Rolling on the River

Forest along Caves Road

If you have all day to do it, the drive from Perth along Caves Road (Hwy 10 and 250) through the karri forest and then along the coast is a gorgeous. One of our detours took us out to Eagle Bay to look for a whale or two, but all we saw were beautiful beaches and people soaking up some sunshine. When the weather warms, this will be a great place to enjoy snorkeling and other water sports. Yallingup, another scenic town, is where the smaller waves come in and nearly every day you can see people trying to catch a wave or two. Farther along the road the forests and open areas allow native animals to roam, treating us to mobs of kangaroos and wallabies with a few emus thrown in. These are not animals in wildlife parks, but those that still inhabit the bush. Margaret River is an area much like the hill country in Texas in that there are oodles of wineries, lots of tall trees, and loads of hilly roads. They call the climate Mediterranean, since we’re near the coastline, but it's cooler than what we expected. The warmest temperature was in the low 70s (20s centigrade) with

Top L to R: Pirate cow, Golden cow, Cow with mailbox
Bottom L to R: Wine store, Social Club, Cow with helmet

on and off sunny skies. Caves are also found in this area ranging from completely guided to ‘Here’s a helmet and a torch, see you later’. One of my favorite sites on our drive was the small town of Cowaramup. Normally you’ll see all sorts of life-sized cow statues in this town, but during our visit there was a bicycle rally so the statues wore bicycle helmets!

Margaret River Lodging, Food, and Activities Review

Water wheel trough

Margaret River has something for almost everyone. If you are into wines, there are a multitude of vineyards to sample. The beaches and forests appeal to nature lovers. Places to stay suite travelers with deep pockets and those who prefer to ‘rough it’. Most of the area, at least in the early spring, has ample space on the roads for bicyclists and cars. For information about this rating system, see Sydney Reviews.

Hopping to Perth

Top to Bottom: Kangaroo with joey in pouch,
Child and joey, Cynthia feeding kangaroo

Caversham Wildlife Park is great fun simply because you hand-feed the kangaroos and wallabies, whisper in the ears of the dozing koalas, and chirp with the birds in the aviaries. This is a well maintained park with lots of area for the animals to roam. Many of the birds are housed in aviaries, but some are still maintained in cages. My favorite part is feeding the kangaroos and wallabies. There are signs that warn you not to touch the joeys in their mothers’ pouches, but in nearly every case, the joeys are happy to come hopping up to you reaching for a mouthful of food from your hand.  As with years past, there were several mamas with babies in their pouches; sometimes all you could see of the joey was a foot or a tail. The grass is really green where the kangaroos and wallabies are, and our shoes really needed scraping once we were finished in the enclosure. There is also a 'farm animal' exhibit that we had to experience. We got chewed on by kids (they particularly liked Dave’s shoelaces), rubbed on by the nannies, and ignored by the chickens. I did get to scratch some rabbits, but the park personnel wouldn't let me in

Top L to R: Bustard, Dave and kid
Bottom L to R: Barking owl, Koala and Dave

the stalls with them. It seems you have to be no older than five to actually get in the pens. The birds in the aviaries weren’t too thrilled about being visited, particularly since it is spring. The males were downright hostile and the females were grumpy. As we walked through one area, we heard a dog barking. We followed the ‘woof, woof’ and found that it was not a dog at all, but a barking owl. And if that wasn’t strange enough, the lion’s roar we thought we heard was actually a bustard. Caversham hasn’t changed substantially I visited about 15 years ago, but Whiteman Park, which surrounds it, has added a several other things to do, including a train ride and a place to eat.

King's Park and Botanic Gardens is a great place to while away a day. In the spring the  

flowers are gorgeous and the temperature isn’t too so warm as to keep you from walking

L to R: Banksia, Yellow flowers,
Kangaroo paws

through the entire park. The first place to go is to the Visitor’s Center for a good map and to find out if there are any areas that are restricted. This year there were all sorts of areas, both parking and touring, blocked off because two celebrities were visiting. England’s Prince Edward had come to Perth, as had Katy Perry; it was hard to tell just who park visitors were trying to spot. Such excitement and all we wanted to see were some native plants! The park has added a ‘tall trees’ walk that, much like what we experienced in Tasmania, takes you up near the top of the trees and provides some great views of the city. Spring means that the flowers were in bloom and the bees were zooming around them. My favorite flowers were the banksia with their spiky blooms and leaves. Although I should have expected it, there were sections with plants from around the world, including a group of cacti from California.

