Visiting Tasmania stories

The proposed cable car at Cradle Mountain National Park – one of the state’s biggest tourist drawcards – has been given its largest boost yet, with a $30 million injection from the Federal Government. As he made the funding announcement during a visit to Cradle Mountain, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said: “This is a cableway to get people up here, to deliver 60,000 more visitors and many more jobs in Tasmania.” The cable car would take visitors high over Tasmania’s world heritage wilderness, transporting them from Cradle Mountain Village to Dove Lake where an impressive new viewing shelter would be constructed. Tasmanian Premier, Will Hodgman, said work on the cable car would begin as soon as possible. The cable car is the central plank of an ambitious $160 million Cradle Mountain masterplan which aims to position the region as Australia’s premier wilderness destination. Under this masterplan, the addition of an impressive new visitor centre together with extra accommodation would create a new village hub. Cradle Mountain is widely considered as the gateway to Tasmania’s World Heritage wilderness and it underpins our brand as a global destination for nature-based tourism.

12 June 2018, Edition 195

Luxury magazine Gourmet Traveller has released its highly anticipated list of best Australian hotels – and Hobart’s MACq 01 is at the top. The striking waterfront hotel managed to stave off stiff competition to be named Large Hotel of the Year. As the magazine glowingly wrote: “Large hotels needn’t be predictable. Hobart’s MACq 01, designed by heritage experts Circa Morris Nunn to resemble a riverside wharf, has a distinctive personality…everything feels custom-made and handpicked for this inn beside the Derwent River.” The magazine was most impressed that MACq 01 encapsulated the island state’s unique personality: “It is Tasmania writ large in wood, steel and glass; a 114-room hotel that pours its island soul into every detail.” The hotel, which opened its doors a year ago, is also known as the ‘storytelling hotel’ with each of its rooms telling the tale of one remarkable Tasmanian who influenced the state. Champion cricketer, Ricky Ponting, is included in that honour roll.

12 June 2018

A large contingent of overseas enthusiasts is preparing to head down under for The MyState Australian Wooden Boat Festival in February. The four-day celebration on Hobart’s waterfront is one of the biggest dates on Australia’s maritime calendar. The biennial event attracts bumper crowds from both interstate and overseas, and festival General Manager, Paul Cullen, said: “Dozens of wooden boat enthusiasts from the festival’s next featured nation, the United States of America, are already making plans to join us.” He revealed that 45 enthusiasts from North America have confirmed their involvement in next year's festival, and will be bringing two large containers of unique American wooden boats. First staged in 1994, the festival brings together the largest – and most beautiful – collection of wooden boats in the southern hemisphere. However, as well as celebrating Tasmania’s rich maritime history, it also showcases our stunning food and beverages to the world. The MyState Australian Wooden Boat Festival will be held on Hobart’s waterfront from February 8-11 next year.

12 June 2018, Edition 195

An old favourite has been given a little face-lift. The Henry Jones Art Hotel, on Hobart’s waterfront, opened with great excitement 15 years ago. It was ahead of its time as Australia’s first dedicated art hotel, but time caught up, and $1.7 million has been invested to keep its look up to date. Over the past two years money has been spent upgrading all of the rooms with new carpets, lights and shutters. Two new restaurants – 'Peacock and Jones' and the 'Landscape Restaurant and Grill' – have also opened adding to the dining experience. All this just in time for the hugely popular Dark Mofo which has just burst into life right on the Art Hotel’s doorstep. The award-winning hotel showcases local artworks. It even has a full-time curator who oversees the rotating collection of more than 400 pieces that adorn the walls. Built within a row of historic warehouses that date back to the early 1820s, the hotel also preserves the atmosphere of its original inhabitant –  the old IXL jam factory. Rough-hewn sandstone walls and old timber beams add to the heritage feel.

12 June 2018, Edition 195

Bold new plans could see Launceston’s Spirit of Tasmania Running Festival become one of Australia’s premier running events. Festival Director, Wayne Larden, wants the 12-year-old festival to expand and introduce a half-marathon that would also be an Australian title. He told The Examiner: “If we had a half-marathon we would hope to have that as the Australian championship. That will bring all the good runners down [to Tasmania] because all the elites want an Australian title and that will put the event on the map.” Mr Larden believes Launceston is ideal for a half-marathon with a long flat course along the East Tamar Highway. The festival was held in early June and attracts a top-quality field that often includes Olympic runners. The centrepiece is the Launceston 10 which organisers proudly describe as Australia’s flattest and fastest 10k race. “It’s fast and has good prize money – the prize pool is very good compared to other events,” Mr Larden explained.

