This celebration of Tasmania’s fine food and wine keeps growing and improving.

With a host of extra visitors on the waterfront for the finish of the various ocean yacht races to Hobart, including the Sydney to Hobart, the city council started The Taste festival 23 years ago.

It runs over the peak of the festive season for seven days from 28 December and ending on 3rd January.

Taste of Tasmania - fresh fish

Originally known as the Taste of Tasmania, the festival’s reputation has grown and despite inspiring other regional  food festivals, this is referred to by the locals as “the taste”.

The Hobart City Council says their aim is for the festival to feature some of Tasmania’s best food and beverages, while providing a fun and safe environment for friends and family and to celebrate the essence of summer in Hobart.

“Taste Festival organisers have been working tirelessly to bring this event together, making the most of the completely refurbished venue and the opportunities it presents to increase the Festival’s area and address traditional issues such as seating and shaded areas,” said Damon Thomas, Lord Mayor of Hobart.

It started in an old shed on the wharf, formerly used for temporary cargo storage before the container revolution. The large empty space offered an ideal venue for temporary stalls and seating.

People flocking into the Taste's old shed revamped

A substantial facelift for the venue in the past two years, added more food and beverage areas, new flooring and glass doors leading out onto the waterfront and Salamanca Place sides.

Other detail improvements to the old shed are not as noticeable.  The new roof adds a lighter look to the interior of main venue with lighting and ventilation infrastructure making this more of a purpose built exhibition hall.

Inside the Taste of Tasmania

There is also a range of sheltered seating outside the main hall with a view of the docks and the city.

Sitting on the edge of the dock on a sunny day at the Taste

The Taste Festival is mainly about food and provides a chance for small speciality producers to reach a wide range of people. These usually are carefully grown or produced foods and wines that are not available in the large quantities the national supermarket chains require.

At the Taste Festival you can buy your cheese straight from the man who probably made the cheese.

Cheese in slices or whole rounds

One of the features of Tasmania food is freshness and soft fruits and berries taste better when freshly picked.

Cheese cakes with fresh fruit or berries

Local wineries offer a wide range of cool climate wines to try.

Wine to taste

The influence of a wide range of ethnic groups in Tasmania is evident in the many ways to prepare and present the fresh local produce.

A wide range of food styles is a feature of the taste of Tasmania

This year’s graduation ceremony and leaver’s dinner for the local Montrose Bay High school follows the current tradition of the students making a spectacular arrival to the event.

On an evening celebrating academic achievement greater emphasis is often paid to superficial appearances such as the coolest or most unusual method of arrival, illustrating Australian’s love of motorcars.   This does provide an opportunity for car show regulars to display their toys, and possibly earn a little cash chauffeuring the students.

The venue hosting this event, Tattersall’s park Function Centre has an internal road leading to a roundabout at the main entrance. The perfect stage for a mobile car show and fashion parade.

The private road allows a certain freedom from legal and common sense safety restrictions that apply on public roads. Security guards supervise the cars so they are all traveling at walking pace.

Arriving fro graduation in an open car parade

The student’s choice of cars reflects the working class nature of Montrose Bay High school located in the northern suburbs of Tasmania’s capital city.  Rather than limousines or luxury saloons, the popular choices were performance versions of local mass market family cars.

Ford's Falcon GT 351 is a high performance version of the standard family car from the past

Imported American muscle cars were also popular as there are similar in style to local Holdens and Falcons. Themselves products of American car companies who long dominated the Australian automobile market. The American influence is a reflection of the influence of American culture in Australian mass media.

Mustang Boss 302 arriving to deliver a car load of graduates

To stand out in this crowd takes special effort and trucks and even a bus provided some special transport statements.

Trucks and Busses were a change from cars

Even though this is a working class school the cars, suits and gowns demonstrate it is a relatively rich working class.

Most graduates wore full length gowns or suits

High School graduation is often their first opportunity to wear formal attire where they are the centre of attention, rather than as children,tagging along with their parents.    

A couple posing for photos in front of their transport, a Holden Torana SLR5000

On Saturday a group of greyhounds at the local track really caught my attention as they were on the spectator lawns, not on the track.

Taking a closer look and there was one of the states leading trainer’s Susan Gittus, her family and kennel workers, organising a barbecue lunch.

The Greyhound Adoption Program (GAP) had invited owners and their families of adopted greyhounds to the track for a Christmas party. GAP is supported by Tas Racing, who have overall responsibility for greyhound racing in Tasmania.

A greyhound dressed in the Christmas spirit has its antlers adjusted

The common belief that greyhounds are dangerous or aggressive is soon dispelled when you get close to the dogs. The biggest danger is from their wagging tails.  Greyhounds love to chase and run, but often they race the mechanical lure rather than trying to catch it.

The greyhounds and their families were mingling happily on the lawns with many of the dogs wearing Christmas costumes. Racing greyhounds are accustomed to wearing racing colours and muzzles, so adding festive decoration to these good natured dogs is easy.

Greyhound owners chatting and taking photographs

While the owners compared their experiences of greyhound ownership, the dogs mingled easily. Part of their racing heritage is they are usually in the company of many dogs, and fighting is discouraged in racing greyhounds.

Matilda gets a cuddle and pat

Part of the Greyhound adoption program is fostering the dogs out so they become accustomed to living outside racing kennels.  The adoption program helps the people fostering greyhounds with dog food and any veterinarian care.

Greyhounds ready for adoption are desexed, wormed, flea treated, micro-chipped and C5 vaccinated. They come with a new warm coat, a green GAP collar, a lead and muzzle.

Greyhound Adoption Program display table in the betting hall

For more information got to the Greyhound Adoption Program  website