Journeys Spring 2023

We acknowledge the ancient history of the traditional owners of Lutruwita, and their continuing connection to family, community, and the land, sea, and waterways. We pay our deepest respects to those who have passed before us and acknowledge today’s Tasmanian Aboriginal people, and their enduring connection to this island. We stand for a future that profoundly respects and acknowledges Aboriginal perspectives, culture, language and history.

welcome.

ABOUT YOUR RACT

A word from our Group CEO

As we turn the pages of another Journeys, in this edition we delve into Tasmania’s iconic and world-renowned food and wine industries. Through the lens of the past century, we check out gourmet transformations our island has undergone, showcasing our culinary triumphs.

We also take the latest electric vehicle on our streets on a Tasmanian adventure, – heading to Cockle Creek in Tassie’s deep south. This adventure allows us to demystify ‘range anxiety’ and to emphasise the seamless integration of sustainable transportation into our lifestyle.

One of our commitments is empowering consumers, and to that end, we’re proudly backing the Australian Automobile Association (AAA) Real-World Testing Program. This initiative aims to bring transparency to car buyers, providing realworld data on vehicle efficiency – Australian testing for Australian roads.

As we step into the new financial year, we’re proud to announce just some of the

achievements we’ve been able to deliver for our members and the Tasmanian community. Our great Member Rewards program has led to nearly $4.95 million in savings for members. We delivered more than 19,000 driver training lessons, finalised approximately 1,700 insurance claims per month, and held community education programs for 4,672 Tasmanians. With these accomplishments, we continue to uphold our reputation as Tasmania’s most trusted brand, extending our community to 214,933 members. None of these milestones would have been possible without your unwavering support. Together, we strengthen the fabric of RACT, and for that, I extend my gratitude. Finally, a big thank you to all who participated in our recent survey. Your invaluable input will help us shape the future of Journeys. As we evolve to meet the needs of our community and the world, we’re considering changes that will make our magazine both environmentally and financially sustainable. We look forward to enhancing our digital presence, which aligns with our commitment to sustainability and accessibility for all members.

PRESIDENT Alison Flakemore

VICE PRESIDENT Pieter Kolkert

BOARD

Tony Coleman, Ralph Doedens, Mark Grey, Alex McKenzie, Keryn Nylander, Jenny Richardson, Sue Smith

RACT GROUP CEO Mark Mugnaioni JOURNEYS MANAGING EDITOR Ben Hansen

LETTERS

Diversion tactics

Why is traffic travelling north on the Brooker Highway just before the Lower Domain Road junction not diverted into the right-hand lane during non-busy times to facilitate reduced delay for turning traffic at that junction? It is frustrating that traffic often queues when the Brooker Highway isn’t busy but uses both lanes.

Geoff Wells

Charging towards the future

With the sale of electric vehicles on the increase, Tasmania could take a lead and establish more public charging stations – encouraging tourism and adding to our clean-green credentials. For as little as $1m, we could establish about another 100 such stations throughout the state. This seems a small outlay when the potential benefits are significant for motorists and the environment. If governments won’t come to the party, surely there is an entrepreneur with an idle million dollars to invest in such a scheme. Get them set up now before the demand is too great.

Neil Cranston

Roundabout we go

Having lived interstate for 26 years, and now back home in Tassie, I would like to see bigger roundabout signs. They are so small compared to interstate ones, and hard to see upon approach. Also they need to be placed well before the roundabout, not on it.

Emma

In favour of screens

The screens on the dashboards of vehicles, which are subject to complaints (Journeys, Winter 2023), have very good reasons to be there.

The upswept body shapes, now almost universal, lead to shallow side and high rear windows which render the old method of twisting around in the driver’s seat for reversing mostly ineffective. Without a reversing camera, an obstacle, or even a young child, could be behind and the driver would never know until it’s too late.

Another task often relegated to the screen is radio tuning. As that’s something not normally done every few minutes of any journey, it’s no worse an attention-grabber than an old-style receiver.

Some vehicles also have other screen-based functions, none of which require any more of a driver’s attention than an old-style button placed at random somewhere on a dashboard.

Scandi lessons

Norway has the lowest annual road death toll in the world, at 2 deaths per 100,000 population. Tasmania had the second highest in Australia in 2022 (after NT), at 9 per 100,000 with 51 deaths, five times Norway’s toll. Can we learn from Norway’s experience?

The Scandinavian country is approximately 2400km to drive far north to far south. Tasmania is 555km Marrawah to Cockle Creek. Their roads are far superior to Tasmania’s, but almost universally two-way narrow roads with the potential for head-on collisions. What do they do to achieve the exemplary statistic? The most significant measures are:

1 Absolute speed limit of 80km/h except for the few fully divided roads.

2 A blood alcohol limit of 0.02%

3 Wide use of speed camera enforcement.

We’re keen to hear your thoughts on any motoring or travel-related topics and auto questions. Please keep them brief – we reserve the right to edit.

Could Tasmania adopt these strategies? It would require courageous political leadership, education and public support. Perhaps promote lower, safer road speeds as a tourism benefit – slow down, be safer and appreciate our beautiful scenery. Also, lower speed saves on fuel costs in these times of financial stress for families. Recent tragedies have again highlighted that we must do better.

If Norway can make such lifesaving measures acceptable to its population, why not Tasmania?

based on Snooze Management Pty Ltd RRP. Products may be sold below the RRP in some stores prior to this offer. Exclusions apply. New orders only. Offer not available on floor stock, clearance, delivery, assembly and recycling services. © Snooze 2023.

Dennis Hewitt // Austins Ferry

11/ WHAT’S ON

13/ TOP 5 WINERY RESTAURANTS

lifestyle

15/ 100 YEARS OF TASSIE FOOD

Burst into a new season

Described as a collision of art, performance and music, the Junction Arts Festival is a unique way to celebrate the start of spring. With an abundance of installations and creative spaces throughout Launceston, contemporary art and music break out of theatres and galleries into the streets, public spaces and historic buildings. Started as a one-off event in 2010, it was such a hit with Launnie locals that it has become a must-visit annual event for artists and audiences. Princes Square is the home of all the festival action, with live music, bars and delicious local food. The event runs 20-24 September.

For more, visit junctionartsfestival.com.au

Photo: Nick Hanson

what’s on.

YOUR NEW TO-DO LIST

15-16 SEPTEMBER HOBART GIN FESTIVAL

If G&Ts, a masterclass and prizes sound like your thing, head to Princes Wharf No1 on Hobart’s waterfront to see 40 Australian craft distillers showing off their signature gins and production secrets. ginevents.com.au

THE 42ND TASMANIAN CRAFT FAIR

Held annually in the picturesque township of Deloraine, this year’s event will feature more than 240 high-quality exhibitors, plus working craft demonstrations and artists. tascraftfair.com.au

All event details are up to date at time of print, but can change. For updates, consult organisers directly.

SPRING IN THE VINES HOBART

Discover the vineyards of Southern Tasmania at this wine festival, returning for its third year with more than 40 of the best wine producers from the region. Meet wine growers and makers plus food, music, art and other wine experiences. All just a short drive from Hobart. winesouth.com.au

OFF!

Timed perfectly for the school holidays, take the kids to the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery for the state’s only dedicated annual cultural festival for children. This year’s theme is ‘twist and turn’. tmag.tas.gov.au

26 NOVEMBER RACT CLUB RUN

We’re inviting members to register their interest to participate in a recreation of our first club run 100 years ago. Driving in convoy from Hobart to New Norfolk, participants will receive gift bags and afternoon tea in New Norfolk. Now’s your chance to showcase your special history vehicle. ract.com.au/100-year-club-run

3-6 NOVEMBER

4-7 OCTOBER LIFT

3-5 NOVEMBER

SPRING IN THE VINES

Southern Tasmania’s newest wine festival

3-5 November 2023

Returning for its third year, Spring in the Vines features over 40 of the best wine producers from across Southern Tasmania.

Wine lovers will have a unique opportunity to meet the growers and makers who will showcase their finest vintages and newest releases along with food, music, art, and other wine experiences.

So much to explore, less than an hour’s drive from Hobart.

Clockwise from top left: Nocton Vineyard, Coal River Valley; Derwent Estate Vineyard, Derwent Valley; Uplands Vineyard, Coal River Valley; Saltwater River Wines, Tasman Peninsula; Mewstone Wines, Huon region and D’Entrecasteaux Channel

TOP five

Winery restaurants

With spring comes budburst, as tiny green shoots sprout with the promise of vinous delights to come. No better time to head to a winery for lunch, suggests Nola James. She’s picked five to try.

1 DEVIL’S CORNER, Apslawn, East Coast

This multimillion-dollar cellar door has weatherproof seating for 300+ guests and multiple wine-tasting options alongside resident eateries Tombolo Freycinet (wood-fired pizza) and Fishers of Freycinet (locally sourced fish, oysters and mussels). Lush surrounding lawns are kid- and dog-friendly.

2 BANGOR VINEYARD SHED, Dunalley

Bangor ticks a lot of boxes: great for families, kids, dogs, celebrations and budgets big or small. The best seats are outside, either on the deck or lawns, with sweeping views across four hectares of vines. The menu features lots of snacky things – arancini, dips, oysters – alongside larger wine-friendly plates.

