Huon Valley Escapes is presenting at EcoXpo in Sydney 20 - 22 Sept. Buy your EcoXpo tickets online by clicking here and we get a small commission that will contribute to our costs of attending the expo.

Join me for one of two stage presentations about ecotourism in southern Tasmania, then visit our stall to enter the free draw to win a one week  Huon Valley Escape including car hire.

Kunanyi (Mount Wellington) is an easy detour on your way from Hobart to the Huon Valley. Instead of rushing down the A6 highway, take Davey Street to Ferntree, then to the spectacular views from the summit. Return to Ferntree, then continue with your Huon Valley Escape.
Get the driving directions here http://goo.gl/maps/zghX7

It’s one month until Hobart’s magnificent harbour will again fill with the sights and sounds of yesteryear as we celebrate Tall Ships Hobart 2013. This is the first time in over 15 years that Sullivans Cove will again resemble how the port looked in the days when sailing ships provided Tasmania’s only connection with the wider world.

Tall Ships Hobart 2013 will see Tasmania play host to tall ships from around the world in September this year.  Tasmania has hosted similar tall-ship events in 1988 and 1998, both of which were well-attended and most memorable.

This year, an impressive fleet of international ships are heading ‘down under’ to join Australian tall ships, primarily to help celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Royal Australian Navy’s first fleet entrance into Sydney Harbour.

A flotilla of these tall ships will gather in Hobart for five days, transforming Hobart’s beautiful harbour into a spectacle reminiscent of yesteryear.  Then they will sail in convoy to Sydney to participate in an International Fleet Review as part of the RAN’s celebrations.

Shore-based activities including displays and food in Princes Wharf No 1, fireworks, a parade and nautically themed entertainment on Parliament House Lawns are being organised to complement the presence of these magnificent ships during their visit to Hobart.

The Australian Wooden Boat Festival Inc., the organisation responsible for the renowned bi-annual Australian Wooden Boat Festival, is coordinating these complementary activities.

For visitors and locals alike, Tall Ships Hobart 2013 presents possibly the best opportunity anywhere in the world to see these magnificent ships ‘up close’. 

Hobart’s beautiful harbour, set in the heart of the city, allows all of these great ships to be moored ‘alongside’ where they are easily accessible by taking a gentle stroll along a kilometre of picturesque and historical wharves. 
This is a pleasant walk at anytime, but when surrounded by a forest of tall-ship masts, it will be breath-takingly spectacular.

The visiting ships arrive on Friday 20 September and will be open to the public from Saturday 21 to Tuesday 24 September. An educational program is being developed to make this a hands-on learning experience for parties of school children who will have scheduled visits on Monday 23 and Tuesday 24 September 2013.

Photos from Australian Wooden Boat Festival

Pay full rate at Home Hill Beach House for the first night and get the second night for just $10 per person.
15 minutes drive to Hobart Docks.

Overlooking Hobart City and Port, this colonial accommodation is beautifully and faithfully restored.
15 minutes walk to the docks.

No fuss comfort in a modern hotel within an historic precinct in central Hobart.
Just 2 minutes walk to the docks.

Motorists are advised that the Western Explorer Road in the State’s North West remains closed indefinitely, due to a major landslip caused by recent heavy rainfall.

Geo –Technical assessments will be undertaken over the next couple of days to evaluate the safest way to repair the slip which has made the road impassable South of Donaldson River.

In order to give travellers adequate forward notice for changes in their journey, detour points and signage have been established in the North, at Balfour and at the Southern end , at Corinna.

Contractors will be working as quickly as possible to clear and repair the road but the safety of workers is paramount.

The extreme weather experienced in the State over the past week has had a significant impact on the road network.

It is a timely reminder to motorists to obey all signage and directions and to drive to the conditions,  to ensure their own  safety, and that of DIER contractors working to repair damaged infrastructure.

DIER has updated key stakeholders on the closure of the road but for ongoing updates please go to http://www.dier.tas.gov.au/road_closures_and_delays

With just 11 days to go before Spring, Winter is having a last hurrah in Southern Tasmania. With snow down to 400 metres last night, Huon Bush Retreats has a light covering.
Ellie, who came to us last summer, was a little bemused by it all this morning. She spends most of her time outside with the wallaby mob but today is preferring the cosy wood fire inside.

Our ten dollar winter sale is still on. Pay full rate for the first night and just ten dollars per person for the second night.
Note that on this special rate it is advance payment, no refunds, no changes.

Is Hobart the friendliest city in the world?
Not quite

Travel magazine Conde Nast Traveler has unveiled the results of its readers choice survey on the world's friendliest cities, with two Australian destinations making a list of the top 10. Hobart was beaten to the top spot only by the 'Island of Magic', Florianopolis in Brazil. It's a city described as having "outgoing locals, gorgeous views and an excellent airport".

Meanwhile, the Tasmanian capital, which was also recently named one of the world's best cities to visit in 2013 by Lonely Planet, was praised for its 'unique location, beauty and kind, friendly city natives'. "They know how to treat visitors," one commenter said. Another described it as "one of the best places I've visited".

A selection of things to do and places to stay in Hobart as part of your Huon Valley Escape
http://www.huonvalleyescapes.net/hobart.html

Spirit of Tasmania sailings have been disrupted for the past week by a blockade. Everyone has got whet they are going eventually but there have been delays. Tourists are getting caught up in a dispute not directly the business of Spirit.

TASMANIAN farmers have called on the protagonists in an industrial dispute affecting freight to stop holding the state to ransom. As the Maritime Union of Australia and Qube Bulk and Freight head to the Supreme Court of Victoria today, Tasmanian producers have urged both parties to reach an agreement before millions of dollars of produce and the state's reputation as a reliable fresh food giant is put at risk.

For the full story see Hobart's Mercury Newspaper http://www.themercury.com.au/article/2013/08/01/384697_todays-news.html