Discover Tasmania
Your Holiday Planner
Little Swan I
C Portland
Bea
ch
Waterhouse I
Swan I
Bo ob ya lla
Waterhouse Pt
Ninth I Croppies Pt
C Naturaliste
Sth Croppies Pt
BASS
STRAIT
Waterhouse
West Sandy Pt
Tenth I
East Sandy Pt
Big Waterhouse L Blackmans Lagoon
Conservation
MOUNT WILLIAM
Area B82
Stony Head
NATIONAL PARK
Bridport
Five Mile Bluff B82
Low Head West Head
urners each
B71
B19
Scottsdale
B83 B81
Beaconsfield
B74
Forth
B16
Beauty Point
Port Sorell
B19
B84
Pipers River
B82
NARAWNTAPU NATIONAL PARK
Pt Sorell
5
George Town
Greens Beach
Badger Head
B82
Low Head
Derby
Derby Sloop Lagoon
B73
Latrobe
Lilydale
B14
B13
Lake Paloona
B83
B71
B14
Gravelly Beach
Exeter
B71
Dilston
Rosevears Grindelwald
Railton
Sheffield
St Helens B81
Legana
GTON
B72
B13
Westbury B54 Deloraine
B12
Mole Creek
LE CREEK KARST ATIONAL PARK
LAUNCESTON
Scamander
Hadspen B54
B43
Carrick
Perth
B52
B41
Evandale
B52
BEN LOMOND
Longford
GWTCA
St Marys
NATIONAL PARK
Ironhouse Pt
B42
Lake ngana
Fingal
Bracknell Lake Balmoral
L Mackenzie
B51
Cressy
Liffey
L Lucy Long
Rossarden
GWTCA
Piccaninny Pt
B53
L Nameless
Julian Lakes
KE AN
Pillans Lake
CENTRAL PLATEAU
PART OF
Norman
D HERITAGE AREA
PARK
Bicheno
WORLD HERITAGE AREA
GREAT L Rotuli
L L Olive Malbena
L Flora
Double Lagoon
LAKE
L Naomi
Gunns Lake Little Lake
GREAT LAKE CONSERVATION AREA
Campbell Town B34
GWTCA
Brazendale I L Fergus
L Lenone
ARTHURS
Little Pine Lagoon
LAKE LAKE LEAKE
Shannon Lagoon
Ross
L Ina Travellers Rest Lake
Lake Sappho
GWTCA
B11 Clarence Lagoon
Pine Tier Lagoon
Penstock Lagoon
Pump House Pt
LAKE KING M WILLIA
BRADYS LAKE
ge Guelph Basin
t Moul
ing
L
WOODS LAKE
Nine
LAKE
Mile Beach
Swansea
Coles Bay
Hepburn Pt
C Tourville
LAKE
Lake Samuel Lake Highland Waters
Bronte Lagoon
Lagoon of Islands
B34
SORELL
Lake Big Jim Laughing Jack Lagoon
C Lodi
Beaches
Ling Roth Ls
Payanna
Conara
L Ada
Three Arm Lake
ATIONAL PARK Junction L
MANIAN WILDERNESS L
GREAT WESTERN TIERS CONSERVATION AREA (GWTCA)
B51
Reynolds I
PART OF TASMANIAN WILDERNESS
Friendly
Lake Meston
Myrtle
Long Pt
ag oo n
S OF Lake JERUSALEM
APSLEY NATIONAL
LAKE AUGUSTA
Lake Fanny
L Adelaide
ill
DOUGLAS -
Poatina
CONSERVATION AREA (CPCA)
L Ball
L Louisa
B42 Avoca
LAKE CRESCENT
ECHO
Fleurieu Pt
FREYCINET
C Forestier
NATIONAL FREYCINET Weatherhead Pt
Dee Lagoon
TOOMS LAKE
PARK
PENINSULA
L Binney Mossy Marsh Pond
C Degerando
Tungatinah Lagoon
Oatlands
L Richmond
Lake Dulverton
SCHOUTEN ISLAND
C Faure
C Sonnerat
Pt Bailly Taillefer Rks
Bothwell Wayatinah Lagoon
Ile des Phoques
LAKE TIBERIAS Lake Catagunya
B31
Lake Repulse
L Curly
B110 Cluny Lagoon
Hamilton Meadowbank Lake
Triabunna
C Bougainville
Kempton
Orford
Ile du Nord
C Boullanger
A
L Daphne
Food & Wine
“ You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment. Fools stand on their island opportunities and look toward another land. There is no other land, there is no other life but this.” – Henry David Thoreau Being islanders – separated by the quixotic stretch of water that is Bass Strait – means that Tasmanians tend to get Thoreau’s call to life intuitively. That’s why ‘Tassie’ is the smallest State in Australia with the biggest reach and simply the best quality of life. Its regions – from east to west, and north to south – are all distinct, with their own diverse stories, responding with unique character to Thoreau’s call to living. Launceston Tamar & the North opens the door wide with a breeze to this philosophy, making living in the moment easy. Within the time of a big city commute, for example, you could be touring the State’s premier wine and beer producing region, tasting outstanding fresh produce prized by the world’s best chefs (either at farm gate or in restaurants recognised nationally), waking up in a country house hotel that marries the elegance of yesteryear with a funky take on today, or playing golf on the country’s best public golf course. The area’s seven great rivers – including the majestic Tamar, Australia’s longest navigable tidal estuary, and Tasmania’s longest river the South Esk – inspire you to reflect and go with the flow. Inside these pages, find out how to make Tasmania your own private island. And learn to launch yourself on every wave…
Contents Food & Wine: Escape the Mainstream......... 2 World Class Island: The A List: ................... 4 Wine: Women Who Love Vintage .............. 6 Dining Out: 5 Top Spots To Eat Out........... 13 Emerging Design: The Road Less Travelled Tara Badcock............................................. 14 Living Heritage: A Love of Town & Country................................................. 17 Living Heritage: The Top End of the Small Island............................................... 18 Outdoor Pursuits: Swing, wade, pedal, paddle, cruise................................. 22 Cafés, Shopping & Markets: Village Life................................................ 28 Events: A Seasonal Guide to Events in Launceston, Tamar & the North................. 31 Make Tasmanian your own private island: Visitor Information Centres....................... 35
Your Your Holiday Holiday Planner Planner 2009 2009 – Launceston, – Launceston, Tamar Tamar and & the North
1
Food & Wine
E
scape mainstream
the
2
You don’t need to cross the Equator to go overseas. Tasmania is Australia’s new world, where heritage is made funky and the rewards of village life are real.
Your Holiday Planner 2009 – Launceston, – Launceston, TamarTamar and the & the North North Zone
experience
It’s an experience... ...best told by the world class wines and cellar doors of the State’s premier wine-producing region of Launceston, Tamar & the North. And sourcing them is one of life’s more pleasant pasttimes, driving on blissfully trafficfree roads that wind, hook, dip and meander. En route, there’s a great diversity of natural beauty: from magnificent rainforests to paddocks lined with poplars, elms and cypress framed eastwards by the magnificent cliffs and plateau of Ben Lomond National Park (1570 m). In the foreground, fields of lavender mingling with the eucalypt smell of the bush. And everywhere, the big skies, broad views, and wide smiles of an authentic regional life – not far from anywhere once you get here.
All this will remind you at once of Tuscany, Devon and Provence. Van Gogh would have painted it. The north’s artists do. No coincidence, then, that the modern Tasmanian wine industry was born at Lalla’s Providence vineyard (formerly La Provence) of French winemaker Jean Miguet, who wanted to recreate his Provençale home.
Left page; Strathlynn Vineyard
Launceston, Tamar & the North’s winegrowers will tell you they consider themselves blessed: at their fingertips is the cleanest air in the world, the purest mountain water and the four distinct seasons of the mid-southern latitudes – perfect ingredients for premium quality wines for a world market. Great wine, outstanding fresh produce and restaurants with consistently rewarded reputations go hand in hand. Which is why the cellar doors and breweries, vineyard restaurants and farmers’ markets of Launceston, Tamar & the North offer some of the best gourmet experiences in the country. For more information (free from local Visitor Information Centres listed on page 35): Launceston Tamar Valley Wine Route Guide, and Wine Industry Tasmania Guide to Tasmania’s Wine Routes 2008-2009. Your Holiday Planner 2009 – Launceston, Tamar & the North
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A World Class Island
the
list
Launceston, Tamar & the North’s patchwork of fertile river valley, rich farmland and luscious vineyards joins with other regions in striving to achieve the very best in seasonal luxury. Here are some of the area’s global success stories.
Beer
Beer
James Boag’s Premium is the first Australian beer ever to win the Crystal Prestige award, received at the 2007 Monde Selection in Brussels, the world’s most renowned beer awards with brewers from all continents represented. The Crystal Prestige award is awarded to brands winning gold medals during ten consecutive years at the Monde Selection. James Boag’s Premium Light, Boag’s Draught, Boag’s Draught Light and Boag’s Strongarm also received gold medals, and Boag’s St George received a silver medal.
wine Wine
While Tasmania produces just 0.5% of the national crop, it makes up about 15% of the nation’s premium wines; in fact, one UK writer described the north’s cool climate as “the equivalent of a five-star spa for pinot noir and chardonnay” (Amelia Pinsent, Country Life, 2008). Wine awards are many and varied, and while smaller vineyards may choose not to enter, that doesn’t mean they don’t make excellent wines. Here are some of the region’s wines that have earned international and national recognition. Tamar Ridge Kayena Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2007 – Winner of the International Sauvignon Blanc Trophy 2008, Decanter World Wine Awards, London. Tamar Ridge Kayena Vineyard Botrytis Riesling 2006 – Trophy for Best Dessert Wine, 2008 Tri Nations Wine Challenge between Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, November 2008. Tamar Ridge Kayena Vineyard Botrytis Riesling 2005 – Gold and trophy, 2007 London International Wine Challenge. Bay of Fires Tigress Pinot Noir 2005 and Bay of Fires Tigress Riesling 2005 – Gold, Best in Class IWSC Awards 2007. Humbug Reach – Voted one of the ten best new wineries in Australia by James Halliday in his 2006 Australian Wine Companion.
Josef Chromy Pinot Noir 2006 – Named in the top 100 wines at the Sydney International Wine Show 2008 (the only Australian pinot nominated out of those that entered). Josef Chromy Botrytis Riesling 2007 – Gold and trophy for Best Sweet White Dessert Wine 2008 Royal Melbourne, and gold and trophy for Best Dessert Wine, 2008 Winewise Small Vigneron Awards. Josef Chromy Botrytis Riesling 2007 – 2nd, International Sweet Wine Challenge 2008. Chief Judge Huon Hooke said the wine was “stunningly good” and narrowly beaten for the trophy. Pipers Brook Riesling 2007 – Best Open Class Wine Trophy & Best Tasmanian Riesling, Canberra International Riesling Challenge 2008. Providence “Miguet” Reserve Pinot Noir 2002 – Grown at Providence Vineyards, made by Andrew Hood, and rated by James Halliday as amongst “the best of the best” (no longer available). Dalrymple Estate Pinot Noir 2007 – Gold, Switzerland’s 2008 Mondial du Pinot Noir Wine Show 2008. Dalrymple Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2008 – Gold, Perth Wine Show 2008. James Halliday has described Dalrymple’s sauvignon blanc as “near perfect as you can get in an imperfect world”. Brook Eden 2006 Pinot Noir – Gold, National Cool-Climate Wine Show 2007. Goaty Hill 2007 Riesling – Triple trophy winner, five gold medals including Sydney Royal Show and Hyatt Canberra International Riesling Challenge 2007. Moores Hill Estate Riesling 2008 – Gold medal and three trophies at the Royal Hobart International Wine Show 2008, including trophy for Best Riesling, Open Classes. Stoney Rise Pinot Noir 2006 – Trophy for Red Wine of the Show, Tri Nations Wine Challenge between Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, November 2008. Trophy also for Best Pinot Noir. Also two trophies at the Tasmanian Wine Show 2008, including Best Wine of Show.