3 OSTERIA VISTA AT STEFANO LUBIANA

Granton, Derwent Valley

Luxuriously long Italian-inspired meals are the order of the day at Osteria Vista. Chef Jeff Workman’s $95, four-course set menu changes monthly. Depending on the season, that might mean handmade cavatelli, rabbit sausage and Felds Farm cavolo nero, or wagyu oyster blade with baked polenta.

4 FROGMORE CREEK, Hobart and Cambridge

Bask in breathtaking Coal River Valley views in Cambridge, or dine overlooking Hobart’s waterfront at The Lounge at MACq 01, the winery’s Hunter Street locale. From chicken dumplings in lemongrass broth to pepperberry-rubbed wallaby, each dish is matched to superb cool-climate wines.

5 JOSEF CHROMY WINES, Relbia

At just 10 minutes’ drive from Launceston, share a cab to Josef Chromy, one of Tasmania’s top sparkling-wine houses. Go casual with antipasti and cheese on the deck or settle in for a multi-course lunch of Euro-leaning bistro fare. Think Scottsdale pork belly with macadamia cream or Moreton Bay bug risotto. Bookings essential.

Photos: Adam Gibson; Prime Perspectives; Dearna Bond; Ness Vanderburgh; Two Birds Social.

TASSIEof 100 YEARS FOOD

The Tasmania of today is unrecognisable from the Tasmania of 100 years ago, epitomised by nothing more than its food.

Andrew Bain charts the rise of gourmet Tasmania.

There was a time, not so long ago, when Tasmania was merely the Apple Isle. Today, those apples are just as likely to be bottled as cider, complementing a feast of Tassie cheese, seafood, wagyu, truffles, cherries and berries.

Local food, wine and spirits have rightly been lauded in recent years, but the seeds of this acclaim were planted long ago – it’s literally taken decades for Tasmanian produce to become an ‘overnight success’.

Almost 50 years ago, when Dr Andrew Pirie was planting one of the state’s first vineyards in Piper’s Brook in 1974, even the Tamar Valley was almost devoid of wineries, with state government policy actively discouraging the industry.

“The official register at that time was about 6ha of vineyards in Tasmania, made up of a lot of little backyard parcels,” Dr Pirie says. “The government had read some research, which was wrong, that suggested Tasmania was too cold for viticulture.”

A year later, in an attempt to convince the government to change that policy, Dr Pirie wrote an article in the Australian Financial Review

BELOW

The much-loved Agrarian

predicting a day when Tasmania would have a thriving, well-paired food and wine industry. “The possibility of Tasmanian salmon-trout with a delicate wood-aged chardonnay, local rock lobster and a steely, dry riesling or some of that fine local beef washed down with draughts of elegant cabernet – it’s enough to make a tourist go down there even in winter,” he wrote.

Art and produce

What Dr Pirie was describing was the Tasmania of today, though it would be a while coming. Even when Rodney Dunn shifted to Tasmania to start The Agrarian Kitchen Cooking School in 2008, the search for fine local produce was almost mythical.

“It existed, but it was very difficult to find,” Rodney says. “It was like, ‘go down this road at this time of year and in this gate, and this guy called Jim will have great moorpark apricots’. At that stage, it was all very small, but we’ve seen it swell and swell and swell.”

“What Mona did was bring people who were savvy and interested in experiencing food and wine on that kind of level.”

– RODNEY DUNN OF THE AGRARIAN KITCHEN COOKING SCHOOL

Kitchen in New Norfolk plays host to a kiosk, restaurant and cooking school

It was a time when Tasmania had yet to amass its abundance of top restaurants. Places such as Lebrina and Stillwater, inside its 19th-century flour mill at the mouth of Cataract Gorge, existed, and the likes of Hobart’s Garagistes and Sweet Envy would open within a couple of years, but the dining revolution really began apace when Mona opened its artistic doors in 2011.

“What Mona did was bring people who were savvy and interested in experiencing food and wine on that kind of level,” says Rodney. “If we didn’t have Mona, our restaurant would look a lot different. People need more than a single reason to go somewhere – you very rarely go to a place for just one restaurant. Having multiple things to do when they come down gives them a reason.”

Today, the Agrarian Kitchen, with its cooking school and celebrated restaurant, and Dr Pirie’s Apogee winery are no longer gastronomic outliers. Where once visitors came to Tasmania predominantly to bushwalk, lap the island in a van, or poke about convict relics, today they’re just as likely to be here for the produce and pours.

An almost inexhaustible list of ingredients –oysters, berries, cherries, apples, cheese, olives, craft beer, hazelnuts, honey, kimchi, garlic, wasabi – is being coaxed from the soil and seas, and there are now more than 70 distilleries sprinkled around the state, a far cry from even 30 years ago when a ban on distilling had to be overturned to allow Bill Lark to start the state’s first distillery. “If you’d said to me 30 years ago that there’d be more than 70 distilleries in Tasmania, I’d have said you’re mad,” says Bill. “I’ve been excited and willing for it to happen, but I could never have dreamed it would have happened like this.”

There are restaurants as fine as any in the country (five Tasmanian restaurants made Gourmet Traveller’s list of Australia’s top 82 restaurants last year) and pubs such as Hobart’s Tom McHugo’s

“Often I’ll see our truffles on the menu and I know the farmer that the lamb’s come from, and where the spuds are being grown… you really see something of a community and a bunch of mates on a plate.”

– ANNA TERRY OF TASMANIAN TRUFFLES

and the Clarendon Arms in Evandale have evolved into champions of local produce. Others like Queenstown’s Empire Hotel and Pyengana’s Pub in the Paddock add history and quirks to the menu.

State on a plate

Among the state’s pioneers of produce, there’s immense satisfaction and pride in this overdue twist in the tale of Tasmanian food. When Anna Terry’s father, Tim, pulled Australia’s first truffles from the Red Hills earth in 1999, few people knew what to make of the fungi, forcing him to ship the entire harvest off the island. Today, the black gold from Tasmanian Truffles, run now by Anna and her brother Henry, is found in restaurants across the state, typically among a range of ingredients from other local farms.

“Often I’ll see our truffles on the menu and I know the farmer that the lamb’s come from, and where the spuds are being grown, and so there’s that sense of community,” she says. “It’s quite nice when you see not just our food together on the plate, but you really see something of a community and a bunch of mates on a plate.

“It’s been pretty epic to be a part of that.”

LEFT The family-run Tasmanian Truffles supplies restuarants around the state

“If you’d said to me 30 years ago that there’d be more than 70 distilleries in Tasmania, I’d have said you’re mad. I’ve been excited and willing for it to happen, but I could never have dreamed it would have happened like this.”

– BILL LARK OF LARK DISTILLERY

The Solar Experts

Solar energy and CATCH Power

RACT members receive a free* Australian made CATCH Power unit when purchasing a new solar system from I Want Energy:

• achieve greater control over your solar with the CATCH Solar Relay

• bluetooth and Wi-Fi connected. Offering LIVE data via the Monocle App

• remotely turn loads on and off through the App

• control a wider variety of loads

• control a wide range of Inverters, including export control

• valued at $447 RRP plus installation.

Call us at I Want Energy today to arrange a free consultation, and leave it to the experts.

* You must be purchasing a new solar system. You must provide us with your RACT membership. There must be sufficient space in your switchboard or further charges will apply. Price does not include a single pole 25 amp contactor (cost $100 if required).

drive

22 / AUTO NEWS

25 / 0-100: HYUNDAI SANTA FE HYBRID

27 / IN REVERSE: FJ HOLDEN

28 / ROAD TEST: CUPRA BORN

Hot Tonale

If there’s one thing you can count on with Italian car maker Alfa Romeo it’s that its designers will get styling right, and that’s certainly the case with the brand’s headturning new mid-sized SUV the Tonale. Named after one of Italy’s highest mountain passes, the Tonale Hybrid features Alfa’s signature V Scudetto grille and distinctive ‘3+3’ headlight array, bookended by so-called sine-curve rear light clusters. Boasting the first-ever hybrid powertrain from the storied Italian marque, the Tonale Hybrid comes in two trims – Ti and Veloce – priced from $49,900 and $56,400 respectively, with a Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV) version due later this year. Combining a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine with a sevenspeed dual clutch transmission and a 48V battery, the Mild Hybrid Electric (MHEV)

powertrain produces 118kW at 5750rpm and 240Nm at 1500rpm, returning diesellike fuel economy of 5.6L/100km. Inside, Alfa Romeo’s sporting pedigree is on display in the driver-focused cockpit which includes a three-spoke sports steering wheel with aluminium shift paddles, shapely Alcantaraclad sports seats, leatherette finishes and binocular-like ‘Cannocchiale’ digital instrument display.

Under the skin, Koni Frequency Selective Damping (FSD) changes the level of hydraulic shock damping to compensate for road surface inputs, endowing the Tonale with the sort of dynamic ride and handling that ‘Alfistis’ and other enthusiast drivers will appreciate.

For more visit alfaromeo.com.au

auto news.

