Journeys Summer 2025-2026

Top 5 road-trip restaurants

Vintage cars in Sandy Bay

Summers at the shack

Tasmanians get bushfire ready.

For when Tasmania happens.

Travel news Explore our state

The pit stop Bicheno

Dive right in Tassie’s public pools are summer delights

Living the shack life

sanctuary of a Tasmanian shack

The latest RACT community news

Changing gears

we can support our learner drivers

State growth Staying alert on the roads this holiday season

Member rewards Savings available now

We acknowledge the ancient history of the Traditional Owners of Lutruwita, and their continuing connection to family, community, and the land, sea, and waterways. We pay our deepest respects to those who have passed before us and acknowledge today’s Tasmanian Aboriginal people, and their enduring connection to this island. We stand for a future that profoundly respects and acknowledges Aboriginal perspectives, culture, language and history.

ract.com.au

All-new, 7-seat Tayron

From the side, you’ll notice the Tayron has just a little bit of stretch. Why? Because that’s where we’ve put the two extra seats. An extra back row to use whenever or for whomever. And when you don’t need them, they fold away, giving you 850L of boot space for... whatever.

welcome.

A word from our GCEO

Tassie’s summer season brings freedom, connection and a shared responsibility to stay safe on the road.

Summer in Lutruwita/Tasmania means longer days, more time spent outdoors and plentiful chances to enjoy our beautiful state. It also means bushfire season.

Now is the time to review your bushfire plan and prepare your home. The Tasmanian Fire Service website, TasAlert app and their respective Facebook accounts make it easy to monitor local conditions and stay informed throughout summer. Being prepared helps us to protect what matters most: our families and communities.

Summer also brings a renewed sense of freedom, especially for young Tasmanians experiencing the independence of driving for the first time. Getting a licence is transformative, creating opportunities for work, connection and exploration.

But with freedom comes responsibility. For the young people navigating our roads for the first time, and for all of us sharing those roads with them, that responsibility matters more than ever.

We’re taking an evidence-based approach, reviewing national and international research and programs. We’re also listening directly to those who matter most (see Guiding hands on the wheel, page 58): the supervisors teaching our young drivers – be they parents,

grandparents, friends or mentors – who play such a critical role.

In June, we held forums across Tasmania to hear from RACT members and others about what they experience as driver supervisors. Now we’re working with the Youth Network of Tasmania (YNOT) and these supervisors to co-design practical solutions to the challenges they face.

We are also reaching communities in new ways. In this issue, read about how our new partnerships with organisations including Tasman Council and Workskills Tasmania are bringing learn-to-drive training to communities beyond urban centres, creating new opportunities for mobility for our young people.

We’re also sharing the stories of our community, including the volunteers transporting those in need (page 55); the RACT assessors staying ahead of the curve (page 58); and our new Training Academy (page 59), which is set to enrich the local workforce and provide strong pathways for Tasmanian talent.

Enjoy this issue of Journeys and please stay safe on the road this summer.

Mark Mugnaioni // RACT Group CEO

Tony

PRESIDENT Keryn Nylander

VICE PRESIDENT Ian Gillespie

BOARD

RACT GROUP CEO Mark Mugnaioni

JOURNEYS MANAGING

Journeys is published for The Royal Automobile Club of Tasmania by Hardie Grant Media Level 11, 36 Wellington Street Collingwood, VIC 3066

hardiegrant.com

Managing Director Rod Mooseek

Senior Content Manager Mary Weaver

Senior Designer Sue Morony

Client Partnerships Director Scott Elmslie

Publishing Director

Christine Dixon

Senior Advertising Manager

Kerri Spillane kerrispillane@hardiegrant.com

Publishing Executive Shahirah Hambali

Coleman, Alex Costabile, Craig Ellis, Natasha Fenech, Pieter Kolkert, Tracy Matthews, Alex McKenzie

Riley Wilson

inbox.

LETTERS

Can you explain the rules about using cruise control in wet weather?

Michael Edwin

Cruise control maintains a set speed but doesn’t adjust for external conditions such as rain or road surface changes.

Tasmania has no laws prohibiting wet-weather use, though caution is advised. Avoid using cruise control on hilly/winding roads,

in adverse weather, or in heavy traffic where constant speed adjustments are needed.

It’s advisable to avoid using cruise control in heavy rain, on icy roads, or in any other hazardous conditions where conditions mean it is easier to lose control.

Modern adaptive cruise control (ACC) uses sensors, wheel-speed monitors and safety systems to prevent loss of control, automatically disabling when conditions deteriorate.

– RACT editorial team

Real standouts

After driving past a recently constructed petrol station just south of Bicheno on the so-called “Great Eastern Drive”, I wonder whether there are any planning controls at all for such structures in Tasmania. All around the state they often provide excellent examples of how not to blend in with the landscape or townscapes where they are plonked.

Todd Dudley

We’re keen to hear your thoughts on any motoring or travel-related topics, as well as auto questions. Please keep them brief – we reserve the right to edit.

Launceston

10 / WHAT’S ON 12 / TOP FIVE 14 / CHANGE MAKERS

The Wolfe Brothers x TSO

After sold-out shows in Hobart and Launceston in 2024, The Wolfe Brothers and the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra are joining forces again in February. The concerts will feature favourite songs from The Wolfe Brothers’ 12-year career as well as new releases, all accompanied by the orchestra’s power and polish. For more, visit tso.com.au

what’s on.

19-22 FEBRUARY 2026

JAZZ FESTIVAL

The Clarence Jazz Festival turns 30 this year and will once again light up the Rosny Farm festival hub on Nipaluna/Hobart’s eastern shore. Catch more than 40 local and international acts, including festival ambassador Andrea Keller (piano) and South Indian jazz-fusion ensemble Shakti Spirit. rosnyfarm.com.au

27 DECEMBER 2025

Taste of Summer

More than 90 producers are preparing for this festival on the Nipaluna/Hobart waterfront. The new Locals Taste Pass ($32) offers entry every day (except the New Year’s Eve party), so you can try a katsu pork burger, a battered cheese kransky and a limoncello mojito. tasteofsummer.com.au

10–17 JANUARY 2026

Hobart International

The 31st Hobart International tennis tournament is set to bring more than 50 of the world’s top female tennis players to Hobart. Qualifying rounds on the opening weekend offer free entry with fan zones, food and kids’ activities. Adult tickets to watch the main draw start at $25. hobartinternational.com.au

FROM 26 DEC, 2025

Sydney Hobart Yacht Race

After they depart Sydney on Boxing Day, the first boats roll into Sullivans Cove in Hobart around NYE day. For an outdoor vantage point of the finish line, try Battery Point and Sandy Bay.

7-9 FEBRUARY 2026

Royal Hobart Regatta

Coinciding with the Regatta Day public holiday in southern Tasmania, this threeday aquatic festival features rowing, swimming, windsurfing and sailing events along the Derwent.

22 FEBRUARY 2026

Soggy Bottom Cardboard Box Boat Regatta

While it doesn’t have a public holiday, Launceston’s cardboard box-themed boat race is fun for competitors and spectators alike. Head down to Cataract Gorge to catch the festivities.

Want to tell us about your event or product? Reach us at journeys@ract.com.au

9–11 JANUARY 2026

Cygnet Folk Festival

The Huon Valley will come alive in January with three days of folk, roots, acoustic and world music across multiple stages, plus workshops, artisan markets, street performers and food stalls. Expect intimate performances and joyful singalongs from a diverse lineup of Tasmanian and interstate artists. cygnetfolkfestival.

7–8 FEBRUARY 2026

Tasmanian Wine Festival

Some of the state’s best winemakers are set to converge on the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens this February. Entry includes a reusable tumbler from which to sample wines from more than 40 producers, plus music from John Farnham tribute band The Whispering Jack Show and plenty of food. taswinefest.com.au

30 JANUARY–1 FEBRUARY 2026

Festivale

Launceston’s City Park will host this all-ages, three-day summer showcase of food, drink and live music under the shade of historic elms (BYO picnic blanket). This year’s acts include British India, Thelma Plum and Boy & Bear, plus comedian Luke McGregor and celebrity chef Colin Fassnidge. festivale.com.au

28 FEBRUARY 2026

Gone Nuts

Lace up for one of Tassie’s most scenic challenges as the 101 Adventure Run marks its 10th year. Starting at The Nut in Stanley and finishing at Wynyard Yacht Club, this epic coastal course offers 25km, 50km, 75km and 101km options for solo runners or teams. gonenuts.com.au

ROAD-TRIP RESTAURANTS

Whether road-tripping for culinary adventures or to break up the drive, these destination diners turn a pit stop into an experience, writes Nola James.

1 Homestead Restaurant, Piermont

Open to visitors and retreat guests, Piermont’s Homestead Restaurant is set in a 186-year-old heritage-listed homestead with views of Great Oyster Bay. The menu celebrates seasonal Tasmanian produce through thoughtful, Mediterranean-leaning dishes. Expect handmade pastas, just-caught seafood and veg-forward share plates like lamb backstrap with smoked tomatoes and eggplant curry, or charred asparagus with goat’s curd and sauce gribiche.

2 Tannin at the Tarkine Hotel, Corinna

It doesn’t get much more remote than Corinna’s Tarkine Hotel, a timber-clad tavern with no Wi-Fi or phone reception deep in the island’s North West. While mostly catering to guests at the Corinna Wilderness Village (cabins and camping spots are on offer), the restaurant welcomes all for lunch and dinner from mid-September to midMay, when it’s open daily. Meals are hearty; think seafood pastas and thick steaks with lashings of béarnaise.

3 Oirthir, Bream Creek

Scottish husband-wife duo Bob Piechniczek and Jillian McInnes took over the former Van Bone site last summer, bringing house-made haggis and seaweed soda bread to Marion Bay

with Oirthir (pronounced “oor-heid”).

