HOBART - EAST COAST -
LAUNCESTON - HOBART
April 2022
Coming out the Covid pandemic, it was time we started travelling again and no better place to start than at the bottom of Australia - Tasmania. After spending the better part of two years researching our family history and discovering a convict past, I was keen to start our journey "back to where we came from" and take a look from a different perspective. With willing friends in tow, we headed to the Apple Isle on Good Friday and found that Tassie has a lot to offer.
Tasmania is located 240km south of the Australian mainland. Easily reachable by air or sea, the best way to get around the island is by car. Everything is in easy driving distance and there are plenty of websites that have detailed self-drive itineraries.
The waterfront along Salamanca Place is a busy hub of pubs, restaurants and bars and a great place to start our journey. After a quick explore as the sun set and after drinks at The Den, we walked to dinner at Urban Greek, in Murray Street.
Most Australian cities now offer easy to use e-scooters. They are such a great way to explore and by downloading the app and linking your credit card, they can be picked up and dropped off anywhere along your journey. They are especially useful at the end of the day when your feet are sore, tummy full and you don't want to walk back to your accommodation!
Salamanca Markets are held every Saturday from 8.30am to 3.00pm. Being Easter Saturday when we visited, the market was extremely busy. In fact I overheard one stall keeper say it was the busiest Saturday they had since before Covid. Nonetheless, I did manage to pick up some treasures from local artist Lisa Wise Ceramics.
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| A little bit of old and new |
Escaping the bumper-to-bumper foot traffic we made our way up Kelly's Steps and followed the Battery Point Historic Walk "In Bobby's Footsteps". The self-guided walk takes you on a journey of the old settlement and details the history of the buildings which can still be seen today. One must-do stop is the Jackman and McRoss Bakery in Hampden Road. Tasmania is famous for its scallop pies, and the pie we had here was voted No 1 out all the ones we tried on our trip.
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Jackman & McRoss Bakery, Hampden Road |
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| We voted this scallop pie No 1 |
Mount Wellington (Kunanyi) is a 25 minute drive out of Hobart. At a height of 1,271m, it is said that the locals forecast their day by looking to the mountain where the temperature is 10.5°C less than temperature in Hobart. Popular with hikers and mountain bike riders, visitors can either drive to the summit or take the Mount Wellington Explorer Bus. Adventurous types can opt for the one-way pass up and hike or cycle down.
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| Mt Wellington is Tasmania's highest peak at 1,271m |
The Cascade Brewery is the oldest operating brewery in Australia. Located at the foothills of Mt Wellington, the brewery bar is open everyday. The grounds are beautiful and the photographic memorabilia showcases the brewery's history. Tours of the brewery are also available.
Heading south of Hobart is the Huon Valley. This is the heart of the apple industry and extremely picturesque. Geeveston is home to the Wall of Lollies, the largest lolly shop in Tasmania, while scrumptious apple pie and cider can be had at Willie Smiths Apple Shed in Grove.
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| The Hope & Ancor is Australia's Oldest Continuously Licensed Pub |
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| Another colourful pub on the tour is Irish Murphy's |
The hotel Macq 01 is located on the old finger wharf and original convict landing site. Now a hotel depicting stories of the past, restaurants and bars such as the Lounge by Frogmore Creek, Evolve and the Black Footed Pig can be found here.
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| Evolve Bar, Macq 01 |
The Museum of Old and New Art - MONA - is the brainchild of millionaire Tasmanian David Walsh and officially opened its doors to the public in 2011. It is now one of Tasmania's major tourism drawcards with over 1.35 million people visiting the museum each year (2019 figures). There is so much art and architecture to absorb, plan to be there for the better part of a day. The best way to get there is via the ferry departing every half hour from the Brooke Street Pier and returning every hour.
Sir Douglas Mawson was an Australian explorer best known for his Australian Antarctic Expedition (AAE) from 1911 to 1914. Mawson's Huts Replica Museum, located opposite Constitution Dock, recreates the historic buildings at Cape Denison and serves as an educational facility and promotes the legacy of the AAE. Open every day from 10am to 5pm, visitors can experience the cramped living quarters and learn about the men's plight.
Henry Jones was a business man who played a significant role in the development of Tasmanian trade. Creating the brand IXL, the company primarily manufactured jams, conserves and sauces from the 'Old Wharf' buildings in Hunter Street. Today, the Henry Jones Art Hotel occupies the space and inside you will find the fabulous Landcape restaurant where we had the most amazing steak dinner.
Port Arthur is about 1.5 hours drive from Hobart. Following the A9, Eaglehawk Neck is a great place to stop and take in the views across to Fossil Bay. The Cubed Espresso Bar is a pop-up van located at the top of the hill on Pirates Bay Drive. Serving coffee from 9am to 3pm, it is a popular stop for hikers, day trippers and passers-by.
