Coffee shopping around Tasmania

Four weeks in Tasmania. Four weeks away from my coffee machine. Breathe. It's ok. 

Here's my roundup of coffee experiences. Nearly every day I went out for coffee. I looked for interesting and funky places, or busy places full of under 40's. Just my unconscious liking. 

Devonport:
I'm sure it wasn't the 'happy to be travelling' buzz you get when you first go on holidays. I'm pretty damn sure the coffee was great. And I loved the little laneway digs at Laneway. 

Boat Harbour Beach:
The location couldn't get any better. Right on the beach at Boat Harbour. It wouldn't matter how bad the coffee is; I'd enjoy it. The stickiest bliss balls I've ever had.

Burnie: 
A great location overlooking the town and the coast at the Visitor Centre. Prepare to spend money. We went in for coffee and ended up with coffee, bliss balls, cake and cheese. Oops. At least we enjoyed it. 

Strahan:
Coffee Shack is a retro little shed opposite the cruise and travel centres at the harbour. Unfortunately, we lucked out (according to a local) and went on a day when the owner wasn't working. She makes awesome coffee. 

Cradle Mountain:
Last coffee for five or more days for some. Not for me, thank goodness. Great to chat with my dad before he set off on the Overland Track.

Sheffield: This shop rocks. Scary taking the kids in - 'look with your eyes, not your fingers' kind of place. And you can write on the toilet wall - so I did. Check out Blacksmith Gallery Cafe.

Deloraine:
They have a bike stuck to the wall outside The Empire Hotel. I think the cyclists like it. I know the owner loves cycling. Good coffee, even in takeaways. 

Lake St Clair:
Sitting around people that have been hiking for five plus days with no shower may not be fun for the nose. Dad thinks the hot chocolates are the best he has ever drunk. 

Cygnet:
Sitting in the sun with hippy locals at The Lotus Eaters Cafe. Trampoline for kids to jump on. Chocolate shards and little choco beans for the hot chocolates. Shame some of the staff couldn't be happier. 

Kettering:
Steamhouse. One of the only places in Tasmania to offer coconut milk - and they had run out! Great coffee, friendly staff, and quirky. It's an ex-petrol station. Love it.

Bruny Island:
Tourist central at Bruny Island Cheese and Beer Co. But great to sit and have coffee with a cheese board. Wooden outdoor seating amongst the trees.

Hobart:
Coffee as it should be. Villino - yes. Island Coffee - yes. Cute little attic to lounge around in while the kids pretend to make coffee with the toy coffee machine. 

Richmond:
Czegs. I think it's the place to be in Richmond. So busy. The breakfast looks SO yummy. Loads of teapots covering the walls. Squeaky wooden floorboards and different rooms to relax in. 

Bicheno:
Pasinis was recommended, but our experience was a one in a million. Felt like I got growled at when at the counter trying to order, our order got lost, and then they couldn't complete it because they had run out of almond milk... and didn't tell us til later. Fixed it with a macchiato and a couple of pieces of honeycomb. 

Coles Bay:
Tombolo Freycinet - heard it was great. Unfortunately not for me. The first day the coffee was so weak I had three shots! The second day it was strong but burnt almond milk. 

Evandale:
This building and town overall is so very... yesteryear. The sign read 'best-preserved town in Tasmania' - or something like that. Grand two-story mansions and cosy stone cottages. Coffee and gluten free cheesecake by the fire at Ingleside is something I don't regret. 

Launceston:
In the mall. So many choices! Spent the time waiting for my coffee looking around the tight hole in the wall. Trinkets everywhere - very interesting.

Coconut milk has not hit Tasmania as of April 2017. It's a rarity. 
I order my coffees (mostly) as double shot lattes with coconut milk or macchiatos. Your 'average' latte or cappuccino may well be awesome at the places that failed my test. Or, as it happens sometimes, I could have just lucked out with the day of the week and barista.

DISCLOSURE: I'm no coffee snob - I just write on what I like. 

Slow shutter

Using a slow shutter for effect can dramatically change your photo.
A moving car with blurred wheels gives the feeling of movement.
A person moving through a room shows life and feeling. Coffee beans roasting, showing them turning - I can nearly smell the beans by just looking at the image. 

