The Wanderer
Sunrise at Wineglass Bay. Image: Daniel Tran
Considering Hobart ranks as one of the oldest European settlements in Australia, it should come as no surprise to learn that Tasmania was one of the earliest states where vines were planted. But repeated failures fuelled a belief that Tasmania’s cold climate was considered unsuitable for producing quality wines, so the state’s grape flirtation was brief. Added to that was the British colonists’ preference for fortified wines.
Of course, had Tasmania been colonised by the French and not the British, it’s likely that its wine industry would have flourished much earlier. French immigrant Jean Miguet was the first to identify the similarities between the two regions, and so he planted the first Tasmanian vineyard of the modern era near Launceston in 1956. The second vineyard followed two years later when a well-to-do Italian immigrant, Claudio Alcorso, marked a spot at Berriedale in the Derwent Valley, near Hobart. Dubbing the property Moorilla, an Indigenous word meaning ‘rock by the water,’ the vineyard is now owned by David Walsh — the creator of MONA — which the winery now overlooks.
Cool climate wines are produced right across the north and east coasts of Tasmania, from close to the Spirit of Tasmania ferry terminal in Devonport to the Huon Valley, south of Hobart. Coincidently, that happens to be the most popular route with visiting motorists, following windy roads across the north before turning right to travel down the east coast. And considering the predominant grape variety grown in Tasmania is pinot noir, which accounts for almost half of all wine production in the state, this food and wine island paradise is tailor-made for a pinot trail road trip.
Stop by at La Villa Wines for a drop. Image: Kelly Slater
DEVONPORT TO LAUNCESTON
Distance: 115km
After alighting the Spirit of Tasmania ferry service, stroll around the Mersey Bluff and get your photo taken in front of the striped Lighthouse before driving to the Bass Strait Maritime Centre to learn about European exploration, shipwrecks and settlement around Devonport. At the Devonport Regional Gallery, four gallery spaces can be explored in the historic building that was once the city courthouse.
Head east to Narawntapu National Park, opposite Port Sorell. Described as the ‘Serengeti of Tasmania’, it’s one of the easiest places to see native wildlife in Australia. Soon after, you’ll be driving through the Tamar Valley, Tasmania’s oldest and largest wine region, accounting for around 40 per cent of the state’s wine output. The valley was even the source of cuttings for the first vineyards in Victoria and South Australia.
Consider stopping at the Beaconsfield Mine & Heritage Centre that includes a display on the 2006 gold mine collapse that trapped two miners below the ground for weeks. The Miners Gold Brewery is next door.
As you travel south towards Launceston, hop aboard a heritage locomotive and travel along the historic Melrose Launceston. Stop at Grindelwald Swiss Village, a life-sized replica of the pretty alpine hamlet at the foot of the Jungfrau Massif.
On arrival in Launceston, be sure to visit its main attraction, Cataract Gorge. Take a picnic and ride the Gorge Scenic Chairlift or stroll along the riverbanks. Cycling has also become a popular way to explore the city. The Queen Victoria Museum & Art Gallery is split across two sites where you can learn about Tasmania’s colonial history and its Chinese connection.
Wineries
Pipers Brook Vineyard has an old-world charm. Image: Jarrad Seng
LAUNCESTON TO ST HELENS
Distance: 200km
Travel north along the eastern banks of the Tamar River to historic George Town, then see if you can spot little penguins at Low Head before heading east through the Pipers River wine region to Bridport.
Bridport has sweeping, white sand beaches and coastal walking tracks close to Barnbougle, a world-class golfing destination on what was once a potato farm. On your way to Scottsdale, slip on a floral dress to photograph yourself walking through fields of lavender at Bridestowe, the world’s largest privately owned lavender farm, before appraising the wooden sculpture park of wartime heroes in Legerwood. Let yourself go in Derby, a former tin mining town that has reinvented itself as a mountain biking nirvana. Nowadays, you can even rejuvenate tired muscles with a sauna by the lake.
As you descend towards the east coast, stock up on delicious cheeses at Pyengana Dairy then shout Priscilla the pig a pot of beer at the Pub in the Paddock. Continue on to the beautiful St Columba Falls before being beckoned by the empty beaches along Bay of Fires, north of the coastal fi shing and holiday haven of St Helens.