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| Coffee with a view |
I visited the Port Arthur Historic Site years ago and did the evening ghost tour which really freaked me out! This time we visited during the day and since I've discovered our convict past, the ruins took on a whole new meaning. Although our convict never served time at Port Arthur, he was on the same ship as some of the repeat offenders who did. Included in your ticket is an introductory walking tour and harbour cruise. The 40-minute walk and talk is a great way to get your bearings and hear stories about the more than 2000 convicts, soldiers and staff who lived at the major industrial settlement from its establishment in 1883 to its closure in 1877.
The Doo-lishus food van is located at the Blowhole and Fossil Bay Lookout carpark. Dishing up yummy hot fish, squid, chips and ice-creams, it is a good place to fuel up before walking to the lookout or hiking the Tasman Arch and Devils Kitchen coastal track. If you are looking for something a little fancier, then try the Bangor Vineyard Shed.
Our last night in Hobart was on Easter Monday night, so not many restaurants were open. We did, however have a fabulous meal at Kosaten Japanese. Some in our group absolutely loved the ipad ordering system and super convenient conveyor belt delivery. I'm sure we ate more than we needed, however the food was excellent.
Compared to the rest of Australia, Tasmania's wine industry is still relatively young. Vineyards are located right across the island with four distinct wine trails: Southern, East Coast, Tamar Valley and North-West. Our travels took us up the East Coast, so why not sample some wines along the way?
The drive from Hobart to Richmond takes around half an hour. Situated in the Coal Valley, it is one of Tasmania's most popular destinations. Rich in history and architecture, it is a great place to stop for a wander and poke around the shops and old buildings (including Australia's oldest goal). The Old Hobart Town model village is located in Richmond along with 16 vineyards and Zoodoo Zoo.
Heading towards Swansea is the Spiky Bridge. Built by convicts in 1843, the vertically laid field stones help to weather harsh winds as opposed to the myth - it stops cattle from falling over the edge.
There is a concentration of vineyards around Cranbrook just north of Swansea, however not all are open every day. Devil's Corner Cellar Door is open daily from 10am to 5pm and in conjunction with food partners Tombolo Freycinet and Fishers of Freycinet offers the perfect place to absorb the panoramic views. Milton Vineyard is also open every day and have a very nice sparkling amongst others.
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| Devil's Corner Cellar Door |
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| Milton Vineyard |
Peace and Plenty is a two bedroom house located along Dolphin Sands Road. With private beach access and an indoor heated pool, it was the perfect pit-stop for a couple of nights. Even better was its proximity to the Melshell Oyster Shack. I've never had such plump, huge oysters. A dozen each wasn't enough!
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| Peace & Plenty |
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| Tamania's most photographed view |
If you are hungry after your hike, the Freycinet Marine Farm serves everything seafood. Coles Bay also has a good bakery, ice-creamery and Restaurant Geographe & Espresso Bar.
The family seaside town of Bicheno is a very pretty little fishing port and a beautiful spot to explore the granite rocks and walk the white sandy beach. The must-see blowhole is an easy walk from the carpark and the Farm Shed East Coast Wine Centre represents all the East Coast region vineyards in one place, saving you time, petrol and disappointment if the vineyard is closed. |
| Bicheno Blowhole |
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| All the East Coast vineyards in one place |
Next stop for us was Launceston, however we had a full day of exploring ahead of us. Gather Tasmania serves coffee from the Farm Shed coffee window on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday mornings from 7.30am to 10.00am. If you miss the window, then the Blue Edge Bakery is just next door and dishes up prize winning curry and mornay scallop pies amongst other yummy delights.
St Helens is another pretty seaside town and the largest on the North-East coast. It is the gateway to Binalong Bay and the Bay of Fires and is also renowned for its oysters.
Winding through the forest inland from St Helens, you reach Pyengana. Best known for its dairy industry Pyengana Dairy Farmgate is where some of Tasmania's best cheese is made. The cafe is open every day from 9.00am to 5.00pm serving a range of local products that can be consumed onsite or taken away.
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| The cows were lining up for the massage machine |
A little further down the road from the dairy company was the Pub in the Paddock with Priscilla the beer drinking pig. The pub has been licensed since 1880, making it one of Tassie's oldest drinking holes, so it is a must-see destination. Beers for both resident pigs can be bought for $1 each and if you can get them to wake up, feeding a pig beer is a once in a lifetime experience.
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| A once in a lifetime experience |
St Colomba's falls walk is a picturesque rainforest trail. It is 1.2km return and good for walking off the cheese (and beer and scallop pie and ......)