I believe Tasmanian Sparkling Wine will be on equal footing with the great Champagne region of France. Anthony Keys, The Key Report 4
Your Holiday Planner 2009 – Launceston, Tamar & the North
Wherever I go around the world to countless global food markets, the only standout, in terms of green, clean produce, is what Tasmania generates. It’s truly on the map as a great food destination. Celebrity Grocer, Simon Johnson
sparkling wine Sparkling
Wine
The quality of Tasmanian sparkling wine has continued to improve over the past five years, and many premium sparkling wines now rival the world’s best. With a climate close to that of Champagne in France, the northeast region is known simply as “Sparkling Tasmania”, with Pipers River its unofficial capital. Some of Australia’s premium sparkling wines originate here. Jansz Tasmania Vintage Rose 2005 – Gold at Switzerland’s Mondial du Pinot Noir 2008. Bay of Fires’ Arras Sparkling Wine – Australia’s most awarded sparkling wine. Since its first release, it has won five gold medals at the National Wine Show of Australia, and the 2001 Arras received the Kit Stevens Memorial Trophy for the Best Bottle Fermented Sparkling White Wine of Show in 2007. Clover Hill 2001 – Top of its Class at the 2005 International Wine & Spirits Competition; Clover Hill 1998 and 1999 vintages, Winestate Magazine’s Australasian Sparkling Wine of the Year.
Wasabi Wasabi
Matt Marston’s Tasmanian Wasabi Products (Wasabi Pickle and Wasabi Dressing) won a Gold medal at the Royal Agricultural Society of Tasmania’s Royal Hobart Fine Food Awards, 2007. The Westbury wasabi grower is one of four northern growers who formed the Shima Wasabi cooperative a year ago, and who now boasts the largest amount of fresh wasabi grown in Australia, as well as the nation’s only hydroponic wasabi enterprise. Clients include Rockpool, Yoshi’s and Quay restaurants in Sydney, and the Japanese embassy in Canberra.
Salmon Salmon
41 Degrees South Aquaculture – Vogue Entertaining & Travel magazine Produce Awards 2006 (Finalist Baby Salmon) and 2007 (Finalist Classic Hot Smoked Salmon Snacks)
Saffron Saffron
Tas-Saff Saffron were winners of Vogue Entertaining & Travel magazine’s Best New Product Award 2005, and From the Earth Award 2007. Classified as Extra Category 1 saffron, Tas-Saff saffron exceeds the worldwide standard for saffron. Only 100mg of Tas-Saff saffron is needed to flavour and colour a dish for 4–8 people. Many other saffron producers recommend 500 mg to achieve the same result. Terry and Nicky Noonan’s 19-yearold business also won Telstra’s National Country Wide Regional Incentive Award in 2003.
A life of plenty: award winning regional produce photographed at the Mill Providore + Gallery, Launceston.
Cheese Cheese
Northern Tasmania has a long tradition of cheesemaking, consistently producing world championship cheeses. Heidi Farm Gruyère is a past winner of the Good Living Australian Cheese Awards and a Bodalla aged cheddar (from United Milk Tasmania’s Wynyard plant) eclipsed a field of over a thousand entries in the 2000 World Championship Cheese Contest in the United States. These are some of the more recent accolades: • Ashgrove Traditional Cloth Matured Cheddar – crowned Champion Cheddar Cheese at the 2006 Australian Grand Dairy Awards • Ashgrove Farm Cheese Wild Wasabi Flavoured Cheese – Champion Club Cheese at the Australian Dairy Industry Association Dairy Produce Awards, 2005 • Elgaar Farm Organic Clothbound Cheddar Champion Cheese • Heidi Farm Raclette – Champion Semi Hard & Eye Cheese, Australian Grand Dairy Awards 2008 • Pyengana Dairy Company, Gold (Best Cheddar) Australian Specialist Cheesemakers’ Association Show, 2008 • Tasmanian Heritage Traditional Camembert – Grand Champion Cheese, Australian Grand Dairy Awards 2008 • Tasmanian Heritage Signature Camembert – World’s Best Camembert, 2006 World Championship Cheese Contest, Wisconsin USA. The A List Checklist 41 Degrees South Aquaculture, 323 Montana Road, Deloraine 03 6362 4130 Ashgrove Tasmanian Farm Cheese, 6173 Bass Highway, Elizabeth Town 03 6368 1105 Bay of Fires Winery, 40 Baxters Road, Pipers River 03 6382 7622 J Boag & Son, The Brewery, 69 Esplanade, Launceston 03 6332 6332 Brook Eden, 167 Adams Road, Lebrina 03 6395 6244 Dalrymple Estate, 1337 Pipers Brook Road, Pipers Brook 03 6382 7229 Elgaar Farm Organic Dairy, Elgaar Farm, Deloraine 03 63681126 Goaty Hill Wines, Auburn Rd, Kayena 03 6391 9090 Jansz Tasmania Wine Room, 1216B Pipers Brook Road, Pipers Brook 03 6382 7066 Josef Chromy Tasmania, 370 Relbia Rd, Relbia 03 6335 8700 Lactos/National Foods (Tasmanian Heritage & Heidi Farm), National Foods Shop, 145 Old Surrey Road, Burnie 03 6433 9200 Moores Hill Estate, 3343 West Tamar Highway, Sidmouth 03 6394 7649 Pipers Brook Vineyard, 1216 Pipers Brook Road, Pipers Brook 03 6382 7546 Providence, 236 Lalla Road, Lalla 1800 992 967 Pyengana Dairy Company, St Columba Falls Road, Pyengana 03 6373 6157 Shima Wasabi 0417 519 093 Stoney Rise Wine Company, 96 Hendersons Lane, Gravelly Beach 03 6394 3678 Tamar Ridge Vineyard/Winery, 653 Auburn Road, Kayena 03 6394 1111 Tasmanian Saffron Pty Ltd, 155 Dillons Hill Road, Glaziers Bay 03 6295 1921 Your Holiday Planner 2009 – Launceston, Tamar & the North
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Wine
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Vintage who love
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Your Holiday Planner 2009 – Launceston, Tamar & the North
wine W
“ God made only water, but man made wine.”
So observed Victor Hugo in his 19th century “Les Contemplations”. These days women make wine too, and in Launceston, Tamar & the North they have starring roles in the State’s premier wine-producing region.
With its origins
in agriculture, men traditionally have made
wine. But in northern Tasmania, women are excelling in all aspects of this
vibrant industry. Natasha Neiuwhof, coordinator of the inaugural Taste of
the Tamar, and her business partner Kristine Grant run Goaty Hill Wines with family and friends. As seachangers from interstate, they love the
lifestyle balance the industry affords, and the area’s authentic sense of community.
Just after opening their new cellar door in 2007, Natasha remembers
getting a call from the Tamar Valley Wine Route Association: “They asked
We have in the Tamar Valley/Pipers River regions a Who’s Who of women winemakers. The next wave of wines from Tasmania is in very good hands.
if they could come and look at what we were doing. That was awesome! As the new kids on the block, it was great for us to get to know people on the Wine Route, and amazing to have others not only interested in us but willing to send their customers to our cellar door.”
feeling about what people are doing here, in a pristine environment with beautiful wines. “There are some amazing women working in wine in this valley alone,” she says, “often working side by side with their partners. At Velo, my husband, Michael, makes the wine, and I sell it. Without that love for what we’re doing together, and for Tasmania, we would be going nowhere.”
Chief winemaker Tamar Ridge, and one of the founding fathers of the modern Tasmanian wine industry
Brenda Bryce, with husband Stuart, has been running Providence in
Lalla, Tasmania’s oldest vineyard, for ten years. “Women like the wine industry because it’s non-sexist,” she says. “I married into it, but a lot of young people are doing degrees, and many of them are women.”
Dr Andrew Pirie
Mary Wilson of Velo Wines says you can’t help but get a good
In fact, in the Gourmet Traveller WINE 2008 Winemaker of the Year
Awards, half the nominees were women, and the major prizes were won by women.
These are accolades they may aspire to (quietly) themselves,
but Launceston, Tamar & the North’s three highly regarded female winemakers prefer to praise the region’s immense sense of community – unheard of in most other major industries – driven by a desire to share its pure love of making only high quality wines.
Main photograph: Some of the women working in the region’s wine industry, photographed at the home of Jansz Tasmania (left to right): Maxine Harris (manager, Jansz); Rebecca Wilson (winemaker, Holm Oak); Natasha Neiuwhof (Goaty Hill Wines); Lou Holyman (Stoney Rise); Natalie Fryar (winemaker, Jansz); Mary Dufort (Iron Pot Bay); Brenda Bryce (Providence); Sally McShane (Humbug Reach); Mary Wilson (Velo); Sue Stuart (Brook Eden).
Your Holiday Planner 2009 – Launceston, Tamar & the North
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the winemakers Wine
Natalie Fryar
THE wineMAKERS
wanted to be a winemaker from the age of 12, growing up surrounded by vineyards in Renalla, SA. After graduating from Roseworthy Agricultural College, and a career with many of Australia’s bestknown producers, she discovered her passion for sparkling winemaking at Seppelt’s Great Western vineyards before joining Jansz Tasmania in 2001. “It’s a challenge working in a traditionally male industry,” says Natalie. “But when you’re a winemaker, you’re a winemaker first. It’s how an individual responds to the vineyard or vintage, not whether you’re male or female.”
Natalie
Fryar
Natalie now lives for up to five months of the year in the Jansz vineyard, and the rest of the year in Angaston, SA. “The north of Tassie has a great community,” she says. “All the winemakers here are focussed on very similar things: making high quality, cool climate wines. Launceston has a great culture of wine and food, and excellent regional produce, and the whole area is extremely beautiful. As a winemaker, there aren’t many places in the world where you can get to go to the beach during vintage!” On distinctive characteristics of Pipers River/Pipers Brook: “The elevation and maritime effect mean it’s cooler in summer and warmer in winter – perfect for slow fruit ripening. Turkish Delight and rose petal characteristics are very evident, and specific, to the region in terms of wine, and the purity of the fruit is astounding.”
When you’re a winemaker, you’re a winemaker first. Natalie Fryar, Jansz Tasmania
Rebecca Wilson
Rebecca
Wilson
from Holm Oak at Rowella on the West Tamar River is one of the winemakers you’re likely to meet at her rustic cellar door. A native King Islander, she studied winemaking at Adelaide University, and worked at Napa Valley, Coonawarra and Capel Vale (where she was senior winemaker), before returning to Tasmania where she now leases an eight-hectare vineyard from her retired parents, Robyn and Ian Wilson. Rebecca lives at Holm Oak with her partner Tim Duffy, an agronomist, and a friendly pet pig called Pinot. Unsurprisingly, she believes Tasmania is the best place in Australia to make pinot noir. “I love the friendship between everyone in the valley,” says Rebecca, “and the willingness of people to help out. Winemaking itself really suits a family set-up. I’ve got a mirror inside the winery now – just before I go in to cellar door – so I can make sure I get the wine off my face first!” On distinctive West Tamar Valley characteristics: “A very consistent weather pattern, and warmer weather during the ripening period than elsewhere, provides plum and cherry fruit characters, and real depth of flavour.”
Fran Austin
Fran
Austin
from Kalgoorlie, studied winemaking at Adelaide’s Roseworthy Agricultural College and came to Tasmania in 2002 as winemaker/ manager of Bay of Fires Wines. Fran remembers being inspired by Australia’s “flying winemakers”, which led to her working in Burgundy and the southwest of France, and ultimately her fascination with méthode champenoise. Fran now oversees a sparkling wine (Bay of Fires Arras made by Ed Carr) that, in international blind tastings, is consistently identified as French. “When you see how young we are and the calibre of our wines, you can see the potential of where we’re heading,” says Fran. “Right now in France, where winemaking is hundreds of years old, they’re making the best wines they’ll ever make, whereas we have got so much more room to develop.” As a female winemaker she says she is nothing extraordinary, simply stating that “the more diverse your skill base, the stronger, more innovative and more versatile your industry: for that reason, it’s important to have a blend of men and women.” On distinctive Pipers River characteristics: “With a cooler climate, and being close to Bass Strait, Pipers River is naturally Tasmania’s sparkling capital, producing Jansz, Clover Hill, Kreglinger and Bay of Fires – all roughly within a 25 km radius.”
