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Tasmania: Short Breaks out of HobartBy Sheridan Rogers
Nor is it because the shape of this pristine green island summons up an apple image. It’s far more personal than that. Tasmania, specifically Hobart, is very much a part of my history because it’s where my parents met and married just over half a century ago. My mother was an apple picker at the time and my father worked at the local ABC radio station. Over the years he has often commented on the lovely red cheeks my mother had when he first met her. “As rosy as a Huon Valley apple!” he declares.
As I headed south out of the city, I accidentally got onto the road which runs alongside the Channel (B68) and not the main highway (A6) to Kingston. But what a blessing this turned out to be! The B68 winds through some of Hobart’s most affluent suburbs (some of the houses will leave you gasping) and the views are breathtaking. I now understand why Hobart is often described as having some of the best water views in the world. Yes, it will take you longer but, hey, who’s in a hurry? It shouldn’t take you much over an hour to reach Huonville – and that’s including stop-offs at the blue and yellow “H” trail signs along the Huon Trail. I had intended visiting the Huon Valley Apple and Heritage Museum but unfortunately it was closed – best to ring ahead to check (see below). The sight of orchards full of apple trees thick with red and green fruit set amongst the rolling green hills of the valley was more than enough compensation. Stop off at some of the roadside stores to sample the local produce. If water sports are your interest, jet boating and pedal boats are available for hire in Huonville and there’s also a river cruise which departs from Port Huon, further down the A6. Further down the Trail at Cygnet (named after the black swans in the bay), I was knocked out by the multi-coloured display of roses outside the Catholic Church in the centre of town. According to one of the locals, they’re in bloom nine months of the year. I pulled over for a coffee at The Old Schoolhouse Coffee Shop, smelt the roses, and indulged in a piece of warm fragrant home-made spicy apple cake. If you decide to stay the night, clean comfortable accommodation is available over the road at the restored bank. I drove on around the ever-changing waters of the D’Entrecasteaux Channel, stopping at Ninepin Point Reserve to read about the rare red seaweed and sea dragons which live there, then through Gordon and Woodbridge to Kettering. Try not to miss the Handweaving Studio at Woodbridge, about 2 k’s up the hill – the garden is magnificent. Kettering is a beautiful sleepy bay full of boats and yachts and it’s where you go to catch the car ferry over to Bruny Island ($21 return for the average car). I stayed there overnight in a charming cottage at Heron’s Rise Vineyard and dined at Oyster Cove Inn. Check out the quirky sculptures in the garden before you eat and make sure you try the local wines – grapes grown in such a cool climate produce subtle wines which partner well with food. Nortas, one of the Tasmania’s biggest Atlantic Salmon fisheries, is just across the Channel on Bruny Island - salmon is an absolute must-try when in Tassie. If you decide to catch the ferry and to stay on the island, you’ll find plenty to do. Head for Adventure Bay, which is steeped in history (a visit to the Bligh Museum will fill you in) and stay the night at Morella Island Retreats or in one of the many self-contained cottages scattered over the island. Over half of Bruny Island’s land area is National Park and Bruny is renowned as a prime birdwatching destination. Walking is a popular past-time (a guide to walks on the islands is available from the Visitor Information Office at Kettering). Once back in Kettering, head north again for Hobart. How long you wish to meander along the way is up to you - some locals commute daily and get there in 30 minutes. This is just one of many short-breaks you can make out of Hobart. On the east coast, there’s Port Arthur and the Freycinet National Park at Coles Bay. Stay overnight at Freycinet Lodge and make sure you visit Kate’s Berry Farm at Swansea along the way. Her berry jams and wines are irresistible, rather like her personality. And just outside the city, there’s the internationally renowned Moorilla Estate which boasts fabulous wines, a stunning museum and four up-market chalets. If you’re not staying overnight, you can catch a boat to the Estate and go on a wine tour followed by a trip to the nearby Cadbury Chocolate Factory (not be missed if you have kids in tow). The chalets were completed late last year and offer the most contemporary five-star accommodation you’ll find anywhere in Tasmania. The museum is set in a Mediterranean-style house designed by Sir Roy Grounds for winery founder and arts patron Claudio Alcorso in the 1950’s. The house is well worth seeing and the collection inside (especially the ancient mosaics) is stunning. Lunch is available in the restaurant nearby – try some of chef Paul Brown’s dishes with a sampler of wines from the Estate. Further up the road is Richmond, a pretty historic village where it is mandatory to view the bridge and then to visit the gaol, a sobering experience at any time. If you haven’t lunched at Moorilla, you can do so at Meadowbank Winery about ten minutes along the Coal River Valley from Richmond. Chef Clare Falconer turns out some delicious food (see menu below) which pairs well with the vineyard’s wines. On the way back to the airport to catch my flight to Sydney, I chomped on a tiny apple picked from one of the trees near my cottage at Heron’s Rise Vineyard. The intensity of its flavour and its clean crisp texture reminded me of why I’d come to Hobart – and of the first flush of my parents’ love affair all those years ago. Meadowbank Menu (sampler)Barilla Bay
Oysters Parmesan crumbed Tasmanian anchovies on a Sicilian caponata $14 (Suggested wine – Grace Elizabeth Chardonnay) Grilled eggplant sandwich filled with salsa verde, Bothwell goats cheese and dressed rocket leaves $13 (Suggested wine – Pinot Noir or Chardonnay) Herb and salt crusted salmon (served pink) on slowly braised peppers, spinach and deep-fried vine leaves $22 (Suggested wine - Pinot Noir) Char-grilled venison fillet on a rich wild mushroom, leek and speck compote $28 (Suggested wine – Cabernet) King Island Cheese selection with fruit, Hill Farm quince paste and crackers $10 (Suggested wine – Wellington Port) Quick grabs:Huon Valley
Apple & Heritage Museum Bruny Island Freycinet
Lodge Moorilla
Estate Meadowbank Make sure
you get a copy of the Tasmania Holiday Planner 2000 - 2001 which is full of
ideas for short breaks. Available at Tasmanian Visitor Information Network
outlets. Webpage – http://www.discovertasmania.com. Email
tasinfo@tourism.tas.gov.au If food and wine are your passion, make sure you pick up a copy of “Taste Tasmania – Farm Gate & Cellar Door Guide 2000 – 2001” also produced by Tourism Tasmania. Salmon Plate Photo by Garry Moore |
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TM
Tasmania
will always be the apple isle for me.
Which
explains why, on a recent trip to Hobart, I headed south for an overnight trip
to the Huon Valley to check out the region which gave Tasmania its name –
“The Apple Isle”.