Launceston is Tassies second major city and is fast becoming a world-class food and wine destination. In Launceston we chose to stay at the centrally located Change Overnight. Arriving late afternoon, we headed out on foot to explore the city and dined at Cataract on Paterson.
Cataract Gorge is a stone's throw from the city and one of Launceston's drawcard tourist attractions. Boasting the world's longest single span chairlift, there is plenty of hiking, swimming, eating and exploring options. The Alexandra Suspension Bridge was first opened in 1904 allowing visitors to walk from the Cliff Grounds to the First Basin.
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| The Alexandra Suspension Bridge at Cataract Gorge |
Low Head is on the peninsula at the mouth of the Tamar River and an easy 40-minute drive north of Launceston. The Low Head Pilot Station and Maritime Museum is the oldest continually operating pilot station in Australia dating back to 1805. Located in the convict-built Piolts Row, each room contains memorabilia pertaining to whaling, diving, navigation and shipwrecks.
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| One of the original buoys made from Huon Pine |
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| The convict built Pilots' Row houses the Maritime Museum |
Five minutes down the road from Low Head is George Town. Australia's third oldest city (1. Hobart 2. Sydney). The George Town Heritage trail is a self-guided tour of historical sites. Alternatively, do what we did and just enjoy lunch at the Crazy Duck overlooking the Tamar River.
Most people associate Beaconsfield with the 2006 mine collapse when two miners were trapped 1km below the surface for two weeks. However, its history goes further back to the late 1800's when gold was discovered, making it the richest town in Tasmania. The Beaconsfield Mine & Heritage Centre with interactive displays is where you can lose yourself in the history of the town. Alternatively, you can follow the 'Walk of Gold'. A self-guided stroll down the main street you pass old mining cottages, churches and hotels.
Back in Launceston and you must visit the James Boag's Brewery. Established in 1881, you can tour the brewery or just stop in for a beer.
Our dinner at Stillwater Restaurant was probably the best we had on our whole trip. The whole experience was exceptional. Located across from the restaurant is the Penny Royal adventure park which we would have definitely visited if we had more time.
We left our friends at Launceston airport and went in search of some family history before departing Hobart. Close to Launceston are Brickendon and Woolmers Estates. Both are on the UNESCO World Heritage List and represent the story of the convict Assignment System. With more than 20 heritage buildings, the gardens alone are worth the visit.
There are five well-preserved Georgian Towns between Launceston and Hobart: Richmond, Evandale, Campbell Town, Ross and Oatlands. Using an estimated 1.5 million hand-made bricks, the three arch bridge or Red Bridge at Campbell Town took convicts 15 months to complete.
Follow the Convict Brick Trail down the main street of Campbell Town. Of the hundreds of bricks, each records the name, age, arrival date, ship name and year of arrival, their crime, sentence and a small piece of personal information.
Ross is one of the prettiest towns in Tasmania and was built by convict labour in the early 1800s. A good place to start is at the Ross Village Bakery for a scallop pie, then head to the Tasmania Wool Centre Museum and tourist bureau. According to census records, our convict ancestor married in Horton. In 1850 Captain Samuel Horton was granted land near the bridge at Ross and called his property Somercotes. Between 1847 and 1856 it is said that he employed over seventy 'ticket of leave' convicts and I suspect that one was our ancestor.
The Ross Female Factory is one of four female factories built in Tasmania which housed female convicts and their babies. While incarcerated, the women worked at laundry and sewing brought in on contract from the local community.
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| The Ross Female Factory site |
Closer to Hobart is the pretty town of Oatlands which boasts the largest number of colonial sandstone buildings in Australia built by free convict labor. Built in 1837 the Callington Mill produced flour for the local community. The Mill Precinct has been recently restored and the Callington Mill Distillery is open for tours and food Wednesday to Sunday.
The Imbibers Wine, Cheese and Spirit Merchants located in the High Street is owned and run by Nathan whose Tasmanian ancestry links him to colonial legend Dolly Dalrymple. The wine, stories and cosy space is a great place to stop awhile.
A quick lap around The Royal Botanical Gardens in Hobart and lunch at Bar Wa Izakaya before heading to the airport and returning to Perth. A very busy week of eating, drinking and discovering our past.
PS:
Scallop pie tally:
1. Jackson & McRoss, Battery Point
2. Ross Village Bakery, Ross
3. Blue Edge Bakery, Bicheno
4. Richmond Bakery, Richmond
Have you noticed that Tassie has a lot of: Australia's oldest...., Tasmania's oldest..... and the oldest...? If you can be bothered counting, let me know in the comments how many times I typed 'old' ;)
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