100-YEAR SPECIAL:

Do the Lambda

The latest developments in the car world

You’ve probably never given it a second thought but if you’re driving a modern passenger car or SUV then it’s almost certainly based on a monocoque construction design that traces its origins back to the Lancia Lambda, which celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. The innovative Italian machine was the creation of Vincenzo Lancia and is remembered for being the first vehicle to introduce the world to the idea of a load-bearing unitary body. This construction technique, where the vehicle’s weight and load are borne by a unitary bodyshell instead of the conventional rigid chassis rails with cross-members, was reportedly inspired by the

hull of ships Vincenzo had sailed on. The elegant Lambda debuted at the Paris Motor Show in 1922 and was soon adopted by famous personalities and movie stars including actress Greta Garbo. It’s also credited with being the first vehicle to introduce independent front suspension, to better cope with the rough Italian roads Vincenzo and his talented lead engineer Battista Falchetto were accustomed to driving on. The design allowed the front suspension to absorb impacts from bumpy terrain better than a rigid axle, by allowing each wheel to rise and fall on its own without affecting the opposite wheel.

by

the numbers

World Solar Challenge

It’s the world’s largest and most prestigious solar car race. This year’s race kicks off in Darwin in October, 35 years after the inaugural challenge.

1987

The year the first group of solar-powered ‘cars’ lined up on the starting grid for the inaugural World Solar Challenge in tropical Darwin.

3000km

The distance that secondary and tertiary students will cover on the 2023 journey travelling along the Stuart Highway to Adelaide.

43

Number of teams from 23 locations to start the race in Darwin, making this one of the most geographically and culturally diverse fields in the event’s history.

CHARGE OF THE ELECTRIC LIGHT BRIGADE

The spike in Australian electric vehicle (EV) sales is being driven in part by increasing competition at the lower end of the market, according to the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries.

FCAI data for June 2023 showed that sales of zero- and low-emission vehicles have continued to grow with 16.6 percent of new vehicle sales being battery electric, hybrid or plug-in hybrid models.

Three recently launched sub$50k Chinese models are set to further incite the affordable-electric

wave, among them the BYD Dolphin electric hatchback, which joins the Atto 3 small SUV in the Chinese brand’s growing range.

The Dolphin is positioned as a price leader in the BYD range with the entry-level Dynamic boasting a headline-grabbing entry price of $38,890 plus on-road costs, with its 70kW/180Nm motor, 44.9kWh battery and claimed driving range of 340km (WLTP).

Also vying for the title of Australia’s most affordable EV is BYD rival MG, which announced its

new MG4 Excite electric hatchback will be priced from $38,990 plus on-road costs. The Excite boasts a 125kW motor, 51kWh battery and 350km range.

Not to be outdone, Chinese car maker GWM has announced a price cut for its Ora EV, which means the small hatchback starts from just $39,990 plus on-road costs. The entry level GWM Ora features a 126kW/250Nm front-mounted electric motor and a 48kWh lithium iron phosphate unit, delivering a claimed range of 310km (WLTP).

auto

The real thing

The Australian Automobile Association (AAA) along with Australia’s auto clubs began testing under the Real-World Testing Program at the end of July. The program will provide information on the fuel consumption and emissions of Australia’s top-selling vehicles in real driving conditions, enabling consumers to make better-informed decisions on their next car purchase. Current consumer information on these topics is based on laboratory tests, but the AAA notes that results of these tests can vary significantly from on-road driving results. “That means cars can use more fuel and produce higher emissions than their buyers expected,” says AAA Managing Director Michael Bradley. In 2017 pilot testing, AAA testing of 30 vehicles produced eyeopening results. “When tested in real driving conditions, average fuel consumption was 23 per cent higher than lab results indicated, and vehicles produced up to seven times

the legal lab limit of some noxious emissions,” says Michael.

The Commonwealth Government has committed $14 million to fund the AAA to test 200 cars, utes and vans over the next four years. Vehicles will be driven along a 93km route in and around Geelong that includes urban and rural roads, as well as a stretch of motorway.

RACT Group Chief Executive Officer Mark Mugnaioni says the program aims to give consumers information they can use to reduce their costs and driving emissions. “RACT is fully committed to supporting the Real-World Testing program. It will empower Tasmanians with relevant data, supporting their decision-making when purchasing a new car. As a member of AAA, RACT continues its mission to deliver informed and transparent information to our members.”

Although the program will initially only impact the new-car market, the AAA expects it will influence

purchasing decisions in the commercial and government fleet sector where buyers are keen to improve fuel economy and reduce emissions. “Fleet managers have shown a lot of interest in real-world testing,” says Michael. “The testing program is likely to influence fleetpurchasing decisions. Within a few years that will make a difference in the second-hand market.”

RACT’s Chief Advocacy Officer Garry Bailey says the program will enhance transparency and trust in the auto industry. “This initiative will help Tasmanians make educated choices, ensuring they get value for money and the environmental performance they expect. RACT is proud to be involved.”

A program of real-world testing will provide on-road efficiency results for Tasmanians

0–100 review

2023 HYUNDAI FIESTA DE SANTA FE

The fourth-gen

from 2018 but a December 2020 facelift gave it fresh styling and a hybrid-petrol powertrain.

WITH FUEL PRICES HOVERING at or near historic highs, the promise of diesellike efficiency with the more refined characteristics of petrol has obvious appeal. And that’s precisely the promise of the latest addition to Hyundai’s familyfriendly Santa Fe SUV range, with the fuelsipping turbo four-cylinder petrol hybrid now available in the better equipped (and most expensive) Elite and Highlander AWD variants.

We’re tempted by the fully loaded Highlander Hybrid AWD which costs an extra $6550 over the Elite but brings such niceties as nappa leather upholstery, heated outer second-row seats, projector LED headlights and a panoramic sunroof.

The generous standard equipment list extends to a 10-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, dual-zone climate control, wireless phone charger, heated steering wheel, powered tailgate, smart remote key, and wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. There’s also the option of fancy second-row captain’s chairs if you prefer the extra space of a six-seat layout.

The roomy and attractively furnished interior feels decidedly upmarket, with shapely perforated-leather seats and an attractive mix of materials and finishes,

including chrome-finished dials, black suede on the headliner and pillars, and a multi-selectable ambient lighting palette. Getting comfortable is easy thanks to the 14-way electric front seats with heating and cooling, and the driver faces a crisply rendered and customisable 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, colour head-up display, plus a 10.25-inch high-resolution touchscreen infotainment system.

The responsive turbo petrol fourcylinder and electric motor work in harmony, switching smoothly between electric and combustion drive modes to deliver brisk off-the-mark acceleration and assertive overtaking. The hybrid’s claimed combined-cycle fuel consumption of 6.0L/100km undercuts the 2.2-litre turbo diesel four-cylinder (6.1L/100km) and 3.5-litre petrol V6 (10.5L/100km) available elsewhere in the range.

Hyundai also claims to have put the Santa Fe through extensive local testing to ensure the suspension is calibrated for Australian conditions. We found few chinks in its armour on a family road trip with three passengers and every one of the wagon’s 571 litres of boot space accounted for, the independent system striking a balance between comfort and control.

The Santa Fe hybrid hasn’t been tested by ANCAP but other models in the range boast a five-star safety rating achieved in 2018, with the hybrid’s standard features including seven airbags, autonomous emergency braking with steering assist, blind-spot and lane keep assist, and adaptive cruise control.

As with many seven-seat SUVs the third-row seats are best suited for kids or occasional use by adults of smaller stature, though the fact the curtain airbags cover only the glass area and not the full extent of the third row is a miss in this otherwise impressive family wagon.

THE SPECS

MAKE/MODEL • 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid Highlander AWD

BODY • Five-door SUV

RETAIL PRICE • $69,550 (MRLP)

BODY STYLE • Large SUV

SEATING • 7

FUEL CONSUMPTION • (Combined): 6.0L/100km (137g/Km CO2)

ANCAP SAFETY RATING

• Not yet tested, other variants 5-star (2018)

ENGINE • 1.6L turbocharged fourcylinder petrol, 44.2kW electric motor (169kW/350Nm)

TRANSMISSION • Six-speed automatic

DRIVE TYPE

0-100KM/H

• All-wheel drive

• 8.2 secs (estimate)

For more visit hyundai.com.au

Hyundai Santa Fe harks

Story Harry Weller

FJ AT YOUR SERVICE

today’s standards, the FJ was regarded as a reasonably spritely performer, thanks largely to the fact that its British badged rivals were powered by asthmatic fourcylinder engines.

Pricing for the sedan was around $2046, or the equivalent of 64 weeks’ wages in 1953, but despite this the FJ was soon the hottest ticket in town thanks to its durability and performance, good ground clearance, comfortable ride and roomy six-passenger interior.

CLAIM TO FAME

MODEL

FJ Holden ENGINE

2.2-litre inline sixcylinder “Grey Motor”

Released 70 years ago thiS year, the FJ Holden stands as one of the most important icons of 1950s Australia. For years the FJ was used as an RACT service vehicle, saving Tasmanians stuck on the roadside.

Story Harry Weller

The FJ Holden was launched in October 1953 as an update to the first mass-produced Australian car, the 48-215, which had been released in 1948 and is commonly referred to as the FX Holden.

Marketed as the New Look Holden, The FJ carried over almost all the mechanicals and styling of the FX but

“Australia’s own car” boasted distinctive curves and solid simplicity

added a redesigned finned grille, chrome hubcaps and bumpers, new brightwork on the body sides, and distinctive torpedo-shaped tail lights, with chrome wings on the rear mudguards.

Perhaps most importantly, the FJ came in three trim levels, including a luxurious new Special variant with such luxuries as two-tone paint, leather seat trim, front-door armrests, chrome instrument surrounds and a cigarette lighter.

