Our Flightie Gillian not only loves to travel, but is a huge foodie who travels with the intent to discover some new dishes, recipes and local brews. After spending some time living in Melbourne, Australia; she decided to hop on a plane and head down to Tasmania for a quick weekend getaway and shares with us her favourite food expereiences:
Tasmania was a great place to discover beautiful landscape and of course experience some really delicious food and drinks!
Here are my Top 5 Favorite Food experiences in Tassie!
1. Cascade Brewery
On our very first day in Tassie we went to the Cascade Brewery which is the longest running brewery in Australia. We went on a 1.5 hour tour to learn about the history of the brewery, the process of brewing, and an actual tour of the facilities.
My favorite part of the tour was of course the tasting that occured afterwards. We got everything from pale ale to stout and it was an absolutely great start to our trip.
2. Bruny Island Cheese Company
The next stop was at the Bruny Island Cheese Company that’s owned and managed by Nick Haddow. It was great to see the cheese being made behind the front counter, and the larder room was all open glass so we could see all the cheese resting.
My friend and I did a tasting in the morning and ended up stopping in again for the “Otto” wrapped in Proscuitto. We were recommended to have it melted in a wood fired oven for about 15 minutes and drink it with some local wine.
3. Bruny Island Premium Wines
The wine we chose to go with cheese was from Bruny Island Premium Wines. Their soil could only grow chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, and pinot noir grapes. This was a great little stop because we saw the 5 days old Pinot Noir grapes just starting to rest with the skins on them. We choose a 2007 Pinot Reserve to go with our cheese.
4. Get Shucked
Oysters were next on the list and boy were they amazing! Get Shucked was a small little trailor right across from the water that would fish two fresh batches of Oysters Daily! Always being slightly hesitant with the idea of eating I jumped on the opportuntity to make a decision about them when they were as fresh as can be. I got half a dozen and enjoyed them with a squirt of lemon and some fresh cracked black pepper. Yum!
5. Salamanca Markets
Finally on the last day in Tasmania we went to the Salamanca Markets which are all about great fresh food, and food preparation. It was a toss up between a new rolling pin, cutting board, or cheese platter made out of local tassie Huon Pine. I chose a great little cheese platter in the shape of Tassie to remember the experience! We got a great coffee recommended by a friend to walk around the markets with, and before we left, we had floating Fish and Chips.
Tasmania seems to be a commonly missed placed during most visitors’ Australian tours, but it is definitely a place worth checking out. I knew that we were in for a good trip when one of the first ladies at the information booth said “If you like to eat, then you will enjoy the island”.
Tasmania is highlighted on the Flight Centre Map.
Gillian Anderson is an International Travel Consultant at our Holt Renfrew Centre location in Toronto and can be reached by E-mail or calling 1-866-662-6289. Thinking of booking your next trip to Australia? Book with Flight Centre during the month of January and receive a $200 airfare credit on Qantas.