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Your Holiday Planner 2009 – Launceston, Tamar & the North
Advertorial
5Km To Bridport
Low Head
Low Head Historic Precinct
B82
DELAMERE
Greens Beach
11
Pipers River
George Town B82
10
B82
8
DALRYMPLE
9
PIPERS BROOK VINEYARD
JANSZ
To Scottsdale
C818
Beauty Point
A8 16
A7
GOATY HILL
15
13
C728
A7
19
GREY SANDS
5
PROVIDENCE
A8
C822
STONEY RISE
Exeter
To Devonport 20 B71
Tamar Valley
B81
C820
Hillwood
C729
18
Lebrina
C812
THREE WISHES
IRON POT BAY
6
CLOVER HIL L & LALLA GULLY
B73
Deviot MOOR ES HILL
B81
C813
Kayena
14
7
B83
17
C724
Beaconsfield
BROOK EDEN
C814
C809
HOLM TAMAR RIDGE Rowella OAK
Windermere
Lilydale
Lalla
B83
Rosevears
To East Tamar
ROSE VEARS VINEYARD
21
22
ROTHERHYTHE
23
NINTH ISLAND
Grindelwald To West Tamar
Rd
Relb
a
Rd
i
d
Evandale
1
rt R
To Hobart
C412
H o ba
Perth
WY DH
1
B41
C411
LAN
Relbia
C401 d
M ID
St
is Br
By Appointment
ss um
d
St
Set Times
Rd
dR
rst
1
To Hobart Rd. C402
in e
wo o
C401
th u
Daily
To Hobart
ant
C402
C411
KEY:
arr
nR
Qu
gto
A3
C402
To Devonport
Rd
s s in
A3
To Penquite Rd. & Relbia
t io n
B le
LAUNCESTON
A3
Sta
G le n
St
A8
ite R d
rk Yo
Pe n qu
an
Rd
To Scottsdale
H oba rt R d
isb
Ba
Br
hin
Hi g h S t
r
y
Rocherlea
Op o
G o d er i c h S t
a t Ta m We s
Hw
E lp
b
t eS
26
A7
LAUNCESTON CBD an e t nS so ter Pa Mall
B81
Legana VELO
A8
A7
To Elphin Rd. & C.B.D.
A8
C733
JIN GLERS CREEK
3
BUNDALEERA
1
Relbia
JOSEF CHROMY WINES
2
TAMAR VALLEY WINE ROUTE
Enjoy a sensational time in Tasmania’s Tamar Valley. Tour Tasmania’s Tamar Valley Wine Route and experience an extensive array of award-winning cool climate wines. These range from sparkling wines through to riesling, pinot gris, sauvignon blanc and chardonnay to our renowned pinot noir.
half or full day tour; to make arrangements call the Launceston Travel and Information Centre on 1800 651 827.
Enjoy the diversity of the Tamar Valley wineries from the familyrun producers to state of the art wineries and cellar doors.
Savour premium local fare at one of many cellar doors, choose from a fine dining experience to a light lunch or a delicious cheese plate. Enjoy morning or afternoon tea and coffee in tranquil surrounds.
Each vineyard and cellar door has its own special charm and character. Sample some of the Tamar Valley’s wines in a single day or immerse yourself by spending the recommended few days touring the Tamar Valley Wine Route. There are a number of tour companies that will guide you on a
Gather wines from the various vineyards to make a dozen and have them sent home insured for the cost of freight only.
www.tamarvalleywines.com.au P. 03 6332 9300
tvwr@branchoffice.com.au
Your Holiday Planner 2009 – Launceston, Tamar & the North
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Advertorial
HOUSE OF ANVERS
The House of Anvers contains a real chocolate taste sensation.
Premium farm fresh dairy products.
CHRISTMAS HILLS RASPBERRY FARM & CAFE The way life should taste!
Award winning handmade cheese, ice cream and milk. View the cheesemaking and maturing rooms and sample the premium cheeses. The shop sells exclusively Tasmanian produced gourmet foods complemented with light meals, coffees, milk drinks, wines and boutique beers. Open daily.
Situated midway between Deloraine and Elizabeth Town, our licensed lake side café caters for all raspberry cravings plus country style breakfasts and a log fire in winter.
9025 BASS HIGHWAY LATROBE, TAS 7307 P. 03 6426 2958 www.anvers-chocolate.com.au
6173 BASS HIGHWAY (A1) ELIZABETH TOWN, TAS 7304 P. 03 6368 1105 www.ashgrovecheese.com.au
BASS HIGHWAY ELIZABETH TOWN, TAS 7304 P. 03 6362 2186 www.raspberryfarmcafe.com
JANSZ TASMANIA
HOLM OAK
BOAG’S CENTRE FOR BEER LOVERS
Café open for breakfast, lunch, morning and afternoon teas. Museum, viewing area, garden walk and tasting centre. Free entry, easy parking. Open 7 days, 7am -7pm. Tasmanian Independent Retailer of the Year 2008.
Wine Room and Interpretive Centre.
10
ASHGROVE CHEESE
Premium hand crafted Tasmanian wines.
Lake side walk, raspberry takeaways and tastings, open 7 days, 7am-5pm.
Tour Australia’s Premium Brewery.
With a commitment to the finest European winemaking traditions and wine growing conditions similar to the regions of Champagne and Burgundy, be sure to make Jansz Tasmania a memorable stop on your tour of the Tamar Valley.
Established in 1983, Holm Oak is one of the older vineyards in the Tamar Valley.
The tour of Boag’s Brewery concludes with a unique and memorable tasting session.
Holm Oak is a boutique family owned winery producing all of their own wines on site, ensuring each wine has its own individual personality.
The building contains brewing memorabilia, the Boag family history and a merchandise retail shop.
1216B PIPERS BROOK ROAD PIPERS BROOK, TAS 7254 P. 03 6382 7066 www.jansztas.com
11 WEST BAY ROAD ROWELLA, TAS 7270 P. 03 6394 7577 www.holmoakvineyards.com.au
39 WILLIAM STREET LAUNCESTON, TAS 7250 P. 03 6332 6300 tours@boags.com.au
Your Holiday Planner 2009 – Launceston, Tamar & the North
Tours weekdays - bookings essential.
1WT OQWPVCKP DCUG ECOR JCU CNN VJG DCUKE PGEGUUKVKGU
.QI ĂŒ TG OKNM DCVJ OCUUCIG CPF QWVFQQT JQV VWD Snowy peaks cloned by a lake’s dark mirror. Wildlife gathering at dusk. An evocative wilderness gallery. This is the real Cradle Mountain. Imagine it. Discover it. Experience it. Only at Cradle Mountain Chateau. Call 1800 656 111 or book online at www.puretasmania.com.au
Stay at the heart of
The multi-award winning Country Club
northern Tasmania, and don’t miss a beat.
Tasmania is at the heart of everything northern Tasmania has to offer – just a short drive from historic homes, museums, arts and crafts, country markets and some of Tasmania’s renowned wineries. Make Country Club Tasmania your base for exploring the north. Enjoy an evening of fine dining, at the Terrace Restaurant, a game of tennis, an invigorating 18 holes on our championship golf course, or simply relax with a casual lunch and some quiet time by the lake. Phone 1800 301 490 for bookings www.countryclubtasmania.com.au
Shouldn’ t you be h ere?
Country Club Ave, Prospect Vale,Your Launceston www.countryclubtasmania.com.au Holiday Planner – Launceston, Tamar and the North Zone
11
Advertorial
COUNTRY CLUB TASMANIA
THE GORGE RESTAURANT
With only the best on our menu.
Located in Launceston’s Cataract Gorge Cliff Grounds.
STILLWATER RIVER CAFÉ, RESTAURANT & WINE BAR
With four bars and five different styles of dining on offer - including the multi award-winning fine dining Terrace Restaurant, Launceston’s best buffet at Links Cafe, and delicious woodfired pizza from Bolters Pizzeria and Bar you’ll need more than one night to enjoy the tastes of Country Club!
Quality food showcasing Tasmania’s finest produce, matched with an extensive wine list and friendly service. A crackling log fire sets the atmosphere in winter, with alfresco dining in summer. Open Tuesday to Sunday from 12 noon for lunch and open Tuesday to Saturday from 6.30pm for dinner.
By day, Stillwater offers a casual café atmosphere with outdoor dining overlooking the Tamar River. At night, Stillwater becomes a multi award winning modern Australian dining experience wrapped in the ambience only an 1830s flour mill can provide. Reservations recommended.
COUNTRY CLUB AVENUE PROSPECT, TAS 7250 P. 03 6335 5777 www.countryclubtasmania.com.au
CATARACT GORGE CLIFF GROUNDS, LAUNCESTON P. 03 6331 3330 www.launcestoncataractgorge.com.au
RITCHIES MILL, PATERSON ST LAUNCESTON, TAS 7250 P. 03 6331 4153 www.stillwater.net.au
MUD BAR & RESTAURANT
DANIEL ALPS AT STRATHLYNN
PIERRE’S
In the marina-side development at the Old Launceston Seaport, Mud Bar and Restaurant encompasses a sixty five seat dining room, al fresco waterfront dining and a plushly-furnished lounge bar. Mud offers flexibility and finesse for lunch and dinner seven days, and a bar menu from midday all week.
Surrounded by vines & centuries-old oak trees, perched high above the Tamar River with picturesque views over the mountains, combined with Chef Daniel Alps and his passion for the finest local produce… it doesn’t get much better than this.
Located in the heart of Launceston’s CBD, Pierre’s has been admired by locals and travellers for over 50 years. This iconic establishment offers great coffee, stylish decor, local and international wines by the glass and all day Brasserie Dining designed to suit everyone. Reservations recommended.
28 SEAPORT BOULEVARDE LAUNCESTON, TAS 7250 P. 03 6334 5066 www.mudbar.com.au
95 ROSEVEARS DRIVE ROSEVEARS, TAS 7277 P. 03 6330 2388 strathlynn@pipersbrook.com
88 GEORGE STREET LAUNCESTON, TAS 7250 P. 03 6331 6835 www.pierres.net.au
Modern Italian-influenced restaurant and lounge bar.
12
Your Holiday Planner 2009 – Launceston, Tamar & the North
Top vineyard dining experiences.
Tasmania’s Oldest Brasserie Café. Established 1956.
5
Dining Out
top spots
to eat out
Trudi Jenkins, one of the nation’s best known foodies, nominates her favourite eating out experiences in the State’s fine dining region.
1 2 1 3 5 4 5
In the daytime Stillwater offers water views through swaying reeds
Main photograph: Stillwater “Rockpool” with green lip abalone, scallop, southern octopus, dashi jelly, sesame, seaweed and cress.
and weeping willow outside; by night the dining room glows with soft light and a rare warmth. Always there’s Don Cameron’s cleverly finessed modern marriage of flavours and techniques from Asia and Europe.
4
It’s a little bit of a drive to Strathlynn, but when that drive is along the banks of the Tamar, that’s part of the attraction! The destination is no less special with the unpretentious dining room’s panoramic views of the river and Daniel’s respectful and elegantly simple way of handling excellent local produce that often, it seems, only he knows how to find! With his Slow Food philosophy, Daniel also prefers a website-free life. A regular award winner, The Terrace has hit its straps since executive chefs Brad French and Sean Keating arrived from Melbourne. Blown away by Tasmanian produce, they’ve become passionate champions of the local Wessex saddleback pigs and beef from the pristine pastures of Cape Grim. Save space for the cheese board, including Tasmania’s Tongola goat’s cheese, Bruny Island’s Lewis, and local cloth-wrapped
cheddars,
all
served
beautifully,
and
correctly,
at room temperature.
