A great way to get to know a new area is to take a tour with a local company. They have a passion for their local area and are keen to share this love with others. Howard Smith from Cradle Coast Tours offers various tours of the North West Tasmanian area.
I had the pleasure of taking a full day wine and food tour with Howard and four other tourists recently. Having an expert drive the mini bus gives you a chance to look outside and really savour the green rolling hills of the countryside.
Our day started around 9am with a pick up from home, and a quick drive to the Bluff in Devonport. This oceanside area looks out over the Bass Strait and is one of the first sights passengers on the Spirit of Tasmania ferry from the mainland see as they approach Tasmania.
House of Anvers
Our first stop was at the House of Anvers chocolate shop and museum in Latrobe.There is a cafe here, as well as a tasting house. During the week you are able to view the chocolates being made.
Railton - Town of Topiary
Howard drove us through Railton, the town of Topiary, where we could admire the handiwork of the locals.
Kimberley Warm Springs
We made a brief stop at the little known Kimberley Warm Springs. This beautiful geothermal feature is the result of water surging upward from at least 350m below the surface, into a pool approximately 20m by 13m in size and about 1.2 metres deep. Water from the springs remains at a constant temperature of 24–-25 degrees Celsius. - ww.sheffieldtasmania.com.au
The crystal clear water allows you to see the bubbles rising up from under the surface. There is a sheltered BBQ here, public toilet and car parking.
Ashgrove Cheese
A colourful collection of cow statues grazing out on their front lawn greeted us upon arrival.
Inside the factory and shop is a little museum that gives a brief description of the Ashgrove cheese story.
Viewing of the cheesemaking and maturing cheeses is great to see on the premises.
A cheese of the day sample was a tasty introduction to their products. They also have a cafe available here if you wish to stay a bit longer.
Christmas Hills Raspberry Farm Cafe
A quick stop at the cafe meant we could sample one of their chocolate coated raspberries. So delicious, with a hard chocolate outer shell that you crunched through to get to the slightly tart but sweet raspberry inside.
Ghost Rocks Winery
Located in one of the coolest wine growing areas in Australia, their award winning wines are available in a tasting session at their cellar door and eatery. Guests on the tour sampled eight locally grown and bottled wines. Then we sat out on the deck overlooking the vineyards and enjoyed a delicious lunch together.
La Villa Winery
Complete with a tolling bell tower, walking around this estate made me feel as if I was back in Tuscany.
Guests sampled six wines from their range and enjoyed each glass.
Spreyton Cider Company
A tasting paddle of locally grown and produced ciders was a great way to sample the offerings at Spreyton Cider Company, including an alcoholic ginger beer.
Southern Wild Distillery Gins
Our last stop of the day was at the Southern Wild Distillery in Devonport for a gin tasting. Our guests personalised their tastings from a wide range of gins, including a delicious sloe gin.
Also on offer was a warm toddy with a splash of gin.
The staff were very helpful when describing their products and it was great to be able to see some of the ingredients that went into the gin making, and also the large brass still on the premises.
After an amazing day of tastings, samplings, fantastic company and delightful views of the Tasmanian countryside it was nice to be dropped off right at home. During the day Howard kept us entertained with stories of local personalities and details about the various places we visited. By visiting a variety of venues in the one tour, you can decide if you wish to return to any or all of them for a longer period at a later date. This was a much more enjoyable experience that travelling the same destinations by yourself and one that I highly recommend doing when visiting Tasmania.
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Happy Travels!