A set-menu-only offering reflects the pair’s French training – both have worked in Michelin-starred kitchens –but Tasmania is the real star here, with a focus on “dishes that respect and enhance the natural bounty of Tasmania’s land and sea”.

4 Hursey Seafoods, Stanley

This award-winning seafood restaurant recently had a refresh. Nab a window seat for views of Hursey’s bright-red fishing boats. Crayfish is the hero; order it by the whole or half with your choice of flavoured butters, such as saltbush or garlic. With such beautiful surroundings, takeaway is a good shout: take a seafood box stuffed with flake, scallops, calamari rings, prawns and fat chips to the water’s edge.

5 Le Coq, Bicheno

3

Bicheno’s status as one of the East Coast’s top holiday spots has been further cemented by the arrival of Le Coq. French-born chef Tristan Punelle’s menu blends influences from his homeland and local surrounds with a pan-Asian edge; Robbins Island beef skewers with gochujang mayonnaise, steamed market fish with nori and vadouvan, and cannellini beans in mushroom XO are all standouts.

Photos: Adam Gibson; supplied

Cracked Walls & Sinking Floors?

Our non-invasive technology raises, re-levels & re-supports sunken homes and buildings.

Through creative directorship and musical collaborations, Stevie McEntee creates opportunities for more diverse audiences to see themselves reflected and represented on stages in Lutruwita/Tasmania, writes Elspeth Callender.

instrumental Being

when Lutruwita Art Orchestra first performed Naghmeh Javdaneh in August 2025, it was their Theatre Royal debut and a packed house.

Moments beforehand, conductor Stevie McEntee, also on trombone and vocals, addressed the 14 other artists poised to present the history and landscapes of Persian culture – a story of resilience, freedom and joy.

Stevie (they/them) assured musicians, dancers and poets that this was both a huge milestone and just one step on the journey. “It did relieve the pressure,” they recall. “It reminded people that what we present today isn’t the thing that’s going to define us forever.”

A founding member and the artistic director, Stevie recognises the Art Orchestra project creates a platform for the diversity of lived experience on the islands of Lutruwita/Tasmania. “It’s about the stories and voices of the people in the orchestra.”

Collaborating with Palawa and other Aboriginal community in Lutruwita is especially important.

Works include Mulaka Milaythina: Jazz meets truth-telling with Nunami Sculthorpe-Green and Muylatina Tapilti Nayri (Embracing Good

Journeys) with Dewayne Everettsmith, which evokes the spirit, memory and energy of Country.

“I think of myself more as an art musician than a jazz musician,” says Stevie. Prioritising storytelling over musical ‘perfection’ means performances of this Nipaluna/Hobart-based improvisational musical ensemble can be ‘genre agnostic’.

“The way I experience my gender, as fluid, relates to my art and creative practice. One of the big strengths that queerness has to offer society, especially colonial societies, is permission to express ourselves in relation to how we’re feeling.”

Stevie has always loved how music draws people together. “The quality of music we make is a direct result of the togetherness we feel. Our connection translates to audiences in a powerful way.” “Naghmeh Javdaneh means Eternal Resonance in Farsi. Project lead, setar player and vocalist Ehsan Zabihi reflects: “This spirit of exchange resonated throughout every moment of the project, binding together all of its participants”.

Stevie was raised in a musical Bunganditj/ Mount Gambier household. “I can remember

music viscerally moving through my body from a really young age.” Afternoons became filled with school and community band and choir rehearsals. When Stevie began improvising to big band repertoire – composing on the fly without knowing the outcome – something clicked into place: “I can be free with the music I’m creating.”

After studying jazz in Adelaide, teaching music and touring internationally (including playing Glastonbury) with the Shaolin Afronauts, Stevie took their mid-20s existential crisis and trombone to northern India. “It was this incredible year-anda-half of hearing different ways of making music.”

Lutruwita has been their beloved home for a decade, regularly playing with professional local bands, among other projects. “There are so many incredible creatives. To collaborate with them is the ultimate privilege of my life.”

Stevie was selected as a 2025 APRA AMCOS State Luminary for contributions to Lutruwita’s art-music scene, including programming Clarence Jazz Festival, which they’ve co-directed alongside Bek Varcoe since 2021. Stevie believes good leaders create atmospheres and spaces where people’s voices are heard and they’re empowered to bring their best. “My voice as a musician is so much more than just what I can put through my instrument.

“Jazz is the music of oppressed people enslaved and taken to America from Africa,” says Stevie, while also pointing out the Lutruwita scene is largely the domain of white people. “Part of the festival’s mission is creating space for diverse voices. If we don’t see diversity on stages, then we don’t get diversity in audiences.”

They also believe in giving audiences the respect to be presented with unfamiliar sounds and to feel tense. “All they have to do is sit and listen and observe how they’re feeling. You can change people’s minds and hearts that way.”

change makers

Clockwise from far left Stevie McEntee conducting Lutruwita Art Orchestra in 2024; playing trombone at Clarence Jazz Festival in 2025; Dewayne Everettsmith with the Orchestra at TMAG as part of Muylatina Tapilti Nayri in 2024.

drive

Tall tales of Tasman

The sports-star-studded marketing campaign for Kia’s new Tasman ute ran on high rotation for more than a year before the new model even turned a wheel. Now it’s finally here and Journeys recently spent a couple of days checking it out. We can confirm Kia has built a ute worthy of consideration alongside category heavyweights Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux. Like them, the Tasman offers 4x2 and 4x4 variants in both single-cab and dual-cab styles, with prices from $38,010 (RRP) for an entry-level Tasman S 4x2 singlecab chassis, rising through 11 variants and five trimlines to the $74,990 (RRP) X-Pro dual-cab 4x4.

Under the bonnet is a 2.2-litre turbo-diesel fourcylinder that musters 154kW/440Nm, paired with an eight-speed automatic delivering fuel consumption of 8.1L/100km.

Styling is a key differentiator,

18/ AUTO NEWS

20/ 0-100: NISSAN ARIYA

23/ IN REVERSE: FORD AUSTRALIA

24/ THE GLEAM OF OLD WHEELS

30/ ROAD TEST: SUBARU FORESTER HYBRID

with the Kia’s bluff front-end and bulging wheel arches getting strong reactions, not always good ones. The interior looks more like an upmarket SUV than a ute, with a panoramic digital screen stretching across the dash, and materials and trim a cut above rivals.

Standard features of the X-Pro include wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, dual wireless smartphone charging pads, mood lighting, a sunroof and an eightspeaker Harman Kardon audio system.

On the highway, the Tasman is quiet, responsive and comfortable, given its sturdy, load-oriented leaf spring rear end. Off-road performance is impressive, with additional ground clearance and extra underbody protection, aggressive 17-inch all-terrain tyres and an electronically actuated rear differential lock to complement its selectable high- and low-range gearing. For more, visit: kia.com.au

auto news.

The latest developments in the car world

SOLID STATE BENZ

Mercedes-Benz has successfully completed real-world testing of a vehicle equipped with solid-state battery technology, achieving an impressive 1205km of range on a single charge. The test vehicle, a luxurious Mercedes-Benz EQS sedan, travelled from Stuttgart, Germany, via Denmark to Malmö, Sweden, without recharging, arriving with 137km of range still in reserve.

Solid-state batteries are touted as being a potentially superior technology to current lithium-ion and similar battery types, due to their potential for higher energy density (longer range),

faster charging speeds, and enhanced safety by replacing flammable liquid electrolytes with stable solid ones. Benz’s own solid-state battery technology has been developed with its Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains (HPP) division, using cells from US-based solid-state cell manufacturer Factorial Energy. The lightly modified EQS test vehicle was equipped with a lithiummetal solid-state battery that delivered 25 per cent more usable energy content than the comparably sized lithium-ion battery fitted to production versions of the EQS.

“The solid-state battery is a true game changer for electric mobility,” said Markus Schäfer, Chief Technology Officer, Development and Procurement, for Mercedes-Benz Group AG.

“With the successful long-distance drive of the EQS, we show that this technology delivers not only in the lab but also on the road. Our goal is to bring innovations like this into series production by the end of the decade and offer our customers a new level of range and comfort.”

For more, visit mercedes-benz.com

MG U9 UTE SURFACES

The MG U9 is a new Chinese dual-cab 4x4 ute with a standout Smart Hatch feature that extends the tray into the cabin. Exclusive to the top-spec Explore Pro, the $5500 add-on includes a fold-flat rear seat, an electric glass screen that moves independently and a folding bulkhead creating “a seamless cabin-to-tub pass-through”. It’s an elegant solution to the relatively short tub length of the modern dual-cab ute. The Pro also adds a two-step tailgate system, while the interior boasts high-tech screens, a jet-thrust gear lever and extra cabin space compared to HiLux and Ranger. The styling evokes a Chevy Silverado, but the MG’s mechanicals aren’t quite so muscular, with a 2.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel putting 160kW/520Nm to all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission. It shares its platform and mechanicals with fellow Chinese ute LDV Terron 9, but MG has an independent rear suspension design with coil springs, rather than a live axle leaf-spring arrangement. Pricing starts at $52,990 for the Explore, rising to $55,990 for the mid-tier Explore X, and $60,990 for the Explore Pro.

For more, visit mgmotor.com.au

IN THE VAULT

Ford fans wanting to know more about the history of the Blue Oval can take a tour of the Ford Heritage Vault, the online repository for all things Ford from around the world, including Australia. The Vault currently contains more than 19,000 digital items, including product brochures, assorted regional issues of the Ford Times magazine, product and concept photography, images of global Ford facilities and press releases detailing the innovations in historic concept vehicles.