Powered by the same 2.2-litre inline six-cylinder “Grey Motor” as the FX, with outputs of 45kW at 3800rpm and 136Nm at 2000rpm, the FJ was available only with a three-speed column shift manual and initially in sedan and ute body styles, although a panel van was later added to the range.

Despite such modest outputs by

The FJ has been immortalised in Australian pop culture on many occasions, including by musician and actor Peter Brian, who adopted the Frankie J Holden moniker while frontman for 1970s retro pop band Ol’ 55, and director Michael Thornhill who named his 1977 feature film after the FJ Holden in which his two protagonists cruise Sydney’s western suburbs. This icon of the road was also seen frequently on Tasmanian roads as it served reliably to RACT patrol as a service vehicle thanks to its added practicality.

By the time the FE variant was released in July 1956, the FJ Holden had sold a total of 169,969 units, and in second and third-hand guise would go on to fuel the wanderlust of the post-war baby boomer generation, the wildest of whom customised their “Humpys” with fox tails, wider steel rims and twin Stromberg carburetors.

ABOVE

The FJ Holden served as an RACT service vehicle for decades

ROAD

In our not-so-distant past, the concept of driving an all-electric vehicle to the end of the road in Australia produced ‘range anxiety’. Driving from Hobart to Cockle Creek powered by battery alone proved a very different mission in the new CUPRA Born.

Words Alice Hansen Photos Stu Gibson

we sink into the space-age cockpit, and it lights up to greet us. I feel like I’m at the helm of an aircraft, the signature copper of CUPRA’s badge glowing large from the touchscreen. Accents of coppery textures whisper style – not overdone but very much a statement. Copper stitching meets refined interior touches that celebrate what this VW Group-owned Spanish carmaker vehicle is known for: a commitment to design, the environment and individualism. It’s a good-looking car, disrupting the norm with its youthful and vibrant feels.

“Even the showroom is like nothing we’ve seen here in Australia and we’ll soon have ours ready,” smiles the sales representative during handover of keys. “Born only launched in May 2023 and is turning heads for its bespoke touches, heavy design focus and range of up to 511km.”

Having driven electric cars across Tasmania in the past, I understand that range anxiety is real. When it’s dark and there’s uncertainty around making it to the next highway-side plug, it does tend to make one grip the steering wheel a little harder.

With the CUPRA Born on full charge, I feel fully at ease. My photographer mate Stu pops his gear in the generously sized boot and we’re buried in fog shortly after leaving the city. My only reason for grabbing the steering wheel tightly on this trip is because I’ve set its heating on high to counteract the chilly zerodegree weather outside.

When we pull up in Geeveston to check out the charging situation, a friendly traveller topping up his own vehicle gets terribly excited about our CUPRA. In dashing red, we make quite an entrance. Knowing that this enthusiast could swallow our entire

THE SPECS

PRICING • $67,090 drive away

BODY STYLE • Hatchback

SEATING Demonstrator vehicle is 4 seats, however a 5 seater is available

ENGINE CONSUMPTION • 18.2kWh for demonstrator vehicle

SAFETY • 5 star ANCAP

ENGINE TYPE • Electric

BATTERY • 82 kWh

CHARGING/PLUG • CCS Type 2, AC 11kW, DC 170kW

RANGE • 475kms demonstrator vehicle, 511kms standard

TRANSMISSION • Auto

DRIVE TYPE • RWD

MAX. POWER • 170kW

MAX. TORQUE • 310

0-100KM/H • 7.0 seconds

morning gushing over our Dynamic Chassis Control driveability, Performance Package alloy wheels and all manner of CUPRA touches, we bid a quick farewell.

We take a detour at Southport (because we can hit the indicator with our bold range!) to cruise alongside old-school shacks that still line the beachfront. The road hugs the shores in these parts, with crashing waves just metres from my window.

Back on course, we dodge a few potholes as bitumen turns to gravel. We’re drawing close to Cockle Creek, where bushwalkers start or finish the epic South Coast Track.

I kick off my boots and walk the cool sands of Cockle Creek beside terrifically clear blue

A friendly traveller... gets terribly excited about our CUPRA. In dashing red, we make quite an entrance.

water. Interestingly, CUPRA is fighting plastic pollution in partnership with Seaqual, with the Born’s bucket seats made from a recycled polymer fibre fabric derived from plastic waste from the Mediterranean Sea and beyond. It’s fitting to consider the car maker’s environmental focus at this Tassie outpost.

As we venture back to Hobart, we pull into Lunaris Gemstones near the Lune River where owner Boris has been hunting gems since the 1960s and sharing them at Salamanca Market for a quarter of a century. In stark contrast to a CUPRA Born, just been born, we’re thrown into a world where Boris points out Jurassic-era 182-millionyear-old tree fern fossils. I pull back a curtain to reveal fluorescent fossils and Stu gathers a series of mega-fascinating rocks for his fossilloving son and promises to return for some family riverside hunting.

We find that Masaaki doesn’t have his fine sushi available for late lunch back in Geeveston, but the award-winning steak and cheese pie at the local bakery (made onsite like everything else) hits the spot.

From old to new, from remote to the bustling CBD, it’s a colourful day out with CUPRA and Stu. We’ve laughed, we’ve walked beaches, we’ve met locals and we’ve rolled back into town with plenty of range. We give the CUPRA a quick hose down, guilty there’s a shade of coppery dust blanketing a once-radiant red.

Then again, the copper badge seemed to suit a dusting of Tassie copper, proving that the Born is up for some of Tassie’s most remote quests.

COMPARABLES

• Just 233km of range

Source: carsguide.com.au

Book a test drive of the new Born EV with the CUPRA Hobart Sales Manager, Kurt, at kurt@cuprahobart.com.au

TESLA MODEL 3

From $61,300

MINI COOPER SE From $63,980

• Currently the most popular electric car in Australia

• Slightly lower driving range of 491km

• Charming design and ideal as a second car for darting around town in a fuel-free manner

HIGH TEA AT MAYLANDS LODGE

As an introductory offer, enjoy a free glass* of sparkling when you quote ‘RACT’.

Available Friday-Sunday, 11am-4pm. $60 per adult, $35 per child.

To book, phone: 6169 2777 maylandslodge.com.au

40 Swanston St, New Town, Tasmania

The Kiln Eatery & Clifton Homestead Be our guest

EAT: The Kiln Eatery offers globally influenced cuisine & fresh local produce in a beautifully restored original Oast House.

VISIT: Please join us for a private tour of the Historic Clifton Homestead on Saturday, 30th September at 10am.*

STAY: Save 10% at Clifton Homestead when you quote ‘RACT’ at the time of booking. Offer available until 31st October, 2023. thekilneatery.com.au | cliftonhomestead.com.au

*To register, email admin@cliftonhomstead.com.au. Limited places available

travel

Breakfast in bed

After 23 years, Launceston’s Stillwater Restaurant bids farewell to breakfast service. The move, which gives the team space to focus on lunch and dinner, has prompted a new in-room breakfast offering for those staying at Stillwater Seven, the boutique hotel above. The menu features continental favourites such as fresh and stewed fruit, house granola, yoghurt, cured meats, cheeses, house-made pastries and local honey and jams.

For more, visit stillwater.com.au

Photo: Ness Vanderburgh

travel news.

3 TO TRY Outdoor baths

THE STAND-ALONE

You’ll find this luxury cabin-style retreat at Lufra Cove, in Eaglehawk Neck. Here, a deep outdoor bath and shower float above the forest floor, privacy provided by the surrounding trees.

WEEKEND RIDE

Blue Derby Pods Ride has launched a new two-day itinerary that takes in the dramatic Mount Paris Dam. The all-levels trek departs Launceston on Sundays and features spectacular mountain-biking trails, with gourmet meals, eco-pod accommodation and riding gear fully catered. bluederbypodsride.com.au

TWAMLEY FARM

This picturesque working farm boasts two outdoor cedar hot tubs. Book a bucolic stay at The Stable, a beautifully renovated two-storey sandstone building, or the more modern Farm Pod.

THE KEEP

Float your troubles away at The Keep, an eccentric stone tower/ luxury escape in Central Tasmania. The mountain-to-ocean views are best appreciated from the outdoor stone bathtub – it’s fit for two.

Photos: Ella Lucy Photography (Lufra Cove), Adam Gibson (Blue Derby twin pod), Stu Gibson (pod exterior)

Sweet retreat

From 3 to 6 October, Yoga Cucina hosts a Bruny Island retreat with a delicious twist. Unwind with yoga classes and meditation by day, indulge in nourishing chef-prepared meals and fine Tasmanian wines by night. $995 twin share, with accommodation at Bruny Island Lodge. yogacucina.com

MORE MOO BREW

FRESH CATCH

Iconic Stanley restaurant Hursey Seafoods has had a makeover. The large crayfish on the roof and expansive windows with rugged ocean views are still in play, while the dining room redesign elevates with cool grey tones, oceanthemed artworks and shipping artefacts. Enjoy staples of fish and chips, whole crayfish and seafood marinara alongside lobster mac ‘n’ cheese and old-school cob loaf. hurseyseafoods.com.au

Moo Brew has opened a bar/nano-brewery on Hobart’s waterfront called Manky Sally’s, a play on its Salamanca locale. The space is austere for a Mona-affiliated brand (Moo Brew is owned by David Walsh) but upcycled Axminster carpets, plush teal stools and a taxidermy squirrel set the scene. Find 14 Moo Brew beers on tap, including seasonal and experimental releases, plus Moorilla and Domaine A wines. Chef Sam Bray turns out bar snacks that could easily turn into dinner. Think cumin-spiced wallaby skewers with chilli oil, and wild venison okonomiyaki.