2
The world seems a far calmer place once settled at Fee and Me with a snowy-clothed table and a glass of local sparkling in your hand. Peter Crowe’s assured confidence on the floor and Fiona Hoskin’s skill at the stoves help ensure that. I can’t resist Fiona’s hare pie with its light and cheesy Parmesan soufflé top. Their newer Hobart branch is getting all the publicity, but I have a soft
3
spot for the original Me Wah in Launceston and its long history of serving Cantonese favourites with a strong wine list that boasts both local and international benchmark drops.
where to find the 5 top spots: Stillwater, Ritchies Mill, Paterson St, Launceston 03 6331 4153 www.stillwater.net.au; Daniel Alps at Strathlynn, 95 Rosevears Rd, Rosevears 03 6330 2388; The Terrace at the Country Club, Country Club Ave, Prospect 03 6335 5777 www.countryclubtasmania.com.au; Fee and Me, Morton House, 190 Charles St, Launceston 03 6331 3195 www.feeandme.com.au; Me Wah, 39- 41 Invermay Rd, Launceston 03 6331 1308 www.mewah.com.au
Trudi Jenkins is editor-in-chief of delicious. & Vogue Entertaining + Travel magazines
Your Holiday Planner 2009 – Launceston, Tamar & the North
13
R Emerging Design
the
14
oad
Your Holiday Planner 2009 – Launceston, Tamar & the North
less travelled The regional north has long been a home for renowned artists and designers: Michael McWilliams, Philip Wolfhagen and Rex Heathcote to name a few. But blog and Facebook-friendly emerging artists are increasingly making the area home, inspired by a relaxed lifestyle and a love of nature.
tara badcock
P
P
Paris + Tasmania
is the bold name with the alluring reach that textile artist Tara Badcock uses for her original line of couture, homewares and art pieces. It’s bold – until you realise it tells the perfect story. After nearly three years spent struggling as an artist in Paris while supporting herself as an au pair, Launceston-born Tara decided to return to Tasmania to make a living as a textile artist. She now lives in a Chudleigh farmhouse (just up the road from Exton where she grew up), her sewing room stacked with vintage fabrics from floor to ceiling. And it’s here she has created her unique style: marrying French boudoir with north Tassie farmhouse chic. Incroyable! But it works. Her finely worked and treasured pieces are where haute couture meets domesticity: qualities the talented Tasmanian has evolved through her “Tea Cosy Revolution”, which achieved national attention in 2006. These elaborate, limited edition (they’re all numbered) tea cosies evolved after many sessions spent talking with friends over cups of tea. A dislike of teabags meant a craving for teapots that needed to be kept warm. So a domestic purpose inspired high art: finely embroidered cosies made from vintage fabrics found in Paris flea markets or friends’ barns, and wool from Launceston’s Waverley Woollen Mill. The result so breathtaking, you don’t know whether to use them or frame them! Along with other emerging young designers, Tara’s return to the region was welcomed greatly by the design community because, for
Verandah living: a marriage of French boudoir and Tassie farmhouse chic
out over a blooming country garden and paddocks dotted with sheep. “We’re right at the beginning of what’s happening in this region and it’s quite exciting. This is a beautiful, diverse part of the State, from west to east. Each one of us as artists will have areas or environments of Tasmania that inspire us. But here in the north, we have more space around us so that we can shine a bit more… Being here has taught me so much about the world and the natural cycles that are so essential to the way we live. Things are beautifully formed if they’re given space.”
It’s easier to get a perspective when you’re living in a place with perspective. Tara Badcock, Chudleigh Textile Designer decades, many Tasmanian designers have found it easier to leave the State to achieve success. In the past five years, however, the trend has reversed, observes Dr Astrid Wootton, director of the Design Centre, Tasmania.
“Tasmania has developed a real name for itself in exciting
contemporary design,” says Astrid. “Increasingly it’s becoming a place where young designers don’t feel they have to leave. A real illustration of that is that the bigger institutions like the Design Centre no longer tell the whole story. Instead, we’re also seeing the success of independent, artist-run initiatives and small enterprises such as the Mill Providore + Gallery, Cocoon, Gallery 242 and our own Maker’s Market. These are building now to a critical mass – and are one of the reasons young people no longer feel the need to leave.”
Another is Tasmania’s enviable lifestyle. “We’re in a privileged
EMERGING DESIGNERS TO WATCH IN LAUNCESTON, TAMAR & THE NORTH Odette Arrieta-Shadbolt – Perth textile artist; work featured on handbags available through the Design Centre; Claire Barker – Dilston expressionist painter, work online at RedBubble.com; Andrew Bartlett – Deloraine furniture/designer maker; work available through the Design Centre; Gemma Burns – Invermay children’s clothing designer inspired by vintage and selling through local markets; online blog at http://lozanddinny.blogspot. com; Rye Dunsmuir – Launceston furniture designer, pieces available through the Design Centre; Anita Dineen – Launceston art jeweller and printmaker; pieces available through the Design Centre; Hideyo (Maya McDonell & Sam Beckman) – Golden Valley textile designer & paper artist; handbags and paper art available through Cocoon; Vikashni Moyle – Youngtown textile artist specializing in soft toy creations at http://thepurplefinch.wordpress.com; Matt Prince – Launceston furniture designer/maker www.mattprincedesigns. com; Troy Ruffels – Forth visual/digital artist represented in Australia by Bett Gallery Hobart www.troyruffels.com
This Chudleigh farmhouse (pictured left) is home to textile designer Tara Badcock.
position here,” says Tara, sitting on her verandah sipping tea, looking
REX HEATHCOTE FURNITURE Creators of beautiful furniture.
In our showroom, situated in front of the factory, we have on display fine furniture and gift pieces that will demonstrate to you the quality and fine manufacturing of our furniture. Furniture can be made on consignment and delivery arranged.
20 HERBERT STREET, INVERMAY, TAS 7248 P. 03 6331 0183 www.rexheathcote.com Your Holiday Planner 2009 – Launceston, Tamar & the North
15
Advertorial
WESTBURY GINGERBREAD COTTAGES Spend your nights in a colonial co�age in historic Westbury.
Not just a room – Westbury Gingerbread Cottages offer a complete colonial cottage for your exclusive use. The historic village of Westbury, established in the 1820s, is your perfect base from which to explore Launceston, Devonport, Tamar wineries, Cradle Mountain, Mole Creek Caves, the Northwest and nearby historic villages. For that romantic getaway or family get-together, we have six delightfully unique cottages dating from the 1850s. All have fully equipped kitchens, and we supply everything you need for a big breakfast.
52 WILLIAM STREET, WESTBURY, TAS 7303 P. 1800 244 662 www.westburyco�ages.com.au
THE TRAIL OF THE TIN DRAGON Eight experiences. One Trail.
The Trail of the Tin Dragon interprets the story of the European and Chinese tin miners who came to work in North-East Tasmania at the turn of the century. From Launceston to St Helens, the Trail winds its way through stunning scenery and historic townships, each with its own remarkable story to tell. The Trail’s centrepiece, the Tin Centre in Derby, is open 7 days featuring cafe, shop, and the spellbinding ‘Life, the Universe and Tin’ multimedia presentation.
51-53 MAIN STREET, DERBY, TAS 7264 P. 03 6354 1062 www.trailofthetindragon.com
HATHERLEY HOUSE
An 1830s imposing Italianate mansion set in an acre of sublime heritage gardens. Hatherley House voted Best B&B in Australia by Gourmet Traveller. One of the Best New 80 Hotels in the World, Condé Nast Traveler. Architectural award for Interior Design. Hatherley was transformed into a convivial hotel that feels more like a London Club than a B&B, full of fine architectural features and an eclectic mix of colonial antiques, Oriental statues, African carved figures, exotic Indian chairs, and Tasmanian artwork. Nine suites – Superior or Deluxe, all designed to maximise your appreciation for the finer things in life.
43 HIGH STREET, LAUNCESTON, TAS 7250 P. 03 6334 7727 www.hatherleyhouse.com.au 16
Your Holiday Planner 2009 – Launceston, Tamar & the North
LC ountry A
Living Heritage
oveof town
&
History is never boring when you live, work, sleep or eat in it. Which is why sheds, shacks, jetties and barns are considered just as important to Launceston, Tamar & the North’s heritage as its elegant public buildings, historic private homes and well-preserved estates.
L
Launceston is noted as having one of the best-preserved early cityscapes in Australia, featuring elegant Colonial and Victorian buildings, as well as shades of an Art Deco past that somehow survived the national urge of the 1960s to demolish. Instead, with one eye on design, northern Tasmanians also cultivated the self-sufficient arts of recycling and, well, making do. The results? Making it better – and so much sexier than a skyscraper! A Victorian bandstand, an Art Deco fire station, the Queen Victoria Museum & Art Gallery established in old railway workshops, and a Victorian maternity hospital transformed into a multi-million dollar home…just some of the treasures. Here, heritage seems lived in, rather than placed behind a glass case for Sunday viewing only. You can even shop in it. And as beautiful as the shop fronts are, don’t forget to look up.
Main photograph: Quamby Estate, Hagley
Your Holiday Planner 2009 – Launceston, Tamar & the North
17
Living Heritage
T small island The
op end of the
The majestic country estates, homesteads and townhouses of Launceston, Tamar & the North marry old world elegance with new world chic. A contemporary twist (purely Tasmanian) is how relaxed the grandeur can feel.
J
Main photograph: Quamby Estate. Above, left to right: Peppers Calstock, Deloraine; Hatherley House, Launceston; Quamby Estate, Hagley; Hargate, Launceston
Just 20 minutes’ drive from the heart of Launceston is a view John
Constable might have painted: softly undulating green fields, lanes lined with avenues of 150 year old hawthorn, poplar and elm trees, an elegant church spire in the near distance…and, in the foreground, breathtaking Quamby Estate. Completed in the 1830s, this homage to Anglo-Indian architecture was commonly known as “Tasmania’s Government House of the north,” a reference to a former resident, the State’s first Tasmanianborn Premier, Sir Richard Dry.