12 June 2018, Edition 195

A $100m mega-resort proposed for the East Coast has been labelled as potentially one of Tasmania’s biggest ever tourism developments. The Cambria Green proposal covers 3185ha of land at Dolphin Sands, near Swansea. Touted as an eco-resort, plans include a 100-120 room luxury hotel, other tourist accommodation in 70 villas and 240 units, venues for conferences and weddings, health retreat, village centre with shops and restaurants and two golf courses. The resort would be built around the historic 182-year-old Cambria homestead. The Melbourne based developers are backed by an international syndicate including Chinese investors. Cambria Green CEO, Ronald Hu, told The Mercury the development would cost between $50 and $100 million adding that while the East Coast had experienced good growth over the past 10 years, facilities are still basic: “This will attract a certain type of high-end tourist as there isn’t really the target market opportunity there.” Tourism Industry Council of Tasmania chief, Luke Martin, said Cambria Green could potentially be the biggest tourist development in the state adding that the East Coast region is “crying out for investment.” The Cambria Green proposal has been presented before the local Glamorgan Council and is now undergoing a public consultation process.

3 May 2018, Edition 194

The Bay of Fires is already a tourist drawcard with its stunning beaches and orange lichen-covered boulders. But it is hoped this East Coast destination could soon have a new attraction – under the water. The Tasmanian Government has made a bid for the decommissioned navy ship, HMAS Darwin, which had its final voyage last year. It is planned that the ship would be sunk a few hundred metres from the shore, with the wreck used as a dive site. Peter Paulson who has been leading the campaign for an old navy ship to sink in the Bay of Fires for the last 17 years, told ABC News this would be “a fantastic asset to the community.” He added the stunning location, combined with proximity would make it “one of the most accessible dive sites in Australia. We’re probably only three minutes from the boat ramp, probably 800 metres…onto the dive site, so it doesn’t get any closer than that.” If Tasmania does secure HMAS Darwin it will be scuttled 30 metres under the ocean in Skeleton Bay. In 2016 Tasmania missed out on securing HMAS Tobruk for the Bay of Fires.

3 May 2018, Edition 194

After it was destroyed by fire more than a decade ago, Hobart’s Myer is fully back-in-business with thousands flocking into the CBD for the store’s long awaited expansion on April 19. This second stage of the Myer re-development greatly increased the current store size. It is now operating at full-capacity and covers an impressive 12,500sqm over five levels. The expanded store has also attracted new brands including high profile names such as Calvin Klein, Pilgrim and Peter Alexander. The first stage of the Myer re-development was completed in November 2015, and Acting Premier Jeremy Rockliff said it “breathed life back into Hobart’s CBD.” Myer has been trading in Hobart since 1936, but the massive blaze which gutted the store in 2007 was also devastating for city retailers with shoppers deserting the city. However, a number of recent developments, such as the Cat and Fiddle upgrade, have led a CBD revival. As Mr Rockliff said: “Tasmania’s retail sector is booming, growing for 40 consecutive months and helping to create new jobs. Myer’s new building will add to that and will not only be a major drawcard to Hobart’s CBD; it will support and increase jobs.” Sixty new staff have been added to the current 250-strong workforce at Hobart’s Myer store.

3 May 2018, Edition 194

In an announcement that will surely put the noses of Australia’s ‘coolest’ places out of joint, Hobart has been called-out as one of the hipster hotspots – even beating Melbourne as a more happening place. A survey has named Hobart Australia’s number three hipster city. Only the Gold Coast, which took out top spot, and Cairns have greater hip credentials. Geelong ranked fourth, with Melbourne coming in at fifth spot. The Hipster City Index was compiled by a global relocation conglomerate which keeps tabs on the hippest places to live. The index compares population density with indicators of cool such as vintage boutiques, tattoo studios, artisan coffee shops and vegan eateries. And if you are looking for the ultimate in hipster living you will need to head north of the equator. English cities Brighton and Hove along with Portland and Salt Lake City in the US, apparently have no peer when it come to the ‘cool’ barometer.

3 May 2018, Edition 194