Tasmanian water from Fern Tree voted best water in the country

With lush forest, rolling hills and a cooler climate, a Hobart suburb is the perfect home for what’s been voted the best tasting tap water in the country. Now, it takes on the world.

Winning Water from Fern Tree. Sunday 19th November 2023. Kate Hodgkinson and Chris Francis enjoying some of the freshwater at Fern Tree Tavern with Tilly the dog. Picture: Linda Higginson

It’s official – Tasmania is again home to the best tasting tap water in the country for the third time in eight years.

The lush, rolling hills of Fern Tree provided a sample of what a panel of judges described as “incredibly pure and good quality water” at the annual Best Tasting Tap Water in Australia competition run by the Water Industry Operators Association of Australia.

TasWater’s Operator of Bulk Operations in the South Craig Roberts said the location was the main reason for such refreshing water.

“The rainfall and snowmelt water we treat at Fern Tree runs down the slopes of kunanyi/Mt Wellington giving it a great taste that the judges liked,” he said.

And, the locals seem to agree.

Winning Water from Fern Tree. Sunday 19th November 2023. Liisa and Thea from Fern Tree Tavern with a beer brewed using award-winning Fern Tree water. Picture: Linda Higginson

Kate Hodgkinson, formerly of Fern Tree, and Chris Francis of Cygnet, both said the high elevation provides a “clearer, natural taste” to the water.

“It’s the area really isn’t it,” Mr Francis said.

“You have snow, rain and mist, all bringing the water from a high elevation before it has to run down into the city and get absorbed – it’s just better.”

Ms Hodgkinson said she won’t drink water from the city centre or surrounding suburbs, but loves the water at Fern Tree.

“Other waters can sometimes taste like they’ve been heavily treated and this water – well you can hardly taste it and that’s a good thing,” she said.

This is the second win for top drop in the state for Fern Tree, with its water now travelling to the Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting event in the USA to battle it out for the title of world’s best water.