Quamby, owned by ex-Voyages Grant Hunt, is now a luxury retreat
and public golf course, as well as the walking base for Anthology Travel’s Tasmanian experiences: Cradle Mountain Huts and Bay of Fires Walks. A $10 million Pike Withers interior redesign has replaced heavy red Regency stripes with the trademarks of a minimalist’s sense of luxury:
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Your Holiday Planner 2009 – Launceston, Tamar & the North
magnolia white walls, white organza curtains, and a white linen dining room contrasted with the vibrancy of jewel-coloured contemporary landscapes by local artists (in this case, northern Tasmania’s Tony Smibert and Patrick Grieve). “You can eat formally in the dining room or ‘dag around’ in the kitchen talking to the chef,” says manager Liz Frankham, with the warm and friendly informality characteristic of Tasmanians. “We’re all about making heritage sexy,” she says. “Not living in the past, but making the past relevant to today.” It’s a style evoked similarly at Hatherley House, Launceston, the muchawarded “Hip Hotel” voted one of the best 80 new hotels in the world by Condé Nast Traveler. The magnificent 1830s mansion was a townhouse
for the Grubb family who were major investors in the Tasmanian Gold Mine at Beaconsfield. Now, as a B&B with the ambience of a private club, Hatherley is the personal canvas of current owner and renowned Tasmanian hotelier Flora de Kantzow, Travel + Leisure magazine’s Australian Travel Innovator of the Year 2006. Together with Tasmanian architect Robert Morris-Nunn, her prize-winning creative sensibility rocketed heritage design out of the lace and doily era – without leaving home. “You can get anything you want in Tasmania,” says Flora, standing in Hatherley’s welcoming reception hall, pointing out a classic British Raj chair, an African woodcarving, and a huge Lindsay Broughton canvas. “I source everything here.” A serious French influence is paramount at both Peppers Calstock, near riverside Deloraine, and newly opened Hargate House in Launceston. British Tatler Magazine described Peppers Calstock as “the most enchanting small hotel on the planet”. Just half an hour from Launceston, it conjures up the very best of European country house hotels, with all of
We’re all about making heritage sexy. Not living in the past, but making the past relevant to today. Liz Frankham, Quamby
the privacy of a French chateau – set against the unique natural beauty of northern Tasmania’s Great Western Tiers.
luxury
The 18th century mansion Calstock was designed to feature exactly what you would expect to find in a gentleman’s home: solid cedar doors, marble mantelpieces, fine plaster mouldings in 16-foot ceiling rooms – all features that remain intact today. Originally revived by Remi and Ginette Bancal (now further west at the Provençale Glencoe Rural Retreat), Calstock is now managed by Linda and Daniel Tourancheau with a focus on exceptional food and wine: the wine list features 250 different wines, and a gourmand’s menu is provided by Daniel, who has Michelin restaurant experience. Many well-travelled guests also claim the hotel features “the biggest bedroom in the world”. With sweeping views of century-old elms and oak trees, you know you’re in the country. If you prefer a city base, the recently opened Hargate is a luxury, National Trust-listed guesthouse offering indulgent seclusion just seven minutes walk from the heart of Launceston. Personalised “butler style” service, an elegant five course champagne breakfast, and classic afternoon teas served on arrival are some of the highlights hosts Karen and Mark Baigent have conjured, having researched in person the finer nuances of the typical European country house hotel. Hargate, though, is very much a part of the northern capital: the official opening was designed as “The Mayor’s Garden Party”, held in Hargate’s rose gardens. “We exist in the community, we should be a part of it,” says Mark. “In fact, it’s in our business plan.” It’s this very grounded sense that is unique to Tasmanian’s sense of luxury. Being friendly in a community sense is not a means – it’s an end in itself. A stay in these former grand homes can’t help but make you feel elegant. All you need ask yourself is: “Why shouldn’t it be me?”
A-List Address Book: Hargate 191 George Street, Launceston 03 6334 7063; Hatherley House 43 High Street, Launceston 03 6334 7727; Peppers Calstock Highland Lakes Road, Deloraine 03 6362 2642; Quamby Estate 1145 Westwood Road, Hagley 03 6392 2211 Other living heritage accommodation Brickendon Farm & Historic Accommodation Stay in one of five farm cottages in this historic convict village, twenty minutes from Launceston. Woolmers Lane Road, Longford 03 6391 1251; Craiganor Regency townhouse offering luxury self-catering accommodation on the edge of the CBD. 13 York Street, Launceston 0438 055 850; Fitzpatrick’s Inn Classic Georgian inn in historic Westbury dating back to the 1830s and offering B&B accommodation and restaurant. 56 Meander Valley Road, Westbury 03 6393 1153; Kateland Manor Estate B&B boutique accommodation (c 1910) set on a 288-acre estate in the Tamar Valley. 170 West Arm Road, Beauty Point 0418 128 742; The Racecourse Inn National Trust listed, convict built Georgian coaching inn and restaurant. 114 Marlborough Street, Longford 03 6391 2352; Mountford Granary Provides farm-stay accommodation for art lovers in Illawarra Road, Longford 03 6391 1832; The Red Feather Inn One of Van Diemen’s Land’s first coaching inns, first licensed in 1842, now operating as boutique luxury accommodation. 42 Main Road, Hadspen 03 6393 6506; Somercotes Homestead Stay in cottages occupied for many years by families who emigrated in the 1820s from England. Heritage Highway, Ross 03 6381 5231; Woolmers Estate Colonial Cottages 1840s free settlers’ cottages, near the home of the National Rose Garden. Woolmers Lane, Longford 03 6391 2230.
Your Holiday Planner 2009 – Launceston, Tamar & the North
19
Advertorial
NATIONAL TRUST OF AUSTRALIA (TASMANIA)
HERITAGE HIGHWAY REGION
BEACONSFIELD MINE & HERITAGE CENTRE
The National Trust of Australia (Tasmania) offers throughout the State the greatest collection of historic colonial properties regularly open to the public. The properties include Clarendon, Franklin House, Old Umbrella Shop, Norfolk Plains Heritage Centre and Lake Masonic Lodge.
Experience the rich stories of the Heritage Highway, where a thread of Georgian villages reveals the extraordinary legacy of convicts, scoundrels and pioneers. Gracious homes, elegant churches and mellowed sandstone surround specialty shops, fine eateries, gentle walks and trout-filled rivers.
Imagine visiting a place where time stands still…where genuine smiles welcome you, and strangers make time to chat. A place where history is alive, displays are to be played with and gold is under your feet…..
413 HOBART ROAD LAUNCESTON, TAS 7249 P. 03 6344 6233 www.nationaltrus�as.org.au
P.O. BOX 156 LONGFORD, TAS 7301 P. 03 6397 7315 www.heritagehighway.com.au
WEST STREET BEACONSFIELD, TAS 7270 P. 03 6383 1473 www.beaconsfieldheritage.com.au
ENTALLY ESTATE
HARGATE
QUAMBY ESTATE
The grounds of Entally are park-like and include magnificent gardens, the oldest Conservatory in Australia and a Cricket Ground which once hosted the England 11. The vast buildings of Entally take people back to an earlier time when carriages were fast transport and labour was employed to work the fields.
Hargate is an immersion in the opulence and grandeur of Tasmania’s rich heritage. With stately rooms, exquisite décor, sumptuous bathrooms, marble fireplaces, central heating and special touches including silver service ‘champagne’ breakfasts and evening turn down, your comfort is assured.
Built in the 1830s, the peaceful and secluded Quamby Estate is set in 64 hectares of picturesque countryside, just 20 minutes drive from Launceston. Experience a taste of days gone by without compromising the modern comforts of a luxury lodge in the impeccably restored homestead.
MEANDER VALLEY ROAD HADSPEN, TAS 7290 P. 03 6393 6201 www.entally.com.au
191 GEORGE STREET LAUNCESTON, TAS 7250 P. 0416 155 105 www.hargate.com.au
1145 WESTWOOD ROAD HAGLEY, TAS 7292 P. 03 6392 2211 www.quambyestate.com.au
Well worth a visit.
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Your Holiday Planner 2009 – Launceston, Tamar & the North
The Historic Heart of Tasmania.
Tasmania’s most indulgent and exclusive boutique guesthouse.
Come and play with our history…
We invite you to discover for yourself, our living history.
Relax and unwind at Quamby’s country estate.
Advertorial
RED FEATHER INN Unique boutique accommodation.
BRICKENDON
Offering visitors an opportunity to experience the best of early colonial Tasmania.
Unravel time and be absorbed by this unique Tasmanian heritage coaching inn.
Nominated for World Heritage Listing, Brickendon is a magnificent 420ha rural estate, owned by the Archer family since 1824 and now in its 7th generation. Brickendon offers many attractions including quaint cottage accommodation, glorious heritage gardens, fishing & farm animals, & a unique convict built Farm Village complex complete with a delightful gothic chapel. Visit for the day or stay the night, either way you will be fascinated and captivated by this beautiful property.
Rich with history, the recently restored Red Feather Inn is now home to exceptional boutique accommodation situated only 10km south west of Launceston.
Brickendon Farm Village Attraction open Tue–Sun 9.30am–5.00pm.
42 MAIN STREET HADSPEN, TAS 7290 P. 03 6393 6506 www.redfeatherinn.com.au
WELLINGTON STREET, LONGFORD TAS 7301 P. 03 6391 1383 www.brickendon.com.au
BRIDESTOWE LAVENDER ESTATE One of the world’s largest commercial lavender farms.
As one of the most visited and most photographed sites in Tasmania, Bridestowe is literally a little piece of Provence in the Tasmanian landscape. 120 acres of productive lavender fields are contoured around the gently undulating landscape dominated by Mount Arthur. The lavender plants grown on the Estate originated from a bag of seeds collected in the French Alps and brought to Tasmania for cultivation. Two magnificent 125-year-old oak trees in the fields add further drama to the spectacular vista and provide shady picnic and viewing spots for visitors. Bridestowe Lavender Estate is 50km from Launceston on the North East Trail to the east coast and is a unique and unforgettable experience combining the opportunity of seeing the world’s largest privately-owned commercial lavender farm in operation and breathtaking scenery. Visitors are welcome all year round. Bridestowe fine lavender products are available for purchase at the Visitors’ Centre or via the internet.
296 GILLESPIES ROAD, NABOWLA, TAS 7260 P. 03 6352 8182 www.bridestowelavender.com.au Your Holiday Planner 2009 – Launceston, Tamar & the North
21
S Outdoor Pursuits
wing, wade, pedal, paddle, cruise...
Killing the mobile phone is possible if you live for the great outdoors. Whether it’s golf, cycling, motoring, kayaking, or fly fishing, here are some of the heart-stopping ways to escape (to yourself!) in Launceston, Tamar & the North
dr paul gibson, fly fisher
Sydney-based mediator and arbitrator
22
“In Tasmania I fell in love with a sport that has now become a passion. Since first learning to fly fish with Daniel Hackett of Riverfly, I’ve revisited many times, always around Launceston and with Daniel – an extraordinarily good fly fisherman and teacher.
(platypuses brushing past your legs), comparatively isolated in terms of
We’ve fished the North and South Esk Rivers, the lower Macquarie River, Brumbys Creek, the Four Springs lakes, and the St Patricks River. Of all of these, Brumbys and St Patricks are my standout favourites – St Patricks in particular for its beauty and tranquillity. I’ve waded creeks and rafted rivers and lakes, always catching fish.
much further away. I’ve fished the Snowy Mountains – it’s also beautiful,
When people ask me ‘why Tasmania’, I put my answer simply. ‘I left home in suburban Sydney at 5.30am, and by 11.10am, not only was I in one of the world’s most pristine and picturesque places, I had caught my first fish!’
Thirty minutes from Launceston Airport places you in a wilderness – a quiet, peaceful place; tranquil and free of city noise, alive with nature
feeling that borders on the sublime. As I leave, I start planning my next
Your Holiday Planner 2009 – Launceston, Tamar & the North
other fishermen, and you’re sure to catch fish on the fly. Where else can you do that?
I’ve fished New Zealand – it’s beautiful too, it can be crowded with
many keen anglers, the fish are larger, a little harder to catch, and it’s but there aren’t many fish, they’re much harder to catch, and still seven hours from Sydney. I’ve fished in country NSW – it’s not so beautiful, there aren’t many fish, there are too many fishermen, and it’s still three or four hours from Sydney. Each time I’ve left my fly fishing experiences in northern Tasmania, as
I take off in the plane, I feel so satisfied and so relaxed. The sheer physical beauty of the place, the almost untainted countryside and the lack of city bustle set it aside and above other comparable places to fly fish. It is a visit.” – Dr Paul Gibson
targa
Peter Hall, motoring editor
The Daily Telegraph (UK) & Targa Tasmania competitor 2008
“Targa Tasmania is a daunting challenge for anyone, more so when you’re 17,000 km from home. Shipping our classic 1969 Triumph GT6 from London was surprisingly easy, but co-driver Franca Davenport and I were full of jetlagged apprehension as the Spirit of Tasmania ferry slid into Devonport. Yet from the moment we stepped out into the cool, perfumed air, blinking at the bright golden dawn, we knew we wouldn’t be disappointed. We set off for Rally HQ at the comfy Country Club Hotel and Casino in Launceston, with a fabulous breakfast en route at the Anvers House of Chocolate in Latrobe, the first of countless delicious meals during our two-week stay. Even as a well-travelled motoring journalist, I can’t think of any country in the world where I’ve eaten better food.
