The North East
Tasmania’s Launceston, Tamar and the North region sparkles with a diverse range of assets and engaging visitor experiences, all within an hour’s drive. With award-winning vineyards and spectacular scenery, the Tamar Valley meanders from the boutique city of Launceston to the empty white sands of Bass Strait. Launceston is ideal for exploring – you’re seldom without a view of the Tamar River, and the shopping and dining experiences are truly unique. While touring this celebrated region, you can explore its many charming villages featuring arts, crafts and antiques, and pass through well-preserved towns full of majestic country estates, historic private homes and elegant public buildings. Launceston itself has the largest collection of meticulously preserved 19th century buildings in Australia. Outside the city, natural heritage and secluded beaches beckon from West Head to Bridport. The wilderness is tantalisingly nearby, with so much potential for adventure and coming close to some of our friendlier wildlife: from the rainforest waterfalls of St Columba, Ralph and Cuckoo Falls, to the magnificent gorges of Holwell, Notley and the spectacular Cataract Gorge – right in the heart of the city. Discover Australia’s top public golf course at Barnbougle Dunes, or take a tour of the Boag’s Centre for Beer Lovers. Whatever your flavour, don’t leave Tasmania without experiencing our region and all it has on offer.
The Tamar
The
seductive Tamar River meanders for 58 kilometres through the fertile
Tamar Valley with vineyards, orchards, pastures and forests, from the
boutique-chic regional city of Launceston, and then north to the
turquoise sea and diamond sands of Bass Strait. The Tamar Valley/Pipers
Brook area – the oldest wine region in Tasmania – is beautifully
crowded with more than 20 cellar doors located along the wine route
tour, stretching from Launceston to Rowella, east to Pipers River and
south to Relbia. It’s a voyage of discovery from the rustic to the sophisticated, each vineyard with its own unique story –
often to be told by the winemakers themselves, whose cool climate wines
attract worldwide attention, not because they seek it, but
because they’ve earned it. Tom Stevenson, for example, the leading world
authority on the wines of Champagne, believes Tasmania is the greatest sparkling wine area in the southern hemisphere. Some of the
best sparkling wine, riesling, pinot noir and sauvignon blanc in
Australia come from this area of stunning natural beauty. The Bay
of Fires’ Arras is the country’s most awarded sparkling wine, and they
are launching their exclusive House of Arras in 2010. For four out of
six years, Jansz Tasmania Premium Vintage Cuvée has been chosen as
the nation’s celebratory wine.
The Tamar Ridge 2007 Sauvignon Blanc was named the world’s best sauvignon blanc in 2008, and Clover Hill, with its 1998 and 1999 vintages, was awarded Winestate Magazine’s ‘Australasian Sparkling Wine of the Year’. While touring the wine region, make sure you experience some of the nationally recognized cafés or restaurants at Stillwater, Strathlynn, The Terrace, or Tant pour Tant. And however you choose to spend your time, make time to relax and indulge your senses by sampling some of the region’s award-winning, fresh and seasonal produce.
For more information on the region’s vineyards, visit tamarvalleywines.com.au
The Tamar Ridge 2007 Sauvignon Blanc was named the world’s best sauvignon blanc in 2008, and Clover Hill, with its 1998 and 1999 vintages, was awarded Winestate Magazine’s ‘Australasian Sparkling Wine of the Year’. While touring the wine region, make sure you experience some of the nationally recognized cafés or restaurants at Stillwater, Strathlynn, The Terrace, or Tant pour Tant. And however you choose to spend your time, make time to relax and indulge your senses by sampling some of the region’s award-winning, fresh and seasonal produce.
For more information on the region’s vineyards, visit tamarvalleywines.com.au
Fresh Air, Fine Food
Tasmania
prides itself on its fresh air, fertile pastures, and rural industries.
The state has a regional heart that other regions of Australia can only
aspire to emulate. With its cool climate, good rainfall, and
environmentally savvy population, many regional development innovators
see the state becoming the food bowl of the nation.
Flying over Launceston, Tamar and the North, it’s plain to see how important agriculture is
to the local economy, with a patchwork of paddocks and vineyards, and luscious river valleys extending into the distance. The region’s beef, fish, seafood, cheese, honey and wines regularly take out national and international awards. Our produce is top notch, recognised in a variety of
ways such as our cherries being sold to exclusive markets in Asia. So reward yourself with a
visit to some of the gourmet pit-stops at the following recommended roadside stalls and delis.
Many include working farms where you can also learn how products are made.
Flying over Launceston, Tamar and the North, it’s plain to see how important agriculture is
to the local economy, with a patchwork of paddocks and vineyards, and luscious river valleys extending into the distance. The region’s beef, fish, seafood, cheese, honey and wines regularly take out national and international awards. Our produce is top notch, recognised in a variety of
ways such as our cherries being sold to exclusive markets in Asia. So reward yourself with a
visit to some of the gourmet pit-stops at the following recommended roadside stalls and delis.
Many include working farms where you can also learn how products are made.
West Tamar
The West Tamar district, covering an area of 690 square kilometres,
has two distinct demographic areas – the densely populated north-western
suburbs of greater Launceston, where more than two-thirds of the
residents of the district live, and rural villages along the Tamar
River.
The West Tamar district has many attractive lifestyle attributes combining the facilities of Launceston with rural and riverside settings which have been likened to those of the Rhine Valley in Europe. The district offers a wide range of services and the conveniences of Launceston are on hand.
The Tamar Valley has a cool maritime climate and is well endowed with natural resources. The fertile soil is suitable for intensive agriculture and viticulture.
The West Tamar district has many attractive lifestyle attributes combining the facilities of Launceston with rural and riverside settings which have been likened to those of the Rhine Valley in Europe. The district offers a wide range of services and the conveniences of Launceston are on hand.
The Tamar Valley has a cool maritime climate and is well endowed with natural resources. The fertile soil is suitable for intensive agriculture and viticulture.
Beaconsfield
Beaconsfield
is 46 kilometres north of Launceston on the western side of the Tamar
River. The population of the town and surrounding region is
approximately 2,000. The community is a mix of working families,
retirees, rural and primary industry workers and service-sector workers
who commute to Launceston. Businesses in this area of the Tamar Valley
include small retail outlets, a gold mine, the administrative offices of the local council, tourism operators, agricultural producers, fisheries and maritime operators.
Grindelwald
Modelled
on a traditional Swiss village with some beautiful properties,
Grindelwald is situated just off the main highway at the start of the
Tamar Valley wine route. The village consists of a world-class resort,
restaurants, a shopping precinct and a nine-hole golf course.
Legana is a ten-minute drive from Launceston. The Grindelwald Swiss Village is five minutes away. Legana itself offers conveniences including Woolworths (open between 7 am and midnight seven days a week), other shops and a medical centre.
Legana is a ten-minute drive from Launceston. The Grindelwald Swiss Village is five minutes away. Legana itself offers conveniences including Woolworths (open between 7 am and midnight seven days a week), other shops and a medical centre.
Exeter
ExeterExeter is 25 kilometres from Launceston at the junction of the West Tamar and Frankford highways. It was originally a fruit growing district. The township services a wide rural area and provides for many of the everyday needs of residents and visitors alike. Tourists are attracted to the wine routes of the Tamar Valley. There are many excellent vineyards in the Tamar Valley, some of which offer gourmet meals and accommodation.
Information with thanks from Your Holiday Planner at www.discovertasmania.com pictures from google images