For more, visit moobrew.com.au

From its Town Common and tree-lined Village Green to the surrounding roads lined with hawthorn hedgerows, the northern town of Westbury thrives in its ever-so-English airs, writes

Andrew Bain

Westbury

EAT

Westbury’s best eating comes with a side of gin or Irish moonshine at Western Tiers Distillery. The small menu features ginseng lamb backstrap and house-made gnocchi. Dine in sight of the stills, beneath lightshades forged from the same copper, then stick around for a distillery tour or tastings.

DRINK

Opened at the end of 2022, tiny Love Lucy Boots blends vintage with an up-to-the-moment wine list. Tucked inside an 1870s home, the bar’s focus

is small, family-owned vineyards, half of which are Tasmanian, with cheese plates to accompany.

SHOP

Once Upon a Time Collectables stocks an assortment of nostalgic household classics – flour tins, meat safes, shoeshine kits – while the well-named Tassie Pickers is an eclectic, Steptoe-and-Son-like jumble of travel clocks, oil cans and ammo boxes. Or maybe you just need a set of traffic lights or a petrol bowser?

SEE Stump out to the Recreation Ground for the big cricket wickets, standing 6m high and paying tribute to local cricketer Jack Badcock, the first Tasmanian to score a Test century. Pearn’s Steam World contains the Southern Hemisphere’s biggest collection of steam engines.

STAY

The gleaming-white Fitzpatrick’s Inn opened as a hotel in 1833 and now serves as bed-and-breakfast accommodation. Behind the classical columns, the period-era rooms share a bathroom (with clawfoot bath) and a mature English garden. Westbury Gingerbread Cottages is a collection of half a dozen mid-19th-century homes at the heart of the village.

ESSENTIAL STOPS

• Western Tiers Distillery

• Love Lucy Boots

• Once Upon a Time Collectables

• Tassie Pickers

• Fitzpatrick’s Inn

• Westbury Gingerbread Cottages

The PIT STOP

Photos: Chris Crerar (Westbusy Gingerbread Cottages, Pearns Steam World), Tourism Tasmania/ Kathryn Leahy (Fitzpatrick’s Inn)

HAPPENING Launceston

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP Du Cane Brewery and DIning Hall; Tatler Lane’s Archana Brammall; cocktails at Bar Stelo; Pachinko dumplings.

Launnie is being brought to life by a new generation. A flurry of new openings has helped Launcestonians see and experience their city with new eyes. Words and images by

Chris Crerar

Launceston’s Du Cane Brewery and Dining Hall sees people of all ages lounging on fake turf benches in a huge retro-hiking-themed former industrial space, devouring woodfired pizzas with craft beer brewed onsite. It’s a space that just a few years ago was difficult to imagine in the northern city.

Co-founder Sam Reid admits to “lots of sleepless nights in the lead-up to opening Du Cane”, but says his fears slipped away when it became clear that people had embraced the idea.

“The launch was totally off the show – like a mini festival – and it feels like it pretty much hasn’t stopped since then. Phew!” Sam laughs.

He believes the city is undergoing a revival, thanks largely to a new generation of locals

seemingly unshackled from the city’s past who are now making their mark.

“Traditionally Launceston has been very pub focused with a ‘pint and parmy’ offering and not a lot of innovation, but in the last few years that has really changed and it’s super exciting to be part of,” he says.

The slow burn of change

History looms large in Launceston, just as it has done in the capital, Hobart. Decades of weak economic growth in the 20th century inadvertently preserved the built heritage of both cities, acting as reminders and links to a colonial past. Known for being beautiful and quaint, but also “cultural backwaters”, Tasmania’s two largest cities became the butt of jokes interstate.

Then, in 2011, Hobart received a transformative cultural catalyst with the opening of Mona and the rest, as they say, is history.

Photos: Chris Crerar

Du Cane Brewery & Dining Hall

Bar Stelo Midnight Rambler

Royal Oak Hotel

Harvest Market

Pachinko

Havilah

Sweetbrew LAUNCESTON

Cultural change in Launceston over recent years has been more of a slow burn. The seeds of a revival began in the years before the pandemic hit but really accelerated during COVID-19 as residents began to embrace and support everything local and many people, particularly young families, moved – or returned – to the city.

Attracted by Launceston’s affordability, historical architecture, natural attractions, wine regions, shifting culture and remote work, many of these new residents have remained, providing a springboard for new cafes and restaurants, breweries and bars, markets and festivals.

“Most of them have settled for good and brought with them a progressive outlook and a commitment to grow the Launceston community,” Sam says.

An injection of new life

A couple of blocks away from Du Cane Brewery and past other new establishments such as the bars Stelo, Bar Two and Midnight Rambler, a much-loved Launceston institution has been polished up to walk alongside the new kids on the block. First licensed in 1851, The Royal Oak Hotel is now as hip as any bar or restaurant in the city, demonstrating how Launceston’s revival is spreading to even long-standing establishments.

Royal Oak’s manager Ari Kirkpatrick says that the renovations have really injected new life into the old pub.

“We had our best summers over the past two years,” she says. “Business is booming, especially with our new cocktail and rooftop bars, and our continued support of live music. It’s one of those pubs that people always come back to.”

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP Woodfired pizza at Du Cane Brewery and DIning Hall; the Junction Arts Festival is shaping the city’s revival; Bread & Butter cafe; the famous Harvest Market.

Many people Ari’s age (early 20s) would have left town for brighter lights as soon as they could, but she saw the value in staying put.

“I love it,” she says. “It’s community focused and I feel like I can be a part of something living here. I love volunteering and there’s lots of festivals and events to get involved in. It’s home.”

With the city’s Junction Arts Festival having celebrated its 10th birthday in 2021 and Mona’s summer festival, Mona Foma, being held in the city since 2019, a vibrant arts and cultural scene have helped shape Launceston’s revival.

“Arts festivals like Mona Foma and Junction Arts Festival encourage us to see things differently,” says outgoing Junction Festival chairperson Liz Frankham. “It’s the most significant legacy an arts festival can bring to a place. Launceston has come of age and benefitted enormously over the last decade of these festivals.”

Quality over quantity

There is also little doubt that Launceston gaining UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy status in 2021 is contributing to the increasingly rich food and wine scene in and around the city. And with the now well-established Harvest Market providing

Photo: Nick Hanson

“Launceston has come of age and benefitted enormously over the last decade of these festivals.”

an outlet for small-food growers, many of the city’s new crop of eating establishments are increasingly focused on quality local produce.

Small, intimate restaurants such as Pachinko and Havilah have enriched the dining-out landscape with a focus on local produce and wine, alongside longer-established supporters of Tasmanian producers such as Stillwater.

For Havilah founder and winemaker Ricky Evans, Launceston is a great place to live and work.

“I feel like Launceston is a place with genuine opportunity – ideas can become a reality in this city. It’s an exciting landscape to be a part of,” he says.

“I love the mix we have at the moment; we have a really great base to work from, from established offerings through to new ideas that diversify the market. Across this mix, it is all quality focused, and that is the most exciting thing about the scene right now.”

Change is brewing

No story about Launceston finding a new spring in its step would be complete without mentioning coffee. Or more specifically, coffee, cafes and community. Launceston’s discerning coffee culture is best explained by one of the city’s greatest champions.

Archana Brammall and her partner Tim recently moved from their much-loved coffee institution, Sweetbrew, into a bold new venture. With a focus on serious coffee appreciation, Tatler Lane also incorporates a coffee roastery bar and kitchen and has been pretty much full since opening last summer.

“In the last 10 years, our cafe scene has changed dramatically, and it’s great to see,” Archana says.

“There’s so much to be offered. It’s wonderful to see the same hum and vibe people had and have for evening catch-ups now happening by day in people’s favourite cafes.”

For Archana, there’s a good reason behind Launceston’s revival.

“People are looking for a work-life balance and Launceston has the capacity to offer that and is proving successful at it. Add in the groups of people who have brought in their new young ideas over recent years and it’s a great formula. The city and community have embraced it all.”

Photos: Chris Crerar, Ness Vanderburgh/@havilahwine (dish)

“People are looking for a work-life balance and Launceston has the capacity to offer that.”

TOP TO BOTTOM Cosy spaces at Du Cane Brewery and Dining Hall; fine dining at Havilah Wine; nearby Tamar Valley.

Admire, Taste, Learn, Shop!

The largest display, sale and working demonstration of all types of crafts in Australia.

Venues right across Deloraine 3-6 November Long Weekend

Tickets and information at tascraftfair.com.au (use code RACT)

A long weekend in the

HUON VALLEY

A short hop from Hobart is the perfect getaway spot. Just don’t forget to pack your appetite.

Words and images by Chris Crerar.

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT Boats on the Huon River; the Farmhouse Kitchen; Harvest and Light cordial; a sample of craft products from Cygnet.