To explore the Ford Heritage Vault, visit fordheritagevault.com

A BUGATTI POWERHOUSE

There is no greater evidence of the rise of Chinese technology and industrial capability than its automotive industry, which has established itself as a global leader in battery electric vehicles and is reshaping the global pecking order. BYD is one of the brands leading China’s charge, overtaking Tesla in 2023 to become the global leader in EV sales. More recently, the company’s high-end sub-brand Yangwang achieved the seemingly impossible by wresting the title of World’s Fastest Production Car from Bugatti. Driving a Yangwang U9 Xtreme, a track-focused version of the U9 supercar on sale in China and recently displayed in Australia, German high-speed specialist Marc Basseng set a verified top speed of 496.22km/h (308.33 mph) at Germany’s Automotive Testing Papenburg. The electric-powered U9 Xtreme eclipsed the previous 490.484km/h record set by a Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+, powered by an 8.0-litre, quad-turbocharged W16 combustion engine. The Bugatti powerhouse produces a scarcely believable 1177kW and 1600Nm of torque, yet even these absurd figures pale against the combined 2218kW/1680Nm outputs of the Yangwang U9 Xtreme, with each of its four high-performance electric motors delivering 555kW and spinning at a crazy 30,000rpm. The Chinese supercar also features the world’s first mass-produced 1200V ultra-high-voltage vehicle platform, paired with a thermalmanagement system optimised for extreme conditions. For more, visit bydautomotive.com.au

Ariya hits a high note drive

Nissan’s Ariya arrives with sharp looks, smart tech and punchy electric performance.

Story Harry Weller

The term ‘first-mover advantage’ refers to the competitive edge a business gains by being first to introduce a new product, service or technology. Back in December 2010, Nissan became a first mover in the mass-market electric vehicle space, releasing the battery-electric Leaf 18 months before Tesla launched the Model S.But while Tesla got busy launching the Model X, Model 3, Model Y, Cybertruck and Semi, Nissan left the Leaf as its singular EV flag-bearer for more than a decade. It wasn’t until late 2022 that the all-new Ariya electric crossover debuted, and it’s taken an additional three years to arrive Down Under.

The Ariya steps out in a four-grade line-up comprising Engage, Advance, Advance+ and Evolve e-4ORCE, with pricing ranging from $55,840 (RRP) to $71,840 (RRP). The entrylevel variants feature a smaller 63kWh battery while the Advance+ and Evolve e-4ORCE gain a larger 87kWh battery. Only the top-grade Evolve e-4ORCE gets dual motors and allwheel drive.

The futuristic SUV-like styling features short front overhangs and a sleek aerodynamic profile, while the interior is modern and roomy. Among the eye-catching design details are a contemporary twin-screen digital display comprising two 12.3-inch screens,

THE SPECS

MAKE/MODEL: Nissan Ariya Evolve e-4ORCE

BODY STYLE: Small-medium SUV

RETAIL PRICE: $71,840 (RRP)

WARRANTY: Vehicle: 10 years/300,000km Nissan MORE warranty (when serviced through Nissan’s dealer network); Battery: 96 months or 160,000km (whichever first)

SEATING: 5

ANCAP SAFETY RATING: 5 Star (2022)

DRIVETRAIN: Dual-motor e-4ORCE all-wheel drive, combined outputs 290kW/600Nm

TRANSMISSION: Electric Continuously Variable Transmission (eCVT)

KERB WEIGHT: 2234kg

BATTERY: 87kWh

CHARGING: 130kW DC/22kW AC

ENERGY CONSUMPTION: 208Wh/ km (WLTP, World Harmonised Light vehicle Testing Procedure)

RANGE: 487km (WLTP)

0-100KM/H: 5.6 seconds

For more, visit nissan.com.au

and an ‘Andon’ lighting feature designed to emulate the traditional Japanese paperenclosed lantern. The Advance+ and Evolve e-4ORCE also have an unusual electric-sliding centre console that moves to accommodate your driving position. Capacitive touch icons integrated into the timber-effect trim on the console and dash control are a neat touch, controlling drive modes and climate-control systems. Standard features include satellite navigation, wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto, wireless phone charger, Amazon’s Alexa voice-control technology and Over the Air (OTA) updates for mapping.

To this, the Evolve e-4ORCE adds nappa leather trim, 20-inch alloy wheels, intelligent rear-view mirror and automatic LED headlights with adaptive driving beam. A panoramic glass roof adds to the sense of space above the roomy and comfortable rear seat. The boot is accessed via a hands-free electric tailgate, with 466 litres of space in front-wheel-drive models but 408 litres in the Evolve e-4ORCE.

The extra punch of that second motor fires the Evolve e-4ORCE 0-100km/h in brisk 5.6 seconds, but places more draw on the 87kWh battery so limits range to 487km (WLTP), versus 504km for the Advance+. Independent front and rear suspension help ensure a well-balanced ride and handling, with the Ariya’s cabin impressively well isolated from road and wind noise.

Nissan’s Ariya may have arrived late to the EV party but it offers competitive range, performance and pricing, making it a worthy contender in the most competitive segment of the battery electric vehicle market.

Photos: supplied

Ford Australia celebrated its centenary in 2025, marking 100 years since the first Australian-made Model T rolled off the assembly line in a converted wool store in Geelong, Victoria.

In reverse

B From Model T to Ranger

ig, roomy, rugged and built to handle Australia’s harsh conditions, the Ford Falcon is the vehicle most synonymous with Ford Australia. More than three million were built across seven generations between 1960 and 2016. However, Ford Australia’s history began not with the manufacture of the first XK Falcons in June 1960, but more than three decades earlier. r

On July 1, 1925, Ford’s first Australianmade Model T rolled off a newly created assembly line at a converted wool store in Geelong. Two years earlier, a visiting delegation of Ford executives from North America reported back to their bosses in Dearborn, Michigan, that “the time is ripe to carry on a business in Australia with our own organisation”. Henry Ford’s Model T was already well established in its US homeland, achieving immediate success after its launch in 1908 by offering reliable, simple motoring for a fraction of the cost of other cars at the time. Exports of the Model T – or ‘Tin Lizzie’, as it was known – began soon after its introduction and, by 1909, the first examples had arrived in Australia via an independent importer. Model T production had begun in Canada and England by 1911 but it was the US Ford delegation’s 1923 visit that identified rapidly growing Geelong -with its deep seaport, readily available land, access to nearby railways and good

labour force -- as the ideal base for its new Australian outpost. The first Australianmade Model T cost around 185 pounds, or approximately $18,500 in today’s money, and unlike its US counterpart – which was famously available in any colour, so long as it was black – ours was available in a variety of colours, such as red and blue.

Geelong remained central to Ford Australia’s manufacturing operations, even after the company’s new Broadmeadows assembly plant opened in Melbourne in 1959. It was there that each generation of Falcon was built until 2016, when the FG X model brought down the curtain on Ford’s local manufacturing operations. Today, despite no longer ‘pressing tin’ here, Ford Australia remains the country’s largest

CLAIM TO FAME

Over the course of a century of automotive design, engineering and manufacturing, Ford Australia has left an indelible mark on this country’s automotive landscape.

automotive employer, with a vibrant design, engineering and development hub in Melbourne and at its You Yangs Proving Ground near Geelong. Speaking at a special History in the Making event in Melbourne earlier this year to mark the brand’s centenary, Ford family scion and Executive Chair of Ford Motor Company’s Bill Ford emphasised the local team’s contribution to the company’s future.

“Ford Australia may be 100 years old, but the road ahead is what excites me the most. Built on ingenuity, determination and world-class innovation, the team in Australia is not just shaping the future, they are redefining what is possible.”

For more, visit ford.com.au

WORDS Harry Weller

From top

An iconic Ford Falcon in the Geelong plant; the classic Ford Model T.

the

gleam

of old

wheels

Hundreds of classic-car lovers roll into Sandy Bay each month to show off their vintage wheels, swap stories and celebrate the shared joy of motoring history. Words Nina Hendy Photography Stu Gibson

Above Blair Bryant with his pride and joy; a 1956 Ford Thunderbird.

Getting behind the wheel of his 1956 Ford Thunderbird and cruising down to Sandy Bay is a monthly pilgrimage for Hobart vintage car enthusiast Blair Bryant.

It’s a chance to rub shoulders with other car buffs, many of whom he now counts as close mates.

“Being able to talk to others who appreciate their vintage car as much as I do makes for an instant friendship,” he says.

He comes for the stories about how others came to own glorious classics from yesteryear. Many have either been purchased after years sitting in a dusty garage, picked up at a mainland auction or imported from overseas. In their day, some of the cars were somewhat unremarkable but to be in working order decades after they were manufactured makes them rare classics.

Blair, 72, often grabs a coffee from a nearby cafe and wanders through the maze of lovingly restored vintage cars. He loves the juxtaposition of an immaculate Jaguar parked right next to a Nissan with the stuffing coming out of the back seat. “Everyone is equal. There’s no hierarchy. Everyone is just there for the cars and the kinship.”

Hailing from Orange County in Southern California, Blair bought the 270-horsepower white Thunderbird with black interior when he was just 16 years old for US$700. “When I first bought the car, it had been raced pretty hard, but it was what I could afford.”

The Thunderbird has 174,000 miles (280,026 km) on the clock these days. He and his wife moved to Tasmania five years ago, and he had the car shipped to the island state with his other possessions.

Blair has even toured Targa Tasmania in the car, but never set out to win. A lifetime of memories comes flooding back when he lays eyes on the car. “I completely rebuilt it about 45 years ago and for a long time in my life, it was my everyday car. So if I went to the grocery store, I went in that car,” he says.