While recovering from jetlag, we had a few days to look around and even preview some of the northern rally stages. A helicopter flight to George Town revealed more of the ever-surprising landscape, here reminiscent of Devon but with better beaches. And at nearby Longford, the remains of the road circuit that in the 1950s and 1960s hosted the Australian Grand Prix and numerous Tasman races. The Chequered Flag pub is chock full of memorabilia and poignant reminders of the hideous risks that drivers took in those days. Every motorsport fan would enjoy a few beers there.
I don’t know if the Aston Martin DB9 GT was built for Tasmania or Tasmania was built for the Aston Martin, but I had the most delightful drive.
More entertainment to come: an Aussie Rules football match, hot laps of the Symmons Plains Raceway and a pre-rally party, but the event itself was what we’d come for and it certainly lived up to its billing as the world’s ultimate tarmac rally. Much of the detail is a blur, but vivid impressions will linger forever. Early morning starts, with mist lingering in the valleys beneath impossibly clear skies. Ribbons of empty asphalt snaking to the horizon... Forested mountain roads like the Sideling stage, a test of such twisting complexity that it could have been the insane dream of an adrenaline ride designer. Narrow, heavily cambered, bumpy, slippery on the damp patches, forever undulating, this was driving in four dimensions (the fourth being time) and a real test of nerve. Encouraged by Franca’s calm voice reading the pace notes, I threw the GT6 at the road and it clung and slid and roared and squealed and somehow stayed out of the trees.
Warren Brown
Top Gear Presenter, SBS TV
Devastating when we suffered serious mechanical failure and missed two days’ rallying, but with the help of a touching number of new Tasmanian friends we were able to rejoin at the halfway stage and reach the finish in Hobart. As we drove back north, with a romantic sunset filling the windscreen, we wished we didn’t have to leave Tasmania. Life would feel depressingly ordinary until we returned. – Peter Hall Read a full account of Peter Hall’s adventures in Tasmania online at www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring.
Andy Uhl, White Water Rafter
Cataract Extreme participant 2007, from Okere Falls, New Zealand
Photo: Rick Eaves
Fly fishing images © Daniel Hackett and Brad Harris, from In Season – A Year of Fly Fishing Highlights published by H2Media. Peter Hall image © The Examiner.
Or driven better roads. We’d been told that Tasmania might remind us of England, but it far surpassed our expectations. Winding through a landscape by turns picturesque and breathtakingly dramatic, the roads were wider, smoother and emptier than we’d imagined.
“A slalom race in Launceston is actually quite cool – right in the middle of town. Normally you’re kayaking in an alpine area, a long way from civilization. But here, you come off the river, having paddled some really classy whitewater, and can have scallops on a plate at a restaurant that’s right there! Up until recently, Launceston was my favourite place in the world to extreme kayak. I’ve since discovered Cherry Creek in California, but it’s 3000 metres above sea level and takes a day to walk in! Cataract Extreme is still a one-off in my view. I’d thoroughly recommend competing in it.” Your Holiday Planner 2009 – Launceston, Tamar & the North
23
Outdoor Pursuits
Absolutely stunning. I think that this is not only one of Australia’s best, it is one of the best courses in the world – old or new. Geoff Ogilvy Australian professional golfer and winner of the 2006 US Open, on Barnbougle Dunes Golf Links at Bridport – Australia’s Top Public Golf Course (2009 Golf Course Guide)
Barnbougle Dunes Peter Newlinds, Amateur Golfer
ABC sports broadcaster, Hobart “From the simple pleasures of a nine-hole municipal course to the elegant grandeur of Royal Sydney and the opulence of a top of the range county club, nothing comes close to the spectacle, the beauty, the sheer golfing thrill of Barnbougle Dunes. Created in a classic Links style, sculpted from sand dunes between ocean beach and farming land, Barnbougle is set up for the golfing romantic and for players who are serious about testing their game. When you travel up the driveway and start to size her up, the scale of the achievement, the golf course draws you in slowly, not a tree in sight, flags blowing stiff in the breeze, the menacing “marram grass” bordering every fairway. It’s tough golf but in a setting almost too good to be true, as if taken from a tourist poster. From Barnbougle’s elevated tee’s the views are clear to the coastal town of Bridport to the west and, on a fine day, the coast of Flinders Island to the north east. The sands of Anderson Bay are the only port of call for Bass Strait breakers rolling in from miles out to sea. The course is scary-hard but beautiful. Lush fairways, hideous rough (bring plenty of spare balls) and moonscape bunkers give the place an outer worldly feel. The winds off the bay demand precise shot-making, but at the same time lather the golfer in fresh air and a dash of salt spray. Feel alive? You bet! With the ocean’s roar as a backing track – Barnbougle is the way golf’s founders meant the game to be.”– Peter Newlinds (Handicap: 19)
Tony Smithies, Touring cyclist
Retired, lives in Sydney & Low Head, Tasmania “I’ve been cycling for 20 years, since turning 50. Last year, I organised a tour with a group of friends from Launceston to Hobart the long way round: via the north east and east coast. I wanted to challenge us with a ten-day ride. We set out from Launceston for Bridport via Lilydale. Apart from the rain and the hills, it really is beautiful country. I think we were the wettest customers they’ve ever had at the Lilydale Bakery! We dropped into Pipers Brook Vineyard, and then pressed on to Bridport – one of my favourite coastal places outside the holiday season. Bridport to St Helens was the highlight of the trip – so much diverse scenery, and lovely little towns, like Winnaleah, which has the best little country pub you’ll ever come across. We’re already planning our next trip, tackling the north from Cradle Valley to St Helens.”
Experience it for yourself: Tasmanian Expeditions operate the largest range of active and adventure holidays in Tasmania, including cycling, white water rafting, sea kayaking, canoeing, walking and rock climbing adventures. www.tas-ex.com; RiverFly offers single day or multiple day bookings, and caters for both beginners and advanced anglers in northern Tasmania. www.riverfly.com.au; Barnbougle Dunes Links Golf Course, Bridport www.barnbougledunes.com.au; Targa Tasmania – the world’s ultimate international tarmac rally – takes place over 6 days, from 28 April to 3 May 2009, starting in George Town. www.targa.org.au; Cataract Gorge White Water Rafting: 7 Nov 2009 Hydro Tasmania WildWater World Cup (Rapid Sprint) 8 Nov 2009, Cataract Extreme www.wildwatertasmania.canoe.org.au; Ben Lomond Mountain Bike Descent – a 25 km downhill guided ride from the alpine ski village to the Blessington Hall (feel the wind in your hair with a 1050 m drop in altitude!). Groups from 3 to 10 people; Trevallyn Reserve Mountain Bike Routes – varied terrain to the Cataract Gorge Reserve; rent a bike for $30 a day from Mountain Designs. www.mountainbiketasmania.com.au. Your Guide to Cycling Touring – pick up a copy from one of the local Visitor Information Centres (see page 37).
24
Your Holiday Planner 2009 – Launceston, Tamar & the North
Advertorial
HOLLYBANK TREETOPS ADVENTURE Why walk when you can fly? Come and experience Tasmania’s newest tourism venture.
Hollybank Treetops Adventure is a unique experience where visitors glide across the treetops in this unique forest tour, gaining a bird’s-eye view of Tasmania’s beautiful forests. Thrill seekers are led along the zip-lines on seven cable spans ranging from 15 m to 371 m, flying between platforms called ‘cloud stations’. This fantastic adventure, lasting up to 3 hours, is unlike any other Australian nature experience and caters for all ages (3 to 90). Open every day except Christmas Day, bookings recommended.
JUST 15 MINUTES FROM LAUNCESTON P. 03 6395 1390 www.treetopsadventure.com.au
HELI ADVENTURES TASMANIA
Exclusive tours for the savvy adventurer – the ultimate Tasmanian adventure experience. Experience Tasmania’s spectacular scenery from the air with Heli-Adventures Tasmania. See sights you never imagined in the comfort, safety and style of your private air-conditioned helicopter. At Heli Adventures, we pride ourselves on providing you with the ultimate Tasmanian adventure experience. We will show you in a couple of hours what you could only hope to see in a lifetime. With a wide range of tour packages available, you are guaranteed a truly magical experience in a truly magical place.
www.heliadventurestas.com.au P. 03 6334 0444
info@heliadventurestas.com.au
TAMAR RIVER CRUISES
Time is precious, spend it wisely! Relax with Tamar River Cruises, join us on our Batman Bridge 4 Hour Luncheon Cruise or Afternoon Discovery Cruise (2.5 Hour) on our vessel Tamar Odyssey cruising daily along the beautiful Tamar River taking in our breathtaking scenery, wildlife, historical properties blended with our skipper’s captivating commentary on the history of this fascinating area. Discover Launceston’s spectacular Cataract Gorge on board our vessel, the Lady Launceston, (50 minutes cruise, seven cruises daily). Bookings essential, phone lines open from 7.30am–10.00pm.
HOME POINT PARADE, CRUISE TERMINAL LAUNCESTON, TAS 7250 P. 03 6334 9900 www.tamarrivercruises.com.au Your Holiday Planner 2009 – Launceston, Tamar & the North
25
Advertorial
RIVERFLY TASMANIA
SEAHORSE WORLD
GOLF TOURS TASMANIA
Be guided on Tassie’s famous rivers and lakes in pristine locations, by leading fly fishing guide and author Daniel Hackett. Raft or land based fishing available; trips include all gear and hamper lunch. No experience necessary, packages available including World Heritage wilderness campouts.
Join a guided tour and gain an insight into the remarkable seahorse and the elusive seadragon. Experience feeding of the fish and hands-on opportunities in the touch pool with many interesting sea creatures. Facilities include: coffee shop and extensive gift shop.
We are your Tasmanian golf tour specialist; contact us now for your next Tasmanian golfing holiday.
Guided fishing for wild Tasmanian trout.
www.riverfly.com.au P. 0427 313 972 info@riverfly.com.au
Discover the intriguing life of the seahorse!
SHED 1A INSPECTION HEAD WHARF, BEAUTY PT, TAS 7270 P. 03 6383 4111 www.seahorseworld.com.au
Let us package your complete golfing holiday.
We can help you to touch, taste and explore everything that is uniquely Tasmanian; it’s all here just waiting for you!
www.golftourstasmania.com.au P. 0409 237 002 info@golftourstasmania.com.au
THE GREAT WESTERN TIERS VISITOR GUIDE Your guide to the Great Tasmanian Diversion.
Your journey throughout the Great Western Tiers will lead you to some very special places which will divert your mind, invigorate your body and replenish your soul. The Great Western Tiers is the perfect touring destination which offers a variety of engaging and authentic experiences, provided by people who have a genuine passion for this wonderful part of Tasmania. On your Great Western Tiers journey you will be invigorated as you take in a variety of magnificent short walks, your tastebuds will be elevated as you sample a selection of Tasmania’s best natural produce and our heritage experiences will transport your mind to a time where you will be inspired by the stories of our pioneering past. Pick up a copy of the Great Western Tiers Visitor Guide from our Visitor Centre at Deloraine or any major Visitor Centre throughout Tasmania.
98-100 EMU BAY ROAD, DELORAINE, TAS 7304 P. 03 6362 3471 www.greatwesterntiers.net.au 26
Your Holiday Planner 2009 – Launceston, Tamar & the North
Advertorial
NATURALLY NORTH EAST
Mountain splendour to seas serene, where nature is nurtured for your pleasure. Home of world class golf courses and gateway to the famed Bay of Fires, Tasmania’s North East is the perfect working example of man and nature in harmony. The rich soils of the hinterland help fill Australia’s fine foods and beverage bowl… all encompassed by white-sand beaches and rugged mountains, food for the soul of any romantic or adventurer. You need to experience it to believe… but you can take a virtual tour at www.northeasttasmania.com.au
Discover us via the Tasman Hwy (A3), the B81 or B82. P. 03 6352 6520 sco�sdalevic@bigpond.com
BARNBOUGLE DUNES GOLF LINKS The ultimate destination for those who love the game.