Iwake suddenly in the dead of the night. Dazed and confused, I wonder where I am and why our bed is inside a kombi van. Then I remember it’s the first night of our long weekend in the Huon Valley and we’re spending it at the brilliant Kombi Kamp.

Tucked beside a burbling creek on a farm between the towns of Huonville and Cygnet, Frida, a classic ’70s VW Kombi, is the heart of this unique accommodation offering, which also boasts a camp kitchen and a shower under the stars.

Set up by Pam Lane and Nic Smith, Kombi Kamp is a fabulous example of the kind of creativity that can be found right across the Huon Valley.

“We love kombis and know many others do too. Where else can you sleep in an icon while enjoying one of the prettiest spots in Tassie?” Pam says.

Cosily cocooned in Frida, I sleep soundly for the rest of the night, waking fresh for our big weekend of Huon Valley adventuring.

Carving it up in Cygnet

We begin in earnest with a coffee and pastry from Cygnet’s Poolish and Co. bakery, enjoyed while walking the town’s eclectic main street.

Founded largely by Irish ticket-of-leave convicts and built around forestry, shipbuilding and fruit growing, Cygnet became a magnet for many seeking alternative lifestyles back in the ’60s and ’70s. A recent wave of tree-changers has added to the creative mix, and the town is a fun stroll, with hippy, craft and antique shops, galleries and cafes vying for your attention. Add in a strong palawa community and Cygnet makes for a compelling destination.

We can’t linger too long, however, as we’re off to make wooden spoons at Phoenix Creations. In their Cygnet home studio, artist David Rauenbusch and his wife Michelle have handcrafted thousands of wooden spoons, mostly from recycled or sustainably sourced green wood. What began as a joking jibe from Michelle to her cabinet-maker husband about not having any wooden spoons in the home has grown into a rewarding lifestyle and business. David and Michelle now run spoon-carving workshops

and have amassed something of a cult following, with more than 114,000 followers on Instagram.

After a brief demonstration in his atmospheric workspace, David hands each of us a block of green wood and a very sharp carving tool. Putting us at ease with his calmness, David guides us through this ancient art. While far removed from David’s creations, I do end up making a functional spoon, and feel a touch proud of my efforts.

“People are looking for experiences rather than just going and tasting wine or visiting galleries,”

The town is a fun stroll, with hippy, craft and antique shops, galleries and cafes vying for your attention... Cygnet makes for a compelling destination.

David says. “It’s getting your hands into making something that lots of people don’t really do anymore. So that’s the mindfulness of forgetting about whatever your day-to-day grind is and just carving a spoon.”

All this handling of utensils has made us hungry. Luckily, we’ve booked a cooking class just up the hill at the renowned Farmhouse Kitchen.

Heritage treats and hot tubs

We’re greeted by the charismatic and engaging Giuliana White, who shares the cooking of her southern Italian heritage from her family farm perched high above Cygnet.

Rather than prepare any of the traditional recipes from her family region of Puglia, today we’re making the more recent creation of tiramisu. Giuliana has us all transfixed with stories from Italy and life as postwar migrants in Hobart as much as she does with her effortless preparation of the cake.

“I love sharing my knowledge of the food from my parents’ region of Italy,” she says. “It is easily done here as the environment is beautiful and we live in an old heritage home that makes the atmosphere quite inviting and friendly.”

We retire to the dining room with “proper espresso”, as Giuliana carves up the tiramisu. It’s the best I’ve ever tasted.

The lure of an outdoor hot tub with views compels us to farewell Giuliana and head straight to our accommodation at The Roundhouses.

The hot tub, views and Roundhouse don’t disappoint, and we happily stay put until the next morning.

It’s all about the valley

After local eggs on sourdough, we drive direct to the historic town of Franklin, where we stop at Cinnamon and Cherry for a heart-starting Turkish coffee and house-made cherry tart.

Now needing some exercise, we drive further south and then west, up towards the Hartz Mountains and the Tahune AirWalk. Although hit hard by bushfires in 2013, the towering eucalypt forest around the AirWalk is recovering beautifully

CLOCKWISE FROM FAR LEFT Spoon making at Phoenix Creations; tempting salads at Harvest and Light; the Huon River; Harvest and Light’s wine selection; Huonville’s Lost Captain; Kombi Kamp’s owners with Frida.

and it’s awe-inducing to walk out to the end of the suspended platform high above the Huon River and Southern Forests.

With our thoughts never too far from food, we head back to Geeveston and lunch at Australia’s southernmost wine bar, Harvest and Light.

Established by microbiologist Cassy Faux, Harvest and Light not only showcases Tasmania’s best wines, but also Cassy’s pickled and fermented creations.

We sample pickled cherries, peaches and various vegetables, served with labna and cheeses, while Cassy tells us about her career transition from Antarctic microbiology to pickling and wine appreciation, alongside her love of the Huon Valley community and its food growers.

“I think the thing that makes the produce in the valley special are the producers – the people who choose to live in the valley and grow food,” she says. “The fact that they know it’s hard work and hard to make a living being a farmer, and yet they still choose to do it. So much love and care going into producing a product they can be proud of.”

The hits keep coming

Accommodation for our final night is at the evocatively named River Run Lodge, further south beyond Dover. Set right on the banks of the Esperance River, we enjoy a fabulous pub meal in the tavern before crawling into our bunkhouse cabin, vowing never to eat again.

We soon break this pledge. After a long morning walk on the beautiful Roaring Bay Beach near the mouth of the Huon River, we declare that we’ve earned lunch at Huonville’s Lost Captain on our way back up to Hobart.

We finish with a brief stop at Kate Hill Wines for a tasting and some keepsake wines to take home.

As we drive up to Vinces Saddle and out of the Huon Valley, I wonder to myself whether our long weekend of indulgence was just a dream, only to be reminded by my tightening waistline that it wasn’t.

Photos: Chris Crerar

TOP TO BOTTOM Giuliana and tiramisu in the Farmhouse Kitchen; dinner at River Run Lodge.

King Island - Simply Stunning!

The Perfect Winter Escape

Snuggle up in front of a cosy gas log fire, relaxing on a luxurious sofa, warm cuppa in hand in awe of the Great Southern Ocean swells smashing with explosive force onto the magnificent rock formations directly in front of your retreat, just 50 metres away.

The retreats projecting outward, arrow shaped, floating on a cantilevered floor, like the bow of a ship stand solidly taking on the full brunt of the roaring forties winds. The floor to ceiling large spans of double-glazing leave nothing of the spectacle outside to the imagination, it is all real and enthralling.

Nature’s roaring 40s spectacle is intensified from June through to August and one to be experienced.

Visit

Recreating history

Although we’re more than halfway through our centenary, we still have lots of exciting celebrations up our sleeve. We’re inviting our members to take a step back in time as we re-create our first club run, driving in a convoy of heritage and special-interest vehicles from Hobart to New Norfolk, just like we did in 1923. Departing Government House on Sunday 26 November, convoy members will receive gift bags and enjoy an afternoon tea at picturesque Tynwald Park. Showcase your vehicles alongside our fleet, from the classic Ford Escort to our newest vehicle, the RACT 100 Years community van.

If cars aren’t your thing, how about a free movie screening? Our Launceston event back in July was a great success, with our members coming together to enjoy the classic romantic comedy Grease. We’ll be bringing the screenings to Metro Cinemas Burnie on 6 November and Village Cinemas Hobart in January, where members can relax with complimentary popcorn and choc tops, and get their hands on some exclusive club merchandise.

Finally, to wrap up the year in festive style, join us as we spread some joy and laughter at the 2023 Hobart Christmas Pageant on 18 November. Our merry team will be handing out lots of goodies to members and the public alike.

Spotlight on Kathy Stocks

MEET KATHY STOCKS, the heart and soul of RACT for 30 years. Kathy started at an integral time for RACT in 1985, just as the organisation moved into insurance in partnership with NRMA. Through her time, she embodied what an RACT employee should be, bringing her caring nature and member focus to everything she did.

RACT has always been a shoulder to lean on for the Tasmanian community, with Kathy stating just how important the organisation was to the community and to staff.

“Staff had great pride in wearing their uniform,” Kathy says. “They would often come back from lunch and couldn’t believe the types of questions people would stop them in the street and ask. Now you would Google to try to find the answer; then you asked RACT.”

Starting as a cashier and going on to become Southern Branch Manager, Kathy remembers just how diverse the role was, from selling travel packages one minute, to answering insurance enquiries the next. As staff bounced from member to member handling all sorts of different RACT products, they needed to rely on each other a lot, helping form close bonds between them. Kathy says she still catches up regularly with past colleagues.

Over time RACT recognised that the public’s growing thirst for knowledge was an opportunity to seek a proactive approach to community engagement. As a result, Kathy was appointed the new Community and Education Manager, her wealth of knowledge, kindness and approachable nature making

her the perfect choice. It was through Kathy’s efforts that RACT’s community programs were born.

Kathy’s role didn’t just stop with education, but also involved seeking sponsorship opportunities and passing on the community’s road safety concerns for advocacy.

Kathy’s 30 years of service to RACT and her commitment to the Tasmanian community is faultless. Over the years Kathy has been a shining example of what an RACT employee should be: helpful, a go-to for advice and a tremendous community representative. Kathy Stocks set the standard, and her work laid the foundation for much of what RACT does today.