A few years ago, the Thunderbird went through another rebuild in Tasmania, stripped back to bare metal, rewired and reupholstered. “There are such phenomenal resources here in Tasmania to get old cars restored,” Blair says.

Car buffs

Blair is one of the many vintage-car owners who gather at the Classics on the Beach on the first Sunday of each month in the Beach Road car park. What looks like a car display is in fact a tight-knit gathering built on kinship, shared passion and the ritual of enjoying a mutual love of coffee and cars.

“Being able to talk to others who appreciate their vintage car as much as I do makes for an instant friendship.”

The owners of a range of vintage car marques –from rare Porsches to Mini-Minors, MGs, Jaguars, Volkswagen Kombis and Nissans – from all over the southern part of the state polish their classic cars and head along to the meet to see their mates.

The first event was organised by a Hobart man named Michael in May 2000, who has been collecting vintage cars for more than 40 years. Michael asked that his surname not be published because he’s adamant that the event now belongs to the community.

While European and British marques are common sights, Michael loves that there’s always a new set of vintage wheels there. “We launched the get-together very casually with about a dozen of my mates, and it’s grown from there. I love that the MG drivers get there early and get the spots they want all lined up together, and then others turn up later in the morning. It’s the highlight of my social calendar.”

Wheeling and dealing

With 16 historic cars in his possession, Hobart’s Chris Edwards has been coming along to the Sandy Bay meet for years. Among his vast collection are three vintage Ferraris, a 1970s Maserati, a 1950 Bentley Special, five early Jaguars including a 1962 E-Type, and a 1929 Bugatti. “I switch around what I bring down to Sandy Bay, but they all get used and driven. I’m not into show ponies.”

Fellow car guy Matt Bartninkaitis, 53, often turns up in his racing Mini with his mates. Next time, he plans to bring his newly restored 1960s split-screen Kombi ute, which has been through an extensive restoration in Hobart.

Matt purchased the Kombi for $9000 nine years ago but has spent an eyewatering $250,000 restoring it, fitting it with a turbo-charged fuel-injected Volkswagen 2.4L motor, a WRX gearbox, Porsche brakes and a Cyclops light at the front.

“The Kombi had more rust in it than usable metal when I bought it, but I knew exactly what I wanted it to look like, and I’ve been in the position to be able to build it exactly how I wanted it. I absolutely love driving it,” Matt says.

“Sandy Bay classics is a cool social gathering. Nothing is really organised it just happens. Everyone is so passionate down there and there’s a cool gamut of cars from the turn of the century right through to modern drives. You get to see some of the same cars regularly, and then there’s always cars you’ve never seen before.”

Sunset racing

Blair recalls making a promise with his mate Dave as a teenager never to sell his Thunderbird.

“My friend had a 1956 Corvette and we tuned up our cars and would go street racing on Sunset Boulevard. It was so cool. I begged him to agree that we’d never sell our cars.”

While Blair kept up his end of the bargain and never sold it despite several offers, Dave eventually sold his Corvette. “I saw him at a party 10 years later and he’d already sold it. When I told him I still had the Thunderbird, he tried to track [his car] down, only to discover it had been resold three times and eventually was in a car crash and written off.”

But Blair would never sell the Thunderbird.

“The real value of the car is all the memories. Every road trip I took, every date that I had was in that car – not a car like that, it was that specific car.”

VINTAGE CARS: BY THE NUMBERS

Australia is home to almost 970,000 historic vehicles, with owners spending an average of $10,240 per vehicle each year. Collectively, that equates to around $9.9 billion spent annually on maintenance and restoration.

Historic vehicles account for around 4.4 per cent of Australia’s 21 million registered vehicles. About half of owners have one historic vehicle, while the rest own two or more.

Under the AMHF classification, cars aged 15 to 30 years are considered classic vehicles, while those over 30 years are classed as heritage vehicles.

Sources: Australian Motor Heritage Foundation, 2023 Historic Vehicle Survey

The Sandy Bay classic car meet-up draws hundreds of enthusiasts every month.

ROAD test

When the day calls for views not swims, Subaru’s new Forester Hybrid turns the Hobart to Flowerpot run into pure driving fun.

Words Cassandra Charlick Photography Prime Perspectives

Not all beach days end in sandy feet, wet towels piled in the back of the boot and ice-cream drips down the front seat. There’s merit, and plenty of fun to be found, in a coastal drive that focuses on scenery over swimming.

There couldn’t be a better route to test out my ride for the day, the all-new Subaru Forester Hybrid, a medium SUV that promises serious get-up-andgo with a 31.8 per cent boost over the previous hybrid model. Subaru touts this next-gen model as the first vehicle in its class to combine mechanical Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive with an efficient Strong Hybrid system, so I’m keen to see if it lives up to the hype.

As I pull out of the inner-Hobart gridlock and push up the long climb out of the city south, the car has no problem picking up speed in the passing lane. The easy-to-manage infotainment touchscreen (11.6-inch full HD) makes navigation and choosing road-trip tunes a breeze, and with one tap you can switch the display from the TomTom navigation view to the vehicle’s key driving information.

The first serious scenery side trip on this section of the Southern Edge drive takes me out on winding coastal roads that are carved into the pastoral and woodland-covered hillsides of Tinderbox, a town nestled on the northern edge of North West Bay. Why the name? Legend has it that a silver tinderbox washed up on the shores of the area in 1830.

The sun is shining and the view is just too spectacular, so I jump out of the car for some fresh air and a photo opportunity. On my return, it’s a good time to look over the car’s finish. This colour is named Cashmere Gold Opal, a pretty fancysounding name for a mild and softly pearlescent, if subdued, hue. The car’s shape and overall look remain loyal to the Forester model we’re familiar with. The slightly boxy shape gives the interiors a spacious feel, with a generous 484-litre cargo volume in the Hybrid Sport model.

It’s this sturdy look and feel that is finally aligned with a powerful hybrid motor for an AWD that I’m sure plenty have been waiting for. The Forester would be as comfortable driving a mob of rowdy pre-teens to soccer training as it would be getting flecked with mud on the trails for an off-road weekend adventure. For the latter, there’s a 220mm ground clearance, X-Mode with Hill Descent Control and dual-pinion steering.

Back on the tarmac, everything that goes up must come down, and as I wind my way back down the hillside, the sparkling waters are breathtaking. The EyeSight Driver Assist technology is keen to remind me to keep my eyes on the road ahead, though. The cattle in the paddocks I cruise past have a pretty good backyard view. For those itching for a swim by this point, there are plenty of options. Snug by name is snug by nature, with a long stretch of calm water at Snug Beach framed by the bay’s leafy surrounds.

The slightly boxy shape gives the interiors a spacious feel, with a generous 484-litre cargo volume in the Hybrid Sport model.

COMPARABLES

Nissan X-Trail Hybrid (e-POWER)

Priced from $53,350 to $61,270 driveaway

• Generous warranty, flexible seating configurations and advanced safety features

• Hybrid option only on higher trims, and rear cargo space is smaller than others

Honda CR-V Hybrid (e:HEV RS)

Priced from $59,900 driveaway

• A roomy interior with ample legroom and cargo space, plus the reliability of the Honda brand

• The hybrid variant is only available in front-wheel drive, and only in the top-tier, premium-priced trim

However, today I’m not going for that salt-kissed look, so it’s a journey somewhere a little different before a pit stop for lunch. Raptor Rescue is tucked off the main road and is run by father-and-son duo Craig Webb and Ziggy Gow-Webb. Tasmania is home to some of the world’s rarest birds, and Craig was awarded an OAM in 2025 in recognition of his tireless efforts to save and rehabilitate injured birds. A visit to his 20-acre property includes an in-depth understanding of the work the volunteer team is doing and the amazing natures of our indigenous birds of prey. As we walk around the top-notch aviaries Craig has built, including the largest in the southern hemisphere, Ziggy and Craig identify each bird and their unique attributes. I turn my head just in time to catch a wedge-tailed eagle fly across the aviary, its magnificent wingspan of up to 2.3m on full show. There are just 120 breeding pairs of these birds left in the wild. While the goal is to help injured birds recover enough for release, those that cannot

THE SPECS

PRICING Starting from $59,401 AUD drive away (Subaru Forester AWD Hybrid Sport)

BODY STYLE Medium SUV

SEATING 5

ENERGY CONSUMPTION 6.2L/100km

RANGE 1000km (indicative)

SAFETY 5-star ANCAP rating

ENGINE TYPE 2.5L 4-cylinder hybrid

BATTERY Lithium-ion

CHARGING/PLUG Non-plug-in hybrid

TRANSMISSION Lineartronic CVT

DRIVE TYPE AWD

MAX. POWER 145kW combined

MAX. TORQUE 212Nm @4000-4400rpm

0–100 KM/H Approximately 8.6 seconds

be released remain under the care of the team at Raptor Rescue. Bookings are essential for visits to Raptor Rescue, as the birds are wild animals and every visit is carefully escorted.

Tummies are rumbling by now, so it’s off to picturesque Kettering for a bite to eat. Bobbing sailboats are framed by rolling green hillsides down the shore. Take a sharp left at the entry to the marina and you’ll arrive at our lunchtime spot, Seawall Cafe. If you miss the turnoff, you’ll quickly realise as you’ll end up in the car queue for the ferry to Bruny Island, After snagging a spot on the deck, it’s only apt that we enjoy a lunch of freshly caught fish and chips given the vista and soundscape of tinkling boats. It would be easy to rest here all afternoon in the sunshine, but I’ve got a few more kilometres I’d like to cover.

