Around Tasmania in Three Days
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- 9 min read
I seem to travel to Tassie at least twice every year. When I think Tasmania I see deep green colour and wilderness packaged tightly in a small box, with nature bursting out through its seams.
Warning: this story will entail many nice venues, wineries and activities involving top quality food and drinks.
If you are in Melbourne and you choose to fly you will find yourself on the wild island in an hour. We landed in Launceston, into a grey and rainy morning, the rain christening us as we ran into a bus covered with an image of the mountains, rivers and forests of Tasmania.
Our first stop was the breath-taking Cataract Gorge. It was as if we had walked into a world created by a model maker who had placed a few odd elements in a wild and beautiful setting. These included a large man-made swimming pool, an old-fashioned chair lift running across the gorge and a high rope bridge swaying over the river, all seemingly carefully placed amid scattered rocks and tumbling waterfalls with a wallaby and some peacocks dotted here and there for added interest.
We were greeted by Uncle Hank and Mel from Wukalina Walk, two Indigenous people who conducted a traditional Welcome to Country ceremony. Uncle Hank’s life experience was etched in the many lines criss-crossing his face. He spoke about his people in a deep baritone, cracking a few jokes, his bright, knowing eyes darting over our group and occasionally looking into the distance. We each received an individual smoking to cleanse us and ward off evil spirits. Mel then showed us a number of Aboriginal tools, baskets, shells, herbs and fishing nets as Uncle Henk told some fun and educational stories. After this we walked around the gorge with Uncle Hank showing us native plants and explaining what they are used for.
Our next stop was at the famous Joseph Chromy winery. At first this winery appears modest, with a small Victorian-style house surrounded by a lush traditional English garden overlooking the lake and a softly rolling hill covered in vines. But as you walk further into the property you see a modern building attached to the old one and a large terrace overlooking the vineyard. There was a long table set up for lunch on the terrace, which we sat around after a leisurely walk around the winery learning its history, how the events are managed and what their future plans are.
Our tummies blissfully full, we headed into Launceston. You can find many different accommodation options here, but we stayed at Peppers Silo, a little bit away from the centre. It is a modern, five-star hotel housed in a repurposed silo. Personally, I love this hotel, for its unusual curves and the imposing four tall, light grey, towering silos which give this hotel such a distinctive look and feel.
We dined at a winery at the very start of the Tamar Valley Wine Trail, Evenfall Vineyard. ‘Evenfall’ means dusk, the onset of evening, so our arrival just before dusk and being ushered onto the big terrace with a view of the green fields, hills, valleys and blue waters of the Tamar River had particular charm. Born out of the passion of a Tasmanian who returned home after living and working overseas, Evenfall is now living its renovated and renewed life. We felt lucky enjoying the fruits of his hard labour and passion and the wine, food and company in the warm and cosy restaurant.
The next day took us to Spring Bay Mill, on the way we stopped at the Freycinet Coast to do some kayaking, oyster tasting and a winery tour. I opted to join the kayaking group, hoping to move a little after all the indulgent eating and also curious to see famous Freycinet from the water. Lunch was at the stunning Piermont Homestead Restaurant. Tasmania kept surprising us with these charming venues, where dining tables were set outside with glorious views and top-quality food, not to mention the beautiful wine and warm country-style hospitality. The delicate Piermont menu started with fresh oysters and proceeded through spiced cauliflower, Wild Clover lamb kofta, triple cooked potatoes, leaf salad and Ashgrove eco-milk pannacotta with roasted strawberries.
Our group of event managers and conference organisers savoured the food and wine at a long table with lamb skins on the chairs, looking over the Tasman Sea towards the light grey peaks of Freycinet National Park. It was a glorious day with sunshine and crisp, clear views.
After this scrumptious lunch we continued south towards Spring Bay Mill, our home for the night. I’d been to this unique, environmentally focused property back in May 2025. To get the feel of the venue you might like to read an article about it.
This time I asked if anyone would like to swap their accommodation for mine, and it worked. I stayed in one of the six glamping tent instead of one of the cosy, modern rooms. For a fantasy novel fan, staying in the large bell-shaped tent was glorious and magical. Waking up and seeing the soft curves of the tent walls flowing down from the central wood pole made me feel like a princess in a story.
We were also lucky enough to sample the food prepared by their new chef. The highlight dish for me was a Gruyère tart with broad bean leaves and shallots. I would love to get the recipe. Our dessert was served after a 10-minute walk across the industrial mill car park, past the big, abandoned machines to the open-air amphitheatre. Yes, we had to leave the warm, cosy room and walk into the bush and through the vast post-industrial space. We were greeted by a two-piece band, scattered bean bags, a large outdoor fire and a pot of mulled wine. There was a pile of wooden sticks with plates of marshmallows, chocolate and biscuits challenging us to make perfect gooey s’mores. Our group rose to the challenge, embracing the unusual space and soaking up this other-worldly experience.
After a yummy breakfast and good coffee, the next day the group continued in our colourful bus south towards Hobart. We got out in front of MONA, where a young man wearing a dark blue shirt with old-fashioned armbands around the sleeves, checked purple and blue pants, and cool glasses took us into the famous museum for a private tour. Well, maybe not so private: we had to fight through the masses of people who were visiting the museum on the same day.
