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North East Tasmania

Words by Gina Scott and Photos by Dan Fellow

When was the last time you visited the North East of Tasmania for a holiday?  Never maybe!  You are missing out on a great region to enjoy local seafood and wine, some great bush walking, swimming in summer, golf at Barnbougle Dunes (and don’t forget the local nine hole course either); visiting vineyards and Bridestowe Estate, the largest commercial lavender farm in the southern hemisphere!

Bridestowe Lavender Farm in summer, north east Tasmania (Photo by Dan Fellow)

The Blue Tier region is fantastic for taking the family for a walk.  Some tracks are easy so take your picnic lunch!  When you are on top of the hills in north east Tasmania, you can even see the sea!

Gorgeous colours of Little Blue Lake in the north east of Tasmania (Photo by Dan Fellow)

Falling for the North East

You shouldn’t miss the easy stroll to Ralphs Falls either, it’s near Ringarooma.  There’s a barbecue hut and the road keeps going on down to St Columba Falls and Pyengana where there’s a great cafe and cheese factory.

St Columba Falls, a highlight of the north east region of Tasmania (Photo by Dan Fellow)

Gina Scott owns Platypus Park Country Retreat accommodation
in Bridport.  Dan Fellow owns Tasmania Photos.  Both contributors
are great tourism advocates for the north east region of Tasmania.

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Map: North East Tasmania…

Ralphs Falls: Discover North East Tasmania (Part 2)

by Gina Scott

Next stop after Legerwood is Ralphs Falls in the North East of Tasmania.  Off we go through the quiet country town of Ringarooma and onto the Falls, up the winding gravel road that has a dry stone wall completed in the 1940′s after the Second World War.  This area also has several old tin prospecting and gold mining sites, some of which can still be seen today.

Ralphs Falls in the north east of Tasmania (Photo by Dan Fellow)

Off you go kids… take the forest walk to Ralphs Falls.  It’s only 20 minutes (while I have my cup of tea and lunch.  They ate theirs in the car.)  It’s a lovely picnic spot in the forest complete with a BBQ hut with electric BBQs and composting toilet.

A 20 minute return walk will allow you to see Ralphs Falls in Tasmania

The falls are part of the Mt Victoria Forest Reserve, and at over 100m, have the longest drop in Tasmania.  I’ve walked there several times before and the kids are old enough now to take themselves.  Oh no… they didn’t take a camera!  Not to worry; they have mobile phones which do everything except cook the dinner!!!

Video of Ralphs Falls (by Dan Fellow)

Ralphs Falls to Pyengana

This stop is an ideal picnic/BBQ spot between Ringarooma and Pyengana.  The rustic BBQ hut has a very well kept cooking plate and a fantastic open fire to keep warm should you need it during winter.  We also found some fresh water here too.  The all important BBQ tools are chained to the wall near the BBQ for your convenience and no one has nicked them yet!

Groom River, north east Tasmania

Well, the kids survived the short walk to the falls; I’ve had my quiet, reviving cup of tea and enjoyed the stillness and birds of the bush.  So off we go down the rough road to Pyengana.  Whilst you are in this majestic place it is possible to do a longer walk around Cash’s Gorge and take in some wonderful scenic views of the valley.

The view over the valley from Norm's Lookout, north east Tasmania (Photo by Dan Fellow)

Now we are venturing down the rocky road made by the famous local Norm Brown.  He is a complete book waiting to be written!  Such a character and has a fierce passion for the Mt Victoria region.  Here we go… let’s be safe and lock the wheels into 4WD down this slippery, winter track.  Just as well we did.  It allowed us to safely, but narrowly, miss collecting a young person in a blue car coming around the blind corner a little too wide!

St Columba Falls

We arrive in the next waterfall car park, where we notice many hire cars.   We set off on the easy walking track down to St Columba Falls viewing platform, a 90m drop but much wider than Ralphs Falls.  A beautiful, cool 20 minute walk through the tall Myrtle, Eucalypt and Blackwood trees, and giant ferns.  This is one of Tasmania’s most popular short walks for visitors.  It’s not too steep, not too long, and there’s plenty of parking on the roadside too.