Behind the wheel again, the adaptive cruise control comes in handy as the road stretches ahead again. While the seat heaters aren’t necessary at this time of year, the flick of a switch opens the sunroof for a serotonin-soaked afternoon drive and a fresh sea breeze to pep up alongside a takeaway coffee from Seawall Cafe. It’s a challenge to pick up the small-to-medium-sized cup from the grasp of the centre console cup holder, and the side-door drink bottle holder is limited by a narrow fit, too. A phone charging dock is handy, but it would be handy to have an extra one for the passenger seat for longer trips.

On the subject of seats, this is also an area that lets the overall finish of the car down, with the waterrepellent grey/black finish a little less premium than other elements of the fit-out (although it makes sense for when the vehicle’s purpose is to enable messy outdoor adventures). There is also the option of a leather and Ultrasuede accent trim.

If there were a few more hours in the day, it would have also been tempting to visit Grandvewe for some cheese and distilled goods in Birchs Bay, on the way to our final stop just outside the township of Flowerpot. However, I’m always keen for another excuse for a road trip.

There’s no mistaking the views down the vineyards at Mewstone Winery & Cellar Door. It’s worth dragging your eyes away from the vista of vines sweeping towards glistening coastal waters, as the architecturally designed cellar door is also a sight to behold. Natural light spills through the floor-to-ceiling windows, brightening up the concrete and Tasmanian oakframed contemporary space – the perfect setting to sample the Mewstone and hughes & hughes range of wines with a platter of local smallgoods and nibbles. On this occasion, I’m grabbing a bottle so I can take a memory of the sun-soaked day home to have with dinner – the perfect reward after a day’s driving.

With thanks to Subaru Hobart for the test drive. For more, visit subaruhobart.com.au

Clockwise from left Our road tester making a pit stop; Craig and Ziggy at Raptor Rescue; Mewstone Winery and Cellar Door; inside the cellar door; lunch at Seawall Cafe.

Anglicare Tasmania supports you where you live

As a trusted part of the Tasmanian community, Anglicare’s friendly and reliable aged care team delivers the support you want, in the place you love – your home.

To learn more call, email or visit our website at: anglicare-tas.org.au/homecaresupport

Seaside luxury in Stanley

Stanley’s 19th-century waterfront bond store‚ which once housed potatoes, produce and supplies vital to the settlement, is now luxury heritage accommodation. Built in 1861 and meticulously restored by sixth-generation locals, it has been reborn as the Bond Store. Choose between a one-bedroom or two-bedroom apartment, where original stonework and timber are preserved and complemented by Tasmanian ceramics, family heirlooms and handpicked local furniture. Both options feature full kitchens stocked with breakfast supplies, wood fireplaces and EV charging stations. Relax in the private courtyard (complete with a sauna and cold shower) or watch whales from the terrace, both enjoying the backdrop of The Nut. For more, visit stanleybondstore.com.au

Photo:

Jones

travel news.

Explore our state with Nola James

BIJI DINING IS BACK

Chef Harry Mangat and his wife Sandy Soerjadhi, who took over the kitchen at the Waterloo Inn last summer, are back in Swansea for another round, this time at The Branch with Biji By Night. You’ll find their Indian-inspired small plates in the old bank building 4–8pm Friday to Tuesday, and 1–7pm on Sundays. bijidining.com.au

SOAK IT ALL IN

Tasmanian local Judy Martin has combined a love of travel and hot baths to launch Tubs of Tasmania, a directory of boutique stays across the island, each offering indulgent bathing experiences – from outdoor tubs and steamy baths to fireside soaks. Search your next getaway by region, with extra intel on pet-friendliness and indoor/outdoor fireplaces, then follow the link to book direct. tubsoftasmania.com.au

WALK, REST AND REJUVENATION

Bakers Walking Co. has launched a small-group slowwalking tour set on private bushland bordering Narawntapu National Park on Tasmania’s north-west coast. Limited to just eight guests, the fully hosted three-day, two-night experience features relaxed, guided walks designed to inspire rejuvenation and genuine connection. When you’re not exploring 22km of private tracks, rest up in timberclad lodgings, enjoy chef-prepared meals and unwind in wood-fired outdoor baths and a traditional sauna. bakerswalkingco.au

NEW FLAVOURS AT DEVIL’S CORNER

Devil’s Corner has expanded its offering with Devil’s Corner Kitchen, which takes over the space once occupied by Tombolo (it’s business as usual for Fishers of Freycinet). Head chef Jack Bennett comes to DC after stints at The Chophouse at Falls Creek and Hotel Trentham in Victoria. Jack’s pizza- and pasta-based menu complements the winery’s coolclimate portfolio, pairing venison and mushroom pappardelle with syrah, and barbecue porktopped pizza with chardonnay. devilscorner.com.au

Get Shucked Bruny Island

Thanks to the store’s drivethrough window, you don’t need to get out of your car for these homegrown oysters. getshucked.com.au

Freycinet Marine Farm

No drive along the east coast is complete without a stop at Freycinet Marine Farm, which harvests oysters and mussels daily. Book ahead for tours. freycinetmarinefarm.com

Tarkine Fresh Oysters

Tours of this Smithton onshore oyster farm include a shucking demonstration. Enjoy a bowl of seafood chowder and take a bag of live oysters home. tarkinefreshoysters.com.au

Pounded by surf and powered by seafood, Bicheno is Tasmania’s beach dream. Mornings see residents swimming across the bays while walking trails beckon landlubbers, writes Andrew Bain.

The PIT STOP

Bicheno

EAT

With French-titled Freycinet Peninsula just down the road, it feels appropriate that Bicheno’s best restaurant should have Gallic flavours. Behind Le Coq’s wooden deck is a cafe-style restaurant using local produce to create traditional French flavours perfect for that elevated night out in Bicheno.

DO

There’s no lack of great walks in nearby Freycinet and DouglasApsley National Parks, but you needn’t even leave town to get great coastal views along the Foreshore Footway. The 3.6km trail connects Redbill Beach to the geyser-like Blowhole, weaving across coastal rock platforms and passing the clear waters of the Gulch. Find a hidden treasure beyond its southern end by continuing the short distance past the Blowhole to Rice Pebble Beach.

SEE

Bicheno’s cutest residents are the little blue penguins that shuffle out of the ocean each evening. Bicheno Penguin Tours runs nightly trips to a penguin rookery, watching as the world’s smallest penguins tiptoe across the beach, before guiding you on paths through their burrows. In summer, the birds are at the tail- end of their breeding season.

DRINK

It might look like a backyard shed but, with the roller doors up and the sun shining, there are few better spots for a cold schooner than Bicheno Beer Co. There are five brews on tap and a fire pit to ward off the evening chill.

STAY

If you simply can’t get enough of the penguins, burrow into a room at Diamond Island Resort, where little blue penguins wander past the doors in the evening and provide the pre-dawn alarm calls. There are penguin tours for guests and, when the tide falls, walking access along the sandspit to Diamond Island.

ESSENTIAL STOPS

• Le Coq

• Foreshore Footway

• Bicheno Penguin Tours

• Bicheno Beer Co.

• Diamond Island Resort

BICHENO

From top Bicheno's little penguins are the world's smallest; burgers at the Bicheno Beer Co.

Photos: Tourism Tasmania;

Photo:

From the smell of suncream and hot chips to the sting of chlorine and the sound of laughter on the breeze, Tasmania’s outdoor pools are summer distilled. They are places where the whole community comes to cool off, connect and make memories, writes Sarah Aitken.

“During a hot January day, it’s a very busy place, with lots of bodies of all shapes and sizes and ages ... Everybody’s outside, having fun.”

The pool water sizzles on the hot concrete after running down your legs after a plunge. You smell suncream, hot chips, chlorine and grass, and you taste lolly snakes and salt. You hear the joyful splashes and squeals of kids, kids everywhere. You’re living your best life at the local public pool on an endless, sweltering summer day.

Rebecca Lancaster has had many days like this. She lives in Scottsdale, the small town with what might be Tasmania’s best outdoor pool: the Scottsdale Aquatic Centre, which includes the state’s biggest outdoor water park, plus a toddler pool and multiple slides for bigger kids.

“During a hot January day, it’s a very busy place, with lots of bodies of all shapes and sizes and ages,” Rebecca says. “From the outside, it sounds a little bit like a playground at school – lots of chatter, lots of noises, and then obviously you’ve got the water splashing. Everybody’s outside, having fun.”

Rebecca has been part of the Scottsdale Swimming Club for 12 years, including time as its vice president. She’s also Scottsdale-born and -bred, and remembers the time before the pool got its mega makeover.

“As a child, it was a great place to hang out and have fun, but it was very concrete!” she laughs. “There was a little pool and a big one and it was actually brown concrete at the little pool, so in summer that concrete got quite a bit hotter. We’d lay on that brown concrete, jump back in…

“We just had diving blocks and a diving board then.”

Jane Kilburn is the Manager of the Scottsdale Aquatic Centre. She really, really loves her job, which is lucky because she moved from the mainland for it.

“It’s the best job I’ve ever had in my life,” she says. “It’s your classic Australian outdoor pool with kids running around having fun, mums trying to find a quiet spot, dads being harassed, kids lining up at the kiosk to get an ice-cream. It’s almost a scene that you might see in Queensland, but we’re here in Tasmania – and on a sunny day, it’s just spectacular.”

It’s also completely free, including unlimited turns on the slides, making it a very affordable family day out.

Previous page

The New Norfolk Pool

Clockwise from top left The swimming pool at First Basin; Cataract Gorge Reserve; the smells of summer; Launceston laps; on duty in New Norfolk.

Classic outdoor public pools can be found all over Tasmania. In Huonville, there’s ample picnic space on the flat grass around the 50m heated outdoor pool, which gets mighty busy on a hot day. At the smaller Deloraine pool, swimmers get a view of the Meander River while they jump in and out. Mole Creek’s pool has a classic small-town-pool vibe, with $4 entry per adult or season passes. And on the West Coast, Zeehan and Queenstown have small outdoor public pools kept at a toasty 29 degrees.