L to R: Bee on flower, DNA Tower, Gala

Eventually we made our way to the Firefighters’ Memorial and to the DNA Tower. The tower resembles its namesake. At the bottom are signs telling about the characteristics and function of DNA; platforms half-way to the top have information about the flora and fauna in surrounding area. Once on top of the tower, there are more views of Perth and the nearby mountains.

Perth Lodging, Food, and Activities Review

Swan Bell Tower

The Perth area has some of the best places to eat and things to do. We thoroughly enjoyed our time spent in this wonderful city. For information about this rating system, see Sydney Reviews.

Where we stayed…

Four Carrots

Bailey’s Motel, 150 Bennett Street, 6004 Perth, +61 8 9220 9555 is in a great location for 

Double room with kitchen and bath

walking to several sites or for driving around Perth. The location is in a neighborhood that serves young professionals, so there are some wonderful restaurants within walking distance, as well as a grocery store. The room was large with an alcove type kitchen and eating area. The bathroom was okay, but neither heated nor cooled. WiFi was free and in the room IF you had a reservation through Booking.com. However, my WiFi was cut off at exactly the same time it had first been activated on the day before we checked out; I found that very frustrating. There was a charge to have it re-activated for another six hours.

Two Carrots

Ibis Budget Perth Airport Hotel, 317-319 Great Eastern Hwy, 6104 Perth, +61 8 9478 2158 is very close to the airport. Because it is on a highway, it is difficult to get into and out of the parking lot. The room and bathroom were smaller than tiny; Dave had to come out of the bathroom to get dressed and still didn’t have much room. The desk folks are very nice and try to be helpful. There are hairdryers available at the desk, if they are not all checked out. You are not going to want to stay here longer than one night; we chose this hotel because we had a 5:00AM departure time for our flight.

Queen room with bath

How we traveled…

Four Carrots

We rented a Hyundai 120 with GPS from Europcar and it was great. I could actually see over the hood and the GPS didn’t quit half-way through our trip. The young lady who checked us in was very helpful and even gave us a detailed street map book (about 400 pages) to use. When we dropped the car off at around 4:30AM, the key box was large enough to accommodate the GPS, which ended our worries about what to do with it.

What we ate…

Four and one-half Carrots

Grilled shrimp and Seafood chowder

Joe’s Fish Shack, 42 Mews Road, Fremantle 6160, +61 8 9336 7161 is fish restaurant in Fremantle in which we ate 'something light'. Dave had a gallon of fish chowder that he has not stopped extoling the virtues of and I had a skewer of very tasty shrimp with about a pound of coleslaw on the side. The shrimp were actually tender and moist despite the fact that they were cooked on a barbecue grill.

Aquarium Seafood Chinese Restaurant 202 Great Eastern Highway, Ascot (Perth) 6104, +61 8 9478 1868; I had the almond and cashew seafood and Dave had seafood chow mien

Chow mien, Almond/cashew seafood, Fruit appetizer 

with crispy noodles. Both were loaded with fresh, tender shrimp, scallops, calamari, muscles, and fish sautéed in a light sauce with lots of vegetables. The dishes were amazing and the service was very good. The waiters were available at a glance from either of us, willing to refill glasses, take plates, and bring anything we required. The restaurant is well decorated with thought given to the way the décor and menu design complement each other. My only complaint was that I couldn’t read the menu in the low light, particularly because it is on silver paper with colored print.

Four Carrots

We had dinner at Royal Siam Thai Restaurant, 33/82, Royal Street, East Perth 6004, +61

Pad Thai, Green curry

8 9218 8838, which smelled a bit like armpits when we first walked in but served surprisingly good food. The Pad Thai was lovely, although not as good as Sea Siam’s (Keller, Texas). Dave liked his green curry; it had a bit of a sweet taste. Luckily he did tell them to make it light on the spice; it made my eyes water when I tasted it.

At the Viet Royal, 81 Royal Street, East Perth 6004, +61 8 9211 2388 Dave had a version of sweet/sour chicken that he said was very nicely prepared. I had a beef dish that sounded

Top L to R: Sweet/sour chicken, Fried dumplings
Bottom L to R: Beef and chili, Roki bread

tasty but mild; was I wrong! It had beef, mint leaves, basil, young corn, and bamboo shoots in a sauce that was blazing with red pepper flakes. There was also some roki bread ~ looks like crepes that have been pan fried. Once my eyeballs quit sweating I decided that the food was all really good. Service was friendly and efficient.

