TRAVEL NOTES ON TASMANIA
Marilyn April 10th, 2007
GETTING STARTED:
Kathy at Lets Travel in Brisbane is our travel agent (3857 1444) and highly recommended.
Jan/Feb/March is the best time to go, or if Tasmania is still in drought, Oct/Nov is also an option (Spring however normally can be very wet –) because then you get to see the lavender & poppy fields and berry season is on. Even in summer you will need wet weather gear (for the west coast) and jackets.
Tasmanian Tourist Bureau has excellent (free) maps and brochures on everything, so do your homework before going and you will get a lot more from the experience. These notes will only give you an overview so that you can hone in on what interests you. Tasmania is small (though to do it in a relaxed manner you need at least 2 weeks) and is conveniently divided into regions:
- South East — Hobart, Huon Trail, Bruny Island, Port Arthur, Freycenet
- Heritage Highway — Hobart to Launceston
- Tamar Valley — wine/berries/lavender 30 minutes out of Launceston
- Central Wilderness — around Cradle Mountain
- North West Wilderness — centred around Strahan
We like the historic B&B or cottage accommodation because Tassie has lots and does it so well. Flying direct from Brisbane to Hobart takes 2 1/2 hrs, a better option than Brisbane to Launceston because you have to go via Melbourne and it takes 4 1/2 hrs.
Recommended Itinerary
Hobart is a great base for some easy touring so allow at least 3 overnights. It is a small, quite sophisticated city these days with most things worth seeing based around the harbour (Salamanca Place, cruises, restaurants, hotels) and nearby historic Battery Point.
Hobart to Launceston only takes 3 1/2 hrs to drive(the Heritage Highway) and gives you an overview of the early days of the colony. Have an overnight on the way because you will want to do lots of stops and detours. Many villages are describes as ‘historic’ in Tasmania but Richmond and Longford on this route are particularly special.
Launceston is starting to become almost trendy and Hatherley House is particularly fine accommodation right in the city, but Longford, Deloraine and the Tamar Valley are also very good bases to explore this area. Allow at least 3 days.
Cradle Mountain — even if you are not a walker, this is a place not to be missed (allow 2 days). It caters for an hour’s saunter or a full day trek and has excellent selection of accommodation. We stayed at Cradle Mountain Lodge and can highly recommended it. Spacious cabins, good restaurant and a café, plus some day and night activities.
Stanley (North West Coast) — is an historic little village, but it is somewhat out of the way with no other nearby points of interest, so you may want to give it a miss.
Strahan — One of the highlights of our trip and you definitely need at least 2 overnights and 2 full days to get a taste of the place.
Hi-Rail tour — guided all-day tour costing $275, includes traveling on the historic West Coast Wilderness Railway track. A four-wheel drive car converts into a rail car, then re-tracks its rail wheels and takes you on a spectacular drive thru the wilderness area. You then do an easy 2 hr walk thru rainforest to the shores of Macquarie Harbour, where you have a gourmet lunch and are then returned to Strahan by boat, or alternatively take the West Coast Wilderness Railway — lunch trip to Queenstown. This restored heritage railway tells an astonishing
story, the antique train is brushed by lush rainforest and traverses 47 old bridges on its epic trip. They then bus you back to Strahan.
Gordon River – lunch cruise on the Lady Franklin 11 (by far the best boat to do this trip). Floor to ceiling windows & excellent food, wines and commentary.
Seaplane — 2 companies run flights over Macquarie Harbour, and to the Gordon and Franklin Rivers. Take the one with the new plane.
You must book your accommodation and tours prior to arrival. It is a tiny town with limited beds. Federal Hotels own a good deal of the accommodation in the village, plus run the railway, cruises and wilderness tours. They do a good job and have poured millions into the place to elevate the standards. See accommodation suggestions at the end of this missive.
Strahan to Hobart — a 5 hour fairly dreary trip through Queenstown (which is like the backside of the moon due to the early copper mining), with the odd historic town when you get closer to Hobart. If you are into trout fishing you can detour off this route for some excellent opportunities on inland lakes and rivers.
RECOMMENDED
Accommodation:
The Henry Jones Arts Hotel, Hobart
Right on Constitution Dock, an old jam factory that has had an amazing conversion, and is as hip as anything you will find overseas. Ask for a room with a view over the harbour.
Prospect House, Richmond
Georgian mansion 1830s with a courtyard and stables converted to accommodation at the back. Also has a restaurant and charming ducks. Hatherley House, Launceston (www.hatherleyhouse.com.au) 1830s mansion transformed with lovely gardens.
Rosevears Estate, Tamar Valley
This vineyard has excellent accommodation and restaurant.
Woolmers Estate, Longford
Extraordinary family run estate dating from the 1850s, includes rose gardens with 4,500 roses, accommodation, rustic bistro and tours through the old house — $168 per couple per night in historic cottages.
A working farm still run by the 7th generation of the Archer family. Visit the old farm buildings and the gardens — house cannot be visited as it is still the family home. Gardeners and Coachmans cottages cost $165-$185 per night.
Peppers Calstock, Deloraine
Elegant Georgian mansion now marketed under the umbrella of Peppers Hotels, but managed by couple, Daniel (French and the Chef) and wife Linda. Only 7 bedrooms but all charming and Daniel feeds only the guests with the most extraordinary food we had in Tasmania — worth a detour!
Cradle Mountain Lodge
Self Contained luxury cabins includes breakfast, film night, and some guided walks for $250 per couple. Emphasis on the ecology and wildlife.
STRAHAN VILLAGE ACCOMMODATION
(www.strahanvillage.com/wheretostay/asp)
This is Federal Hotels’ various harbourside cottages. Quite a range.
Risby Cove, Strahan
Family run art gallery, restaurant and contemporary cottages — ask for one on
the harbour’s edge. 5 minutes out of town.
Strahan Colonial Cottages (03 6471-7019)
Aldermere Estate, Strahan
Corinna Cabins, Pieman River
Old mining village north of Strahan, with utter solitude, restored miners’
cottages (self cater) — for walks, fishing, gold-panning, canoeing, resting.
Restaurants:
Kabuki by the Sea, Swansea 03 6257-8588
Extraordinary find, perched on a clifftop in the middle of nowhere, overlooking
the sea. Authentic Japanese food at very reasonable prices — lovely for lunch.
Stillwater, Launceston 03 6331-4153
Much acclaimed, on the water but the food is best at night, very rustic.
Ninth Island Vineyard, Tamar Valley (www.strathlynn@pipersbrook.com)
03 6331-4153
Excellent restaurant with views over the Tamar River, using local produce.
Peppers, Calstock
Without doubt the best food we experienced in Tasmania. French Chef, Daniel and his wife, who runs the front of house, do an extraordinary job. Daniel’s food has French flair and finesse without being heavy or pompous. Worth a detour, as the Michelin Guide tells us!