Then there are the big aquatic centres, such as Devonport’s Splash Aquatic and Leisure Centre, which has an outdoor 50m lap pool and a learn-toswim pool as well as a waterslide. During school holidays, kids can try their skills on the inflatable obstacle courses at the Doone Kennedy Aquatic Centre in Hobart or at the Launceston Leisure & Aquatic Centre (check the centres for inflatable hours). In the Midlands, Oatlands has a fancy new indoor centre with a kids’ aquatic play area too.

Further south, Terry Dunn has spent the past six seasons managing the New Norfolk Pool, a 50m six-lane pool set within the beautiful Esplanade park and picnic area (read: barbecue facilities) adjacent to the Derwent River, which is accessible via a shared walking and cycling track that leads to nearby Tynwald Park.

“It is always kept beautifully clean,” Terry says with pride. “It’s just chockers in summertime. Everybody comes and sits on beautiful grassed areas where they can put their picnic blankets and

OUTDOOR POOLS WITH THE TASSIE DIFFERENCE

Naturally warm

Enjoy the mineral-rich, spring-fed thermal pool at Hastings Caves, or the lesser-known Kimberley Warm Springs in the north.

Quirky boat race

Cardboard boats battle it out at the Soggy Bottom Cardboard Boat Regatta and Family Fun Day at Cataract Gorge on 22 February 2026.

Biggest splash park

Scottsdale’s Aquatic Centre has the biggest splash park in Tasmania, with equipment for all ages and a large slide.

Inflatable fun

The Hobart and Launceston aquatic centres both have inflatable obstacle courses to attempt in school holidays.

Clockwise from below

The 50m Huonville Pool opens November to April; smiles in Scottsdale.

just chill out for the day with music playing. We’ve got hot food in the kiosk, and my staff are really good lifeguards who try to make everyone feel safe and welcome.”

Another stunning place to be in good weather is Launceston’s Cataract Gorge, which has an outdoor pool – constructed in 1950 – uniquely placed right next to the basin. You can even switch from swimming in one to the other and back again (via a short shower before you jump in the pool, please).

Matt Jordan is the Senior Leader of Open Spaces and Sustainability with the City of Launceston. He says the space caters to visitors and locals alike, whether they’re there early to do laps, spending the day hiking and swimming, or just lounging by the water with a picnic.

“Cataract Gorge really is that unique crown that Launceston has,” he says. “Having a pool that is a quality-controlled body of water with lifeguards and security to ensure that we have a nice safe space for everybody, it’s special.

“It’s unique with the broader surroundings here too: that landscape it sits in, the amphitheatre – but it’s also got that relaxed Launceston vibe. It’s a really fun, cool space to be.”

The shack is more than a holiday house. It’s a sanctuary of slow days, sandy feet and stories passed down through generations, writes Sarah Aitken.

living the shack life

Wave Song in Bicheno.

Karen Johnson’s shack is situated in the beautiful, sleepy hamlet of Weymouth on the north-east coast of Tasmania, a short stroll from the beach at the mouth of Pipers River.

She and her husband Andrew spend as much time as possible here, almost always barefoot, enjoying the break from their busy life running a farm and studio. When they’re not using it themselves, they rent it out to others looking for a bit of downtime and simplicity in a picturesque spot.

Home away from home

“There’s a sense of calm as soon as you walk through the door,” Karen says. “It feels like home. It’s a place to relax, reflect, enjoy a simpler lifestyle and a slower pace.

“We revel in the simple pleasures of listening to records, reading, beach walks, experiencing nature in the reserve and connecting with each other… there’s purposefully no TV here.”

The classic mid-century build, named Drift Beach Shack, has been beautifully refurbished, with a relaxing blend of Scandi, coastal and mid-century interiors. It boasts natural light, ocean views over the trees, limited technology, comfy beds and woollen blankets for when the mercury dips.

Karen says the benefits are felt as soon as they turn into the driveway. “Our shoulders relax, we release heavy sighs and instantly there’s a sense of calm ... enhanced by the sounds of the ocean, familiar smells of the shack and the coastal garden.

“There’s an excitement too, of spending time in this unique space, with its comforting, cosy furnishings. There’s also a sense of pride; we adore our little shack and we’re so proud of the beautiful space we’ve created.”

Karen and Andrew spend most of their shack time doing very shack-ish things: swimming or enjoying beach walks, bush walks and river walks, or getting adventurous on stand-up

Photos: Natasha Mulhall; @tasmanian_shacklife

HOW TO LIVE THE SHACK LIFE*

(*if you don’t own a shack)

Rent

Rent a shack via tasmanianshacklife.com.au, Airbnb or another booking platform.

Camp

Pitch a tent at a camping spot by the beach such as at Richardson’s Beach at Freycinet National Park.

Caravan park

Book a cabin at a beachside caravan park – try Bridport, Bicheno or Dover.

Mates

Score an invite to a mate’s shack.

Beach day

Spend a whole day at the beach with simple snacks, a good book and a cricket set.

Decorate

Decorate your space in the shack-style: seashells, little bottles of sand, nautical touches, rattan furniture and old board games.

“Our

Clockwise from left Drift Beach Shack offers a deck, an outdoor shower, a cosy kitchen and beautiful beach walks.

paddleboards or windsurfing. Indoors, they’re enjoying the eclectic vinyl collection, doing a lot of reading and cooking.

“Food is a big part of our time here,” Karen says. “We make sure we bring lots of treats and always cook up a storm. We like to dine outdoors on the deck, enjoying the vast skies, day or night – the stars here are incredible.”

The family shack

While Karen and Andrew bought their shack when they fell in love with it at a viewing, Naomi Hume says she’s always had the shack lifestyle in her blood thanks to her parents and grandparents.

Naomi’s family shack is a classic: a sweet, humble dwelling just north of St Helens on the East Coast. It’s been in Naomi’s family for about 40 years.

“Those two words together, ‘the shack’, usually paired with ‘we are going to …’ conjure up the narrative of my entire life,” she says with gusto.

“There’s Nan saying to Pa: ‘Hitch the boat on, we’re going to the shack – grab the grandkids’. There’s Mum saying to Dad: ‘The kids and cousins can go to the shack for the summer’. And now there’s me saying to my family: ‘Too bad there’s no Wi-Fi – let’s pack, we’re going to the shack.’”

Naomi has built a whole vocation out of her love of the shack lifestyle. She runs Tasmanian Shack Life, a website filled with her beautiful photography and storytelling that promotes and profiles shacks, while linking holidaymakers with shacks for rent.

She’s poetic in her description of what it feels like to slowly drive up the dirt road and approach her family’s beachside shack.

“It’s at the end of the road, the car is dusty and full, the old padlocked entrance is waiting to be cracked and finally we are back at the shack,” she says. “It’s a space that fosters memories and a sense of continuity across these generations. She wraps her musty-smelling walls around you and welcomes you back.”

Naomi says the family shack means more to her than anything.

“It’s our constant that is forever calling for us to return. It’s a need, a relief, a laugh, a good feed and a warm bed full of sand.”

Like Karen, Naomi loves that technology takes a back seat when they’re at the shack, so the family is able to fully relax, take a breath and really connect with one another.

“The phrase ‘disconnection to reconnect’ seems so cliched but it’s almost a necessity now as we are so ‘on’ and our children are ‘on’ all the time,” Naomi says. “The simple benefit of the shack is turning off. You can find that in every shack in Tasmania.”

Opposite page Naomi’s shack on the East Coast has been a part of her family for decades.

This page Thompson’s Shack in Surveyors Bay.

Dive into more stories and inspiration online. Whether you’re planning your next getaway, curious about Tasmania’s food scene or looking for ways to explore the island in every season, we’ve got fresh content waiting for you.

60/

61/ STATE GROWTH

62/ MEMBER REWARDS

65/ PUZZLES

66/ REAR VIEW

community

Delivering state-wide education

RACT teamed up with Community Transport Services

Tasmania to provide road safety sessions for volunteer drivers, supporting the people who keep the state connected.

For regions across the state, volunteer networks serve as the backbone of the community. Not-forprofit organisation Community Transport Volunteers Tasmania, or CTST, is one such group, providing affordable, shared, door-to-door volunteer-driven rides that enable people to attend essential doctor appointments, sporting events, social engagements and grocery runs.

In October, our Community team delivered four sessions of road safety education in Launceston and Devonport to 35 CTST volunteers, helping the

drivers brush up on misunderstood road rules and general driving best practice. The collaboration represents a core pillar of our business purpose – to build connected and resilient communities –while promoting road safety awareness, delivering education and building confidence in pursuit of communal wellbeing.

To learn more about our age-appropriate community education programs or register your school, team or group, visit ract.com.au/community

the latest .

DESIGNED FOR CONNECTION

RACT’s Eastlands store has redefined what a member space can be, putting people – and the island itself – at its heart.

When we decided to reimagine our in-person experience, our priority –to be a shoulder to lean on – remained. We envisioned a connected community hub that would provide trusted, high-touch support services for our members and valuable community information for all Tasmanians, the result of which opened in Eastlands in March.

In October, the 80-square-metre space won the Best Design in Retail award at the Interior Fitout Association 2025 Design Awards, recognising the design as well as its innovative approach to maintain the personal, member-first approach RACT is known for.

RACT Chief Operations Officer Stacey Pennicott says that the recognition reflects the original goal of the design: to champion our members and support our team.

“Our design brief was simple: design something that enhances our experience and draws on the value that is created by our people-first approach,” she says.