Cicerello’s, 44 Mews Road, Fremantle 6160, +61 8 9335 1911 is an old-time fish market

Top of Bottom: Fish tanks, Yellow snapper

turned restaurant. The noise level is deafening because of the wooden floors, ceilings and walls and the metal tables and chairs. There were also about a bazillion people eating, although the line in which we stood to order our meal moved really quickly, on this particular Saturday at lunch. I suspect that it is always crowded. We both had fish and chips, but mine was barramundi and Dave’s was yellow snapper. The fish and the fries were crispy and hot, needing no additional seasoning. We did stop, before we left, to look in the enormous fish tanks that divide the main seating area from the food lines. There were a number of saltwater fish these well maintained tanks; there are also critters, including an octopus with the reputation of oozing its way into other tanks for a midnight snack of small fish.

Café Bellavista Restaurant & Pizzeria, Bailey’s Motel, 150 Bennett Street, East Perth

Top L to R: Eggs Benedict, Pancakes
Bottom L to R: Ziti and tortellini

6004, +61 8 9220 9560 is associated with the hotel and serves meals all day. The breakfast was substantial and very tasty. Dave had a stack of pancakes with fresh fruit and chocolate. I had eggs Benedict that was delightful; eggs cooked to my specifications on a lovely piece of toasted panni with prosciutto. Dinner was also exceptional. The tortellini was made in-house, the ziti was cooked perfectly and the sauces were adapted to our dietary requirements. The waiters and waitresses were attentive and very fast. Our orders were taken at our table, but we went to the bar to pay.

Antico Caffe, 3/81 Royal Street, East Perth 6004, +61 8 9221 8222 is another great Italian

Wine, chicken, pear

restaurant within three blocks of Bailey’s Motel. Dave and I shared garlic bread and chicken breasts stuffed with shrimp in a mushroom sauce. For dessert we had a poached pear ~ poached in wine and cinnamon. It was oh so good! The waiter was from Naples and had been in Australia seven years; he's starting his own restaurant in January with an all Italian staff. One of the waitresses and I had a conversation in Italian ~ she said something, I said something and perhaps we communicated. In any case it was good fun.

Three Carrots

Coffee Café, 99 Adelaide Terrace, Perth 6004, +61 8 9225 1234 has really good pastry and coffee. Dave had a nice piece of zucchini bread, but I indulged in a lemon bar that was

Top: Zuccini bread
Bottom: Lemon bar

yummy. There is a nice patio area with seating along the street, allowing you a view of the downtown area. Service is a bit slow and you must go to the counter to order.

In the Whiteman Park Village Café, Beechboro Road or Lord Street entrances, Whiteman, +61 8 9209 6000, we shared a pulled pork sandwich for lunch that was pretty good. This

Pulled pork

little eatery is near Caversham Wildlife Park and has ‘real food’ rather than just fast food; it also has wine and beer. It’s a good family place with seating outdoors.

What we did…

See Hopping to Perth for descriptions of these activities:

Four and one-half Carrots

Caversham Wildlife Park - visitors are able to get close to the animals as well as interact with the game keepers

Four Carrots

Western Australian Museum Shipwreck Galleries - wrecks of ships are displayed, along with an actual ship that has been restored

Western Australian Museum - exhibits include Aboriginal art and history; there are also traveling exhibits that are presented from time to time

Perth Mint - original place where precious metals are still appraised and changed into money

King's Park and Botanic Gardens, DNA tower, Firefighter’s Memorial - lovely park area that includes memorials, visitor's center and specialized plant growing areas

Aviation Heritage Museum - restored aircraft, along with information about men's and women's air corp and flying medical personnel are displayed

Three and one-half Carrots

Maritime Museum - sailing, fishing and military vessels are on display, including model boats and history of these fleets

Fremantle Market and E-Sheds - weekend shopping destinations with offerings from the sublime to the ridiculous 

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Qute Quokkas

Cargo Pods awaiting shipping

One of the ways to get to Rottnest Island is by ferry, and there are places to catch the ferry in Perth and in Freemantle. We chose to go to Freemantle, leave our car in the new, secure car park and catch the ferry at Rous Head. Finding the dock presented more of a challenge than we had expected because it’s hidden in an industrial area among a giant stacks of cargo pods that are either awaiting shipment or pick-up. The roads in the area are so new that the GPS didn’t have any idea where we were. Luckily there were signs that helped us get the last few miles. Once we got to the dock, we were greeted by a huge group of Year 3 children on an educational outing. They were bouncing off the walls because this was their first overnight trip; they all had a bicycle as well as their overnight bags. Parents were everywhere taking pictures, and teachers were trying to keep the children from pitching off the jetty into the sea. Once we were on the ferry it was almost standing room only; evidently picking a weekday over a weekend to go to Rotto didn’t make one bit of difference.

