At the end of May, Canberra Daily spent five days in Tasmania, experiencing some of what is on offer during the Off Season – exquisite food, wine, coffee, culture, and nature of the Hobart region, visiting Port Arthur, Bruny Island and the Tasmanian capital itself.
While the winter may bring the island some wet and wind, it also instils it with beautiful soft light, glorious afternoon sun, and that snug sense of cosiness Canberrans are so familiar with.
The flights
Long revered as one of Australia’s finest domestic travel destinations, getting to Tasmania from Canberra has become a whole lot easier thanks to direct flights with Link Airways.
Hopping across the Bass Strait on the Saab 340 Turboprop was a dream. Arriving 15 minutes early in both directions, it felt much faster than the two hours we spent in the air thanks to favourable conditions and exceptional service from the crew.
In fact, the service was so comprehensive that when I left a book on the plane on the return flight, a Link Airways staff member was kind enough to contact me and personally deliver the book to my office the next day. How’s that for going above and beyond the call of duty!
TASMAN PENINSULA
Arriving at Hobart, we promptly collected our hire car, an upgraded Kia Cerato, from Budget. From there it was an easy 90-minute cruise along the Arthur Highway to historic Port Arthur, with gorgeous natural scenery hugging the road through the Forestier and Tasman peninsulas.
What we saw
Arriving mid-afternoon, we headed straight to the Port Arthur Historic Site to soak up not just the history, but the sheer spectacle of the sprawling former convict settlement.
After taking a 45-minute walking tour that ticked off the main sights and provided a comprehensive background, we walked the sprawling grounds through the striking sandstone penitentiary, the convict-built church, and the site of the former café that is today a poignant memorial garden commemorating the victims of the 1996 massacre.
That night we visited the McHenry Distillery for an evening tour and an exclusive look at their observation deck as they put the finishing touches on a very cool silo conversion that will be a fully functional observatory when completed. Nestled on the side of Mt Arthur, Bill and Allison have run McHenry’s for the past decade.
McHenry Distillery primarily produces whisky and some gin, with all water used in the process coming from one of the five natural springs found on their gorgeous, bountiful 100-acre property.
See their Off Season offer here.
Where we stayed
In luxury accommodation at Stewarts Bay Lodge. On the edge of an amazing untouched coastal reserve and overlooking the water, our lodging felt like a well-appointed family home surrounded by nature, which imbued a sense of privacy.
See their Off Season offer here.
Where we ate
At the On The Bay restaurant. On the site of our accommodation, the fancy, cosy digs has an extensive menu featuring fresh seafood and local produce, and a specially selected Tasmanian wine list.
BRUNY ISLAND
Heading off from Port Arthur, we stopped in Hobart for lunch before taking the easy 40-minute drive down the Channel Highway to the ferry at Kettering. The highly convenient 20-minute ferry is a breeze. The $38 return ticket for a standard car is reasonable, and the efficient, convenient service runs regularly throughout the day.
What we saw
We were notified well in advance that our Bruny Island Cruise had been cancelled due to poor weather. Their award-winning three-hour Wilderness Cruise explores the rugged coastline alongside some of Australia’s highest sea cliffs and into deep sea caves.
See their Off Season offer here.
When the weather cleared that afternoon, we got our nature fix walking the Cape Queen Elizabeth Track. Starting out just off the main road you’ll walk through the bush for approximately 45 minutes. Upon reaching the coastline, you’re greeted by breathtaking sea cliff faces with archways leading you from one cove to the next.
Where we stayed
At Free Spirit Pods on North Bruny. We had the extremely cute ‘Flying Duck’ pod, that was well-appointed with a fully equipped kitchen, an ensuite bathroom with in-floor heating, a wood pellet heater, smart TV, floor to ceiling bi-fold doors offering gorgeous views across the water, and wallabies that regularly pop by for a feed and to say hello! Nestled alongside the Quarantine Station National Park, the surrounds are spectacular. Our host Louise was exceptionally accommodating and helpful.
See their Off Season offer here.
Where we ate
Famed for its local produce, the amazing fresh oysters on offer at Get Shucked, farmed directly off Bruny Island, are a must. I polished off two dozen natural freshies and am still dreaming about them.
