Tripette to Tasmania Part II - The Hotel. Shops and purchases!

So, better late than never. Sorry I have procrastinated about getting this post out; so many photographs to sort out!! Here is a little more about our stay in Hobart, Tasmania. As I mentioned before, the hotel we stayed in was The Henry Jones Art Hotel. It is Australia's first dedicated Art Hotel and the site on which it is located dates back to 1804. A former jam factory has been transformed into this hotel but it has been converted in such a way as to keep the original features of the building.

Henry Jones logo.

Reception above and below.

The hotel houses over 300 pieces of art work from Tasmanian artists - all presented like a gallery and all for sale. It means you can experience the art in a completely new and unique way. Obviously it also means that the 'exhibitions' are continually changing as pieces are sold.

These two above are going to a house in Surry Hills, Sydney we were told. They were sold a month or so back.

In contrast to all the modern art the actual building has been preserved as much as possible within the conversion. I loved seeing the original beams etc. Right up my street. as they say.

These two machines I think were the actual 'clocking on' machines from the factory floor.

Exposed brickwork and very Australian, - the good old tin roof!

The whole hotel is so different - it's an unexpected combination of the antique and the ultra modern in every room.

Our bedroom.

And the lovely bathroom.

One of the original stones of the building. These stones have a dark past - see the little marks on them? The buildings were in part constructed by convicts and each convict had their own pattern on 'their' stones so at the end of the day the foreman could see how many had been laid by each convict.

I have to say I have never enjoyed a hotel so much. Each Friday evening there is a completely free tour of the hotel which gives an insight as to how it was converted as well as about the art in the hotel and a little about Tasmania too. And you don't have to be staying at the hotel to go on the tours. Highly recommended.

Go to
http://www.thehenryjones.com/ for more information about the hotel if you'd like. It's fascinating.

Now for the shops.

Tasmania is full of craft and artists. This shop above caught my eye.

I bought these silver earrings above. A bit unique and they appealed greatly.


The next two shops we went to were recommended by Janelle McCulloch who has a wonderful blog Library of Design. If you have not yet visited the library I highly recommend it... Click HERE.

A fabulous garden shop in Hobart called Karen Wagner Garden and Design.

And then joy of joys we drove about 25 minutes from Hobart to this GORGEOUS place... Again recommended by Janelle.

The Drill Hall Emporium in New Norfolk, Tasmania.

Just feast your eyes on the next few photographs.

I was excited just to see the outside of the shop!

And when I got inside I didn't know where to look first - it was filled with gorgeousness of the kind I LOVE.

I was fairly controlled (!) and managed to constrain myself coming away with 3 purchases only....

A gorgeous thick linen French red and white table cloth, a French white china heart shaped cheese mould and 3 old terracotta flowerpots. Am going to plant these 3 up with little rosemary plants.

And I leave you with another look at the goodies.

For more information about this wonderful antique store (and they have a blog) the link is :

http://www.thedrillhall.com.au/

It was such a fabulous tripette to Tasmania... I want to return again, and soon!

Tasmanian weekend (Part I) and Happy Australia Day!

Today in beautiful Australia it's a national holiday to celebrate all that is good about this fair land. And there is much to celebrate - the only negative thing I can think of about living here is that it's such a long way from anywhere - certainly from family and friends in UK . Anyway, I thought it fitting to post about Tasmania today - there's quite a bit to tell about our weekend away - so this is the first post.


The map above shows where Tasmania is exactly. I have to admit that before I came to live in Melbourne (Victoria) I didn't really know where Tasmania fitted in. As you can see it's an island to the south of Victoria.

Very beautiful countryside - this was about half an hour out of Hobart and Hobart is situated on the southern tip of Tasmania.

Photographs above and below show the top of Mount Wellington.

If the day had been clearer (we were above cloud level here) we could have looked down onto the city of Hobart from here.


And what a beautiful city it is....

There's a market held every Saturday with much local produce..... Just look at those beautiful Georgian buildings behind - my most favourite style of building ever...

Lots of lovely garden plant stalls.

Fresh vegetables artfully and neatly arranged.

Next few photographs show the beautiful houses I came across whilst wandering round Hobart.

Pretty as a picture. Sweet fence and cascading roses.

Black and white Georgian number for all the lovers of this colour combination and there are a few of you out there in blogland, I know - me included.

Smart grey front door and again, lots of white roses. A winning combination.

And lastly part of the building that our hotel was in. Our room was beneath the "'S" in the word Jams. I'll begin the next post starting with the hotel because it was quite probably one of the most interesting and intriguing places I have ever stayed in. Think I told you before that it was a converted jam factory it really was amazing and quite unique.

"Happy 'Straya day" to all my fellow countrymen (and women, of course!)
Enjoy....

Margaret River Region, Western Australia

Mr SE and I had a wonderful time last weekend in the beautiful Margaret River region of Western Australia. I flew to Perth (Mr SE was already in Perth on business) and then we hot footed it in the car 2.5 hours south....



This is where we stayed - Empire Spa and retreat. Very relaxing with an Eastern influence.

Photos above and below taken in the hotel grounds.

Loved the cascading water fountain below ....

We walked the 2kms out (and back !) along Busselton Jetty - the longest pier in the Southern hemisphere.

Although it was sunny the wind was pretty fierce... these seagulls were trying to keep their heads down out of the gale!

Beautiful sunrise.

Mr SE was interested in exploring the Ngligi Caves - where there were plenty of stalactites and stalagmites to spy!

All quite eerie and interesting if not a tad geographical for my tastes!

Mr SE loved it though...

I rather liked these sheep with their black faces which we passed on the way to one of the region's many wineries. The Margaret River region is one of Australia's most prolific wine producing areas.

The vines above looking very Autumnal. And below the Howard Park Estate where they produce the range of wines that are one of our favourites....
We ordered a case to be shipped back to Melbourne! Free postage too - great value.

Last pic for the post today - Mr SE....

We had a wonderful weekend. And hope you are enjoying yours wherever you are and whatever you may be doing.