St Columba Falls, also in the north east of Tasmania near Ralphs Falls

Unlike Ralphs Falls, we remember the camera.  Click, click, click and we’re off up the track again.  “OH, my earring” shrieks the daughter!  “I’ve lost one of my earrings!”  Damn, blast and everything else!  Go back down the track to see if you two can find it.  I’ll keep going up the track and watch out for it on the way and I’ll search the car too.  Phew!  She found it on the track.  How lucky was that?

Interesting opportunities to photograph nature around Ralphs Falls

Pyengana: Dairy, for Real!

Let’s go so we can visit the Pyengana Dairy and Holy Cow Cafe to get real ice cream, and real milk, milk shakes!  This cheese factory is one of the oldest in Tasmania.  Cheese has been produced in this valley since the early 1900’s.

I remember as a child my grandfather feeding us Pyengana Cheese, the very mature variety, which came in cloth.  It’s now a family tradition to weigh yourself on the large freight scales out the front too.  No we won’t reveal the weights… sorry!

Pyengana Dairy & Cheese Factory: north east Tasmania

We give the Pub in the Paddock a miss this time.   The pig must have had enough beer by now, but many visitors pop in there to check out the famous beer-swilling pig, and maybe have a delicious country lunch.  By the way, the pig is not the same one all the time.  They are on a roster!

One of the beer-swilling pigs at the Pub in the Paddock

So on we push heading towards our next stop and more things to do: St Helens, which will be part three of our adventure.

Gina Scott is the owner of Platypus Park
Country Retreat in Bridport Tasmania

Map: Ralphs Falls Tasmania…

Legerwood: Discover North East Tasmania (Part 1)

by Gina Scott

Legerwood… how did we end up there?  It was the school holidays; an opportunity to get away for a while with the teenagers.  That’s a great idea.  Isn’t it?

Gina and her two teenage children head from Bridport to Legerwood, north east Tasmania

We loaded up the Travelways, UBD maps, thermos, cameras, hair straightener, MP3, iPod, three mobile phones, assorted coats, hats, scarves and boots.  Off we go, just Mum and two teenagers!  Let’s not make any definite plans; let’s just go where we like.  Stay where we like.  No timetable.  But we’ve only got five days.

Daughter:  I would like to do a ghost tour at Port Arthur.

Mum:  Are you sure about that?

Daughter:  Oh yes!

Mum: What about you, mate?

Son:  Not particularly interested in seeing or doing anything.  Except getting to a music store to purchase new drum sticks.

Mum:  Well that’s an easy demand list isn’t it?  That means I get to choose all the things to do in between!

The WW1 Avenue of Remembrance tree carvings at Legerwood, Tasmania

From Bridport to Legerwood, Avenue of Remembrance

So we set off from Bridport in North East Tasmania, and our first stop was the Legerwood tree carvings.  The stories are very interesting.  After the First World War, an avenue of trees was planted in remembrance of those from the Tasmanian town who had died.  The trees became very old and dangerous so had to be cut down.

OH BUT what about the avenue of remembrance, the people cried?  Eddie Freeman (a very talented chainsaw sculptor in Tasmania) was commissioned by the local committee to carve the trees into the people to be remembered.  And what a fantastic job he has done.

Legerwood carvings by Eddie Freeman, Tasmanian chainsaw sculptor

Many visitors to Tasmania take the short detour off the A3 and take a break to visit the beautiful park in Legerwood.  Here you’ll find CLEAN toilets (a very important factor), picnic tables and a sheltered gas BBQ facility.  Legerwood was once a railway stop on the way to Pioneer, so the local development committee decided to make the stop look like the railway station.  How cool is that?

Legerwood, once a railway stop on the way to Pioneer, north east Tasmania

You can spend a long time here reading all the interesting history and stories about the locals.  Travel and holidays: it’s all about discovering what makes a place tick!  In part two of this north east Tasmanian road trip, we discover Ralphs Falls, St Columba Falls & Pyengana Dairy.

