Welcome to Tasmania
We've come up with a few ideas on easy ways to see some of Tassie. Seeing you are already coming there's no need to do the hard sell so instead here is our insiders tip to the Tamar Valley:
Launceston has been our home now for 18 months and a couple of places have fallen into our favourites list...
- Fresh, 178 Charles Street - an awesome vegetarian eating experience, cool interior and creative menu, even die-hard pulp mill supporters will deny their views to eat here. Best for breakie or lunch.
- The Cataract Gorge - this is lots of things; great walks, adventurous swimming, lovely restaurant, bustling BBQ's, thousands of years of history, ruled by a tribe of Peacocks - it is a proper microcosm of Tasmania. Best way to see it is to park at where Stillwaters is at the old mill (nice little gallery and providore upstairs), cross over the bridge and walk up the right hand side of the river, after 15 minutes walk you'll get to the first basin which is where the cafe and restaurant is. Never done the chairlift, we generally go for a swim or to the restaurant.
- City Park - it has monkeys and the Tasmanian Design Centre, the occasional impromptu performance and some beautiful big old trees.
- Black Cow Bistro, Cnr George and Paterson St - Tasmania's clean air and water combined with an innovative farming community means that there is some great meat out there - big fat fact! Black Cow knows the best way to cook it.
- Landfall Farm Butchers, 49 Balfour Street - the number one place to buy said meat.
- The Royal Oak, 14 Brisbane Street - a great boozer in the English tradition, best after dark.
- Star Bar, 113 Charles Street - Launceston lacks a good beer garden, the tables out the front of here make for good people watching with a nice cold Boags.
- Shopping - quirky stuff-shops, independent clothes stores and a shop that still sells records, we have happily passed time browsing through the likes of Cocoon, Mojo, Content, Homebody, Mabella & Boy, Route 66, Sodium.
- The Northern Club, 61 Cameron St - Not bad for a boogie, gets better as it gets later, or is that as we get more drunk!
- Hillwood Berry Farm - pick your own or buy from the shop - their super sweet strawberries are in season at the moment.
- Bay of Fire winery - give the biggest serving at a wine tasting and all for free. They have a big claim too; their House of Aras Tasmanian Sparkling wine has beaten French Champagne at blind tastings - it is what we would be drinking at the wedding, should we be millionaires.
- Jansz winery - is what we are drinking at the wedding - it is pretty damn good too and Tassie's most famous sparkling wine makers. Their vineyard is worth checking out as it has awesome geese that keep the vines bug free and make the whole place feel like you are in a period drama.
- Rosevears Tavern - in Rosevears, along the beautiful riverside road. Doesn't serve food all day but does have a good beer and wine selection to enjoy outdoors.
- The Gravelly Beach road - again a lovely river side road, very picturesque and with assorted vineyards to pop in for a tasting. Stoney Rise make a formidable Pinot Noir and Iron Pot Bay has some great price Rieslings if you ask nicely.
- Belles Tea Room, far end of Macquarie St - a beautiful little tea room straight out of a story book, makes a mean sandwich too.
- George Town Fish Shop, 38 Franklin St http://www.georgetownsf.com.au/ - follow sign posts for light industrial estate, pop in on Friday afternoon if you plan to chuck a shrimp on the barbie, this is the most likely place to see someone famous in Tassie!
- Low Head light house - best place to stand and put everything behind you then turn around happy with your back to the wind, ready to go.
- Low Head Pilot Station cafe - open 9am to 5pm seven days a week, its the closest place to the campsite to get a good coffee, the closest place to the church to have a wee, and now it is licensed will be a likely pre-wedding meeting spot.