Experience golf as it was meant to be with 18 world class holes at Barnbougle Dunes. Rated the #1 public access course in Australia and #35 course in the world by US Golf Magazine, Barnbougle is the ultimate destination for golfers of all abilities. Enjoy the finest Tasmanian produce & a large selection of local & Australian wines in the clubhouse restaurant. Relax overnight in one of the 22 onsite cottages or a deluxe villa, each with panoramic views of the course and coastline.
427 WATERHOUSE ROAD, BRIDPORT, TAS 7262 P. 03 6356 0094 www.barnbougledunes.com.au
CATARACT GORGE RESERVE
“Absolutely breathtaking… the highlight of our holiday!” Launceston’s magnificent natural playground is just 15 minutes walk from the city centre. Here you’ll find numerous walking trails, as well as the world’s longest single span chairlift, suspension bridge, open air swimming pool, restaurant and café with magnificent views, and our famous peacocks strutting about the graceful Victorian gardens. Pick up a self-guided discovery map or pre-book an informative guided walk or rock climbing experience. Contact the Launceston Travel & Information Centre for more information.
www.launcestoncataractgorge.com.au P. 1800 651 827
travelcentre@launceston.tas.gov.au
Your Holiday Planner 2009 – Launceston, Tamar & the North
27
Cafés, Shopping & Markets
illage VLife
D
A good coffee has long been at the heart of a civilised urge to shop; some say it’s essential – especially if cocktails are also on the menu.
Main photograph: Holly Beswick at Zeps Café, Campbell Town
28
Your Holiday Planner 2009 – Launceston, Tamar & the North
friendly
D
y
Did the producers of Sex and the City ever think of Sex and the
Village? Whether it’s Sydney’s Paddington, Paris’ St Germaine, or Manhattan’s Greenwich Village, the human desire to be a village dweller seems instinctive. It’s been chic for decades to make a street a destination point – provided there’s an ambient café, a bustling market, and a bespoke boutique (or three) that can’t be found anywhere else.
In a region with the proportions and population of the north, the
intimate and civilised mores of village life have always been at the heart of this proud region. In fact, Pierre’s Brasserie Café in central Launceston pioneered the trend being the first café in Tasmania, and only the second in Australia, to operate an espresso machine, first imported from Italy in 1956. After its latest refurbishment, Pierre’s is again a Launceston institution (now with a bar licence and all-day dining), alongside other specialist George Street cafés.
Just three doors up is the city’s bespoke Swiss Chocolate shop,
Cocoabean Chocolate; read the daily newspapers here while you indulge in a chocolate taste plate. Across the road and up the laneway in York Town Square is Delicious Bakery & Café (bread and patisseries made by a French pastry chef – perfect mille feuilles). And at the top end of George Street, there’s K&H Café Bar & Restaurant, where an al fresco cappuccino can segue easily into an upstairs cocktail in a sexy bar lounge. You can also do this at the sleekly designed Mud Bar and Restaurant, Seaport. Launceston is one of the few cities in the world where Baby Boomers
Coffee or cocktails? K&H Café Bar & Restaurant, Launceston
mingle easily with Gen Y!
Join the locals and experience real village café life – alive and humming – in the following towns... Campbell Town
– Zeps Café Restaurant is a popular stop
on the Heritage Highway, 70 km south of Launceston, at the centre of Tasmania’s quality sheep-farming region. Grab a coffee here, or stop for lunch, then stroll along the busy high street and pop into gift and homewares boutique Coco Blue, Lake Leather or Coopers of Campbell Town for shopping indulgences.
Deloraine – 50 km west of Launceston, meet the locals at the
Deli. Savour local cheeses, and browse through a well-stocked pantry of gourmet Tasmanian products while you wait for your coffee. Pop into McLachlan Studio Gallery for stunning contemporary jewellery, Tony Smibert’s Studio Gallery for contemporary art, and if you plan your visit for the first weekend in November, the Tasmanian Craft Fair turns this pretty riverside village into a city of art and craft.
Longford – Award-winning JJ’s Bakery Café is in the charming village of Longford, nestled in the scenic Norfolk Plains, 20 km from Launceston. Great finds can be uncovered here at some of the best antique and specialty shops in the region. Evandale – In this pretty Georgian village not far from Launceston,
Ingleside Bakery is a great spot to enjoy a gourmet lunch, coffee or afternoon tea, accompanied by the aroma of fresh bread made in their traditional wood fired oven. Shop for gifts to take home from specialist local stores including Muse Café & Gifts or Lake Leather boutique.
Gravelly Beach – Koukla’s BYO Café-Restaurant is a West
Tamar hotspot overlooking the river. Style-setting Launcestonians head here to breakfast over the Sunday papers, and locals gather weeknights for Greek cuisine and fresh Tasmanian produce. Shop at nearby Artisan Gallery for finely crafted gifts, fine art, jewellery, ceramics or Tasmanian wine to take home, and lunch with Daniel Alps at Strathlynn – a mecca for lovers of Slow Food and river valley-vineyard views.
Ross – The Ross Village Bakery, 75 km from Launceston, is famous for
the bounty produced by its wood-fired oven. Sample its freshly baked patisseries and pies while you contemplate where to stroll first in this heritage town on the banks of the Macquarie River: the Tasmanian Wool Centre, the Antique Shop (heaven), or the Ross Nursery, set in a beautiful garden carved from a paddock (English trugs made out of reclaimed fence palings a speciality here, made by the Ross Men’s Shed). In Launceston itself, regional city shopping is at its best, the proportions boutique, the avenues and alleyways, squares and streets, malls and markets not replicated anywhere else. Shopping in Launceston is proudly local, based for over a century on the retail and banking needs of the State’s wealthy farming families, and the outdoor activities of locals blessed with a stunning natural environment. The French provincial style of Vintage Rose or Vogue Living chic of La Cigale contrasts, for example, with the skilled precision of Cycle Torque and Coffee or the Essential Flyfisher, renowned as the best fishing shop in the country. Carrie Bradshaw may not fulfil her unfulfillable shoe fetish in Launceston, but if she wanted to order a freshly squeezed lemon juice off the menu at K&H, the barman would make it without blinking. Your Holiday Planner 2009 – Launceston, Tamar & the North
29
Cafés, Shopping & Markets
o market, Tto market...
Surrounded by rich agricultural farmlands, the markets of Launceston, Tamar & the North are thriving. Evandale – Weekly
A popular country market in historic Evandale, 15km south of Launceston. Features over 100 stalls, including a wide range of wares from high quality antiques to bric-a-brac for every budget. There are also plenty of food stalls and children’s amusements. Open every Sunday from 8am – 2pm.
Esk Market @ Inveresk – Weekly
An undercover market with over 80 stalls, including fresh local produce, refreshments, bric-a-brac, pre-loved items, clothing, books, tools, antique & craft items, and knitting. From 10am every Sunday at the Round House Pavilion, Inveresk, Launceston.
Campbell Town – Monthly
Town market held on the last Sunday of the month in Main Road, Campbell Town. Plenty of stalls with a wide range of bric-a-brac, cakes, clothes, and plants.
Canning Street
– Fortnightly
Farmers’ market held from 8.30am – 12pm every second Sunday, in the Launceston Delicacy car park, 35 Canning Street, Launceston.
30
Exeter Market – Fortnightly
Every second Sunday at the Exeter Showgrounds, from 9am – 2pm. Featuring jewellery, jams, relishes, vegetables, home baked goods, books, handicrafts, wood working guild and clothing.
Civic Homespun Market – Weekly
Launceston’s newest boutique market, featuring quality, locally-produced items, including jewellery, children’s wear and homewares. Held every Saturday from 10am – 3pm, in the Pilgrim Uniting Church Hall, 34–36 Paterson Street, Launceston.
Lilydale Village Market – Fortnightly
Featuring fresh local produce, preserves, plants, honey, wine, and bric-abrac. Every second Sunday in the centre of Lilydale, from 10am – 2pm. To check dates: www.lilydalevillagemarket.blogspot.com
Bridport – Monthly
CWA market featuring stalls of local craft and produce, CWA Hall, Main Road, Bridport.
Deloraine Showgrounds Market – Monthly
Mixed market featuring fresh local produce, held from 9am – 1pm on the first Saturday of every month at the Deloraine Showgrounds.
LA CIGALE
Connecting people with beautiful things.
THE MILL PROVIDORE AND GALLERY, RITCHIES MILL
MUD URBAN SPA
La Cigale offers a unique experience for all who dare find us! We travel the world to bring you treasures including Sid Dickens tiles from Canada, timeless Limoges ceramiques, Le Jacquard Francais linens from France, Pandora from Denmark plus beautiful linens from Italy.
Stocking Tasmania’s finest food, wines and art, The Mill also sources the very best selection of produce from throughout mainland Australia, New Zealand and Europe. There is an extensive range of cutting edge products for the kitchen, as well as exclusive jewellery and body products.
With amazing beauty enhancements and spa therapies to make you look and feel beautiful, Mud Urban Spa is your ultimate holiday experience.
SHOP 20 YORKTOWN SQUARE LAUNCESTON, TAS 7250 P. 03 6331 8052
2 BRIDGE ROAD LAUNCESTON, TAS 7250 P. 03 6331 0777 rodsarah@bigpond.com.au
29 SEAPORT BLVD LAUNCESTON, TAS 7250 P. 03 6334 0033 www.mudclub.com.au
Your Holiday Planner 2009 – Launceston, Tamar & the North
Isn’t it time you visited Launceston’s leading day spa?
Treatments include mud wraps and salt scrubs, massage, waxing, tinting, manicures and pedicures, spray tans and spa packages.
C
Events
A seasonal guide to events in Launceston, Tamar & the North
Unlike many parts of Australia, Tasmania has four distinct seasons – with a dazzling diversity of events that correspond to the seasons – from food festivals to AFL football.
C
Closer to the Equator than Antarctica (at 41o 25’ south), the city
Celsius), the luscious golds and reds of a deciduous autumn, and a dusting
of Launceston itself is sited on the equivalent latitude to Barcelona and
of snow in our beautifully crisp winter (average max temp: 13 degrees
San Francisco in the northern hemisphere. And as a region, Launceston,
Celsius). And Tassie’s twilight is infamous. Here you can enjoy sauntering
Tamar & the North faces north, waking up with Shanghai and Tokyo.
through much longer days than the rest of Australia, and toasting our
You can count on fresh rains in spring (our rain water is sold in West London
endlessly stretched sunsets. Fashionistas will advise you to “pack layers”,
restaurants), hot sun on your back in summer (average temp: 24 degrees
no matter what time of year. And don’t forget the sunscreen.
