Thursday March 19 2009

As my plane performs a final loop on its approach to Hobart airport, it passes over a sandy stretch of Seven Mile Beach, a magnificent stand of pines and an immaculate bay of oyster beds. The pristine waters below conspire with fertile landscapes and an unpolluted environment to make this a food lover’s paradise. And, as if you needed other reasons to travel here, there’s also the attraction of an active arts scene and a well-preserved architectural heritage.

Hobart slopes upward from the harbour towards Mount Wellington’s craggy rockface. The charm of the town is immediately apparent in its eclectic mixture of Georgian sandstone and weatherboard Victorian cottages. The Islington Hotel, where I’m staying, is a Regency-style building dating from 1847 and now tastefully restored. South of the city centre, it’s an intimate boutique establishment with just 11 rooms, rich in artworks, curios and character. Guests find themselves drawn to the conservatory with its soaring double-height glass ceiling, wood-burning fireplace and magnificent views to Mount Wellington.

Saturday is market day in Hobart and an early start is advised to beat the crowds to Salamanca Market. Must-sample stalls are:

The Steenholdt stand, where this farming family offers organically grown pears and apples straight from their Huon Valley orchards. You’ll find heirloom apple varieties such as gravenstein, democrat or sturmer, depending on the season.
The Summer Kitchen Organic Bakery caravan, which sells pastries, pies and burnished loaves of wood-fired sourdough bread.
The olliebollen tent, for this traditional Dutch treat: fried dough balls studded with raisins and mixed peel, dusted with icing sugar.

Tucked among the sandstone buildings that line Salamanca Place is Tricycle Cafe, located in the foyer of the Peacock Theatre, within the Salamanca Arts Centre. This is a cosy space with nostalgic overtones, thanks to the cute rusty tricycles suspended from the ceiling. Take advantage of the blackboard menu’s seasonal offerings, or revel in one of the best BLTs around. Homemade cakes and slices grace the counter and the standard of coffee is excellent.

The Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens makes for a great afternoon’s wandering. Check out Pete’s Patch, where former Gardening Australia guru Peter Cundall used to potter about for the ABC. The beds are bursting with produce, myriad herbs and heirloom fruit trees.

Back at Salamanca, Smolt has given the Hobart restaurant scene a shake-up. Seriously delicious food with laid-back style in slick surroundings. Grazers can select from a range of small plates, such as roasted capsicum with white anchovies or crisp-fried school prawns with harissa and cumin. For something heartier, the pork chop with slow-cooked spiced chickpeas and spinach is superb.

It’s well worth the 40km drive south to the tiny d’Meure vineyard and winery in Birchs Bay, open strictly by appointment. Private tastings can be arranged with winemaker Dirk Meure, who produces sublimely crafted vintages from just one hectare of vines. The pinot noir, Dirk’s signature drop, is aged in French oak barrels and is reminiscent of the finest burgundies.

From here it’s a short drive to Kettering, to join the queue for a ferry to Bruny Island. This is home to the Bruny Island Cheese Company, where cheesemaker Nick Haddow produces his innovative wares, based on European traditions but attuned to modern Australian tastes. Try his 1792, a washed-rind cheese aged on a thin sliver of aromatic Huon pine, or the Oen (from oenology, the study of wine), which is washed in pinot noir and wrapped in vine leaves.

If you run out of time, or feel too satiated to sample all of Hobart’s gourmet delights, it pays to drop by Wursthaus Kitchen before heading back to the airport. Conveniently located next to Salamanca Square, this gourmet deli stocks many of the best Tasmanian food products and wines. After all, no holiday would be complete without taking home a few souvenirs, would it?