The artwork that most stayed with me during this visit was He Xiangyu’s subversive and brave Tank Project: a life-size tank made entirely of leather, which immediately recalls Tiananmen Square. It was stitched together in secret by Chinese factory workers over two years.
This time I decided to join in and interact with art. I sat down at a wide, white circular table with noise cancelling headphones on and simply counted a pile of rice and lentils. I counted 750 rice pieces and 323 black lentil pieces. That was twenty minutes of my life spent counting, meditating, focusing on one thing only. Maybe this monotonous task helped propel me through the rest of the day and night and to continue socialising with the people in my tour and also the new people who joined us later for dinner.
The Source restaurant at MONA welcomed us with a long table set for lunch. An elegant space bathed in natural light, the Source has gold and glass tables and chairs placed on a rich emerald carpet, and once again we indulged in top quality wine and food. The menu was exquisite. I was getting used to this life of not having to choose my food, and most importantly not having to cook it myself. My favourite dish was the Fried Buttermilk Cauliflower with Almond Cream, Tahini Dressing, Burnt Honey, Puffed Wild Rice and Garlic Crisps. Cauliflower must have been the vegetable of the season as it had appeared regularly on our plates during this trip.
We left MONA in style too, not in our luxury bus, but on board a boat painted the famous black and white pattern of a Holstein-Friesian cow. The boat is referred to as Posh Pitt. Inside, we scattered around comfortable lounges, ordered our preferred cocktails and sailed into Hobart harbour in MONA style.
Once on land we went on to a few five-star and four-star hotels to see their meeting spaces, accommodation rooms, and dining options. This time we were on a red double-deck tourist bus. I hadn’t been on one of those for ages and couldn’t wait to join the group on the top open-air deck. Nothing is more fun than to be on the top deck of a bus with a group of cheery people who are now well familiar with each other.
We were heading towards the Cascades Female Factory, a fascinating site. A recently finished project, the modern museum is set on the site of the real women-only prison that also functioned as a hiring depot, a workplace, a hospital and a nursery. The story of the place and how it operated is fascinating. I believe most corporate groups would have something to gain from a visit here. The site has been restored with utmost respect for its significance. For me it was especially interesting to learn about the minutia of how they were organised. For example, their ranking from first to third class, with first class being the newly arrived and third class being the worst offenders, who worked in the factory under horrible conditions.
After the Cascades Female Factory we visited a number of new and old hotels in Hobart, ending the tour at the recently renovated and refreshed Wrest Point Casino. This hotel’s tall, round tower, visible in the distance from Hobart CBD, makes it instantly identifiable. The history of the complex started in 1839 when the Traveller’s Rest Hotel was erected on Sandy Bay Road. In 1939 the Wrest Point Riviera Hotel was built nearby, and in 1973 this was redeveloped into a major hotel and Australia’s first legal casino. A few years ago the hotel received a gift from a member of a public who discovered in their storage a collection of amazing cabaret costumes used at the Casino in the 1970s. These have been dusted off and are now proudly displayed in their full glory in the tall windows in a long hallway area where we were greeted with our pre-dinner drinks by two gorgeous girls dressed in leopard outfits and elaborate masks from the collection.
Dinner was at the top level of the hotel, level 17, at The Point Revolving Restaurant. It was a five-course meal over engaging conversation. Business Events Tasmania and Hobart Council made this dinner extra interesting by introducing us to some of the members of the Business Events Ambassador program. At our table we discussed sustainability, Bio Char, single use plastics and where we stand when it comes to the future of our planet.
The following day our adventure was all about Hobart town. At the waterfront of the hotel we got on board a Pennicott Wilderness Journey boat for a short ride into Hobart Harbour. We were greeted by MACq 01’s tour guide extraordinaire. He was dressed in his best dark burgundy jacket, black pants and shiny black shoes, a big smile and attitude, and was excited to share with us stories of Hobart’s past, present and future. We each got a viewfinder with strict instructions not to flick to the next photo unless instructed by George, alias the best “fluffy slippers” any guest could wish for at any hotel. George called himself this because his job is to make hotel guests welcome and comfortable and to share colourful Hobart stories.
Sadly, we had to part with the “fluffy slippers” as we headed towards the famous Henry Jones Art Hotel for breakfast. I wonder how much better our tour would have been if we had George with us from the beginning.
After breakfast we had some free time to roam through the famous Salamanca Market. I bought some original Christmas cards and a red leather notebook for my teenager. This is one of the prettiest markets I’ve ever been to. Nestled in front of the beautiful row of old and charming town buildings, all in soft sandy colours, and overlooking Hobart Harbour, the market is full of practical, artisan and unusual items plus food and produce.
We parted with the Hobart, Business Events Tasmania team at the Franklin Wharf Restaurant and Bar, dining on champagne, oysters and scallops while overlooking the blue waters of the River Derwent, which is bordered by beautiful old buildings enlivened by boats of all sizes slowly rocking on the water.
Tasmania is a perfect conference destination. You will find something to do in every season. Hotels and wineries are quietly confident in their luxury, subtle and assured in their offerings, confident and embracing. The food is delicate, confected from delicious, top-quality produce, most likely grown and made on site. The wine is refined and fresh. And everything is set in the most stunning landscape.
