Tas-Mania: Things to do in Hobart (Part 2)

Didn't expect there to be a part 2, did you? Neither did I. I'm surprised by how much there is to do in Tasmania...

Richmond

A town of just 880, it is about half an hour north of Hobart. The hilly region comprises of several cheesemakers, wine-producers, chocolatiers and ice-creamery, all concentrated in one tidy region. Once in the area, each attraction is within 10 minutes of one another. It's an easy detour if you're heading to Port Arthur's attractions, and frankly, I enjoyed my time at Richmond more.

Wicked Cheese Co

Website

Opens daily, 10am - 4.30pm

A cheese-maker and chocolatier rolled into one, they have a see-through window into their kitchens so you can observe how the cheese is made and packed. A friendly salesperson readily lops off bits of cheeses for everyone to sample. If you're coming from Hobart, this is the first thing you'll encounter. Bring a cooler bag with you if you plan to buy cheese, so it doesn't spoil over the course of the day.

Pro-tip!: Instead of buying ice packs, half-fill empty plastic bottles with tap water and squeeze the rest of the air out. Put it in the freezer overnight. Presto! Free ice packs.

Their chocolate is no slouch either. J bought several bars, and the peanut butter chocolate one is addictive.

Address
1238 Richmond Rd,
Richmond
TAS 7025, Australia

Coal Valley Cider

Website

Open on weekends, 11am-5pm,

Photo by EJ

We hit the jackpot at this attraction. We unknowingly showed up on Friday when the cider house was closed, and met Josh, the young cider-maker and owner, doing work out in the front. He deliberated for a second before waving us through to the back to open the place up just for us. Please don't be like us.

Photo by R

He has several options on tap: we ordered a tasting plate of Mixed Berry (strawberries, blackcurrants, apples), Winter Perry, Original Cloudy and Late Harvest.

It's a relatively new establishment; Josh had just started operations 8 weeks ago, and had reconverted the stone house at the back of his farm, which his dad built in the early 1990s, into a cider house. Josh crafted most of the wooden furniture here himself. It is a picturesque cottage with a lovely garden, which Josh mentioned that everything he's growing at the back is edible.

Vegan people, there's something for you here too. No animal products were utilised in the process of making his cider. While most cider-makers use egg whites or gelatin to clarify the mixture, he uses clay.

A poster that we saw on our first day, ironically, next to The Standard.

Josh has a licence in wine making, but has recently ventured towards cider. He self-depreciatingly called himself a self-taught cider brewer with no certification. But certificate or not, I never tasted better cider. The taste of apples came across bright and strong, and clearer than any cider I had. We were so taken with his ciders that we bought 2 flagons (1L each) of Original Cloudy and a flagon of Mixed Berry ($20 each, $16 for refills). Which of course, we did a few days later before departing Hobart for Coles Bay.

Between our constant marvel towards his ciders, he talked us through the process of cider-making, including what temperatures to keep the mixture at (nothing above 11-20C for fermenting!), and which season is best to start brewing (Winter, where you start to ground leaves from the mix with apples). When Josh heard about our travel plans, he also shared some of his travel adventures including the time when he got stung by a stingray on his right ankle while fishing, but "it was delicious, so it's all right." He dispensed some travel advice around Tasmania as well, like only buying oysters from a stall which you can see the ocean at. For the adventurous ones out there, he also demonstrated how to pick a snake up... You have to "grab it by the sides of the mouth, not anywhere else, otherwise it could still get at you." Then he added somewhat regretfully "You probably shouldn't go around picking up snakes in Tasmania, they'll probably kill you."

Picture by R

*Because he brews fortnightly in small batches, each batch may vary slightly in taste.

Address
1490 Grasstree Hill Road
Richmond
TAS7025

Every Man and His Dog Vineyard
Opens everyday 12pm to 5pm (save Christmas)
Website
Facebook

We didn't go to this one, which is practically neighbours with Coal Valley Cider. Still, the missus of Coal Valley Cider recommended this vineyard, so it's worth a mention.

Coal Valley Creamery (aka Richmond Chocolate Shop)

Okay, I was expecting a dedicated creamery, not a shop. But who cares as long as their ice cream remains top-notch. The waffle cones are handmade, and they serve a selection of gelato, ice cream and sorbet.

Address
37a Bridge Street
Richmond, Tasmania

Port Arthur

Port Arthur has several sites of interests (EagleHawk Neck, Tasman's Arch, Blowhole, Devil's Kitchen and Tessellated Pavement). But as per usual, I thought we could start with food.

Bangor Wine and Oyster Shed

You can see the ocean from here, so the oysters must be fresh. They sell honey too, the kind that also has a presence in farmers' markets and has won several regional awards.

We ordered oysters to-go as the takeaway option was cheaper. We put the back seats down on our Trailblazer, played some music and feasted on oysters and cheese. Life doesn't get better.

Doo-Lishus Fresh Seafood Trailer
Facebook

Found at Eaglehawk Neck, they serve piping hot fries and deep-fried seafood. It's a good respite from all the cold food we've been munching on. There's a fair bit of walking to do at Eaglehawk Neck as well, so consider deep-fried food your reward. Well done you champs.

EagleHawk Neck, Tasman's Arch, Blowhole, Devil's Kitchen and Tessellated Pavement

These are multiple places of interests scattered throughout the Port Arthur region, you can visit them in any order you like. There is one more attraction, the Port Arthur Historic Site that was 30 minutes away from all the rest of the attractions, and we drove all the way there only to find that it costs $37/pax to enter.

We do recommend that you go to the Tessellated Pavement during sunset, when you can take gorgeous pictures of the setting sun.

Tessellated Pavement pic by R

Picture by EJ

@Blowhole. Picture by EJ

Picture by EJ

Russel Falls, Mount Field National Park and the Gordon Dam
Not in the same region as Richmond and Port Arthur, but if you have a day to spare, this ain't a bad place to visit, even though the drive is pretty darn far. If you haven't been to Valhalla yet, it's on the way! There's not much food to be found here, so pack along a cheeky picnic if you can.