Gina Scott is the owner of Platypus Park
Country Retreat in Bridport Tasmania

Map: Legerwood Tasmania…

North East Rivers Festival

by Gina Scott

The North East Rivers Festival is on again!  It’s an exciting time of the year in the North East of Tasmania.  The annual Derby River Derby has been staged in the region for 36 years.  A few years back, the locals thought it was so much fun, they needed to enjoy themselves for a bit longer!  So they created the North East Rivers Festival.  Ten events.  Ten days.

Lynden Russell is the Director of this year’s North East Rivers Festival.  He and the committee have created two new events…

• the Bridport 10 Fun Run and Walk
• the Derby Bike Challenge

Bridport 10 Fun Run and Walk

Now as we all know a fun run is… well, just for fun isn’t it?  NO!  It’s a serious business.  There have been hoards of people out training for months for it!

Karen, Judy, Anne & Dee Anne in training for the Bridport 10 Fun Run

Venue: Bridport Walking Track
Time: Sunday 23rd October 10am race start
Cost: $10 Adults & $5 Children Under 16
Contact: Gayle Edson on 0439 330 700

There are some nice prizes up for grabs at this event too, from Tamar River Cruises.  Join the locals of Bridport and enjoy the beautiful scenery as you run the Bridport 10 Fun Run.  This 10km race will start at Café Rahra and finish at the Village Green.  Of all the 10km runs, this would have to be the most scenic in Tasmania.  There will also be a 10km walk.  The walk will cost $5 and is a non-competitive participation event which won’t be timed.

The North East Rivers Festival Fun Run will start at Cafe Rahra

The Bridport walking track has recently been completed.  You must go and enjoy the bush and beach track with your friends.  Even if you don’t join the Bridport 10 Fun Run, this is a wonderful walking track to experience.

Garry Gina Judy & Rob: training on the Bridport Walking Track for the North East Rivers Festival

Derby Bike Challenge

The Derby Bike Challenge is not actually a race.  This is a bike ride with a twist.  You will ride around a circuit to collect cards, and the best poker hand will win!   This North East Rivers Festival committee are a very inventive lot, aren’t they?

North East Rivers Festival Highlights

Can’t wait for the Pipers Brook Vineyard concert either.  And then there is the art exhibition in Scottsdale.  You simply must visit the North East of Tasmania during the Rivers Festival.  It will be so much fun!

North East Rivers Festival - Derby River Derby (Photo by Dan Fellow)

Gina Scott is the owner of Platypus Park
Country Retreat in Bridport, Tasmania

Map of Bridport 10 Fun Run Starting Line…

Tasmanian Travel Expo 2011

by Gina Scott

At last year’s inaugural Tasmanian Travel Expo, we came oh so close to being voted most popular stand.  But the North East region will be back again this time around… with a bigger, better and tastier offering!

The Tasmanian Travel Expo will be held in the new Princes Wharf shed, straight opposite Salamanca.  Visit Friday 9 September 5pm-9pm or Saturday 10 September 9am-4pm.  Entry is FREE.

Before or after (or in-between!) stocking up at the Salamanca Market on Saturday, come in and see what the North East of Tasmania has to offer.  Rosemary and Tony from the local tourism association will be joined by Kama from Bridestowe Lavender Farm and Gina from the Yondover goat dairy and cheesery.

Sample goats cheese from the north east at the Tasmanian Travel Expo (Photo by Dan Fellow)

Nose your way to the North East stand for a tasting treat of goat cheese, rhubarb chutney or syrup, and Pipers Brook wines.  And while you’re there don’t miss the chance to win accommodation at any one of Anabels, Belle Cottage, Beulah B&B or Platypus Park Country Retreat.  There will also be a draw for a six pack… of Janz (methode tasmanoise … it’s Tasmanian for champagne!!).

What more reason do you need to visit the Tasmanian Travel Expo in Hobart this weekend?  Who will get your vote for most popular stand?

Gina Scott is the owner of Platypus Park
Country Retreat in Bridport, Tasmania