10 minute read
Tasmania’s most bracing time of year
TOO OFTEN RUSHED through by visitors on their way to other, big-name destinations, the Sorell region is deserving of much more than a day trip, Amanda Vallis discovers.
Stay a little longer in...
SORELL
SORELL
LEWISHAM
DODGES FERRY
PRIMROSE SANDS BREAM CREEK MARION BAY
DUNALLEY
he Midway Point Causeway is a mere 20-minute drive from Hobart’s CBD but, with expanses of water either side, traversing it feels like driving across the T ocean. Beyond the bridge is Sorell, the gateway to an area of Tasmania often overlooked in favour of the East Coast or Bruny Island. While the local hamlets of Lewisham, Carlton Beach, Primrose Sands and Marion Bay have long been prized weekend shack locations for locals, its close proximity to Hobart has meant that visitors often relegate the region to day-trip territory. But with a growing number of notable food and accommodation offerings, all minus the crowds, setting aside a week or so to explore this little pocket of south-eastern Tasmania is well worthwhile.
Local flavour
An exciting new dining destination that fuses food with the surrounding landscape of Marion Bay, Van Bone is the new kid on the block in Tasmania’s culinary scene. Offering a set menu of up to 14 courses across a four-hour period, chef Timothy Hardy’s food is intended to challenge and excite, utilising ingredients grown locally or in the on-site garden, designed in collaboration with Hannah Moloney of Hobart’s Good Life Permaculture. The immersive experience has been painstakingly curated by Timothy and co-owners interior designer and architect Laura Stucken and garden manager Joe Nalder.
THIS SPREAD (Clockwise from left) On the plate at Van Bone; vintage finds in Sorell; fresh baked at Bream markets; Dodges Ferry; Van Bone’s founders.
Twenty-minutes down the road, on a hill overlooking a popular surfing spot in Dodges Ferry, Park Beach Café offers a deliberately low-key menu. Pick up an omelette roll with goats cheese and greens or a bowl of piping hot porridge for a post-beach brekkie along with killer coffee by Hobart-based roaster Straight Up. Launched by ex-Franklin restaurateur Ben Lindell and recently taken over by Will Kingston, there are plans to launch Thursday and Friday night dinner service, plus monthly pop-ups featuring local produce from the peninsula.
For a no-frills affair, it’s hard to go past Dunalley Fish Market. Forget prawn cutlets or potato cakes, there is only one item on the menu at Dunalley Fish Market: the fisherman’s basket. A lucky dip of whatever was caught that day, the paper package typically consists of battered white fish, calamari and squid piled on top of a mountain of crisp hot chips with a couple of lemon wedges thrown in. It’s best enjoyed at one of the outside tables while watching boats pass by. Venture just on to Dunalley Bay Distillery’s new beachfront Tasting Hut in Murdunna, for craft gins blended with native botanicals.
Shop and stretch
There are plenty of ways to fill the time between meals while visiting the region. Bream Creek Farmers Market operates on the first Sunday of the month and is the best place to get your hands on quality produce grown in the area. See out a leisurely morning at this community-
Bream Creek Farmers Market is the best place to get your hands on quality produce grown in the area.
run farmers market and grab a coffee or a glass of wine, catch some live music and meet local growers, farmers, cooks, brewers and makers. If all the rolling hills and coastal views don’t leave you feeling blissed out enough, turn up the zen-factor with a visit to Horizen Yoga Studio. Part of the Healthy Horizons fitness centre at Dodges Ferry, this inviting studio is located between Lewisham and Carlton Beach. Complete with a state-of-the-art infrared heating system, classes here are the perfect antidote to chilly Tassie winters. Combine it with a cold dip in the ocean before or after a session. For the antique lover, Sorell is a goldmine and well worth a stop on the way back through to Hobart. The town is dotted with a number of antique and thrift stores, with Sorell Antiques Centre the highlight. Housed in the town’s original 1862 School of the Arts building, this antique lovers’ paradise is operated by 12 independent Tasmanian antique dealers. With a full 300 square metres of antique furniture, china, glassware, collectables, militaria and books, allow enough time for idle meandering.
Shack up
#Shacklife is a way of life for many Tasmanians and thanks to platforms like Airbnb, the weekend shack tradition is now easily shared.
The Pod at Lewisham is the ultimate modern coastal shack. Described by Grand Designs Australia TV host Peter Maddison as a ‘'love letter to Tasmania”, this 40-square-metre retreat is owned by Hobart-based creative and author Alice Hansen. Featuring floor-to-ceiling glass and a Huon pine bathtub with sweeping views across Frederick Henry Bay, this is tiny-house living at its best.
Just around the bend at Dodges Ferry is a more traditional shack accommodation option, Cliff Top on Park. This cosy shack is decorated with foraged treasures and local artworks and boasts ocean views across Carlton Beach. Beds are decked out in beautiful French linen and
THIS PAGE (Left to right) Panoramic views from The Pod; the fire pit beckons at Driftwood Cabin. the outdoor tub is perfect for luxuriating with a good book and glass of wine.
Head to nearby Primrose Sands and you’ll find the home of celebrity chef Sarah Glover, Driftwood Cabin, now available for shortterm rental. This waterfront property is ideal for cooking enthusiasts who fancy catching their dinner (fishing and diving for scallops is encouraged). Cook outside over the fire pit or make use of the Traeger Grill and fully equipped chef’s kitchen. Take a stroll along the beach, read a book on the deck, and settle into the relaxed beach lifestyle this region does so well.
