile and Ploce.

The restoration work after the war has been accomplished effectively – it’s hard to believe there was conflict here so recently.

There’s a distinctly Mediterranean feel and the service is friendly – understandable as Dubrovnik is still a small town with a population of less than 50,000.

Most of the residents do not live within the walls, but rather in the port area of Gruz or the residential sector of Lapad – both of which are easily reached by buses that leave from Pile gate.

If you want to get a feel for Dubrovnik, grab a simple fish meal at Lokanda Peskarija, overlooking the port, or sip a coffee in one of the many pavement cafes on Luza Square.

One of the most chic (and most expensive) places to eat is the Restaurant Club Nautika, on the rocks just outside the Pile gate. The views of the Adriatic, and the Bolkar and Lovrijenac fortresses, are extraordinary, the service superb and multilingual, and the seafood sublime. Reserve a spot on the outdoor terrace.

If you simply want a drink with a view, climb to the top of the southern walls of the Old Town and settle in at the appropriately named Café Buza, which offers dramatic ocean views and the chance to check out all the craft coming in and out of the harbour.

There’s plenty to interest history buffs, too, with the Old Town dotted with Gothic, renaissance and baroque churches, and, tucked away in a quiet corner off Stradun, a 15th-century synagogue.

Even if time is short, it is worth taking a short ferry ride to the fishing village of Cavtat (offered in many excursion packages). So peaceful and charming, it is as if time here has stood still.

The best beach in Dubrovnik is the half pebbles/half sand stretch just outside the Ploce gate.

If you want to pick up a souvenir, Aqua Shop on Stradun sells a wide range of local glassware, or you can pick up some lacework from the local craftswomen sitting on the sea wall overlooking the old harbour.

Dubrovnik is at its busiest in August, during the annual summer festival, but probably at its best in September, when some of the hordes have departed.

How Hunter shiraz lost its way - and then rediscovered its mojo

Hunter Valley shiraz is a unique style of red wine that has long been an Australian benchmark. It is savoury and medium-bodied with sensible alcohol levels.

But is is not so long ago that Hunter shiraz lost its way; many of the wines were overblown and faulty.

Talking to three of the Hunter's style gurus this week; Andrew Thomas, Mike de Iuliis and Gwyn Olsen (who were in Melbourne to show off some of the trophy winners from the 40th Hunter Valley Wine Show),I was surprised at how readily they recognised the errors of the past.

Today's winemakers are not shy about blaming their predecessors and re-iterated what they said to me for a recent print article.

“The Hunter has only itself to blame for our shiraz not enjoying more popularity,” says outspoken Andrew Thomas from Thomas Wines (pictured below).

“This is because the ‘old fashioned’ style of Hunter shiraz (sweaty saddle/barnyard characters etc.) was not actually a regional character, but a result of sloppy wine making in the past (read brettanomyces).

“The good news is that in recent years the Hunter has taken a focused, collaborative regional approach to eliminating this problem in our reds, and today we are producing wines with much more fruit purity and vibrancy, and those ‘faulty’ wines are definitely a thing of the past.

“Unfortunately, those who have not revisited Hunter shiraz in recent years may still have an old-fashioned perception of what our wines are like, but in my experience, the younger ‘new generation’ of wine drinkers (who have probably never been exposed to the older styles) are loving what they are seeing.

“Certainly, the younger generation of buyers in the retail and restaurant trade are lapping it up and it could be argued that new age Hunter shiraz is sexy again.”

De Iuliis (below) agrees, saying: “I think Hunter wineries/winemakers can take a bit of the blame for what happened in the past. I really think we took our eye off the ball here. We probably spent too much time trying to chase what we thought consumers wanted, rather than sticking to our guns and making wines in the true Hunter style. Too much time was spent chasing alcohol, oak and time in wood, producing lacklustre wines that were porty/oxidised and microbial.”

So just how OTT were some of those older Hunter shirazes?

Leading British wine critic Jancis Robinson once wrote: “The wines were so strapping, and often so lacking in focus, that they inspired that memorable tasting term 'sweaty saddle'. But there are still bottles hidden in ancient cellars attesting to the staying power of the wines that were then called Hunter 'Hermitage'.”

De Iuliis believes vintage differences may count against Hunter shiraz in a marketplace where so many wines are made to a formula and do not change from year to year.