The team at Bruny Island Honey have been collecting honey on Bruny for more than 20 years, with over 400 hives on the island! A must for any sweet tooths and a great shop for gift buying (make sure to grab some for yourself too).
Both nights we cooked dinner in our accommodation with help from the beautiful fresh produce boxes delivered daily. If you’re staying in accommodation with cooking facilities, be sure to pick up some groceries before taking the ferry over as they’re scarce on Bruny.
HOBART and surrounds
What we saw
Set in Tasmania’s Huon Valley, the Tahune Adventures park offers a host of activities depending on how brave you are!
The famous Tahune AirWalk is an elevated walkway 30 metres above the forest floor, with the final cantilever section sitting at a height of 50 metres above the Huon River. And if heights aren’t your thing, other walks offer a great peek at the river and surrounds.
See their Off Season offer here.
Visiting five local vineyards, the Ageing Barrel Coal Valley Wine Tour gave us a great sampling of the local cool climate wines and a sense of the region’s unique agricultural history.
Specialising in Pinot Noir and sparklings, the Coal Valley is the same distance from the equator as Burgundy and Champagne in France. Taking a tour of the region offers access to premium wines that are, in reality, very exclusive; of the 400 vineyards in Tassie, only 50 or so actually export their wines out of the state.
Operator Guarin Marsh is as passionate about wine as he is about his home state of Tasmania, and is an experienced, professional tour guide with a wealth of local knowledge.
With the region just half an hour out of Hobart and so many of the vineyards close to one another, the day flowed beautifully with good company and even better vino!
A must-do in Hobart, visiting the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) is an event. Built on and into a 35-hectare site surrounded by the Derwent River, the history of the extraordinary venue is as interesting as the visitor experience.
Australia’s largest private museum, upon entry visitors head down an industrial spiral staircase to explore three expansive levels of labyrinth featuring a combination of immersive installations, striking sculptures, and more traditional hanging paintings. Due to the gallery’s sprawling layout, no two experiences are the same.
The expansive outdoor Salamanca Markets in the heart of Hobart is a must if you’re in town for it. Running every Saturday from 8.30am to 3pm, take a stroll down the famous Salamanca Place to buy some souvenirs, enjoy food and produce, and just take in the pleasant, relaxing atmosphere.
Where we stayed
At the Crowne Plaza Hobart. Right in the heart of town, the recently built hotel is extraordinarily well appointed. The stylish, functional rooms come with all the bells and whistles plus views either side of the building; and the extremely professional and welcoming staff go out of their way to accommodate guests.
See their Off Season offer here.
Where we ate
Delightful inner-city café Straight Up Coffee and Food does excellent coffee and has a delicious vegetarian/vegan all-day breakfast menu. With an eclectic layout of mix-and-match furniture, it’s often chock-full of locals popping in for a quick coffee or a tasty brekky.
Veg Bar, an uber-trendy, uber-tasty plant-based eatery in the hip North Hobart dining precinct (NoHo if you’re feeling daring). Super healthy and super satisfying, we enjoyed a bowl, lasagne and sweet potato fries.
A very traditional Italian eatery offering an array of pizza and pasta dishes, Ottimo Ristorante Italiano is a local takeaway favourite. We shared a pizza and a pasta dish off their vast vegan menu. Buonissimo!
Specialty roasters Zimmah Coffee operate out of a cool semi-industrial setup just a short walk from the town centre. Evocative of Canberra’s own coffee roasters, Zimmah is a local institution sure to impress Canberra’s fussiest coffee connoisseurs. Highly recommended.
Canberra Daily was a guest of Tourism Tasmania from 26 to 31 May 2021.
Fly Link Airways to Hobart
The Off Season is an enchanting time to head south to Tasmania, especially on Link Airways’ direct service between Canberra and Hobart that has you there in just two hours.
Thanks to our friends at Link Airways, one lucky CW reader will win a Canberra-Hobart return flight for two people (terms and conditions apply; subject to availability; valid until 25 October 2021).
ENTER TO WIN
To enter, follow both Link Airways and Canberra Daily on Facebook, find our post about this competition and tag who you’d like to take with you. Entries close 9am Friday 25 June 2021 and winners drawn same day. One entry per person tagged. Entrants must be aged 18+.
