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Welcome to Sapphire and Sommelier, a travel blog about finding the hidden gems and natural jewels of Tasmania, in bush or city

Custard Powder

Custard Powder

Here’s the thing about custard, at it’s most basic level it is only 4 ingredients, all of which can be safely brought to a powder texture. The food safety danger-zone is 4-60 degrees Celsius and my dehydrator can run at 70 degrees, therefore it stands to reason that custard powder can be made safely (and…

We are Sapphire, a Tasmanian sapphire engagement ring made by a local jeweller (with a person attached, mostly) and Sommelier, an amateur wine tragic and part time chauffeur. We are madly in love with Tasmania (and each other), and would love to share our travels, impressions, advice and mistakes with you, so that you can fall in love with Tasmania (and maybe us) too.

Be sure to check out our travel articles, which we try to make as info-taining as we can, and Sapphire’s creative works over in “Love, Sapphire.”

For regular updates, and some of our day to day tips and experiences, follow us on Instagram @sapphireandsommelier

Custard Powder

Here’s the thing about custard, at it’s most basic level it is only 4 ingredients, all of which can be safely brought to a powder texture. The food safety danger-zone is 4-60 degrees Celsius and my dehydrator can run at 70 degrees, therefore it stands to reason that custard powder can be made safely (and… Continue reading Custard Powder

Raspberry and Rose Fruit Leather

A punnet of raspberries sits beside a purple pansy

With this one it is best to find a good quality rose water. I define “good quality” as one that uses real roses or “natural rose flavour” rather than rose essence. I find that any amount of rose essence can leave a dish, especially a dehydrated one, tasting of hand soap. A good Indian or… Continue reading Raspberry and Rose Fruit Leather

Smoked Apricot Fruit Leather (Mebos)

Some people, who are me (Sapphire), got BBQ smoking tubes for Christmas and have been smoking anything they can get their hands on ever since. You, too, can get a BBQ smoking tube from bunnings for about $15 and have all the cold smoking fun your family can handle. Some people, (me again!), also love… Continue reading Smoked Apricot Fruit Leather (Mebos)

Montezuma Falls

Where we went: Montezuma Falls, West Coast Tasmania (with the whole Sapphire Clan)When we went: Summer 2023Grade of walk: long 2Proposed time for walk: 3 hoursTime spent walking: 3.5 hours (long lunch) Montezuma Falls, near Rosebery, in Western Tasmania is the tallest waterfall in the state and one of the 60 great short walks in… Continue reading Montezuma Falls

Donuts of Salamanca Market: A comparative essay

“What is with Tasmania’s obsession with donuts?” (Someone I, Sapphire, served while working at a Tasmanian donut shop, 2022)It’s fried dough, what’s not to love, is the obvious answer, but I think there is something deeper than that. In this essay I will explore the assumption, which is mine, that if you consider that most… Continue reading Donuts of Salamanca Market: A comparative essay

Strawberry and Shiso Fruit Leather

Ingredients: 1kg strawberries, washed, hulled, and halved. 1 cup fresh green or red shiso, finely sliced (dried shiso should be fine to use around 2 Tbsp, but I have never tried that, I only make this fruit leather when I see fresh shiso for sale at the farmer’s market. I am trying to grow it… Continue reading Strawberry and Shiso Fruit Leather

Blueberry and Lemon Fruit Leather

Ingredients:1kg blueberries (fresh or frozen), washed¼ cup raw sugar1 Lemon, washed1 Vanilla pod (or 1 Tbsp vanilla powder, or 1tsp vanilla essence) Method:Preheat the oven to 180⁰c. Put all the blueberries into a roasting dish and sprinkle with sugar. Peel the lemon using a potato peeler/pairing knife being careful to avoid pith and to keep… Continue reading Blueberry and Lemon Fruit Leather

Twelvetrees Range, Southwest National Park

Where we went: Twelvetrees Walk, Southwest National Park.When we went: Spring 2022Time spent on walk: 2 hoursGrade of walk: high 2, low 3As this track passes through Tas Networks property it would be best to do this walk on a weekend or public holiday so as not to disturb any site works. The Twelvetrees walk… Continue reading Twelvetrees Range, Southwest National Park

Mt Field East, Mt Field National Park.

Where we went: Mt Field East, Mt Field National Park When we went: Spring, 2022 Proposed time to complete walk: 4-5 hours Actual time spent on walk: 5 hours Track rating: Grade 4 (out of 5) – note that this rating seems to be primarily based on navigation needs in this specific instance. Parks passes… Continue reading Mt Field East, Mt Field National Park.

Mt Amos, Freycinet National Park

Mt Amos, a rocky outcrop, juts sharply out from scrubby bushes. White streaks are formed naturally by water running down the rocks over time.

There isn’t much to specifically describe the track by other than ‘steep rock scramble’, it is marked with some permanent light reflective yellow arrows, and some faded spray painted arrows. Occasionally the arrows suggest that some sections have separate paths for people travelling up, and for people travelling down. It is, otherwise, a fairly lawless place, at least as far as navigation is concerned. There are 3 distinctly difficult sections that will have you questioning every decision you made that brought you to the moment you find yourself in now. These feelings will pass (at least until you have to attempt those same sections in reverse).