The space – designed in partnership with Nicole Cox from Yellow Sky Design and built by Tasmanian businesses Construction3 and Monaco Joinery – accounts for varying levels of technological aptitude and a range of members outcomes. Accessibility was front of mind, with translation tools available for ESL (English as a Second Language) customers, room for wheelchairs, and a sound-dampened architectural design that mitigates auditory overstimulation. The store offers high-tech self-service machines; a series of service desks for one-onone conversations; a visitor lounge, with access to complimentary coffee and sparkling water; and a separate

private space that doubles as a staff room when not in member use.

RACT Project Manager Christie Stone said the “speed of light” project highlighted the power of the team’s collective knowledge, spirit and professionalism, with an appetite for creativity guiding the opportunity to try something different for our members.

The result is “alignment to who we are as Tasmanians and a showcase of our beautiful state”, she says.

“This award was a moment where I stopped and went, ‘Wow, we did it’.”

The rich green of the custom banquette seating and kitchen cabinetry, as well as the timber detailing, celebrates our wild forests and Tasmania’s natural bounty, while sandstone-look finishes allude to the heritage architecture found in towns across the state. Smell that? The store’s signature scent is Tasmanian, too, crafted by Brand Tasmania with local perfumer The Raconteur to capture the earthy spirit of the state in notes of Huon pine, blue gum and kunzea. Behind the concierge desk, a large screen displays a rolling video sharing the Tasmanian experience as seen from our cars, switching from stunning landscapes to familiar family adventures to pivotal shared milestones. It also sets the store up for a future where we can host small-scale community events.

The staff experience was deeply considered as well. Dampening acoustics built into the architecture enables private conversations in a shared space. Recognising that shopping centres can feel notoriously artificial, the store’s soft, warm lighting – conveyed through a series of programable Newmat sky lights –reflects the rhythm of weather outside the shopping centre.

As many brands and businesses step away from bricks and mortar, our reimagined store experience puts people at the heart of our business –where they have always been.

“The whole original concept was all about celebrating Tasmania,” says Nicole. “Collectively, the elements celebrate a statewide emotional connection to the RACT brand.”

CHANGING OF THE GUARD

As three long-serving RACT directors step down, three new faces join the board, continuing a century-long commitment to serving Tasmanians first.

As we farewell three directors whose contributions to the RACT board have been essential to our delivery of value for all Tasmanians, we also welcome three new directors into the fold.

Appointed in 2013 as a director, Alison Flakemore became president and chair in 2021. Prior to that, she was chair of the Governance, Remuneration and Nominations Committee for nine years and chair of the Audit Committee for five years. Her tenure with the business has shown her the breadth and depth of what this member-first organisation delivers for our community (and has delivered for 100 years), with one of her highlights being “the privilege of being part of such a trusted and respected Tasmanian organisation”.

Alison farewells the board alongside outgoing non-executive director Jenny Richardson, who was previously vice president and deputy chair during more than a decade of contributions to RACT, and Mark Grey, a director since 2022. Both fondly recall the opportunities to immerse themselves with the call

centre and Mobility teams, with Mark deeming them “brilliant” and full of “empathy”.

“After the 2022 floods, it was heartening to see the empathy of staff and the clear relief and gratitude of our members as RACT responded so quickly to their needs,” he says.

Reflecting on her time with the organisation, Jenny speaks with warmth about the experiences she took part in.

“Whether I was alongside our Roadside team, in the call centres or visiting stores, I saw firsthand the challenges our members face – and the amazing response from our teams has been extremely heartening,” she says.

In their place, we welcome incoming directors Alex Costabile, Natasha Fenech and Tracy Matthews.

To learn more about our board, visit ract.com.au/about-us/board-election

Summer safety starts at home

Heading away for the holidays? This summer, RACT is partnering with Crime Stoppers to encourage Tasmanians to protect their homes while out on adventures. Empty homes can become easy targets for opportunistic thieves, and the three-month campaign is designed to help our community remain vigilant and deploy practical, simple steps to improve home security.

That might include asking a neighbour to collect mail or take out the bins, installing sensor lights or monitoring cameras, securing all entry points, and avoiding sharing too much information about travel plans online.

Learn more about how to keep your home secure by scanning the QR code.

the latest .

Driving change

RACT’s Driving School is hitting the road, taking training to regional Tasmania and giving young people skills, confidence and freedom to get behind the wheel.

We recognise the importance of driving training for all young Tasmanians, not just those who live close to our stores. Thanks to our partnerships with organisations including the Tasman Council and Workskills Tasmania, we’ve been able to trial offering our services to regional areas across the state, providing comprehensive training to communities including Nubeena, Bridgewater and Glenorchy.

These affordable, quality lessons are about more than just driving knowledge; they offer an essential service for future road users – and a direct route to independence and freedom that starts with learning new skills in a familiar environment. The Workskills partnership puts young people one step closer to employment, and gives them a route to get to and from those jobs. As part of the partnership, our instructors underwent neurodiversity and trauma-informed training with Troublesmiths to make sure we can support all learners.

“One of the big parts of that was learning how to communicate with people who have a history of trauma, to allow us to do our jobs better and in a safer way as well,” says Matt Anders, Driver Training Team Leader (South).

“We make a lot of contact with young people who are from disadvantaged backgrounds so having more tools in our arsenal means that we are able to help these young people a lot better;

we can sit and connect with them, and we can use our emotional intelligence to understand what they need and how we can deliver it.”

What started as one site once a month has blossomed to two days a month each at Glenorchy and Bridgewater as well as one day a month at New Norfolk.

“We’re helping people in their local area and it’s not as difficult for them to get to us,” Matt says. “We’ve been able to help more people than we were before and it just keeps growing.”

We’ve also expanded our Driving School offering, with sessions available at our Kingston and Eastlands stores, giving more community members access to road safety skills where they are, when they need us. September saw Driving School recording its highest number of lessons delivered since May 2023.

“This is where we want to take Driving School. We want to be more accessible across the community,” says Chief Mobility Officer Dean Harris. “We’re meeting our customers where they are, which helps us truly meet our purpose.”

Driving School sessions can now be gifted between family members, too, so they can be used even if one family member has earned their Ps. Soon, that will expand to the opportunity to donate excess lessons to a community pool, where we can gift them to young learners in need.

Assessors shine with Gold Class certification

The complex safety systems, lightweight materials and cutting-edge technology built into modern vehicles demand contemporary expertise when it comes to collision repair. Ensuring repairs are carried out to the correct standard requires expert knowledge, and that’s where our highly trained motor assessors make the difference.

Our team of motor assessors has achieved the I-CAR Australia Gold Class Certification, the highest industry standard in collision repair training. With hands-on training from I-CAR, the team earned realworld experience in the latest repair techniques to assist in identifying the safest and most effective repair methods, helping to ensure vehicles are repaired to manufacturer standards.

For members, the nationally recognised benchmark helps provide a stronger level of confidence and trust, safer repairs and better value.

From top Assessors with their certification; on the floor for hands-on training.

Training the next generation of Tasmanian talent

RACT’s new Training Academy is helping locals build careers in customer service while strengthening member-first support.

In October, as part of our ongoing commitment to building a strong Tasmanian workforce for our community, we celebrated the launch of the RACT Training Academy in Hobart. Focusing on the front lines of customer experience – including contact centre team members, claims lodgement staff and our retail teams – the program is available to both existing staff and new recruits in partnership with Tasmanian-based training provider GlobalNet Academy.

The step-by-step learning initiative gives staff the opportunity to gain a nationally recognised qualification –a Certificate III in Business (Customer Engagement) – as well as creating pathways for career development within the business. Sarika Bal, one of 12 trainees in the program’s first intake, recently commenced her training,

which will continue through the RACT structured on-the-job program.

“I’m excited to learn about all of the different products and services we provide, many of which I had never heard of before,” says Sarika. “Most of all, I’m excited to have learned how we can better help our members.”

Our members rely on us in some of life’s most stressful moments, and we know local knowledge and trusted assistance make a real difference in times of need. Our new training program not only provides future careers for Tasmanians, but ensures our members receive personalised care and attention during the most difficult periods.

If you or someone you know is interested in a career at RACT, learn more at ract.com.au/careers

MORE SAVINGS AT THE PUMP

With summer road-trips on the horizon, our fuel discount – 6 cents off per litre at 48 participating Bennett’s Petroleum and Bonney Energy sites across Tasmania –is designed to support members make their dollars go further. But it gets better: in September, we launched an additional 3 cents per litre discount when customers spend $15 or more in store at participating sites. That’s a few bags of ice for your campsite, a new gas bottle or bag of firewood, or a collection of sweet treats for movie marathon nights. Easy.

Terms, conditions and exclusions apply; learn more at ract.com.au/ fuel-discount

Guiding hands on the wheel

It’s recently been our privilege to hear from people across Tasmania about how we could better support young people on road safety. As part of the RACT Youth Road Safety program, which is funded through the state government, we heard from fathers in Burnie, mothers in Launceston, grandparents in Wynyard and mentors in Hobart and Deloraine.

Much of what people told us about their experiences teaching young people to drive is echoed in the global research the project commissioned. One of the standout findings was just how much influence driver supervisors have on their learners.

“Driving instructors have a Cert IV in driver training, but they also need a PhD in psychology,” said one Hobart dad. This father spoke of the stress and personality factors sometimes involved in the learning-to-drive journey, making it clear just how emotionally demanding coaching a young person to drive can be.

Parents and mentors across Tasmania are proving just how powerful their influence can be behind the wheel, writes Mel Percival, RACT GM Advocacy and Government Relations. For

A mum in Hobart disclosed that she’s more nervous now that her child has their P plates. “They have been driving for

a while now,” she said, “and getting a little bit too confident with it.” Her concerns are legitimate: statistics show that the probation phase of the learning process is when crashes spike.