Rottnest Ferry

Rottnest Island Lodging, Food and Activities Review

The ride over to Rottenest Island is fun, and only takes a few minutes. If you are going to stay overnight, you probably do want to go during the week; particularly in summer Rottnest gets crowded.

Where we stayed...

Four and one-half Carrots

Top: Lodge bar, bathroom
Bottom: twin room

Rottnest Lodge is housed in the old prison. Inside everything has been modernized and decorated to welcome guests. There is a nice sized seating area near the well-stocked bar, as well as tables and chairs in the hotel courtyard. Trees and umbrellas provide shade, so this is a great place to take a break from hiking around the island. The room we stayed in was large with comfortable beds and windows looking out over one of the trails. There was a small refrigerator and supplies to make tea of coffee available. The bathroom was nearly perfect; the exception was that the shower tended to send water out onto the floor in the rest of the bathroom. The desk clerks were helpful and polite. Your bags are brought from the ferry and delivered to your room, so there is no bother about hauling them up the hill. The bags will also be picked up and returned to the ferry, but this must be done early in the morning. If you have carry-on bags, there is a secure storage area available at no charge.

Raining with a Chance of Sheep

Tasmanian bay and sailboats 

Tasmania was not at all what I expected. While there are ‘mountains’ that ring the coast, the interior of the island is rolling hills covered in lush green grass and herds of sheep. The mountains do get touched with snow, but the foothills host redolent, temperate rainforest plants. The wind-swept beaches and hills reminded me of Scotland, but without the castles; the weather lived up to the best traditions of Scotland, however. It takes no more than six hours to get anywhere in Tasmania, and the roads are good, so we rented a car. Our seven day road trip took us to most of the island, but there are still many sites we didn’t see and events we didn’t experience. This is one of those places in the world we want to visit again.

Hobart to Launceston

It’s a lovely drive from Hobart to Launceston, with opportunities to pop over to the beaches to touch the sand and to find that the water is, indeed, very cold. The Tasmanian Wool

Raw Wool and Wool on the Hoof

Centre in Ross affords an opportunity to learn about the wool industry, tour their small but substantial museum, learn about the town, and do a bit of shopping. Local artists sell finished wool garments, as well as hand spun and dyed yarns.  I’d never seen or touched raw wool directly from shearing and didn’t know how it was graded; I still wonder how the grading was done before the advent of technology since the wool fibers are measured in microns. The wool from a black sheep isn’t black, but a muddy brown; wool texture changes based on fiber size, but also on the variety, gender and age of the sheep. The raw wool feels oily.

Tasmania Lodging, Food and Activities Reviews

Tasmania Geologic
Map

While Tasmania is a rather small island, there are lots of places for the adventurous and not-so-adventurous travelers to stay, eat and do. The prices are about the same as they are on the Australian mainland. The people are warm, witty, and more than happy to talk to you about things to do. What we didn't know when we got to Tasmania was that once you are out of Hobart the restaurants will be with hotels for the most part; there may also be a 'game room' (casino), and a bottle shop associated with the hotel. You may need to order food at the bar, but you will have to pay there, and you may have to know your table number to do so. Before we go, again, we will be contacting some of the people we met to learn their perspectives on the best places to explore. Although there may be activities you want to finalize before going to this island, travel guides purchased in Australia or Tasmania have much more information than the ones I could find here in the US. For an explanation of the ratings, please see Sydney Review.

Where we stayed:

Four Carrots

Bath and King Bed

The Travelodge Airport, Hobart, 1 Holyman Avenue, Cambridge Tasmania 7170, +61 3 6248 3555 has a great group of people who are super helpful. I emailed them with a concern and they responded immediately; they even told us how to get to the hotel on a free shuttle. The room was great with free, high-speed WiFi. Breakfast was passable; basically it was cereal, toast, or muffins with coffee and juice. The next morning one of the desk clerks drove us to the car rental office at no charge. 




