Izzy the Bus is wounded

Izzythe Bus at home

Izzy the Bus is wounded!  As we were about to pay the bill for her regular service at a new place that we hadn't used before, the person who brought her around to the front of the station managed to side swipe a metal pole.  When he said he'd scraped the paint off I wasn't too worried, but when I saw what the poor guy had hoped was just a scrape I knew it wasn't going to be that simple.  

And of course it hasn't been.  Over $7000 worth of damage and at least 3 weeks out of commission.  Just 10 minutes before, I had finalised a charter to the Coal River Valley wine country in two days and the only bus I could find to replace her for that trip was a slightly shabby 25-seater beast with no air conditioning and a gear box that took me the first half of the trip to figure out, much to the amusement (and understanding) of the 20 kids on board who were heading out for a friend's birthday picnic at a small local winery.

Izzy the Pig

The upside is that has given me a whole new appreciation for the special beauty and personality of my own bus.  She's the only one I want to drive; the only one that can do a U-turn in normal street (if necessary) and happily chug down tiny one-way streets in small villages.

Izzy's wound - much worse than it looks!

I have never been one to be attached to my cars or give them names, but there has always been something about Izzy right from the beginning that has reminded me of my beloved pig Isabel, and my feelings and affection for Izzy the Pig have somehow been transferred to my bus.  

And it's not just me.  When I checked in with one of my "Hobart Jaunt" regulars, our phone conversation ended with a heartfelt "give our best to Izzy".  But the most telling reaction was from an old family friend who was visiting my Mum (and has become a regular Jaunt passenger).  When I told her what had happened she groaned with sympathy and said "Oooh.....poor Izzy"  That's when I knew I wasn't just imagining it - she really does have a personality and I will be so glad to see her back on the road.

A Jaunt to Bothwell

Downtown Bothwell

A few days ago Izzy the Bus and Island Time Tours headed out for our first Hobart Jaunt of the season.  These “short trips for pleasure” are geared to local seniors wanting to get out and enjoy some of the small towns, events and other Tasmanian treasures around Hobart.

Izzy the Bus at the pub in Bothwell

The oh-so- unpredictable Tasmanian weather looked pretty grim around sunrise but turned on a perfect sunny day for our trip to the historic town of Bothwell, via the Midlands Highway.  The midlands is the grazing district of Tasmania and often looks brown and dry, but thanks to some torrential rain this spring, the landscape was lush and green, with rolling hills dotted with little white lambs and their not-so-white mothers.  

Whisky tasting with the lovely Courtney at Nant Distillery

Bothwell is home to the oldest golf course in Australia which is on a 3500 acre sheep farm.  Golfers have to avoid the sheep while playing and also climb over the fences that are used to protect the greens (which are square) from all the sheep. The town was settled by Scotsman and has a strong Scottish influence besides the golf course, the most significant one being the delightful Nant Whisky Distillery. Set in a beautiful historic property, with an old working watermill and a beautifully designed modern restaurant and tasting room, this is one of several award-winning Tasmanian whiskies of which people all over the world (specially the Scots!) are really taking notice.

Relaxing in the sun at the Nant Distillery

We ate a lovely lunch at the local pub, The Castle Hotel which has that wondrous feature of a sandstone doorway that is actually worn away from all the boots that have passed through over the past 200 years.  It also had a welcoming fire on a mild day that had started out with a heavy frost in the valley where Bothwell is situated, right at the edge of the Central Highlands.

Vase of native blossoms at the Castle Hotel, Bothwell

As is our goal with our Jaunts, there were lots of laughs and connections between old friends and new.  We (not the driver of course!) had some wine with lunch and even a taste of premium whisky afterwards in a perfect setting, before Izzy the Bus carried us all home. 

And just as we pulled into our last stop (as much as possible we offer home drop off on our return to Hobart) the rain started and the change in the weather that had held off all day arrived with a vengeance.  

Thanks for listening…

Rosie

Izzy the Bus - Back on the Road

The view from Mt. Wellington on a clear day.

Izzy the bus is back on the road - she has passed her safety inspection, had her batteries revived by the trusty RACT (Royal Automobile Club of Tasmania) and done her first two day tours of the season - a Hobart City Sights that included a trip to the top of Mt. Wellington and a 5 hour meander through the lush, beautiful Huon Valley for a lunch and wine tasting. 

Mt Wellington towers 4,000 feet over Hobart right behind our house, and it's like having a living, breathing presence in your back yard, with its own personal climate.  If there's a cloud on top, you simply won't see anything of the breathtaking views and Mt. Wellington is all about the views, or so I'd thought.

"The mountain" from the Hobart waterfront.

Even though we could see some cloud movement from town, our guests from Scenic Tours, who were using their "free choice" tour to explore Hobart with Island Time Tours, wanted to head for the mountain anyway.  In spite of an almighty gale blowing, as always, when we arrived at the summit, and the view being completely obscured by clouds and guests were thrilled because it was snowing - hard - and that just seemed to make their day!

Our group of 14 passengers in the afternoon, headed for the Huon Valley with its verdant, rolling hills, spectacular spring blossoms and little lambs frolicking, like a scene from a children's book.  We sampled to-die-for chocolate at the Nutpatch, a world class chocolate and nougat shop in the most unlikely location at the edge of an old gas station in Kettering - I love those out of the way Tasmanian gems.  They have nougat made from hazelnuts that grow right there at their nearby property, and the miracle of it is that it doesn't stick to your teeth!

Hartzview Liqueurs

Next we headed to Hartzview Vineyard for a wine tasting and delicious gourmet lunch platter.  In typical Tasmanian fashion, the day before there had barely been a view of the field right in front of the cellar door, but this day there was a panorama over the vineyards and a glimpse of the Hartz mountains toward the Southwest wilderness. 

Panorama Vineyard

Next stop was Panorama Vineyard, on the banks of the Huon River, with their friendly welcome and warming fireplace.  Guest tasted delicious Pinots and cool climate Reislings as well as their popular pear liqueur.  

Home Hill

We finished our tour at Home Hill near Huonville, another award-winning winery that is popular for weddings and other events.  Their alpacas add to the image of rural bliss as you drive up to the impressive rammed earth building.   

As we headed back to Hobart our passengers each enjoyed a famous Huon Valley apple that I had picked up at a roadside stand the day before, and we pulled up to the Hotel Grand Chancellor only about a half hour late.  Passengers had been forewarned about our philosophy of "authentic, unhurried Tasmania" specially when it comes to food and wine-tasting!