Travelling Tasmania’s East Coast: What to see, where to stay and what to eat

Spanning the shore from St Helens to Orford (about an hour out of Hobart), Tasmania’s East Coast offers incredible riches over a relatively small distance. About 220 kilometres long, the region boasts wineries, farm stays and, of course, the majestic Wineglass Bay at Freycinet National Park. In this Graziher guide to Tasmania’s eastern gems, we share some of our favourite finds.

WHERE TO STAY…
Book ahead to secure a spot at the renovated shearers’ hut on Twamley Farm, which we featured in Issue 40. Restored by sisters Angela and Elizabeth Turvey, the 114-year-old building is one of four stays on the family’s 2833 hectare fine wool and fat lamb farm at Buckland, about an hour north of Hobart on the Great Eastern Drive.
“I love that we were able to keep the authenticity of the old hut, not messing with its structure or bones,” Angela says. “In the end we couldn’t bring ourselves to replace the little window at one end with a glass wall, as per the plans. So we just left it as it was.”
431 Twamley Road, Buckland.

WHAT TO SEE…
Head to the marina at Triabunna, about 20 minutes’ drive from Twamley Farm, to catch the ferry to Maria Island — a big-ticket day trip that draws many guests to the region and is a local favourite. The island is a car-free National Park, home to threatened and once-threatened species including Tasmanian devils, Cape Barren geese and Forester kangaroos. Forming part of the traditional lands of the Great Oyster Bay people, Maria Island’s human history spans tens of thousands of years. It is home to everything from a World Heritage listed convict site to cycling tracks and secluded beaches.
The Encounter Maria ferry runs from Triabunna three or four times a day, depending on the season.

FOR GIFTS…
Spring Bay Distillery at Spring Beach, about 10 kilometres south of Triabunna, makes award-winning single malt whisky and spirits. Book ahead for tastings, including an hour-long premium session at the cellar door’s Velvet Lounge.
6 Hoods Road, Spring Beach. 

WHERE TO EAT… 
Opt for lunch out rather than dinner, when gourmet pickings are slim on the East Coast. That said, The Waterloo Inn at Swansea and Piermont’s Homestead Restaurant are definitely worth checking out. For a quick bite, head to The Fish Van for fish and chips at Triabunna, with oysters, scallops and crayfish available in season.
The Waterloo Inn, 1A Franklin Street, Swansea; Homestead Restaurant at Piermont Retreat, 12990 Tasman Highway; The Fish Van, 19 The Esplanade West, Triabunna

FOR SOMETHING DIFFERENT… 
Alice Laing of Tasman Sea Salt (featured in Graziher, Issue 34) hosts fascinating salt appreciation sessions at the saltworks in Little Swanport, about 20 kilometres north of Triabunna. Select the 90-minute Salt Sommelier class to try sea salts paired with wines from nearby Mayfield Estate.
Mayfield Jetty Road, Little Swanport.

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