I ate my way from one end of Tassie to the other

I ate my way from Launceston to Hobart. Trust me, Tassie is far more than just the Apple Isle.

My first trips to Tasmania involved lightweight tents and waterproofed hiking boots. The only consideration I gave to food was whether it would be (a) light to carry and (b) nutritious enough to sustain me as I trekked along pristine coastlines and over rugged wilderness trails.

For decades, travellers have been visiting Tasmania for the incredible hiking opportunities and fresh air. Then David Walsh established Mona in Hobart and attracted the artsy and the inquisitive. Now there’s a new wave of tourists crossing the Bass Strait – those who just want to eat and drink.

My latest visit is for a north-to-south tasting tour starting in Launceston, a Unesco City of Gastronomy since 2021. Our group is determined to sample everything, from pizza and whisky to fine wine and seafood.

We begin our quest at Stillwater Restaurant’s underground cellar room, surrounded by the wine collection. The waiter pours Delamere Cuvée, then suggests a bold chardonnay to complement our meals – pink ling and house-made gnocchi with porcini, nori-roasted mushrooms and pine nuts.

At Turner Stillhouse, a craft distillery 18km from Launceston, our tour includes a tasting experience. We sample whisky straight from the still and are surprised that it’s clear.

“The ageing process in the barrel gives whisky its beautiful colour,” our guide says. A gin flight stimulates discussion about the virtues of the distillery’s award-winning Three Cuts flavours. Like wine tasting, spirit tasting is a challenge for the tastebuds and we vie to identify the different botanicals used in this internationally award-winning gin.

At Turner Stillhouse, a craft distillery 18km from Launceston, our tour includes a tasting experience. Picture: Supplied.

Next we head out of town to Timbre Kitchen at Velo Wines. We opt for the chef’s lunch menu and before long we are devouring the famed cheese on toast with mustard relish and snapping pictures of every dish: charry wood-fired calamari with grains and ’nduja, salted zucchini with goat’s curd, Robbins Island wagyu beef with shallots, bread with salty kefir butter.

Sated (or should I say stuffed?), we roll back to the van and head for the hills. Specifically, Stoney Rise Wine Company where we meet owner Lou Holyman. She has prepared a selection of specialty wines and each of us can choose four that we’d like to taste. I love having this freedom and take the opportunity to compare the Stoney Rise label chardonnay with the premium Holyman blend (both perfectly occupy their places in the range).

We return to town for dinner at Du Cane Brewery and Dining Hall, Launceston’s first brewpub. Owner Will Horan was a guide on the Overland Track when his idea was fermenting. He still looks the part in a soft flannel shirt, Teva sandals and cap, even though he is now running a beloved hospitality venue. The bar’s back wall is hung with miscellaneous camping accoutrements – coloured beanies, hiking poles and backpacks – and bar staff are Will’s hiking friends. Everyone in town told us to try the Forest pizza with broccoli, chilli, ricotta and mozzarella. We also loved the cleverly named, on-theme spicy pizza In Tents.

Saturday mornings are market days in this epicurean city and from my hotel window I can watch stallholders setting up their Korean pancakes, Afghani bolani and coffee vans. Someone rings a bell at 8.30am to signal the opening but I’ve already slipped next door to Bread + Butter for a croissant. Its layers are light and flaky, the top crunchy and equal parts savoury and sweet.

We head for the hills. Specifically, Stoney Rise Wine Company where we meet owner Lou Holyman. Picture: Nat Mendham (Supplied).

Soon we’re back in the van and on our way to Oatlands, a picturesque Georgian sandstone village that is home to the Callington Mill Distillery. On the self-guided tour we peer into huge copper stills that look like Jacuzzis of liquor, then wander down to the barrel room where casks are stacked five high and dozens across. We discover our personal preferences with a flight of El Sol, Blue Lake Lodge, and Dark Secret. There’s a make-your-own whisky experience for the real aficionados.

Lunch is at The Agrarian Kitchen in New Norfolk. On a garden tour we pause to acknowledge the Lutruwita people, and also the previous clientele of the property. Once home to Australia’s longest functioning mental health asylum, the site has a harrowing and fascinating history. The regenerative garden is built within the 5m-high concrete walls of the exercise yards, which offer protection from the weather, and excellent conditions for growing snap peas, herbs, tomatoes, zucchinis and more.

Next we travel to Hobart, and check into Macq01, the storytelling hotel with 114 rooms, each illuminating a different character integral to Tasmania’s history and spirit. A harbourside stroll past sailboats and waterfront restaurants gets us to Institut Polaire, home to an award-winning wine list and a compact kitchen. We’re here for a cool cocktail to align with the glacial-inspired interiors, but instantly discover that we’re in another food lovers’ hotspot and we’re eating wagyu tartare with wasabi mayo and oysters with elderflower mignonette.

Next we travel to Hobart, and check into Macq01, the storytelling hotel with 114 rooms. Picture: Supplied.

Before we’re too full, we head to Peppina, our last reservation of the trip. Once again we order the chef’s menu. A procession of baked scallops with an almond, chilli and butter crust, arrosticini (lamb skewers marinated in anchovy, herbs and lemon), and buffalo mozzarella appear. Next, a bubbling bowl of gnocchi, like tiny puffy clouds swimming in a sea of tomato sugo, is placed in before us and we eat again.

We’re almost ready to burst when tiramisù arrives for dessert, but, as we’re nearing the end of our marathon weekend of eating we find the energy for the final mile, taking up our spoons with determination. The layers of coffee mousse and mascarpone remind us that it’s not just the air in Tasmania that is sweet and fresh.

By the time I head home I’m wishing for my 60-litre backpack from the days of yore – to carry all the wine, spirits and produce I’ve bought on this trip. The epicurean scene from Launceston to Hobart is as inspiring as the striking landscape.

The writer was a guest of Virgin Australia and Tourism Tasmania.

We head to Peppina, our last reservation of the trip, and order the chef’s menu. Picture: Adam Gibson (Supplied).

What is the best way to get to Tasmania from the mainland?

Virgin Australia operates up to 101 return services a week into Tasmania, with 39 direct services into Launceston and 62 direct flights to Hobart.

What are the best places to stay in Launceston and Hobart?

Peppers Silo Hotel Launceston, Hotel Verge Launceston and Macq01 Hobart. 

Do I need to pre-book a rental car in Tasmania?

Rentals are still in short supply since the Covid pandemic so book a car in advance.

How much should I pack for a trip to Tasmania?

Don’t overpack, you’ll need plenty of room in your luggage for your wine, gin, and whisky bottles. 

Originally published as I ate my way from one end of Tassie to the other