Launceston, Tamar and the North
NATASHA NIEUWHOF, VINEYARD OWNER - Launceston, Tamar and the North
Natasha enjoys the joint celebration of art and wine in the Tamar Valley. There are countless more treasures to be uncovered in northern Tasmania.
Pick up a bottle of bubbly from sparkling wine country so fine, it’s rumoured to be second only to Champagne itself. So it is no surprise that Tamar sparkling wines have gained an international reputation and impress palates from Europe to America. Of course, there are plenty of cellar doors in the region, some working with local artists, that will have you wishing you’d set aside a week in the Tamar Valley.
At the northern end of the Tamar Valley Wine Route and, beyond the wine glasses, the liquid splashes in large aquariums. Delve into the secret life of seahorses at Seahorse World in Beauty Point. Find out why male seahorses are exceptionally good husbands, being the only animal where the male falls pregnant. If you are lucky, you may see one of these loyal mates, drifting happily with his pregnant belly.
Back in the city centre of Launceston you’ll find leafy city parks and Australia’s only museum collection of contemporary wood design at the Design Centre. The ever-changing exhibitions at the centre offer a unique opportunity for talented craftspeople to showcase their design.
There are also glorious historic homes and towns in Launceston’s surrounds including Brickendon and Woolmers Estates, two neighbouring estates on the Macquarie River recently inscribed onto the World Heritage List.