“While knowledgeable wine consumers view this is a great strength, to be able to clearly see the effect of vineyard and vintage in a wine, to Joe Punter it can be confusing,” de Iuliis says.

“They want to know exactly what they are going to get every time they pick up a bottle off the shelf – what vintage it’s from or which vineyard is the least of their concerns. I think that there is still a sense of 'bigger is better' in the consumers' eyes, but this is slowly changing.”

So if Hunter shiraz is a thinking man's tipple, how to get that message across?

“The great opportunity for Hunter shiraz is that the consumer market is moving away from the big blockbuster reds and looking for wines with more finesse,” says Andrew Margan from Margan Wines (below).

“To drink wines with less tannins and more acidity, like in pinot noir, is a market trend and the Hunter Valley personifies this style of wine.

“We need to get Hunter wine back into people’s minds, and mouths, and make them realise medium-bodied wine is not a bad thing.”

Thomas believes that a move away from big, alcoholic wines – as promoted by influential American wine critic Robert Parker – gives Hunter producers a chance to once again stake their claim as trend setters.

“Fortunately most consumers have now realised that those Aussie fruit bomb wines are not all they’re cracked up to be, are now looking for wines with more style and structure, and actively seeking out more medium-bodied wines,” Thomas says.

“The Hunter Valley has certainly been a beneficiary of this change in consumer preference.

Personally, I feel it’s a very exciting period to be a Hunter shiraz producer, and the wines we are producing (as a region) have never been better.

"There is a renewed focus within the region to bottle wines from distinguished individual vineyard sites using an attention to detail, yet minimum interventionist approach. Our wines still display that uniquely regional medium-bodied, savoury structure, but with an amazing fruit-driven vibrancy and varietal purity.

“It’s true we do occasionally experience some challenging seasons with our weather, but when we get it right (which is certainly more often than not) our shiraz is absolutely world class.”

“The uniqueness of Hunter shiraz is its, savoury, subtle and textural qualities," says de Iuliis, who has just released a spectacular 2013 Shiraz Touriga blend that may also signal a future diversion for this long-established style.

Country comforts in Warrnambool; an ideal base for Great Ocean Road exploration

Staying in country towns in Australia can be fraught with danger if you have not done your research. You can find yourself in bed and breakfasts with eccentric hosts who insist you eat breakfast between 8.30 and 8.45; rustic cabins with nowhere nearby to eat and heating that doesn't work; or hotels where rowdy pub patrons keep you awake half the night. 

There are no such problems, thankfully, at the Quest Apartments in Warrnambool, a medium-sized town that is often used as a base by tourists exploring Victoria's popular and spectacular Great Ocean Road. 

The apartments are situated on the main street of town, a block away from the major hustle and bustle. You can easily walk to pubs including The Whaler and Seanchai (The Storyteller), and popular eateries like Piccolo and Nonna Casalinga, as well as to the railway station, should you be arriving by train. 

A slightly longer walk away are Lake Pertobe and Lady Bay, with a fine swimming beach. 

Apartment accommodation can frequently be soulless, but again, Quest Warrnambool steps up to the mark with friendly reception staff and rooms that ticked all my key boxes: comfortable beds, windows that open to let in fresh air; cooking facilities and a fridge, TVs with Foxtel channels and free wi-fi.

Other facilities include free car parking, a solar heated swimming pool and a barbecue area. 

My one-bedroom apartment was up a level of stairs, which meant dragging a suitcase uphill; otherwise I could find nothing to complain about. And for those staying more than a day or two there are washing machines in the modern and well-equipped bathrooms (nice big towels, too).   

Because I was staying early in the week, and many of the restaurants were closed, the team at Piccolo (pictured below) delivered a meal to my room; six delicious (and giant) scallops on the half shell with a lemon and tarragon crust, a mammoth chicken schnitzel with prosciutto and Jarlsberg cheese, and a decadent chocolate brownie & honeycomb ice cream sandwich with salted caramel sauce (not for those on a diet). 

Throw in a bottle of local Newton's Ridge 2012 Pinot Noir and it was an outstanding meal for a weary traveller. 

Breakfast packs can be provided by Quest but with several cafes within strolling distance there are many options for those who do not wish to self cater. The locals also assured me that for lunch you can't go past a hamburger at local icon Kermonds. 