CATCHING THE BUS COULD BE YOUR TICKET TO HEALTH

Remember the last time you caught the bus? Besides sitting on the bus, it involved walking to and from the stops, right? Here’s a surprising fact: these short walks mean bus users walk an extra 33 minutes on average daily. These walks could help you meet daily physical activity guidelines, helping lower your risk of heart conditions, type 2 diabetes and mental illness. Not only is catching the bus beneficial to health, but it’s also eco-friendly,

improving air quality and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. With fewer than half of all Australians meeting physical activity guidelines, the Menzies Institute for Medical Research is calling on Burnie, Launceston and Hobart residents to participate in a study. Researchers aim to explore the health benefits of bus use and the motivations behind it. If you’re over 15, live in an urban Metro bus service area, and use a motor vehicle for trips that could be taken by bus, you might qualify for this study. Plus, you could receive a $100 reward for participation.

Ready to step on board? Visit getbusactive.com and discover how your everyday bus journey could boost your health.

Fuel savings made easy with RACT’s digital member card

RACT has launched a new digital member card, available via the Fuel Saver app, offering its members an easy way to secure their fuel discounts, even if their physical member card is forgotten at home.

RACT: a year in review

In such an important year we’d like to thank our 214,000 members for their support as well as staff for their unwavering commitment and dedication to RACT during the 2022-23 financial year.

Here are just a few of our key achievements:

$4.95m saved across our member rewards program

Winner of the small to medium general insurer ANZIIF Award

$83m paid to members in insurance claims

#1 brand in Tasmania

DBM Australian Financial Awards Best Home and Motor Insurance in Tasmania

69.6k people helped on the roadside

Told our 100-year history through our book and online

19.1k lessons taught by our driver trainers

Created special collector’s edition of Journeys

More than 400,000 calls answered across the year

Hosted multiple member events to celebrate our 100 years

In the last financial year, RACT members made a cumulative saving of $3.4 million on fuel purchased at participating United and Astron service stations in Tasmania, and with the convenience of the Fuel Saver app and being able to find the cheapest fuel near you, the savings are expected to be higher.

“With this digital card, our members have convenience and savings at their fingertips,” says RACT’s Chief Experience Officer Karla Wasinski.

“Accessing your fuel discount and finding the cheapest fuel nearby is now easier than ever, enabling our members to save more. This development shows our commitment to providing value to our members.”

used vehicle Buying a safe

There are two critical decisions parents have to make as their children prepare to join the more than 400,000 licensed drivers on Tasmanian roads.

Firstly, how to ensure their children receive the best driving instruction. By that we mean not just to get a licence, but to ensure they are a safe and sensible driver. Secondly, how to get the safest vehicle they can.

Of course, for a young person their first vehicle is more likely to be a used vehicle, in some cases a handme-down from parents, grandparents or older siblings. If they enter the market for a used car, they may well be looking not just at price but looks and performance. In both cases, what should be top of mind is the safety of that vehicle.

Just because family members used the vehicle without incident doesn’t always mean it’s been kept in good order and serviced regularly. And if you buy from a dealer or privately, a mechanical inspection is a must as there is no requirement for a compulsory safety inspection before

QUICK TIPS

• If buying from a dealer, ask for the ANCAP safety rating.

• Seek a vehicle inspection, including a comprehensive safety evaluation, before buying.

• Don’t start shopping around until you read the Used Car Safety Ratings 2022 and the ANCAP ratings for each year.

DID YOU KNOW?

64% of Tasmanian road fatalities involved vehicles 10 years or older

assist, variable cruise control and speed alerts. There are also vehicles coming onto the market being fitted with sensors and cameras that detect distraction and alert the driver. These have all been developed to help save lives. They are in our vehicles today because even the best drivers make mistakes. When they do, those safety features can be the difference between being badly shaken and having serious injuries or dying.

a vehicle is sold in Tasmania, unless it has been deemed unroadworthy or has been out of registration for three months or more.

Older vehicles do not have the safety features of newer vehicles – such as air bags, autonomous emergency braking, lane departure warning, electronic stability control, lane keep

The good news is that there are excellent guides available to help you buy the safest car you can afford. Used Car Safety Ratings 2022 is compiled by the Monash University Accident Research Centre and lists 389 vehicles, using a star rating from five to one. And if you are in the market for a ute, it includes them too. On that list, for example, are vehicles 10 years old that get a four-star safety rating. And the very best get a Safer Pick marker. It is based on analysis, using police data, of more than 9 million vehicle crashes in Australia and New Zealand.

ANCAP, the number one authority in rating new vehicles across Australia, tests new cars. However, its historic ratings data is a must-read for anyone in the market for a near-new or used vehicle. You will find historic ratings data on the ANCAP website under publications and submissions.

Photo: IStock

Changing gears

Time for a Spring reset to your home

On the cooler days, many of us have been snuggling up indoors. Now the weather is warming up it’s the perfect opportunity for a home spring glow up. Here are just a few things that could use some TLC.

With warmer days upon us, it’s a perfect time to strip back the beds and give those mattress protectors and toppers a freshen up.

Give your pillows a refresh. Read the label and pop them on a gentle cycle wash.

Store away those thick winter blankets. Consider vacuum sealing to leave extra space in your cupboards.

Thinking of giving your furniture a shuffle? Check your building and contents cover before you take any risks moving bigger and more expensive items.

Check the batteries in your smoke alarms and ensure your fire extinguishers are in date. Always be one step ahead.

Don’t move furniture or flammable items too close to a heat source. We might still need to give the temperature a helping hand through spring.

After a frosty winter, clean your heat pump filters to optimise efficiency.

Spring in Tasmania can get windy. Secure your outdoor furniture, play equipment and BBQs when not in use to keep everything safe and sound.

Assess any big trees overhanging your roof line. If a tree is unhealthy or showing signs of being unsafe (shifted, dropping large branches or showing cracks) it may be at risk.

Ensure you always allow freeflowing water in the event of a rainy day. Keep those gutters and drains clear of debris.

Be prepared. Protect your home with a home and contents insurance policy that suits you. For more, visit ract.com.au

CLICK, STORE, GO

Keep distractions to a minimum behind the wheel. The message is simple: click your seatbelt, store your phone and you’re good to go.

We all like to think we can multitask: listening to a podcast while we cook, playing on our phone while we watch TV, or sending an email in a meeting. But we’re not as good at multitasking as we would like to believe, and when it comes to driving, we shouldn’t put it to the test. Even for the most experienced driver, driving requires complete focus and attention. And if you’re tempted to even glance at your phone while driving, expect to get caught. Mobile phone and speed detection cameras are now live in Tasmania.

On average, it takes 4.6 seconds to text while driving and a person about 1.5 seconds to react to an incident. This means it will take a distracted driver about 6 seconds before they are able to respond to a critical event on the road. As a result, a distracted driver travelling at 100km/h will travel around 167m before they react to a hazard and apply their brakes. That’s like travelling the length of more than three Olympic-size swimming pools.

So, what happens when a car suddenly stops in front of you? Or someone tries to quickly cross the road? Distraction is the killer we don’t see coming,

and it could cost us – and others – our lives.

Any distraction on the road can be dangerous, and we all need to remember to keep distractions to a minimum when we’re behind the wheel. When you’re driving distracted, it can make it hard to control your speed and following distance. It also reduces your awareness of surrounding traffic, events, signals and signs, affecting your ability to react. If you can’t trust yourself not to touch your phone while driving, switch it off, put on Do Not Disturb, or even put it in your glovebox or back seat out of the way.

The introduction of new mobile phone and seatbelt detection cameras are part of the Tasmanian Government’s ongoing campaign to reduce the number of lives lost and people injured on our roads. The new cameras can detect drivers using or holding a mobile phone while driving, having a mobile phone resting on their body or intentionally looking at the display of a phone being operated by another person. The cameras can also catch a driver failing to wear a properly adjusted or fastened seatbelt.

The cameras will operate around Tasmania at all times of the day and night. If you’re caught illegally using your phone, or you or your passengers are not wearing a seatbelt, you’ll be hit with a fine of $390 and three demerit points. If a passenger under 16 is detected not wearing a seatbelt the fine is up to around $439.

Photo: iStock

The message is simple – CLICK on your seatbelt, STORE your phone and you’re good to GO. Click. Store. Go. It could save your life.

Complete focus and attention is necessary when a car suddenly stops in front of you.

RACT’s 2023 annual general meeting.

The 100th Annual General Meeting of Members of The Royal Automobile Club of Tasmania Limited will be held at RACT House, 179-191 Murray Street Hobart, Tasmania and online via ract.com.au/agm on 16 November 2023 commencing at 5.30pm.

AGENDA

1 To confirm the Minutes of the 99th Annual General Meeting held on 14 November 2022.

2 To receive the Annual Report and Financial Statements for the 12 months ended 30 June 2023.

3 Special Resolution to consider, and if in favour, pass the following resolution as a special resolution.

REDUCTION OF BOARD SIZE

“That the Constitution be amended to reduce the number of Member Elected directors from nine to six by the replacement of clause 9.1 of the Constitution with the following:

9.1 Number of directors

(a) Until the completion of the 2024 AGM, the number of Member Elected Directors shall not be more than nine, but in addition the board shall have the right to, though not be required to, appoint up to three Board Appointed Directors to the board.

(b) Following the 2024 AGM, the number of Member Elected Directors shall not be more than six, but in addition the board shall have the right to, though not be required to, appoint up to three Board Appointed Directors to the board.