The West Coaster Motel, Batchelor Street, Queenstown 7467, +61 3 6471 1033 provided a

Bath and Twin/Double Beds

great room, super internet (cheap, but free if you book online), and a guest laundry. There is also a nice restaurant and a bar. We wondered why we were asked to make reservations for dinner immediately upon check-in; then the tour bus arrived as did a lot of other travelers. Evidently this is a popular place.





And since we practically lived in the rent car:

Vroom, vroom car got us a cheap rental with Red Spot Car Hire, Hobart Airport, Cambridge, Hobart 7170 Tasmania, +61 3 6248 4045. The people at Red Spot gave us lots of information about the car and what charges we did and did not actually need. However, I don’t want to rent a KIA Rio again, ever. Even though the car is small its seats are made for tall people. I could barely see out and the seatbelt practically decapitated me every time I moved it from under may arm.

Three Carrots

The Waterfront Lodge Motel, 153 Risdon Rd, New Town, Lutana (Hobart), 7008, 1-866-

Queen/Twin Beds and Bath

332-3590 is an economy hotel. It has a portable heater and a floor fan, along with a tiny, but well stocked, kitchenette to go with the furniture-packed room. The café table, two chairs and heating/cooling appliances are near the foot of the queen bed. The beds are comfortable and the bathroom is clean. A guest staying in one of the lodges reported that the heat didn’t work well. While there is no breakfast on-site, you can order food brought in; there are also snacks and drinks for purchase in the lobby. The motel is located on one of the bays and rather difficult to get to. It’s not somewhere I’d stay again because of the location and the internet is only available in the lobby, which closes at 8:00PM.

The Argosy Hotel, 221 Tarleton Street, East Devonport 7310, +61 3 6427 8872 is a moderate hotel, neither outstanding nor awful. The room was comfortable and clean. The

Bath and Double/Twin Beds

downside, that really irritated me, is that the free internet that they say works in the room doesn’t; you must go to the lobby. The hotel’s location allows easy access to tourist sites and to freeways.

Two and one-half Carrots

Bath and Six-person Room

The Olde Tudor Inn, 229-235 Westbury Road, Launceston 7250, + 61 3 6344 5044 is like old Las Vegas without the charm. Perhaps some of the rooms were like those seen on their website, but this one wasn’t. Because it was a Sunday, we had to check-in at the bar. The folks there didn’t seem to know exactly what to tell us about breakfast or the availability of the internet. One of the bartenders did supply me with a code to access WiFi from my room. On Sundays they closed the bar at about 8:00PM and there was no access to WiFi because the code had timed-out before it was given to me. The room was very dated but it would sleep six: two on the bunk beds, two on the double bed and two on the couch. The bunk beds are awful; they are hard as a rock. The double bed and the couch were comfortable enough; the linens were quite worn. There’s a bathroom that’s a bit small but at least has a heater and a good shower. The room and bathroom are clean. 

What we ate:

Four and one-half Carrots

Man O’Ross Hotel Restaurant 35 Church Street, Ross, 7209, +61 3 6381 5445 was

Angus burger and Crumbled Scallops

excellent. Dave had an Angus burger which he said was very good and the chips were delightfully crunchy. The lettuce, tomato, beetroot, and onion were crisp and tasty. The ketchup could have been homemade with its wonderful sweet-hot flavor. I had scallops, evidently one of the typical dishes for the area. They were ‘crumbled’ (lightly breaded) and fried and they were fabulous! The cook actually knows what he/she is doing with shellfish. The scallops weren’t overcooked – fresh, tender, wonderful. The tartar sauce was homemade, a bit sweet with a touch of horseradish. Vegetables in the slaw were fresh; it was apparent that this was homemade, as well. My food was so good I didn’t pay any attention to what Dave was eating, nor did I try to steal any of his lunch.

Four Carrots

Julie and Patrick’s, 2 Alexander Terrace, Stanley 7331, +61 3 6458 1103 had been a finalist in the Best of the Beach food competition. If they didn’t win, I really want to eat at the

Crayfish in Mild Curry Sauce and Prawns in Garlic Cream

restaurant that did! Dave had prawns in garlic cream sauce and I had crayfish (rock lobster) in a ‘mild curry sauce’. Both were fantastic. Thankfully, we were given spoons so that we could scoop up all of the delicious sauces. Service was friendly and prompt. The waitress was happy to visit with customers while paying careful attention to everyone’s needs. Had we been in the area longer we would have been back to try other items on the menu.

