Exploring the new digs!

We've been getting around the areas close to our new home on the eastern shore of Hobart. 

The closest beach with surf to us is Clifton beach, about 20 minutes from our house, or 30 from Hobart CBD. There's not much there, a few holiday homes and lots of farms. It's incredibly beautiful, even when it's driving with rain and wind. The water has been pretty damn cold, about 12 degrees celcius, and the air temps the first time I went was only 6. Chilly! Bought the best wetsuit and booties I could afford, and I needed them.

 

We drove down south to a small town named Huonville for the day and got out of the car to check out the locals

The weather has improved over the last few weeks and there's been some sunny days for the beach, which coincided with the Grandparents arriving! Unfortunately Daddy had to work.

Today was a bit drizzly and wet (surprise! it's Hobart) and we had no real plans, so we ended up at a market in the Hobart CBD (http://farmgatemarket.com.au) which only allows stallholders who have grown or produced their own products. It was great! Good coffee, some hot pig in a bun and lots of organic and locally produced products. I bought some pork-cheek bacon from Ross from The Gourmet Farmer (http://www.matthewevans.net.au/what/gourmet-farmer) and chatted about where to do some hunting (more on that in another post). 

Later on after lunch we decided to get out for the afternoon despite the weather which was howling with wind and sudden light rain squalls. Two streets up the hill from our house there's a reserve which becomes bushland for about 20 or 30 acres over the crest of the hill. I bought some new hiking shoes after we left the market this morning so we kitted up and headed our for a couple of hours.

                    

         

All in all we're really enjoying getting to know the local area! 

Moving to Tasmania

Sometimes you're not completely sure why you do something. That doesn't mean it's necessarily a bad idea - just not perfectly explainable. 

We're such creatures of emotion and feeling even when we don't think we are that rational motives are few and far between. 

My wife Anthea and I have been talking about moving somewhere - Italy, Canada, Melbourne, Byron Bay - for more than a while but we'd never seriously considered Tasmania at this stage of our lives. I think the general belief is that "it's cold, wet, and small. Nice place to visit, good cheese. Stay where you can surf in boardshorts". I viewed it as the kind of place we might move to for couple of years when our children move out of home, or a cheap option for a dirty week away. 

Through a case of who you know, not what you know (as occurs so often)  I was offered a very good job in Hobart right at a point that coincided with our lease finishing, along with several other factors that made it a possibility. We were in the moving frame of mind, our daughter was still young enough that it would be simple, and a fair portion of the relocation costs were to be covered by the company. 

I really wanted an adventure! Despite the fact Tasmania was the first European settled region of Australia and has everything and more the mainland of Australia has, in my mind it still feels remote and adventurous. Like some a tiny, wet, harmless version of Heart of Darkness. 

So after much conversation and several large arguments we took the leap and decided to move to Tasmania. We finally had our internet connected yesterday, and this weekend marks six weeks of our big Tasmanian adventure! Things are going well - not perfectly but we have been vindicated in our leap of faith. 

The concept of this blog as Anthea and I see it at this point is multi-fold:

1. Communicate in detail to our friends and family what we're up to down here

2. Explore and experience, and then use the blog to encourage ourselves to keep doing exciting things.

3. Record our adventure for future reference! I have a terrible memory.