What’s on

12/ WHAT’S ON lifestyle 14/ FOODIE FINDS 16/ MILE IN THE SHOES 19/ TOP 5 ISLANDS

Starstruck

Australia’s newest and southern-most observatory sits atop Mt Arthur on the site of McHenry Distillery. Here, the night sky is dark and pristine, perfect for stargazing. As part of this year’s Beaker Street Festival, Dinner Whisky and Stars (7 August) will be held at the observatory. The night includes a three-course chefprepared meal, talks by astronomer Dr Martin George and Dark Sky Tasmania president Landon Bannister, and, of course, good whisky.

P For more, visitbeakerstreet.com.au

YOUR NEW TO-DO LIST

8–9 October CHALLENGE YOURSELF

If you’re a paddler, road cyclist, runner or mountain biker, the Freycinet Challenge will push your limits in one of Australia’s most beautiful places. You can choose whether to enter as a team or solo and if you want to compete for one or two days. It’s not for the fainthearted but the views are sublime.

From 7 October TO MARKET, TO MARKET

Looking for fun places you can take your four-legged friend along to? Try the Hobart Twilight Market. The Long Beach Sandy Bay location will launch its ninth season in October and will be on every Friday following. Expect delicious Tassie eats and drinks, plus live entertainment.

11–21 AUGUST BRIGHT LIGHTS

All event details are up-todate at time of print, but can change. For updates, consult organisers directly, and support Tassie’s events industry through these challenging times.

The goal of the Winter Light festival? To celebrate the end of winter. The diverse program includes the return of QT Cabaret, a free opening event in Salamanca Square, and a large-scale youth and family program that will host a youth theatre performance and visual art installations created by young locals.

Till 17 October ART WORLD

Artists Fiona Hall and AJ King have teamed up for Exodust – Crying Country, currently being exhibited at MONA. Both artists have much to say about the world we share and what we have done, and continue to do, to it, and this is portrayed throughout their work. It’s a must see.

25 September READY, SET, GO!

Lace up your sneakers as the Hobart Airport Marathon Festival is in town. There’s a full marathon, a half marathon, 10km and 5km runs, and 5km and 2km walks to enter. RACT members are treated to a 15% member discount on registrations.

Want to tell us about your event or product? Reach us at journeys@ ract.com.au

Made in Tas

We’re currently obsessing over Wise Ceramics’ (@lisawiseceramics) handmade porcelain tableware and objects. Her delicate and vibrant pieces are on display at Salamanca Market and will add a pop of colour to your home.

Make a note

Read

Aussie author Pip Williams draws on actual events from the creation of the first Oxford English Dictionary in her novel The Dictionary of Lost Words. It reveals a lost narrative, hidden between the lines of a history written by men. Meet

You can meet Pip Williams at the Tamar Valley Writers Festival (13–17 October) along with other prominent authors who will be joining for discussions about all things books. Check the website for the full program. Write

Try your hand at a short story for the Tamar Valley Writers Festival’s Short Story Competition? This year’s theme: the good life with a Tasmanian vibe. It’s open to students from grade five upwards and to adults.

Whisky week is here

There’s no doubt that Tasmania is the heartland of Australian whisky, which is why Tasmanian Whisky Week (8–14 August) is a celebrated event. Whisky lovers will relish the Meet the Maker events held in Hobart and Launceston. For those looking to taste the best that distillers have to offer, the Tasmanian Spirit Showcase is for you, with more than 30 distilleries under the one roof, each pouring its best drops. There’re also immersive nights that include food, whisky and entertainment that are more intimate. We’ll cheers to that.

WHAT’S BLOOMING?

with SADIE CHRESTMAN from Fat Pig Farm The short, Persephone days of slow winter growth have come to an end. It’s still cold but some winter vegetables sense the lengthening days and once sunlight crosses the magic threshold of a ten-hour day (August in Tasmania) they will begin to shift all their nutrients from producing delicious food into setting seed. Our unharvested winter carrots, lettuces, beetroots and leeks are about to bolt. They will soon be woody and inedible but will be beautiful as flowers (in the garden and vase) and soon it will be time to collect their seeds. The lengthening days also mean it’s time to get back into the garden. On rainy days you’ll find us in the nursery, sowing the summer crops in trays and pots, setting them out on the heat mat to germinate. On sunny days, we are carefully weeding around the peas and broadbeans and asparagus getting ready for spring crops.

Harvest now the last of the winter root vegetables, leeks and greens

Sow now tomatoes, peppers, eggplant in pots