Wineries
Waubs Bay Beach, Bicheno. Image: Tourism Tasmania and Rob Burnett
ST HELENS TO COLES BAY
Distance: 115km
Like Derby, St Helens has become a mountain biking centre thanks to purpose-built tracks on the edge of town. The two towns are even linked by the fast-flowing Bay of Fires trail.
Travel south along Tasmania’s Surf Coast, passing through myriad, quiet coastal towns that ramp up for summer. Cool off on a hot day at Apsley Waterhole in Douglas-Apsley National Park or allow four to five hours for the return hike to Apsley Gorge.
Pray that the blowhole is erupting in Bicheno then climb to Whalers Lookout for views over town. While you’re there, pick up a fresh lobster or buy fish and chips along the seafront before watching the nightly parade of little penguins marching ashore after dusk. Observe nocturnal Tasmanian devils on a ‘Devils in the Dark’ tour at East Coast Nature World.
Wineglass Bay, on the Freycinet Peninsula, routinely appears high in lists ranking Australia’s best beaches. The hike there traverses a saddle and is well worth the effort. If hiking isn’t your thing, hire a sea kayak instead to paddle across Coles Bay beneath the Hazards mountain range, or join a boat cruise. Then when you’re done, enjoy freshly shucked oysters from any number of farms found in or around Great Oyster Bay.
Wineries
Derby mountain biking is becoming increasingly popular. Image: Mark Daffey
COLES BAY TO RICHMOND
Distance: 170km
You’ll pass by the cellar doors of numerous wineries between Coles Bay and Swansea, particularly around Cranbrook – the East Coast’s wine production centre.
In Swansea, slip on some walking shoes for a 2.3km circuit track with the long-winded Aboriginal name of loontitetermairrelehoiner. Starting at Waterloo Beach, it skirts Waterloo Point then reaches Schouten Beach, passing through a shearwater (muttonbird) breeding area and affording excellent views towards the Freycinet Peninsula and Schouten Island. You might want to visit the East Coast Heritage Museum before stopping near the mortarless Spiky Bridge that was built by convicts in 1843, south of Swansea.
Orford is the ferry terminal for the former penal colony and native wildlife sanctuary of Maria Island. Visit for a day and hire a bike to explore the island or stay overnight in bunkhouse-style accommodation inside a former convict prison cell. Hike to the twin dolerite peaks of Bishop and Clerk or appreciate natural rock art at the Painted Cliffs.
As you continue south, stop in Buckland, where legend has it that the stained-glass window in the convict-built Church of St John the Baptist was taken from the Battle Abbey in East Sussex and brought here during the mid-19th century.
The historic town of Richmond sits in the heart of the Coal River Region, an underrated wine and food region close to Hobart. Richmond has more than 50 Georgian buildings, many of them restored and operating as cafés, galleries and guest accommodation. Built by convicts in the 1820s, Richmond Bridge is the oldest bridge in Australia. The Gaol is also the oldest in the country.
Wineries
Devil’s Corner and the Freycinet Peninsula are really something else. Image: Tourism Australia and Graham Freeman
RICHMOND TO HOBART
Distance: 30km
Drive via Brighton to visit worldfamous MONA and its associate vineyard, Moorilla, in Berriedale. Both are down the road from the Derwent Valley wineries of Stefano Lubiana and Derwent Estate, just beyond the outskirts of Hobart.
Hobart spreads across the foothills of Mt Wellington, at the mouth of the Derwent River. The best views are from the top of kunanyi (Mt Wellington), where an abundance of walking trails will keep hikers happy.
Hobart’s historic waterfront is a place where award-winning restaurants, cafés and hotels occupy stately Georgian warehouses and ramshackle timber piers. Salamanca Place is the historic hub and modern heartbeat of Hobart, with a lively market injecting a burst of energy each Saturday.
Next door, Battery Point has retained its colonial architecture and Old World ambience and is best seen on foot. Wander past seafarer’s cottages and down narrow laneways in Australia’s best-preserved historic precinct.
Wineries
Derwent Estate Cellar Door. Image: Mark Daffey
Category: Destinations
Written: Tue 01 Feb 2022
Printed: February, 2022
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