Glimpses of our colonial past are best enjoyed with glass in hand
Convict labour is to thank for building much of this bucolic town where today about a dozen vineyards produce some of Australia’s finest cool-climate wines.
The humidity of our warmer months can be trying. And then there’s the heat. So when mainland Australia is broiling, I slip away to south-eastern Tasmania where the fresh air and maritime breezes offer respite.
I like the Coal River Valley, a 20-minute drive north of Hobart. Opened up with convict labour during the early years of the harsh colony, the valley has a happier aspect these days and is home to about a dozen vineyards producing some of Australia’s finest cool-climate wines.
We pass by Coal River Farm, makers of chocolates and soft cheeses. Café patrons are merrily picking armloads of free sunflowers from an adjoining paddock, taking as many as they like, provided they post a selfie tagged #coalriverfarm.
Outside Richmond is Tolpuddle Vineyard, named after the Dorset village from which six farmers were transported in chains in 1843 for forming a collective society, or union. Their leader, George Loveless, served time on a property in the valley, part of which is now the vineyard. Or so the story goes.
There’s no lingering scent of convict servitude at Tolpuddle – this is a smooth, modern and considered operation, from the discreet font of the entrance sign to the way the new tasting room is aligned with the well-ordered vines; a place of calm with painterly views.
Winemakers Michael Hill-Smith and Martin Shaw, cousins who operate Shaw + Smith winery in the Adelaide Hills, fell in love with the small north-east facing block in 2011 and managed to buy it. Their first release was in 2013 and Tolpuddle’s single vineyard pinot noir and chardonnay have since become regaled.
The wines are mostly sold out, but now a tasting experience – $55 for a four-wine flight – is a chance to try something most of us would otherwise not get our lips on. Lined up are four gleaming glasses. Two contain the most recent release (2023) of the chardonnay and pinot noir, and two have the 2018 vintage for comparison.
The 2023 chardonnay is light with a minerality. A sense of citrus leads to a darker taste, like lemon pith, that warms out into what wine buffs call good length. It tastes young but works well matched with food, such as Tongola goat’s curd or baked scallops – choices from a concise menu of delectables on offer. The 2018 chardonnay is well integrated and ready to rock on its own – elegant, bright and zingy. Tolpuddle doesn’t operate a cellar door, but you can buy single bottles.
The 2018 wines each cost $140. While Tasmanian pinot noirs are generally fruit-forward, the Tolpuddle expression seems less so, though the 2023 does have a hint of cherries up front before evolving into something more mysterious. It’s the 2018 that stands out as it unfolds into an appealing savouriness, almost woodsy with a hint of pepper. But they are all fine wines and I wish I could knock off half a bottle to really get to know them.
Nearby, the historic town of Richmond is geared for tourism with its more than 50 restored Georgian buildings. Signwriters have had a field day with Ye Olde lettering. There are galleries, a maze complex, a popular bakery, outlets for antiques, clothing and knick-knacks, even a dedicated Christmas decoration shop offering two floors of baubles and figurines taller than toddlers.
More charming is an arched stone bridge dating back to the early 1820s. It’s the oldest bridge still in use in Australia. Ducks potter picturesquely in the shallow water and we half expect Ratty and Mole to be lurking.
The bridge is allegedly haunted by the ghost of George Grover, a former convict and later a cruel gaoler whose fondness for brandishing the lash saw him known as The Flagellator. Did he fall asleep on the bridge while drunk and fall the 7m to his death, or was he pushed? Either way his passing was not lamented and no charges were ever laid.
Across the park is the diminutive St John the Evangelist, one of Australia’s oldest Catholic churches. Given its narrow pews and a seat pitch that even the meanest budget airline wouldn’t consider, people must have been quite a lot smaller in the 1830s when it was built.
For something more secular, a flat plain outside Pontville is where Lark is relocating operations for its award-winning whiskies. Tastings and site tours of the colonial era buildings are available and I find Lark’s signature Tasmanian Peated Single Malt slips down a treat. One of the secrets is Tasmanian peat, which is softer than the Scottish counterpart.
After a couple of drams I’m glad I have a driver to take me back to DoubleTree by Hilton Hobart. The hotel opened late last year catering to business during the week and families on weekends. It has everything I need, including a pool, sauna and gym in the basement, 24-hour front desk, room service until 11pm and the Leatherwood Bar & Kitchen.
The hotel was intended to be a Sofitel, but the Accor chain pulled out mid construction. A legacy is the striking blue carpet, yet to be replaced, on all floors above ground level. It’s like an underwater abstract with long black tendrils that could be seaweed, or even mermaid tresses. Combined with the lighthouse mural above my bed, it makes me feel like I’m on shore leave.
A short stroll to the Salamanca Arts Centre finds The Kudelka Shop, a vibey outlet for the drawings and designs of award-winning cartoonist Jon Kudelka, a Tasmanian local, and the mosaics of his artist wife Maggie. Kudelka’s ironic and offbeat humour features on a wonderland of homewares, tote bags, mugs, jigsaw puzzles, T-shirts, books, cushion covers and more.
And then there’s a tea towel featuring a crazed creature – maybe a Tassie Devil, perhaps a quoll – with the message: Tasmania is Awful, Never Come Here. Of course it’s a joke, another part of Tassie cool.
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Checklist
Getting there: Hobart airport is serviced by all domestic airlines. The SkyBus Express ($22) offers various drop-off points in the city. A taxi into town costs about $50.
Stay: The DoubleTree by Hilton Hobart is convenient. Rooms from around $200, with discounts if you join the free Hilton Honors program.
Eat: Creamy and lightly curried scallop pies are a Tasmanian speciality. The Richmond bakery claims to make the best. Leatherwood Bar & Kitchen at the Hilton offers modern Australian cuisine. Maria, a more casual sister restaurant to Aloft in the Brooke Street Pier building, serves share plates with elevated Mediterranean flavours. restaurantmaria.com.au
Do: Visit The Kudelka Shop. Book a tasting at Tolpuddle Vineyard (tolpuddlevineyard.com). Consider hiring a well-informed driver with a luxury sedan from EVride, by the hour or daily (evride.au)
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