There are 42 apartments here overall, ranging from studios to three-bedroom family facilities - and I can warmly recommend them. The in-house magazine is also pretty good. I am a regular contributor!

Quest Warrnambool Apartments, 15 Liebig Street, Warrnambool. (03) 5564 1200. www.questwarrnambool.com.au. Studio apartments start from $129 with one-bedroom apartments from $169. 

Piccolo Restaurant, 73a Liebig Street, Warrnambool. (03) 5562 2888. www.piccolowarrnambool.com.au. 

# The writer was a guest of Great Ocean Road Tourism and Quest Warrnambool.  

Has Australia forgotten how to do hospitality?

Australia has been an international "flavour of the month" destination for some time now but several recent experiences make me wonder whether we've lost our way.

In comparison to many other enviable gourmet destinations, Australia is expensive - and the quality of service leaves a lot to be desired. 

Until now Australia has got by on its brilliant natural resources, cheeky charm and rising food and wine culture.

Is it now resting on its laurels? 

Example 1: 

Checking-in to the InterContinental Hotel in Sydney - one of the city's premier five-star addresses. Several of us arrived around 1pm (as the hotel had been advised) to be told that we would not be allowed access to our rooms until 3pm. As a member of the hotel group's regular guest scheme, I was miffed. I know the hotel might have been busy (so busy that one of the first questions I was asked was what time I would be checking out) but when a couple of us complained long and loud "hey presto", some rooms were suddenly found. There was a total lack of grace about the whole process, however, and a complete lack of interest that we might want to wash and brush our teeth prior to a corporate meeting the hotel knew ran from 3-5pm (and from which it was making thousands of dollars). 

The room, too, was hardly five-star with a note saying you needed to ring down if you were so demanding as to want a turn-down service, and an old-fashioned bathroom with one of those supremely nasty shower curtains that flop around. 

And that wasn't all. When a group of us returned to the hotel bar at 11pm after a function we were brusquely told that we could only order one round as the bar was about to close. Yes, here was a five-star hotel in a major international city declining to serve around 20 in-house guests.

Fortunately a couple of our later arrivals were well-known faces and the staff agreed to keep serving for another hour. But it was ungracious, cheap and the sort of attitude that would stagger guests used to luxury hotels in Barcelona or Bangkok. 

This is a hotel with more "couldn't give a Continental" attitude than InterContinental. 

Example 2: 

This "we'll do what we want and don't really care about our customers" attitude extends right down to small country stores. 

I recently needed to fill my car at Lavers Hill on the Great Ocean Road, so pulled in to Yatzies, a cafe/service station outside Apollo Bay. 

Now Yatzies is extremely popular with buses carrying foreign tourists but had apparently decided that having only one person serving behind the counter was plenty. That person was taking food orders from an entire bus load of Indian tourists so I waited patiently to pay my $40. After standing for 10 minutes, and with a plane to catch, I was less patient. 

I asked if there was someone I could pay when another fellow came out from the kitchen area. When I told him the service was pathetic, he told me I could leave because I was being rude.

I'd been trying to leave for 15 minutes and two other apparent staff members had entered the building during that time, ignored people trying to pay and gone about their business. And this is in a region that is Australia's No.2 tourist attraction. 

Imagine what tourists used to the smart, quick service at German or Italian service stations would have thought? 

Example 3: 

I picked up an Avis hire car at the shambles that is known as Melbourne Airport. After walking over a kilometre to the "mezzanine" level to get to it I noticed the paperwork said there was "no damage other than regular wear and tear". 

That was a surprise because there was a definite gouge down one side panel and two other dents and scratches. For which I would no doubt have been held responsible had I not noticed these blemishes. 

I dutifully filled in the damage on the form provided - only to be chastised on exiting the car park by a jobsworth who said I had filled the form in incorrectly. 

When I pointed out I would not have needed to fill in the form had Avis been efficient and honest, he became incandescent with rage. 

Returning the car was equally shambolic. Because I was so demanding that I needed a receipt, I had to wait 15 minutes for someone able to perform the task of checking the car, and then to go the office for a piece of paper to be issued. 

Now I know a lot of you reading this will say these are "first world problems" and that I am a "difficult-to-please whinger". And you may be right. 

But one of the few industries in Australia that is not shedding jobs right now is tourism. And if Australia continues to dispense with being hospitable then we will eventually be seeing a lot less tourists. And given our current economy that will be of concern to all of us.