Three and one-half Carrots

Mixed Satay and Sweet and Sour Pork

We went to the Hong Kong Restaurant, 53/55 Main Road, Moonah (Hobart) 7009, +61 3 6228 3985 for dinner. From the extensive menu, David had a great sweet and sour pork and I had a pretty good mixed satay. Mine was quite a bit spicier than I expected; unless the menu says ‘sweet chili’ you cannot assume the dish will be ‘mild’. The restaurant was well furnished and clean; there were a number of people who knew the hostess by name, leading us to believe that there was repeat business.

The West Coaster Motel Restaurant (Queenstown) has a pretty good buffet, but you can order from the menu. For the first time the crumbled scallops weren't as good as the shrimp,

Calamari, Shrimp and Fish;
Crumbled Scallops

calamari and fish Dave had. Since Tasmania is an island, there are a lot of fishermen and they pull in lots of shellfish so it’s plentiful on menus. What restaurants don't have is red (cocktail) sauce, but the chili sauce will take your head off. Dave turned red and his head cold finally cleared up. Although we didn’t try any, the pizzas looked good and the size was certainly more than adequate. In a one hour time frame, I counted more than 20 of these pies going out through the ‘Take Away’ door. The breakfast buffet was okay but really expensive for the standard scrambled eggs/bacon/toast/fruit/cereal provided.

Olde Tutor Shopping Center, 227 Westbury Road, Launceston 7250 has an IGA (grocery

Cheese, Crackers and Wine

store) with a decent cheese section, a good cracker selection, and more varieties of Tim Tams than I knew existed.  We found a good cheese and some crackers with a decent wine (Olde Tutor bottle shop) for dinner; grocery stores are a bunch cheaper than eating out. The cheese had coconut, mango, and almonds; it was great; the crackers had garlic and the wine was a Tasmanian Riesling.  Yummy!

Tahune AirWalk Visitor Center had a small restaurant with a good sized menu. Along with soups, salads and sandwiches, there were homemade meat pies. Dave had a chicken and

Meat pie and Chicken sandwich

cheese pie; there was a chicken sandwich for me. The food was really fresh and good; we had to ask for ketchup for our chips. Since there is a hotel on the grounds, they also had breakfast offerings and what looked like some nice hot coffee drinks.

National Botanic Gardens of Tasmania’s on-site restaurant was under reconstruction, but

Croissant and Chicken wrap

that didn’t keep the food from being very tasty. Dave had a chicken wrap that was packed full of veggies ~ he said it was wonderful. I had a ham/cheese/tomato croissant that was good as well. There were tables of amazing looking desserts that we would have sampled if our meal hadn’t been so filling.

The Argosy Hotel Restaurant (at Devonport) produced some really good ‘crumbled’ scallops and a better than average roast beef. The roasted sweet potatoes were super, too,

Roast beef, Crumbled scallops, Moscato wine

but the rest of the veggies were uninspired - canned pea/corn, squeaky green beans and some mashed potatoes. It's amazing how many potatoes they have and serve here. Their breakfast was ‘made to order’ and the prices were the best we found in Tasmania. Eggs, bacon, pancakes and the requisite toast and cereal bar were good enough to bring up our rating of 3 Carrots that we would have given the restaurant, otherwise.

Three Carrots

We actually got supper at a Pizza Hut, Corner Newton and Forster Roads, New Town

Mushroom, pepperoni pizza

(Hobart) 7008 because we were too tired to find something local. No ice in the soft drinks unless you ask for it but the pizza was okay. They did have a buffet, and from the way the locals were eating, it must have been good.

Levee Food Company, 27 Seaport Boulevard, Launceston 7250, +61 3 6334 7011 was supposed to have some great seafood. I had calamari and Dave had fish and chips. The calamari were 'crumbled' with salt and pepper, put on top of a salad with almonds, sun-dried

Beer; Fish and calamari salad

tomatoes, cubes of fried cheddar cheese and some sort of greens. It was dressed with oil/vinegar. Dave's fish weren't particularly firm but the batter was really good ~ sort of a beer flavor. Of course there were fries with the fish. He did have to ask for ketchup and tartar sauce. Service was very slow and not particularly attentive. The waitress would ask a question then walk away without waiting for an answer. My food was substantially better than Dave’s and at least there was a view of the harbor and some boats. Almost everything had onions that they couldn't take out or Dave would have had a pizza or pasta with seafood; we assumed that this meant that one sauce was used for both pizza and pasta.