Travel news

36 / TRAVEL NEWS 39 / THE PIT STOP 40 / CAMPING 44 / NORTH-EAST COAST 49 / BEST ROAD TRIPS AROUND THE WORLD

Do you have family or friends visiting for a short trip, but want them to see as much of Tassie as possible? We recommend taking to the air. Treat yourself and loved ones to a scenic helicopter flight with Tasmanian Air Tours. Whether you have a group of foodies, nature lovers, history buffs or wine enthusiasts, there’s a tour to match their tastes. A personal favourite? The Flight and Feast tour, which choppers guests from Hobart over the River Derwent and Coal River Valley to Frogmore Creek where a seasonal lunch is served, paired with fine wines.

P For more, visittasmanianairtours.com.au

Congratulations to the following restaurants for being named finalists for the Gourmet Traveller 2022 Restaurant Awards.

VAN BONE

Found in Marion Bay, here chef Timothy Hardy works with fire and smoke in the open kitchen. The daily changing menu is focused on closed-loop sustainability.

STILLWATER

Like fine wine, this 21-year-old Launceston mainstay keeps getting better. Tassie is the focus of the breakfast, lunch and dinner menus where ingredients can include everything from local eggs to truffle, abalone and wallaby.

SONNY

A walk-in only, this 18-seater wine bar in the heart of Hobart focuses on natural wines. There’s also a snack menu that has enough options to make a meal.

Say hello to Hobart’s newest addition, Mary Mary. Nestled in just-opened The Tasman hotel, this is a cocktail bar that celebrates Tasmania. The menu has classic cocktails enriched with native ingredients such as Braeburn apples sourced from the Huon Valley and pigface, a salty succulent. “We hope people will feel as though they have discovered something special each time they visit, whether we have a rare whisky to taste from Sullivan’s Cove, or a cocktail showcasing an exciting new distiller,” says bar manager Ronán Kavanagh.

Fancy some serious sea kayaking? Southern Sea Adventures have the trip for you. Spend six days paddling through the Freycinet Peninsula, exploring Schouten Island, inaccessible parts of the eastern coastline and hiking to Mount Freycinet. You’ll paddle, hike and camp your way through one of the country’s most iconic national parks.

Lark Distillery, the producer of Tassie’s oldest single malt whisky, has opened the doors to its Hobart whisky and cocktail lounge, The Still. Located in the old Mercury Print Room, there are more than 150 local whiskies to taste or purchase by the bottle.

A stone’s throw from Launceston, Wahroonga on Bourke is the perfect spot for a couple’s retreat. You’ll find the luxury apartment inside a majestic 1901 Federation home. The stylish space is decorated with local art and the mini bar is stocked with homegrown wine at cellar-door prices. What makes the stay even sweeter? The host’s friendly kelpie and springer greet you at the gate.