Page 469 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Australia
P. 469
T ASM ANIA 467
an art gallery), Bothwell Grange
Guest House and the Old
Schoolhouse, now home to the
Australasian Golf Museum. The
stone heads above the door of
the Presbyterian St Luke’s
Church depict a Celtic god and
goddess. Even the town’s golf
course has a claim on history
as the oldest in Australia.
The town lies at the centre
of the historic sheepfarming
district of Bothwell, stretching
along Lakes Hwy from the
southern midlands to the famous
trout fishing area of the Great Coles Bay, backed by the Hazards Mountains, Freycinet Peninsula
Lakes. There are several cheese
makers and a renowned whisky of Tasmania corresponding in around headlands and across
distillery in the area, too. It is also name and geography to that lagoons. The most popular walk
the gateway to the ruggedly of the British Midlands region, is Wineglass Bay – a short, steep
beautiful Central Plateau giving it its original name, but trip up and over the saddle of
Conservation Area – a tableland since the 1990s it has been the mountains. The blue waters
that rises abruptly from the flat dubbed the Heritage Hwy. of the bay are cupped against a
countryside to an average Oatlands soon became one of crescent of golden sand, which
height of 600 m (nearly 2,000 ft). the colonial coaching stops for inspired the name.
early travellers. Today, it has the The drive up the east coast is
richest endowment of Georgian a highlight of Tasmania. There
5Oatlands buildings in the country, mostly are superb ocean views and
made of local sandstone, marshlands inhabited by black
* 550. @ n Heritage Highway swans. Small towns such as
Visitor Centre, 1 Mill Lane (03) 6254 including the 1829 courthouse
1212. and St Peter’s Church (1838). Orford and Swansea are good
As a result, the township is for overnight stays.
Oatlands was one of a string of classified by the National Trust.
military stations established in Its most distinctive building, the
1813 during the construction Callington Flour Mill, still oper 7Bicheno
of the old Midlands Hwy by ates, with tours on the hour * 850. @ n 41B Foster St (03)
convict chain gangs. Colonial between 10am and 3pm daily. 6375 1500. ∑ bicheno.com.au
Governor Lachlan Macquarie
ordered the building of the Together with Coles Bay,
road in 1811, to connect the 6Freycinet Bicheno is the holiday centre
southern settlement of Hobart National Park of Tasmania’s east coast. In
(see pp464–5) with the northern @ from Bicheno. n Visitors’ Centre summer, the bay is very popular
settlement of Launceston (see (03) 6256 7000. Open Nov–Apr: due to its sheltered location,
p468). During a later trip, he 8am–5pm daily; May–Oct: 9am–4pm which means temperatures are
chose locations for the town daily. Closed 25 Dec. always a few degrees warmer
ships en route, naming them ∑ parks.tas.gov.au than elsewhere in the state.
after places in the British Isles. The area also includes
The road ran through the area The Freycinet Peninsula on the Tasmania’s smallest national
east coast of Tasmania is a long, park, the 16,080ha (39,700
narrow neck of land jutting acre) Douglas Apsley National
south, dominated by the granite Park. It contains the state’s
peaks of the Hazards Mountain largest dry sclerophyll forest,
Range. Named after an early patches of rainforest, river
French maritime explorer, the gorges, waterfalls and spec
peninsula consists of ocean tacular views along the coast.
beaches on its eastern rim and This varied landscape can be
secluded coves and inlets to the taken in along a threeday
west. The fishing village of Coles north to south walking track
Bay lies in the largest cove, through the park. The north of
backed by the Hazards. the park is only accessible by
Freycinet National Park on 4WD. Other attractions in the
the tip of the peninsula is criss area include the Apsley Gorge
Distinctive façade of the 1837 Callington crossed with walking tracks Winery and a 3km long
Flour Mill, in Oatlands along beaches, over mountains, penguin breeding colony.
