January 20, 2018, Burnie, Tasmania

 January 20, 2018, Burnie, Tasmania

We loved Tasmania. Agricultural, clean, friendly, foodie, and beautiful countryside. We docked in the little town of Burnie, and headed out into the country to visit a cheese maker, a chocolate maker, and, of course, a winery. One unfortunate fact in our wine ventures throughout Australia is that all we visited were wineries that do not export to the U.S., even if they are sizable operations.

 Ashford Farms makes many varieties of cheese, all reportedly from happy cows--like the one at right.

We and our friends Fen and Bunny indulged in beautiful chocolate creations at the House of Anvers chocolate factory and tea house. Not only was there dessert, but also hot chocolate and a small bag of chocolate treats we took home to our stateroom attendants, Set in a charming old home, the main chocolate 'kichen' was closed on this Saturday (seen behind the gorgeous eggs), but one woman did demonstrate how hollow eggs are made through a window.

In true Aussie form, the plant stand in the garden was on the honor system.

We explored much of northeast Tasmania, and were impressed by the crops—lots of vegetables, fruits, grains, grapes--and opium poppies for the pharmaceutical industry. It’s an interesting story how they manage the opium poppy production: each farmer is given seeds by the grower, but he doesn’t know if they are simply flower poppies or opium-producing ones. Then all the crops are protected, tracked by computer and satellite, and strictly controlled. One of the main crops is grapes, of course, and we enjoyed a pleasant tasting at Ghost Rock Winery.

 Burnie used to have a big paper mill right in town, and the wood chip industry (from farmed trees, not old growth) is still very important. There’s a custom papermaking workshop in town, with interesting paper sculptures, although we didn’t get to participate. The port had giant piles of wood chips headed to Asia, added to frequently by a steady stream of trucks that backed up a steep ramp to unload.