january
JANUARY
29 Dec – 3 Jan – Annual New Zealand National Morris Dancers, Multiple Venues 1
– Longford Cup
27 Mar – 5 Apr
– Ten Days on the Island (Arts Festival), Statewide
april
APRIL
14-23 – T asmanian Creative Arts Summer School, Launceston
10
16-18 – T amar Valley Folk Festival, George Town
10-19 – Australian Orienteering
31
february
7
– MS Fest (music festival), Launceston
7-9
– Circusfest, Golconda
13-15 – Festivale (food & wine festival), Launceston 21
– E vandale Village Fair & National Penny Farthing Championships
21
– S ymphony Under the Stars, Launceston
21
Beauty Point Championships, Launceston & surrounds
– Hillwood River Festival
FEBRUARY
–A FL NAB Pre-Season Match Hawthorn v Melbourne
19
– Rosevears Speedboat Spectacular
25
– AFL Anzac Day Twilight Match Hawthorn v West Coast, L’ton
– Launceston Cup
march
MARCH
12
– Taste of the Tamar (food & wine festival), Launceston
29 Sep – 4 Oct – Tour of Tasmania Road Cycling Classic, Statewide
october
OCTOBER
23-25 – Launceston Blues & Roots Festival 30 Oct – 2 Nov – Tasmanian Craft Fair, Deloraine
may
MAY
1-31 – National Trust Tasmanian Heritage Festival, Statewide 7-9
– Agfest (agricultural show), Carrick
29-31 – V8 Supercar Championship Series, Symmons Plains
june
JUNE 14
november
NOVEMBER
4 & 7 – Hydro Tasmania Wildwater World Cup, Meander River & Launceston’s Cataract Gorge
18-22 – Mark Webber Challenge, Statewide 28-29 – Midlands Military Meet & Rendezvous, Campbell Town
events
– AFL Match – Hawthorn v Brisbane, Launceston
JULY
14
11
july
20-22 – St Patrick’s Festival, Westbury
12
– AFL Match – Hawthorn v Kangaroos,
21-22 – L aunceston Rowing Regatta & Henley on Tamar
19
– Launceston Ten (family fun run)
For further event information visit www.discovertasmania.com/events
september
SEPTEMBER
17-25 – North-East Rivers Festival
– Targa Tasmania (car rally), Statewide
– Longford Blessing of the Harvest
– Northern Vineyards Open Weekend
– AFL Match – Hawthorn v St Kilda
29-30 – Tasmanian Trout Expo, Cressy
7-10 – The Glover Prize Exhibition (art exhibition & concert) – Evandale
1
8
28 Apr – 3 May
21-22 – Wooden Boat Rally, Launceston 25
– Hydro Tasmania Three Peaks Race,
august
AUGUST
– Poatina Open Day Festival Launceston
december
DECEMBER 20
– Launceston Cycling Classic
28
– Launceston City Cycling Christmas Carnival
31
– Countdown New Year’s Eve Celebrations, Launceston
TBC – Melbourne to Launceston Yacht Race, Beauty Point
Please note all event dates are correct at time of printing and are subject to change.
Your Holiday Planner 2009 – Launceston, Tamar & the North
31
Advertorial
LOW HEAD TOURIST PARK
The perfect resting point for those wishing to explore the historic Tamar Valley. With affordable, high standard accommodation to suit a variety of budget travellers, our 12 large self-contained cottages (3.5 star) are ideal for two to six people, beautifully appointed with queen size beds, air conditioning, and a balcony to enjoy the breathtaking views of the Tamar River. We also have six economy cabins (3 star), as well as powered, unpowered and ensuite sites, a new amenities block, disabled facilities, campers’ kitchen and laundry. We cater for caravans, motor-homes, campervans and campers. All sites have a view of the Tamar River.
136 LOW HEAD ROAD, LOW HEAD, TAS 7253 P. 03 6382 1573 www.lowheadtouristpark.com.au
ROSEVEARS VINEYARD RETREAT Located in the heart of Tasmania’s premier wine route, the Tamar Valley.
Rosevears Vineyard Retreat is perched high on the western slopes of the beautiful Tamar Valley only 15 minutes from Launceston CBD. The estate provides a range of 4 star rated studio, 1 and 2 bedroom apartments, restaurant and cellar door all making the most of the stunning Tamar Valley views. 24 hectares of bushland, wetland, olive groves and vineyard. Stylish, modern facilities, great food and fabulous wine all without leaving the estate. A breathtaking setting and truly memorable Tasmanian experience.
1A WALDORN DRIVE, ROSEVEARS TAS 7277 P. 03 6330 1800 www.rosevears.com.au
HOTEL GRAND CHANCELLOR Launceston’s premier 4.5 star hotel in the centre of the city.
Hotel Grand Chancellor Launceston is the city’s premier 4.5 star hotel offering superior accommodation in the CBD. Featuring 165 accommodation rooms, Executive Club Lounge and Restaurant & Bar, the hotel is the ideal base for all travellers. Extensive convention facilities incorporating the Albert Hall, offer diversity to host up to 1900 delegates. With up to eight retail stores within the hotel including Avis, Hotel Grand Chancellor Launceston offers all the services of a superior 4.5 star hotel only seconds from the city.
29 CAMERON STREET, LAUNCESTON TAS 7250 P. 03 6334 3434 www.ghihotels.com 32
Your Holiday Planner 2009 – Launceston, Tamar & the North
Advertorial
COUNTRY CLUB TASMANIA Where your perfect break awaits.
Escape the everyday in comfort and style at Country Club Tasmania. With a range of accommodation styles on offer, from self-contained villas, deluxe rooms and five-star manor suites, you can rest assured you are staying with the best. You’ll be spoilt for choice at our five restaurants and four bars – or if something more active is your style, make the most of our 18-hole championship golf course, health club, tennis court, horse riding and trout fishing facilities.
COUNTRY CLUB AVENUE, PROSPECT TAS 7250 P. 03 6335 5777 www.countryclubtasmania.com.au
PEPPERS YORK COVE
Soothe your soul with a sea change. Peppers York Cove Tamar Valley offers a stylish and sophisticated haven of relaxation in the pristine Tamar Valley, famed for its cool climate wines, fresh local produce, breathtaking natural scenery and unique old-world charm. A place to recharge the batteries and make lasting connections with one of Australia’s great beauty spots, the resort offers luxurious accommodation overlooking the tranquil Tamar River while the Cove Bar & Restaurant delights with its use of a wide array of local produce.
www.peppers.com.au/yorkcove P. 03 6382 9900
yorkcove@peppers.com.au
PEPPERS SEAPORT HOTEL
Discover Launceston, wharf-style, at the Peppers Seaport Hotel. Peppers Seaport Hotel offers luxury waterfront accommodation just 5 minutes from the centre of Launceston, Tasmania. As a stylish contemporary waterfront hotel, Peppers Seaport delivers an experience of Launceston that’s new and vibrant yet at the same time draws on the town’s rich Australian history. Taking its character from its waterfront setting, the hotel offers premium, luxury, boutique accommodation with superb views out over the confluence of the North Esk and Tamar River towards the Cataract Gorge.
www.peppers.com.au/seaport P. 03 6345 3333
seaport@peppers.com.au
Your Holiday Planner 2009 – Launceston, Tamar & the North
33
Advertorial
MERCURE LAUNCESTON
THE SEBEL LAUNCESTON
QUEST LAUNCESTON
Located right in the heart of Launceston’s business & shopping district, Mercure Launceston is the perfect place from which to explore all of Launceston’s major tourist attractions. The best city location offering a friendly welcome and genuine hospitality.
Offering self-contained one and two bedroom suites, private balconies, separate bedroom and bathrooms, many suites feature spa baths, kitchen and laundry. Offering Market Square Restaurant & Bar showcasing quality produce from the region.
Centrally located, this new property is close to shopping, restaurants, the Tourist Information Centre, City Park and Convention Centre. Within minutes of the renowned Cataract Gorge, Boag’s Brewery and river cruise terminal. Choice of studio, 1 bedroom, 2 bedroom or 3 bedroom apartments.
3 EARL STREET LAUNCESTON, TAS 7250 P. 03 6333 9999 www.mercurelaunceston.com.au
CNR ST JOHN & WILLIAM STS LAUNCESTON, TAS 7250 P. 03 6333 7555 reservations@tsl.mirvac.com.au
16 PATERSON STREET LAUNCESTON, TAS 7250 P. 03 6333 3555 www.questlaunceston.com.au
ARTHOUSE HOSTEL
ROSS MOTEL
CLARION CITY PARK GRAND
The perfect base to explore the region.
An excellent budget option in Launceston.
34
A centrally located, boutique style hotel.
Don’t miss the iconic, historical village of Ross.
Your accommodation solution in Launceston.
Stroll to shops, museum, art gallery.
In a great location, the Arthouse Hostel caters for backpackers and interstate travellers alike. The beautiful 1888 heritage listed building has had a facelift and has new beds and bathrooms. The services we offer include hiking gear hire & sales, internet café, touring advice and more.
New riverfront 4 star deluxe motel with 11 ground floor rooms. Continental breakfast. Complimentary movies and guest laundry. On route from Launceston to Hobart. In the heart of the quaint awardwinning village of Ross and the famous Ross Bridge.
An icon of affordable luxury accommodation in Launceston hospitality since 1855 with the awardwinning 4.5 star Heritage listed Boutique Hotel, restaurant and converted stables all recently refurbished. Superbly located in the Launceston CBD. Free on site parking.
20 LINDSAY STREET LAUNCESTON, TAS 7250 P. 1800 041 135 (FREECALL) www.arthousehostel.com.au
2 HIGH STREET ROSS, TAS 7209 P. 03 6381 5224 www.rossmotel.com.au
22 TAMAR STREET LAUNCESTON, TAS 7250 P. 03 6331 7633 www.cityparkgrand.com.au
Your Holiday Planner 2009 – Launceston, Tamar & the North
Advertorial
AULDINGTON & WARATAH ON YORK
Relax and rejuvenate in Launceston’s quality heritage accommodation. Waratah on York was built in 1862. This 4.5 star rated Victorian Italianate mansion has been superbly restored to its opulent best, 9 large rooms affording modern ensuite facilities – 6 of the rooms offer spa baths. Waratah on York has been awarded a Tasmanian tourism award on three consecutive occasions. Auldington, also 4.5 star rated, opened as a boutique hotel in 2005. Previously a convent since the late 1800s, its grand façade, high ceilings and historical features contrast with the contemporary interior and modern art. Auldington offers an elevator, air-conditioning, quiet central location, superb gardens and easy car parking. High speed internet is available and local friendly staff will endeavour to deliver an experience above expectation. When booking please quote YHP2009 to receive 10% rate discount, conditions apply.
WARATAH ON YORK 12 YORK STREET LAUNCESTON, TAS 7250
AULDINGTON
110 FREDERICK STREET LAUNCESTON, TAS 7250
P. 03 6331 2081 P. 03 6331 2050 www.waratahonyork.com.au www.auldington.com.au
Tasmania Make
your own private island
For further information or assistance booking your Launceston, Tamar & the North holiday, contact one of the following Visitor Information Centres. • Launceston Travel & Information Centre Cornwall Square Transit Centre 12–16 St John Street, Launceston Freecall: 1800 651 827 Email: travelcentre@launceston.tas.gov.au • Great Western Tiers Visitor Centre 98–100 Emu Bay Road, Deloraine Ph: 03 6362 3471 www.greatwesterntiers.net.au • Tamar Visitor Centre Main Road, Exeter Freecall: 1800 637 989 Email: tamar@wtc.tas.gov.au
• George Town Visitor Information Centre Main Road, George Town Ph: 03 6382 1700 Email: georgetown@tasvisinfo.com.au • Scottsdale Visitor Information Centre 96 King Street, Scottsdale Ph: 03 6352 6520 Email: scottsdalevic@bigpond.com • Tasmanian Wool and Ross Visitor Information Centre Church Street, Ross Ph: 03 6381 5466 Email: taswoolcentre@bigpond.com
NEXT ISSUE Launceston, Tamar & the North Holiday Planner 2010.
Visit www.discovertasmania.com
Copy: Hilary Burden. Main photography: Stella Pics. Design & Advertising: Cowley Advertising Your Holiday Planner 2009 – Launceston, Tamar & the North
35
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Your Holiday Planner
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www.discovertasmania.com.au
1
Read a good book before you go on holiday Tasmania is extraordinarily diverse, five unique Holiday Planners are available to help you explore the best experiences that Tasmania has to offer.
discovertasmania.com | 1300 TASSIE THIS BROCHURE IS PUBLISHED BY Tourism Tasmania’s Launceston, Tamar & the North Zone Marketing Group with support from Launceston City Council (LCC). The Launceston, Tamar & the North Zone Marketing Group has made every endeavour to ensure that details are correct at the time of printing (December 2009) but can accept no responsibility for any inaccuracy or mis-description contained in this brochure as a result of information supplied, and can accept no responsibility for subsequent change or withdrawal of details or services.