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10:34:03:08 SHARE YOUR PASSIONS WITH LIKEMINDED PEOPLE.
JOHN TORODE’S AUSTRALIA, BROUGHT TO YOU BY EMIRATES.
10:34:15:10 AFTER 20 YEARS LIVING AND WORKING IN THE UK,
I’VE FLOWN BACK HOME TO AUSTRALIA TO WHERE IT ALL BEGAN FOR ME. I’M IN TASMANIA. ALSO
KNOWN AS THE ISLAND STATE, IT’S AUSTRALIA’S MOST SOUTHERLY POINT.
10:34:28:12 IT MAY BE 250 KILOMETRES OFF THE COAST OF
THE MAINLAND BUT IT’S KNOWN FOR SUPPLYING SPECIALIST PRODUCE TO SOME OF THE COUNTRY’S
TOP RESTAURANTS.
10:34:36:11 Tasmania has got an extraordinary reputation
now for the exotic. It’s producing incredible things, like saffron and truffles and even
seaweed.
10:34:45:17 ONCE A VERY SPECIALIST INGREDIENT MAINLY ASSOCIATED
WITH JAPANESE COOKING, SEAWEED HAS ENJOYED A RECENT RISE IN POPULARITY AND CAN NOW BE
FOUND ON HIGH END RESTAURANT MENUS ALL ROUND THE WORLD.
10:37:04:21 WE’RE HEADING OUT TOWARDS THE IRON POT LIGHTHOUSE,
JUST DOWN THE SOUTH ARM PENINSULA.
10:37:21:21 We’ll take a catch bag, one of those catch
bags from there.
10:37:24:22 Yep.
10:37:25:16 And we’ll grab a knife, just for slicing
the [INAUDIBLE] off at the base. You have to cut it at the right height. If you cut
it too low, it’ll die.
10:37:33:13 Yep.
10:37:34:01 So you want to cut it just high enough so
it’ll regrow.
10:37:43:03 AND IT’S NOT LONG BEFORE JAMES LOCATES HIS
MAIN CROP.
10:01:16:16 BEING A KEEN CYCLIST, I’VE DECIDED TO GET
ON TWO WHEELS AND HEAD OUT INTO THE COUNTRY TO EXPLORE.
ABOUT 50 KILOMETRES NORTH WEST OF THE CAPITAL OF HOBART, ALONG THE DERWENT RIVER, IS A FARM
AND BREWERY PRODUCING SOME VERY UNIQUE BEEF. AND SINCE I’M A CHEF OBSESSED WITH ALL THINGS
BOVINE, I’VE GOT TO CHECK IT OUT.
Hello John.
G’day. After that I reckon I need a beer.
I think you probably do.
AS WELL AS REARING CATTLE AND BREWING BEER AT THEIR QUIRKILY NAMED TWO METRE TALL FARM,
ASHLEY AND JANE HUNTINGTON RUN A FARM BAR, WHICH IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC ON WEEKENDS.
This is a soured ale. Naturally soured, brewed with spelt and uses hops that we grow.
Great.
All of which are [heritage] varieties and none of which are grown commercially, as far
as we know, anywhere else in Australia. It’s a veritable treat.
10:02:39:21 Wow. Lemony
10:02:41:07 Sour.
10:02:41:17 Yeah, sour. My issue today, of course, is
that I don’t know how I’m gonna stay up on two wheels if I try all your beer.
10:02:47:17 Hopefully at the end of that, maybe you can
camp on our farm.
10:02:53:03 Fair enough.
10:02:06:23 ABALONE ARE A TYPE OF SEA SNAIL AND CONSIDERED
BY MANY TO BE A REAL DELICACY, ESPECIALLY AMONGST THE ASIAN MARKET WHERE THEY FETCH
EXTREME PRICES. ONE QUARTER OF THE WHOLE WORLD’S ABALONE COMES FROM THIS TINY ISLAND, SO I’VE
COME TO HOBART DOCK TO MEET ROB [PENNYCOT]. A KEEN DIVER, ROB’S BEEN HARVESTING THIS
DELICACY FOR OVER 15 YEARS.
10:02:28:05 Nice to meet you, Rob.
10:03:38:23 WE’RE HEADING 25 KILOMETRES SOUTH OF HOBART
TO BRUNY ISLAND, WHICH AT THIS SPEED, DOESN’T TAKE LONG AT ALL.
10:03:47:21 Abalone you’re gonna get here today, what
sort are they?
10:03:51:15 They’re the blacklipped, down South Tasmania
we mainly get blacklipped.
10:03:56:00 So how big do they have to be?
10:03:57:03 They have to be that line on my knife which
is 138 millimetres.
10:04:01:02 So all the little ones we see around, where
are they coming from then?
10:04:04:02 They’re commercially farmed.
10:04:05:24 I see, so we’ve got commercially farmed
and then we’ve got wild abalone.
10:04:10:11 That’s right.
10:05:16:23 TIME TO GET INTO THE WATER AND TRY TO GET
OUR HANDS ON THIS DELICACY.
10:05:20:21 Let’s hear your seal impersonation.
10:05:22:19 (seal impersonation)
10:05:25:06 That’s a nine out of ten. You do that if
anything looks like a shark, ok?
10:05:29:14 YEAH, NICE TRY, ROB.
10:05:36:02 You should find them in about five to ten
foot of water.
10:05:39:04 Where you gotta go, the rocks?
10:05:40:08 To the rocks, that’s right.
10:05:46:02 ABALONE ATTACH THEMSELVES TO ROCKS UNDER THE
WATER, SO THAT’S EXACTLY WHERE WE’RE LOOKING, AND WHEN WE FIND ONE THAT’S BIG ENOUGH,
WE CAREFULLY PRIZE IT OFF WITH A KNIFE.
10:05:59:22 She’s big isn’t she?
10:06:00:22 She’s beautiful.
10:06:01:16 That’s gorgeous. How old would that be?
10:06:03:12 That would be about four years old.
10:06:05:17 Right.
10:06:07:10 TO ENSURE THE STOCKS ARE PRESERVED, ROB AND
ANDREW ARE ONLY ALLOWED TO CATCH FOUR A DAY
10:06:13:16 Well we’ve got the ones that we’re allowed
for the day, John. They’ll make a good feed.
10:06:17:08 Beautiful.
10:06:19:14 Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, don’t lose that.
10:06:22:06 Well caught.
10:06:22:06 Gotcha. (laughs) Didn’t wanna lose that
after all that.