Everyone who generously shared their stories with us was very aware of the role they play in teaching skills and supporting their young person to be safe on the road. And most would like more support and guidance.

As we head into summer, many of our newest drivers are on the road more. Some are taking advantage of the holidays to build up their learner hours, and some are exploring the state on their own for the first time. There are small things all of us can do to support them to be safer. Look out for our learner drivers and show them courtesy and patience. Learning to drive is stressful. As an adult in a young person’s life, stay involved and ask new P platers about their driving plans: which roads are they planning to travel on? Encourage them to stop for a rest and to avoid travelling between 10pm and 6am; within the first three to six months

of getting your licence, that’s the most dangerous time to drive.

Vehicle handling is learned quickly but hazard perception develops slowly and can result in young people overestimating their safety skills. It doesn’t help matters that young people also tend to get tired more quickly when they are in learning mode. Everyone in a vehicle has a role to play in safety and good decisions, and that goes for young drivers and their passengers when travelling together.

“Other than raising a decent human being, as a parent the two things you have to teach them is how to swim and how to drive safely,” said another Hobart father. That’s the Youth Road Safety Project in a nutshell. Supporting those teaching our young people to drive is key to supporting our young Tasmanians become safer road users and creating safer roads for all Tasmanians.

Changing gears

State growth

SAFE CHOICES SAVE LIVES

RACT urges all Tasmanians to stay alert and look out for one another on the roads this holiday season. A moment’s distraction can change everything, writes Scott Tilyard, Chair of the Road Safety Advisory Council.

As another year draws to a close, I urge you all to pause and reflect on the year that has been on our roads. It has been a tragic one. At the end of August, the road fatality rate in Tasmania sat at 7.3 deaths per 100,000 people – one of the highest in the country (National Road Safety Data Hub). By September, we had already surpassed the total number of road deaths recorded for last year. Behind these numbers are families facing Christmas with an empty chair at the table.

Many people are asking why? Why, despite safer cars, ongoing investment in designing and building safer roads, and enforcement backed by penalties, are lives still being lost at such a tragic rate?

There is no simple solution to road trauma. If there were, we would have solved this problem by now. Worldwide, experts are grappling with the same challenge, particularly regarding a key aspect: how to change human behaviour.

We know that improved road safety outcomes take a long-term commitment. What we also know is that even the

best systems are only as effective as the people using them. Our Safe System approach recognises that humans make mistakes, and that roads should be designed to be as forgiving as possible.

These safety measures can greatly reduce the consequences of a crash, but they can’t prevent every serious incident. Even the most experienced drivers can become tired, get distracted momentarily or misjudge a corner. When this happens, the outcome still depends on factors such as speed and road conditions.

While deliberate risk-taking plays a role in about a third of fatalities, most crashes result from simple errors rather than recklessness. They’re mistakes that any of us can make, and this time of year serves as a timely reminder for self-reflection and awareness behind the wheel. Most crashes don’t happen because someone is a “bad driver”. They happen because of small errors we are all capable of – a glance at the phone, adjusting the dashboard controls, a lapse in concentration or fatigue setting in after a long day.

And crashes don’t discriminate. It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been driving, how new your car is or how familiar the road feels. A single moment can change everything. None of us are immune.

As we enter the holiday season, our roads will inevitably get busier. Our emergency services will again be working around the clock responding to crashes, including those involving what we call the Fatal Five – speed, distraction, fatigue, driving under the influence and not wearing seatbelts. These are preventable.

Christmas is about looking out for each other. A little patience and extra care on the roads can make sure we all get home or arrive at our destinations safely.

Wishing you a safe and relaxing festive season, and asking that you spare a thought for those families impacted by road trauma. For many, this time of year can be especially difficult.

For more, visit ract.com.au/community/ advocating-change

Summer savings made for Members

HOLIDAY DRIVES

Car hire

Heading on a holiday but want to get out and see even more? Save on car hire with Europcar, Hertz, SIXT, Thrifty and Dollar.

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SAVE ON SOLAR I Want Energy

Thinking about switching to solar? I Want Energy can help with all your solar and renewable energy questions.

Save 10% on the installation rate when you purchase a new solar and/or battery system.*

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Keep

YOUR CAR

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When it comes to windscreen and car tinting, our partner Instant Windscreens has you covered. Save 10% on the regular price.*

Go to ract.com.au/instantwindscreens-and-tinting

Turn up the heat on savings

GROCERY SAVINGS

Woolworths Group eGift Cards

Save more every day on your shopping. Choose from Everyday WISH, Woolworths, Big W and more to save extra on your essential purchases.

Save up to 5%.*

Go to ract.com.au/woolworthsgroup-egift-cards

EXPLORE THE STATE Experiences TAS

Don’t risk your battery failing on your summer road trip; we’re here to help with all your battery needs.

Save $30 on batteries.*

Go to ract.com.au/ract-batteries

Heading out on a summer road trip? Get 9c per litre off fuel with in‑store purchase of $15+ at participating Bennett’s Petroleum and Bonney Energy sites statewide.*

Go to ract.com.au/fuel-discount

Enjoy more adventures and savings across our island state this summer with Experiences TAS.

Save up to 10% on experiences in Tasmania.*

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Treat yourself or a loved one with an eGift card. With savings from major retailers, there’s something for everyone.

Save up to 10% on eGift cards.* Go to ract.com.au/egift-cards

‘Erriba Rise’ 675 Cradle Mountain Road, Erriba, Tasmania FOR SALE

Inspection by appointment. Sue Gratton | +61 407 599 559 | sue@circaheritageandlifestyle.com.au 4 4 2

Nestled in Tasmania’s pristine Cradle Mountain region, Erriba Rise is a rare sanctuary set on 75+ acres of curated gardens and native bushland. Thoughtfully designed to celebrate nature, this elevated retreat offers breathtaking views, seamless indoor-outdoor flow, and sustainable living at its finest. The main residence includes expansive living areas, a chef’s kitchen, a dreamy butler’s pantry, and three bedrooms including a luxurious main suite. A separate apartment, guest cottage, and croquet lawn enhance the versatility of this property. With solar power, hydronic heating, and abundant water sources, this is a remarkable chance to become custodian of an extraordinary lifestyle estate.

1 A spike of ice formed by dripping water (6)

4 Second days of the working week (8)

10 Having the power to put plans into effect in a business environment (9)

11 Interestingly new or unusual (5)

12 The planet on which we live (5)

13 Activities requiring physical effort, to sustain or improve health and fitness (9)

14 Pair of lenses set in a frame to correct or assist poor eyesight (7)

16 A dish of meat and vegetables cooked slowly (4)

19 A detailed proposal (4)

21 Lay out in the sun to get a tan (7)

24 In, at or to some other place (9)

25 Strong alloy of iron and carbon (5)

26 Ancient wheat-like grain used in health foods (5)

27 In a literal manner or sense; exactly (9)

28 Actively restrain (8)

29 Repaired something that is damaged (6)

Down

1 Large floating masses of ice (8)

2 Frozen dairy confection (3-5)

3 Guffaw (5)

5 Not expected to achieve the intended purpose or desired outcome (7)

6 Lotion applied to the skin for sun protection (9)

7 Offer suggestions about the best course of action (6)

8 Result of something striking or falling into liquid (6)

9 People who are riding or who can ride a horse (6)

15 The ocean consists of this (4,5)

17 Assigned to a category, especially inaccurately (8)

18 Moved into position for military action (8)

20 Metal tools used in sewing (7)

21 Lollies (6)

22 Dirty or untidy states of things or places (6)

23 Slumbering (6)

25 Perform duties for another (5)

1 Who wrote Graham Kennedy’s biography King?

2 Approximately how many acres does the Port Arthur historic site cover?

3 Who wrote the ’80s hit Boys of Summer?

4 What was the first ice-cream flavour ever made by the company Ben & Jerry’s?

5 When was the first official surf contest?

6 What does SPF stand for?

7 What famous Grand Slam tennis tournament is played every summer in Melbourne?

8 Which Australian animal appears on the 5 cent coin?

9 Adjoining Launceston’s Town Hall is which public space?

10 Complete this advertising slogan: Football, meat pies, kangaroos and…

Want to find out how you did? Find the answers online at ract.com.au/puzzles

Want to see your photo here? Send your shots of our beautiful island to journeys@ract.com.au or tag us with both @ractofficial and #yourjourneys on lnstagram, Facebook or LinkedIn.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP // Grace Ring snapped this gorgeous shot of Kingston Beach; Hunter William captured the Esk River looking moody at Longford; Lily Bellgrove caught her little friend checking out Midway Point; Kaveendra Daluwathumulla took a photo of her chilly stroll at Pine Lake Walk, Central Plateau.

Meet the experts at RACT Travel Rosny

At the new RACT Travel Rosny branch, our passionate travel advisors are here to help you create unforgettable journeys— whether it’s a tropical escape, a cruise, or a family road trip. Expert advice. Personalised service. Incredible experiences.

Jacqui Travel makes me feel alive. The Galápagos Islands are a favourite, full of rare wildlife & natural wonders. I’d love to share my experiences and help inspire your next adventure!

Eden

Working in travel means I’m always discovering new cultures. I’ve explored beyond Australia, with Prague, London, & Amsterdam among my favourites for their unique charm.

Patrice Travel is my passion, every trip teaches me something new. I love exploring cultures, cuisines, and languages. Thinking Africa? Let’s chat Kruger safaris or cruising with Hurtigruten.

Alex

I’m a history buff who loves museums, ancient sites, old trade routes, and local handcrafts.

Japan’s my favourite, rich in history and beautiful handmade pieces all in the one destination!

Shop G006, Eastlands Shopping Centre, 26 Bligh Street, Rosny Park 6235 2377 | rosny@racttravel.com.au | racttravel.com.au

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