Tasmazia: the Promise of a Strange Land!

October 19th, 2011 |

Tasmazia is in Promised Land. No joke, that’s the real address! And how fitting that is, for such a whimsical and quirky Tassie experience. We were in Launceston, about to leave for Ulverstone River Retreat, when we received a message from cafe manager Kim: they would like Think Tasmania to publish a feature article about Tazmazia and the Village of Lower Crackpot. At least it narrowed down the choice of roads to take that day!

Tasmazia and the Village of Lower Crackpot

As the name implies, this attraction has two central highlights. The first is a complex consisting of eight mazes. Half of them are the traditional hedge formation; the other half include a balance wall and a yellow brick road for toddlers. The Great Maze was planted in 1985 and took years to grow to adult head-height (always a good concept for a maze if you can’t see over the top!).

The Confusion Maze and the Village of Lower Crackpot, Tasmazia

My sense of direction has never really developed (or existed, even!). So the thought of wandering aimlessly in a maze isn’t exactly my idea of a good time. What I did enjoy however, were the funny little signs. The sayings weren’t new, or cutting edge, but they were still clever enough to make me smile… despite facing another dead end.

The signs in the Great Maze don't help much, but they are pretty silly!

One Maze… or Eight!

The kids were exceptionally good at finding their way. In fact, when they found Three Bears Cottage in the middle of the Great Maze, the little devils came back to help me! They were so excited at each new discovery, they could barely contain themselves.

The kids were determined to conquer every maze and did so with gusto. One maze was enough for me, so I let them explore while I investigated part two of the attraction: the Village of Lower Crackpot. Now this was much more my scene! The tiny buildings, built to a scale of 1/5 normal size, were adorable and hilarious. Like the sayings in the maze, someone with a very clever wit was responsible for the naming of the houses and shops.

My favourite, the Village of Lower Crackpot, a model village with pizzazz!

Seeking Promised Treasure

When you arrive at Tasmazia, you’re given a map, a pencil and a challenge to locate all the hidden extras of the venue. We found some of them while we were “lost” around the Great Maze, and some we had to seek out. The Crackpot Correction Centre, Cubby Town and Spook House were among the highlights.

Tasmazia: not just a maze, but a myriad of different highlights

Everywhere you looked there was something amusing, strange or unusual. We got a laugh out of Nancy the Witch, who had plowed into a telegraph pole. Too much pumpkin juice at the Halloween party!

Nancy the Witch has a little mishap after she flies over Mount Roland

Mount Roland, Sheffield, Lake Barrington, Devonport

Peeking over the top of the complex, Mount Roland provides a stunning backdrop. Tasmazia is located about 40 minutes from Devonport… easy day-trip distance. Close by are Sheffield and Railton, and it’s right on the doorstep of Lake Barrington, so it’s convenient for incorporating other attractions. The owners don’t mind if you pack a picnic to enjoy in their grounds.

Mount Roland in the distance over the Village of Lower Crackpot

Not resting on their laurels, owners Brian and Laura Inder are currently building another section: the Embassy Gardens. Brian Inder has also written The Road to Lower Crackpot, and judging by his unique sense of humour on display at Tasmazia, it’s probably my kind of book. I have it on my wish list at the State Library of Tasmania.

Under construction: Embassy Gardens near the Lavender Field, Tasmazia

A Stack of Lavender… and Pancakes!

The Embassy Gardens are being built next to the Lavender Field. Providing another string to their bow, the Lavender Farm has a mass planting of shrubs. According to Marilyn in the gift shop, the January flowering period is the best time of year to see the spectacular purple patch. Tasmazia lavender is dried for their own range of products (Tudor Lane and Lavender House), and available on site.

The very helpful & friendly Marilyn Sheehan in the gift shop at Tasmazia

Also on site is a pancake restaurant, where Kim was doing a sterling job keeping up with demand. We weren’t organised enough to pack a picnic. So, arriving at lunch time, it seemed only fitting that we sampled their specialty (all in the name of research, as usual). We chose from the main menu selection (about $14 to $18 per serve); but they do have light meals, snacks and drinks as well.

Absolutely fabulous and delicious! I’ve never seen such a ginormous stack of pancakes, with a mountain of topping, cream and ice-cream.

Tasmazia panckaes: a reward for making it out of the maze!

All in all, the troops gave Tasmazia and the Village of Lower Crackpot their seal of approval. I took way too many photos (my signal for a great day out); we had a good feed and some honest, outdoor family fun. What more could you ask?

The writer and her family were guests of
Tasmazia and the Village of Lower Crackpot
which is located at 500 Staverton Road, Promised Land, Tasmania
Entrance for a family of four costs $55-00
See their website for more details.

think-tasmania.com