With the coffee bean image above I used a slow shutter, probably something like 1/30 or 1/15. How slow you go depends on the subject you are photographing. Playing around is the best way of learning. Experiment with the effects. 

1/125 = one twenty-fifth of a second
1/30 = one thirtieth of a second
1/5 = one fifth of a second
you get the idea...

If you are shooting with an iPhone, there is an App called Slow Shutter (and various others) or Manual which allows you complete freedom and control over settings when taking a pic. 

The faster the object you are photographing, the faster the shutter speed you can have. All depending on the effect you want. 
I have done photos in the studio with the shutter open for seconds and moved people around. 
I have photographed cars and movement on the street at 1/60. 
I have photographed details of dancers on stage at 1/30. 

There is no right or wrong shutter speed - it all depends on what you want. Experiment!

Way out west. A slice of WA.

Perth has been on my travel radar for a while now. Lots of people have come back raving how great it is. But to get there - it's an effort. The cost of flights, the travel time, and then, hate to admit it, the unknown of whether I would like it. After all, it is a city. And cities don't normally leave me 'wow, I love this city'. 

Ok, so I admit. I still don't know what Perth is like as a destination - unless you consider going to a Convention at the Crown complex with an outing to a bar one night, an experience. But I did stay in Fremantle. And there is so much to do there, that four days just wasn't enough. Talk about the conference revealed Fremantle was on the down slope - shops closing, not much happening, lacking atmosphere. So, driving down the main road on a Wednesday night, cafes buzzing, people wandering - I was lost. Is this the same Fremantle? 

For the following couple of days, I did a cafe tour. Ootong and Lincoln and The Raw Kitchen for healthy yet delicious treats. Little Creatures (downing about a schooner of beer tastings before realising it wouldn't be gluten free) for some culture and Saturday afternoon vibe. Ruocco's Italian for the best calamari I've eaten. Indian and some very yummy Lebanese. And let's not forget Third Wheel at South Beach Cycles in South Freo - a trendy little spot for coffee mid-morning while the pug gets watered after her short stroll. My taste buds are alive.

There are some honest people in Fremantle. On ordering my coconut milk short latte and offering to buy my cousins, I reach for my money in my pocket. No money to be felt. And I did put it in there. Damn. I must have dropped it along the way when I took my phone out. I ran back along the esplanade, not hopeful but having to give it a try, and found the colourful $20 note sitting near the footpath. People must have passed, as there were people everywhere - good karma was with me that day. Thank you, Fremantle peeps.

Freo would be a great place to live - casual vibe, artists, beach (and surf beach nearby), and of course, the choice of eateries. My place. Just need to find that in Adelaide. Hmm.

BSKT cafe yummies, Mermaid Beach QLD

I spot a number of cafes on the way in, and make a mental note that coffee is not far away. Thank goodness. I see a place called BSKT on the corner, two doors down from our apartment. It looks full and bustling with energy. Another mental note, 'I must go there'. A social media comment from a friend in Adelaide cements my thoughts, I need to go there. A coffee buff, he says I need to go there after my run one morning.

So I do. We go for coffee, and sit out the back. To my gleeful surprise, there is a kids play area. Hallelujah. We have been entertaining the kids on holiday with no toys, and finally, they are away from us. Happily. I eye the food coming out, and wish I had not just eaten breakfast at the apartment. The menu has me wanting to eat again, but I resist. Just. I tell Ben we are coming back for food tomorrow.

Pancakes with raw cacao, blueberries and other yummy super-food crunch. Awesome! Sweet potato and quinoa fritters. Yum! This is my kind of food. Delicious AND healthy. The menu is laden with super-foods, coconut and protein, I don't need to feel ultra guilty indulging at this place.

We sip on lattes in peace, looking out to the whitewash of waves (while not salivating over the menu). That rarely happens. Ahh. Double whammy - great coffee and time out from kids.

Coffee Saviour...

Geelong grind. The smoke haze lingers low. It's warm, but looks cold and wintery. Time to re-jig with a coffee. I see a sign leading up an office block staircase. I pitter patter off. And am kicked into place with a caffeine hit that goes down way too quickly.

Flemington hang-out I'm an hour too early for a job. I turn the corner in search of a cafe. The sun peeks through the clouds and shines my attention on Mama Bear. Ah, I love this place; thank you.

I love finding cool places via wandering while on my travels.