Tasmanian Treats

As Australia opens back up there are several new and exciting destinations in Tasmania. Travel editor Winsor Dobbin goes exploring. 

Take Hobart’s sexiest waterfront hotel; add a restaurant that focuses on the finest Tasmanian produce; throw in the local fishing fleet and Salamanca Market – both just a short stroll away – and consider several nearby bars and eateries. 

The Henry Jones Art Hotel, Hobart’s first genuine five-star destination, has just unveiled a new menu at in-house restaurant Peacock and Jones; a Tasmanian-focused selection curated by former MasterChef Australia star Ben Milbourne. 

Milbourne does not actually do the cooking. He sources the produce from the likes of Lyndall Lamb, Tongola Goat Cheese, Truffles of Tasmania, and Meander Valley Diary. Chef Ishan Archarya, ex Bistro Moncur and Bathers’ Pavilion in Sydney, mans the pans and wines come from small local producers like Utzinger, Kate Hill Wines and Quiet Mutiny.

Peacock & Jones is open Wednesday-Saturday evenings. Phone (03) 6210 7730 to check. Tasting menus cost $95 per person or $105 per person with an added cheese course. See https://peacockandjones.com.au

After dinner just head upstairs to one of the individually styled rooms in a hotel full of history, art installations and a clever aesthetic appeal. There is often an artist in residence who you can watch in action in the lobby.

Hobart’s oldest waterfront warehouses have been reimagined as what was Australia’s first dedicated art hotel with modern touches like fast wifi and USB chargers allied to the building’s industrial past. 

Sir Henry Jones’ IXL jam empire was once based where you now find galleries, award-winning restaurants, bars, and cafes. 

Hotel room views feature the bustling port with kunanyi/Mount Wellington beyond – and the staff are uniformly excellent in a state where that is not always the case. 

The Henry Jones represents a fusion of old and new, art and design, indulgence, and discovery and all the rooms were completely refurbished in 2018. Rooms start from $320 a night. 

Other dining options on-site include the Landscape Restaurant and Grill and the IXL Long Bar – so you can make a weekend of your visit without heading more than a few metres from your room. See https://thehenryjones.com/.

Triabunna, a pretty fishing town on Tasmania’s east coast, has a new tourism drawcard with the recent opening of the redeveloped 1840s Heritage-Listed Triabunna Barracks and Stables. 

After five years of re-development, Triabunna Barracks has been officially opened as luxury visitor accommodation. Vacant for over 50 years, the Barracks and Stables were once on the brink of collapse. 

Now the sandstone and timber buildings have been totally transformed. Each large suite features its own kitchenette, luxury bathrooms, quality fittings and heated floors. 

The opening is perfectly timed for the influx of visitors as Tasmania opens after Covid-19. Triabunna Barracks is located adjacent to the marina in Triabunna and EV charging is available for guests.

The accommodation is close to the Maria Island ferry, a terrific fish and chippery and the very impressive local watering hole: the Spring Bay Hotel. 

Activities include visiting the local wineries and distillery, bushwalking on Maria Island, fishing charters and whale watching (in season).

Triabunna Barracks are a 70-minute drive from Hobart via the Tasman Highway and ideally located to be a base for exploring the island state’s beautiful east coast.

Accommodation with breakfasts at The Loft, The Bakery and The Quarters start from $450 per night. You can also rent the entire property. Think super-comfy A&H Beard beds, quality fixtures, superfast wifi and lovely furnishings, TVs with Netflix and Stan connections and huge bathrooms that are well equipped. 

Triabunna Barracks is at 3 Charles Street, Triabunna, Tasmania 7190. Call 0414 186939 or email manager@triabunnabarracks.com

The Sebel Launceston in Tasmania’s second city is one of the Apple Isle’s best-kept secrets.

There is a friendly vibe; the front desk staff have welcoming smiles and make sure you have everything you need. This 53-room hotel just a stroll from the Launceston CBD is family-owned and -operated – and its shows in the attention to detail. There are fully self-contained one, two and three-bedroom superior, deluxe and spa suites to choose from. All have separate bathrooms and private balconies.

The decor displays natural Tasmanian stone and timbers throughout the interior as well as locally commissioned art.Rooms have air-conditioning and kitchenettes with refrigerators and microwaves. Many suites also contain spa baths and laundry facilities.

Bluestone Bar & Kitchen is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner – and also for in-room dining from 5pm-8.3pm daily.

Chef Sam Bray, whose CV includes a stint with Rene Redzepi at Noma in Copenhagen, focuses on local produce with some Asian accents to match with regional wines from the nearbly Tamar Valley and Pipers River.

It is situated just off the Tamar River and only a five-minute stroll to the Seaport Precinct.
Book direct and the hotel promises to match any online price offers. (03) 6333 7555. 

www.thesebel.com/tasmania/the-sebel-launceston/

First there was The Moss, then the Crowne Plaza. Then came The Vibe and The Movenpick. Hobart has seen several hotel openings over the past two years. Hobart’s latest five-star hotel, The Tasman – a Marriott Luxury Collection property – will open its doors on December 17 after several delays. 

The Tasman will be the first Australian showcase of the Luxury Collection brand; a global collection of 110 unique hotels and resorts offering authentic experiences designed to inspire and evoke lasting memories.

The brand includes high-end properties in more than 30 countries and territories. 

Connecting Salamanca Place with an elegant frontage on Murray Street, The Tasman forms part of Parliament Square, a new lifestyle quarter for Hobart just steps from the famous Salamanca Markets, St David’s Park, and the vibrant waterfront of Sullivan’s Cove.

Guests will have a rare opportunity to experience three eras of design within the 152-room hotel. 

Renowned Tasmanian chef Massimo Mele (a former Ciao Magazine cover star, pictured top) will act as culinary director at the hotel’s signature restaurant, Peppina, showcasing his passion for championing local producers. 

An intimate and sophisticated cocktail bar within the original sandstone building, to be known as Mary, Mary, will offer “an old-world bar experience reimagined for modern times” with a cocktail menu celebrating indigenous Tasmanian ingredients. 

Peppina’s menu will draw on Massimo’s Italian heritage and experience, borrowing his nonna’s nickname to give Italian-inspired cuisine a local Tasmanian twist.

The 190-seat restaurant and private dining room seating 24 will be centred around the energy of an open kitchen, featuring a wood-fired oven and open firepit that will present a menu of seasonal pastas, locally sourced meats and seafood cooked on the grill, and a selection of antipasti.

See www.marriott.com.au/hotels/travel/hbalc-the-tasman-a-luxury-collection-hotel-hobart

Read Winsor’s work at www.gourmetontheroad.com