Road safety tip With any road trip, make sure you take your time and have a rest from driving. Luckily, in the Sorell region there are lots of beaches that are perfect for stretching the legs and getting some fresh air.
5 tips for stronger eyesight
Just like looking after your body, there are things you can do to improve the health of your eyes, helping you have stronger eyesight. Here are our top five.
EXERCISE YOUR EYES
Follow the 20-20-20 rule - every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. Specsavers optometrist, Matt Bennett says, “While these exercises won’t save you from wearing prescription glasses or contact lenses, they can be especially useful to help with digital eye strain if you spend a lot of time in front of screens.”
EAT THE RIGHT FOODS
There are certain vitamins that contain antioxidants that may be beneficial for good eye health. Eat broccoli, strawberries, spinach, carrots and citrus. Why? They contain vitamins A, C and E or zinc, which are great for eye health, as are foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, like salmon.
USE PROTECTION
Wear sunglasses that block out UVA and UVB radiation from sunlight. “Polarised lenses also help reduce glare reflecting off surfaces and can be used in prescription sunglasses,” adds Matt. Your place of work, or around the home, you could be exposed to chemicals, sharp objects or materials such as wood shavings, so it’s important that you look after your eyes with appropriate eye protection.
GET TO KNOW YOUR FAMILY
Sight threatening conditions such as glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration can be hereditary. Find out if your parents or grandparents experienced them, so you can take precautions early.
QUIT SMOKING
If you smoke, you’re more likely to develop Type 2 Diabetes, increasing your chances of developing a sight threatening eye conditions. For help in quitting, call Quitline on 13 7848 or visit quit.org.au. While these tips are great for everyday use, it’s a good idea to get your eyes checked regularly by an optometrist, just like regular check-ups with your doctor. Visit specsavers.com.au to book now.
Show your RACT card and save
when you choose one pair from the $149 range or above
Book an eye test online
Heartlands Set off on a
road trip
Heritage and history meet on a Heartlands road trip. From an ancient gathering place for Tasmanian Aboriginals to carefully preserved convict sites, a journey into Tassie’s heart offers countless ways to connect with the past. Winter is one of the best times to get out and explore it too, offering misty lakes and rivers, frost-touched landscapes and cosy stays in historic cottages.
Hitting the highway
Drive back through time as you follow the Heritage Highway. Running between Launceston and Hobart through the heart of our island, this 200-year-old thoroughfare offers glimpses into Tasmania’s early colonial history with every quaint village and grand estate it passes. The Georgian streetscapes, heritage bridges, antiques stores and historic charm of the townships of Kempton, Oatlands, Ross, Campbell Town, Perth, Evandale and Longford beckon any history buff.
A captive audience
A Heartlands road trip may be leisurely these days, but its convict sites tell of darker times. Brickendon and Woolmers estates, found down a hedgerow-lined drive near Longford, are World Heritage sites where convicts laboured under the care of the Archer family (whose heirs still live in the Georgian manor). Sleep in convict cottages and roam the stunning gardens. Further south is Ross Female Factory: once home to convicts building the Ross Bridge and later to convict women and their babies.
Ancient experience
For a cultural experience millennia in the making, visit tulampanga/ Alum Cliffs. The veins of ochre running through the rock first drew the pallitore people here and over time it became an important ceremonial and meeting place. Take the easy 45-minute hike – one of Tasmania’s 60 Great Short Walks – to the viewpoint over Alum Cliffs Gorge. Better yet, visit with the knowledgeable guides from Kooparoona Niara Tours, who provide a modern understanding of Aboriginal Tasmania before sharing this place of ancient significance.
Make sport of it
The trout-filled waters in the heart of our island lure many a keen angler. Nineteen Lagoons, Little Pine Lagoon and the Meander River are three of Tasmania’s prime fly-fishing spots for wild rainbow and brown trout. Local fishing guides such as Trout Territory and Rainbow Lodge can lead you to the best spots. Check in with Trout Guides and Lodges Tasmania for a full list of accredited guides. For another genteel sporting pursuit, Ratho Farm offers old-school charm and Australia’s oldest golf course. Get cosy in Ratho Farm’s restored convict cottages and barns beside the Clyde River. And don’t forget your rods – there’s trout here, too.
Wild heritage
The Central Highlands is a stretch of alpine moors, peaks and waterways dubbed Tasmania’s ‘lakes district’. Winter snow makes this rugged place in the north of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area even more otherworldly. Settle in at Thousand Lakes Lodge – an Antarctic training base turned boutique lodge – and get back to nature. Or go underground in Mole Creek Karst National Park with its geological wonderland of sinkholes, gorges and caves, including the glow worm-lit Marakoopa Cave and King Solomons Cave with its surreal shimmering rock formations.
A matter of industry
Trace the merino industry back to its Midlands origins at the Tasmanian Wool Centre in Ross. Admire the southern hemisphere’s largest collection of steam engines at Pearn’s Steam World in Westbury. Or follow the Highlands Power Trail out of pretty Bothwell to discover the birthplace of Tasmania’s hydroelectric scheme in the Central Highlands, stopping at Waddamana Power Station to pace the turbine hall where hydroelectricity was first generated more than a century ago.
To plan your Heartlands road trip, visit
