A taste of the Hamptons on Tasmania’s coast

A family home that’s perfect for an escape from reality by the seaside or as the backdrop for a wedding – and for the Bushbys it’s been all three.

Philip and Viv Bushby outside their home. Picture: Nic Betts

It’s one of those places that’s the perfect family home, an escape from reality by the seaside or the backdrop for a wedding.

For the Bushbys, their property in the sleepy town of Bridport, an hour’s drive north of Launceston in Tasmania, has been all three.

Nine years ago, Phillip and Vivienne Bushby were married on the small beach below their home, surrounded by family and friends who continued to celebrate overlooking the crashing waves from the expansive deck.

The Bushbys’ home is influenced by the style of the Hamptons in the US.

The property has been a labour of love since they purchased the land in 2010. The house on the block was a quaint little home, which they lived in for several years until they decided – after a trip to New York in 2016 – to demolish and leave their own mark.

“We went to the Hamptons as well, and loved the houses,” Mr Bushby says.

“It was not as if we felt we wanted to replicate it; it just gave us ­inspiration.”

Mrs Bushby says: “I’m really into coastal living and the design, the look and feel, that quintessential beach life with the sound of the water.

“It was everything that we wanted.”

An outdoor deck to capitalises on relaxing or entertaining.

Mr Bushby has been a heavyweight in the local real estate scene for decades. Last year, he and his brother, Mark, struck a $5m deal with national real estate firm The Agency to sell their business, which had been in the family for more than 100 years.

“That was hard to let go, but in letting go we’re plotting our ­future,” Mr Bushby says.

Now, the couple is looking north for a change of scenery and to warmer weather in retirement. They recently purchased a home in Noosa, on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, and after splitting their time between the two addresses over the past year, have decided to make the move permanent.

The high ceilings and open fireplace in the open-plan living room.

They have put their home on the market with Mr Bushby’s former team at The Agency – Launceston. The campaign for 166 Westwood St is being led by Andrew Macdonald and Christine Atwell, who have provided a price guide of $2.3m-$2.6m.

The beach in front of the property is open to the public, but due to the lack of parking nearby it is often empty.

While the Bushbys prefer warmer weather, winter at the home has a special place in their hearts. A fireplace is the centrepiece of the open-plan living room, clad in locally sourced stone from the floor to the top of the vaulted ceiling.

The Bushbys’ home at Bridport is close to a small beach.

Boxed seating wraps the northern edge of the room, with large windows to capture the sea below and stars above.

“You sit there with a book or a magazine or a paper, and you get the rough seas which is wonderful and the fires roaring,” Mrs Bushby says.

“I’ve got my dog Coco next to me, it’s the best of both worlds.”

She loves cooking and says the kitchen is her favourite part of the house. The dining room table is a statement piece, made from salvaged decking from Launceston’s Seaport docks and large enough for many to gather around.

Having spent more than a decade in the area, they have seen it grow and carve out its own identity.

Renowned for its golf course, the growing number of restaurants, distilleries and wineries is putting Bridport on the map.