Petty Sessions at Franklin. Scallop Pie hunting.

After reading some dismal and disappointing reviews I was hesitant to try the above mentioned cafe, but it was on my list and I would be in the area today.

While looking for coffee to warm our insides on a typically foggy morning in Huonville* we found another cafe that sold scallop pies.  In we went only to find they were sold out,  and we should go to Franklin or maybe their other shop in Geeveston (where the pies are made). Yeah I’m not going that far, so Franklin it is. Being only ten minutes down the road.
We arrive and order my pie and wait. Ten to fifteen minutes, pie arrives and we sit outside in the sun – the fog has cleared and there is a little warmth in the sun.
I’m not sure how they heated the pie, but it was burn-the-mouth hot. I waited til I got nearly home before I stopped to eat it. The cafe was deserted, and while it wasn’t toasty it was certainly warmer than outside. The two servers were young but friendly enough.

Their sign out the front makes the huge declaration of “the best scallop pies in Tas” which is a pretty big claim. Did it live up to it? I don’t think so. After only 3 pies there is not much separating them, but I still have (at least) 3 more to go. Check out the review page for my verdict.
As of re-editing this post I heard about one more in my area to try, and another should I decide to take a long drive/ride to get there.
Today’s pie.

Given the perfect weather but lack of time I didn’t get any pictures of the river and boats, despite taking my camera. I would still be there if given the choice. Maybe another day.

* a friend and I went to Huonville to check out a market we would be attending next month. Always good to do a little recon beforehand.
See my thoughts about it on the Marcato blog here and the pie review on my Food Adventures page.

Happy weekend 🙂
Jennifer

swinging bridges + my boys = me + eek!!

I wont say I have conquered a fear, but I have faced it and told it off, and still no more the boss than I was a week ago.

(Lots of pics, about 15 in all, so there is a slide show near the end to have a look at. The boys thought the crows were pretty cool, and my eldest is pretty close to being taller than hubby (that 4 boys line-up will have to change order soon), there’s some funky mushrooms and a cool hole in a tree…)

We took a family day out and went to the Airwalk, (more info here).  It was a bleak looking day, but we rugged up and set off regardless.  Leaving probably later than expected and arrived right on lunch – we managed to score an undercover table for our picnic.  Not just undercover, but in the building they have reserved for large pre-booked-fully catered-with fireplaces parties.  Dry, and kind of warm.

It was a foggy day and I was hoping to get some nice pictures of fog over the water – I succeeded, mostly.  I’m sure those who know how to use their cameras would have done a brilliant job. I, am happy with my results.

We walked up the track to the start of the Airwalk, through the rainforest, checking out the beautuful trees, well hubby & I did, boys went off ahead.
Once on the actual Airwalk, I wasn’t nervous at all.  Probably because I had been here only a few months before and it was still fresh in my mind.  I have conquered the Airwalk!  kind of.  Although, I am slightly amused by hubby who is now suffering a little vertigo in his old and didn’t want to look down too much, even right at the end.

Arriving at the last ‘solid’ part, we had to wait for another group and then we ventured onto the cantilevered ‘bridge’.  Yes, surprise surpise, I was confortable with it. Of course if they had started to jump and wobble it, that would have been the end of me.  But just walking to the end, there was none of that conrete legs, or weird dizzy feeling…. (as hubby said to me, “you get dizzy over dizziness” – gotta laugh at that one).

Photos were taken, and we headed back down to start the next leg of our journey.
The 3km walk upriver, crossing 2 swinging bridges and back to the car park.  An easy walk through the forest across the river.
Did you sya swinging bridges… Yeah, that’s where I got unstuck.  I don’t know what it is about swinging bridges, well maybe it’s the swinging part, that gets me freaked, but I just don’t like them.
My boys on the other hand LOVE them.
The youngest ran along it, several times, calling me a chicken, while the older two (+ hubby) swung it til it twisted. I just stood at the end, frozen, waiting for them to get off the other end.