(c) Where the number of directors is reduced below five, the continuing directors shall only act in the case of an emergency or for the purpose of filling up the vacancies.”

EXPLANATION

The RACT Board believes that a board size of nine is optimal for an organisation of its size and complexity. The importance of RACT’s Board having certainty in its overall skills and experience means that it continues to be prudent to have a proportion of the Board appointed by the Board so that targeted skills can be obtained should those skills be absent from amongst the directors that are elected by members. The primacy of RACT members as RACT’s ultimate owners will be maintained through the majority of directors remaining subject to member elections in accordance with the Constitution. These changes would also bring the number of directors elected by members in line with all of Tasmania’s other large mutual organisations. Over time the schedule of directors retiring to be considered for re-election will reduce from three to two noting that due to the terms of existing directors and the reduction in board size there will be no vacancies for election at the 2024 AGM.

4 Ordinary Resolution to consider, and if in favour, pass the following resolution as an ordinary resolution:

BOARD LIMIT

“That without prejudice to its right to do so the Board not be required to appoint three Board Appointed Directors in respect to the period from the end of the 2023 Annual General Meeting up to the end of the 2024 Annual General Meeting.”

EXPLANATION

The Club’s Constitution provides that since the 2021 Annual General Meeting the Club Board may appoint up to three Board Appointed Directors in addition to nine Member Elected Directors. Despite it forming part of the member-approved constitution, the maintenance of nine Directors on the Board, being below the maximum of 12 Directors (being nine Member Elected Directors and three Board Appointed Directors) could be considered to be a Board Limit under the Corporations Act and if so then approval at a

Register to attend

general meeting of the Club would be required. It is therefore prudent for approval to be sought. The ability for the Board to appoint Board Appointed Directors is contained in the Club’s Constitution to ensure that the Club’s Board has within it what the Board believes are the appropriate skills and experience for the Club should the Member Elected Directors not provide a sufficiently wide skill base.

5 To elect or certify the appointment of three members to the Board in accordance with the Constitution.

6 General Business

7 Any Other Business that may be correctly brought before the meeting.

This year our Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held online, as well as in person at RACT House in Hobart.

How to attend online

Attendance is easy and will work via any internet browser. Visit ract.com.au/agm to let us know you’re attending. We’ll send you information and links once you’ve registered.

Proxy votes

You can appoint a member who is attending the meeting to lodge your vote at the AGM even if you can’t attend yourself. This is called a proxy vote.

You can either appoint the member to vote exactly how you want or leave it up to them.

If you don’t know a member who is attending, you can nominate the RACT Chairperson to be your proxy. The Board recommends that all the resolutions be approved so unless you direct the Chairperson otherwise, the Chairperson will vote in favour of the resolutions.

Who can attend and vote?

Only members with Roadside Ultimate or Roadside Advantage, Honorary Life Members and Paid Life Members have the right to submit a proxy vote.

To register a proxy vote

Visit ract.com.au/agm and enter your member number and surname in the online portal. Follow the instructions online on how to lodge a proxy vote. Proxies must be lodged by 5:30pm 14 November 2023.

Vero Voting are the independent administrators for our proxy votes and will look after voting during our AGM and any Board Election that may be required.

Board Nominations

At the time of printing, nominations for the RACT Board are still being finalised through Chapman Executive. The outcome of the process will be provided on the RACT website and via other electronic channels in early October.

When

Our AGM will be at 5:30pm on Thursday, 16 November 2023.

Contact us to find out more on 13 27 22

We’ll include a recording of the AGM and the result of all the voting on our website as soon as possible after the meeting.

Jump into spring

Offers made just for spring

SEE THE SIGHTS

SeaLink & Captain Cook

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STAY PROTECTED Sunglass Hut

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PAMPER YOURSELF endota

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GO WILD Tahune Adventures

Enjoy nature from high above the forest floor, or from the wild rapids below. Members get 10% off the retail price of Tahune Airwalk site entry, Eagle Hang Glider and Twin River rafting experiences.

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Foodie holiday

Explore the best Tassie has to offer

TASSIE’S ALPINE WILDERNESS

Cradle Mountain Hotel

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DESTINATION UNKNOWN Cruisin Motorhomes

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RECONNECT WITH NATURE Freycinet Lodge

Explore walking tracks, secluded bays and crystal-blue waters on Tasmania’s East Coast. Relax in premium accommodation and enjoy the best gourmet Tassie produce.

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NATURE

RETREAT Iron

Creek Bay Farm Stay

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CITY EXPLORING RACV Hobart Hotel

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25 A thin pancake (5)

Crossword

7 Put upside down or in the opposite position (6)

Quiz

1 During the yacht race which occurred on Easter weekend, which mountains did the participating runners have to run up?

2 Which country does gouda cheese come from?

3 What is the ideal storage temperature for all wine?

4 Our state motto is Ubertas et fidelitas which means what?

5 Who partnered Paul McNamee in winning Wimbledon in 1980 and ’82?

Across

1 Striated, streaky (6)

particular interest in food (6)

4 Paper used to enclose something (8)

Down

French words for pine and black (5,4)

26 Permanent marks on someone or something (5)

27 An area containing Triabunna and St Helens (4,5)

28 Mild dislike or aversion (8)

10 Leave suddenly as if in a hurry (colloq.) (6,3)

11 Not ever (5)

1 Take away a number from another (8)

12 Long-distance race for motor vehicles (5)

13 White wine grape variety of the species Vitis vinifera (5,4)

2 Deliciously refreshing aromatic white wine (8)

14 Coarse unbleached cloth made from flax (7)

16 Fall vertically (4)

19 Female domestic servant (4)

3 (especially of a previous period) flourishing or successful (5)

21 The process of moving goods short distances (7)

5 Elegant and cultured in appearance, manner, or taste (7) 6

7 Put upside down or in the opposite position (6)

29 Person with a particular interest in food (6)

Down

1 Take away a number from another (8)

8 Obtrusively bright and showy; lurid (6)

9 Main body or mass of a structure (6)

24 Collection of wild animals kept in captivity (9)

2 Deliciously refreshing aromatic white wine (8)

8 Obtrusively bright and showy; lurid (6)

9 Main body or mass of a structure (6)

18 A plant of a genus that comprises the Old World pitcher plants (8)

15 The inability to feel pain (9)

17 Range of wavelengths falling between two given limits (8)

20 River which has it's source in Lake St. Clair (7)

18 A plant of a genus that comprises the Old World pitcher plants (8)

20 River which has its source in Lake St Clair (7)

6 Whose albums include Hourly, Daily and Dress Me Slowly?

7 What grape is used to make prosecco?

3 (Especially of a previous period) flourishing or successful (5)

5 Elegant and cultured in appearance, manner or taste (7)

21 Food made from the pressed curds of milk (6)

21 Food made from the pressed curds of milk (6)

22 Finding something funny or entertaining (6)

23 Relatives by marriage (2-4)

15 The inability to feel pain (9)

6 This wine variety’s name comes from the French words for ipinei and iblacki (5,4)

22 Finding something funny or entertaining (6)

25 Dried, fermented, fatty seed of the fruit of a South American evergreen tree (5)

8 Which one is not a blue cheese: gorgonzola, roquefort, stilton or pecorino?

9 Who was prime minister of Australia from 1975 to 1983?

10 What fungus that grows on ripe grapes is desirable for making certain sweet wines?

JOURNEYS WINTER 2023 CROSSWORD SOLUTIONS

Across: 1 Cohere, 4 Storm Bay, 10 Somewhere, 11 Manic, 12 Inlay, 13 Overnight, 14 Odorise, 16 Fish, 19 Ogle, 21 Stencil, 24 Pea-souper, 25To wit, 26 Kanji, 27 Alligator, 28 Scrag end, 29 Dry run. Down: 1 Cast-iron, 2 Hamilton, 3 Rowdy, 5Thereof, 6 Reminisce, 7 Benign,

17 Range of wavelengths falling between two given limits (8)

23 Relatives by marriage (2-4)

9 Remote, 15 Ingrowing, 17 Ice water, 18 Flatiron, 20 Explain, 21 Sorell, 22 Spokes, 23 Manner, 25 Tiger.

25 Dried, fermented, fatty seed of the fruit of a South

Want to find out how you did? Find the answers online at ract.com.au/puzzles

8Yachts,

rear view.

Tasmania as captured by our talented members

Want to see your photo here? Send your shots of our beautiful island to journeys@ract.com.au or tag us with both @ractofficial and #yourjourneys on lnstagram, Facebook or Twitter.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP // John Hewitt was in the right spot to photograph this giant storm cloud over the Nut at Stanley; Pirates Bay on the Tasman Peninsula by Julian Witek; Leeola Hepher captured the dazzling lights and Bicheno Beams; Azra-Lee Beach snapped this shot at Lilydale Falls.

Tassie, it’s time to get retirement ready!

Get excited about the next chapter of your life. Join our super experts as they discuss what you need to know about getting ready to retire. For details or to register, go to spiritsuper.com.au/events.

Topics include:

• Do I have enough to retire comfortably?

• Can I reduce my work hours?

• Which super rules have changed?

• Should I consider seeing a financial planner?

• Dealing with Centrelink.

• Strategies for a healthy retirement. Consider

It all starts with spirit.