There was no going back, I had to cross the rivers.  I walked to the middle of the bridge, slowly, holding the rail, and took a few pictures then we contiued to the end.

Second bridge was the same, although my biggest fear there, was that someone would come along and start it swinging like crazy, I swear I would have had a meltdown if that had happend.
Ok, so I conquered it for now, and could probably do it again, slightly easier, but I still don’t like the motion of it and I would still have to go over on my own.

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Yes, I did stand in the middle of the bridge and take a picture – there was no swinging to scare me.  In the picture where you can see the fork in the river – the bridges cross each of these,  just out of sight . The right one is longer, but the other one is higher.  And if you look really closely, you can see a viewing platform on the point between the rivers – and from there it is an awful long way to look back at the air walk.  My picture, even zoomed all the way out, was way too foggy to see much.
The picture with the two tree ‘stumps’ on the main road is the entrance to Geeveston, the historical loggin township from where all sorts of South West adventures start.
The link, I hate to say it, is not very good. I was trying to find a really cool site that shows the beauty and desolation but that one will have to.

This is definitely a place well worth the visit, even if you are not a tree-freak (haha Chris), the scenery is just beautiful!

Grin and bear it, if you can 🙂
Jennifer

A walk amongst the tree tops.

My fear of heights was tested again today. We took a trip to the Tahune Airwalk, Geeveston.  A 90 min drive west from home.  We left home early to make sure we had enough time – we were on a time frame today, an airport trip and Air League meeting took preference over a full day girls trip out.

Did I make it to the end...?

I know the supports are well made. I know they are doing their job.  I am not afraid of it falling down. Even when it creaks and groans. I just don’t like the space between me and the ground – without the support poles.

Getting there right on opening was the best part.  We had the whole track to ourselves! It was peaceful but for the birds and the weather was perfect, even with a small shower.
Walking onto the track I got the first wave of nerves.   Don’t get me wrong, the place is beautiful and being the same height as the trees is pretty awesome.  It’s not often you get to look the tree right in the eye (so to speak).

the start of the track

lookin' down...

By the time we got halfway along I was feeling a bit jittery.  Being brave and walking a lot slower than I would have probably added to it.  I’m not complaining, taking my time was lovely, and I paid more attention to the scenery. Just.

looking towards the river with a light rain

Just before the end of the walk you get to a T-junction – turn right and you head to solid ground. Turn left and there is one last support and then the cantilever… dangerous ground, or non ground.  We turned left and wandered towards the end.  I had to do it.  Bite the bullet.  If my kids were there I can guarantee I would not have stepped foot on it. But with no one to bounce it or make fun I said “…I’m off…” and went for it.  It is only about 10m (30ft) to the end but when there is no support I feel the height more than ever.   I did stop twice before I actually got to the end, and there is evidence that I did it!  I haven’t seen it but am told it was there to show hubby the proof, lol.

looking through the glass wall at the very end.... beautiful! (even with the reflections)

The view is fantastic from that vantage point, two of our best known wild rivers converging and a continuous view of World Heritage forests.

looking upriver to the junction of the Picton (left) and the Huon (right) rivers

I have to admit, I don’t really know how I feel about what I did today.  I am proud of myself to a certain degree, I conquered a part of my fear after all.  But I wasn’t totally comfortable with it.  I was at the end taking pictures and part of me felt silly for being scared about something like while the rest of me wanted to cry out and leave as fast as I could.

On the way out we went to see The Big Tree. The ‘biggest’ (read heaviest) tree in at least the southern hemisphere…

looking up at the big tree... a 6m/18ft girth and 87m (260ft) height

This is a definite ‘have to return’ place as there are three other walks we would love to do with two rivers crossings (swinging bridges no less) so after the cantilever we headed back home.

bridge crossing the Huon

logs stuck under the bridge - 4m up. Those waters get pretty high.

we were here

Keep smiling 🙂
Jennifer