A way to reduce Hobart's massive potential stadium debt

 

How can Tasmania help ease its tremendous debt should the controversial new Macquarie Point Stadium get the go head?

User pays would seem to be be a very fair system to all should Hobart's contentious multi-purpose stadium eventually be built. 

The proposed stadium has critics who says who sat it is too expensive, in the wrong location, poorly planned and atrociously ugly. And does not need a roof. 

Others says it is essential for the state. Both for the progress of Tasmania's finances, tourism, and for the AFL dream to become a reality 

Fair enough. 

Let those who are keen on the stadium and want to attend events help pay for it to be build, and kept maintained. And those who do not want it can completely ignore it. 

To help cover costs every person buying a ticket for an event could pay maybe a $50 user premium. Each time they attend an event. Kids maybe $25, or even $10. 

The sports fans and concert goers will be able to pay for the right to attend the shiny new 23,000-seat stadium and enjoy all of its its benefits.

Because surely Tasmanians would not want the hopes and dreams of their children to be carried on someone else's shoulders.

And visitors splashing out on air fares and hotel rooms would be unlikely to be dissuaded by paying an extra $50 for a match, or concert ticket. 

Think what happens now. If you want to catch a bus, you pay for it. Or decide not to travel. . 

If you wat to go into a restaurant and eat, you pay the price. Or decide not to eat.

If you want to visit a national park, you choose to visit it and pay a fee, or have the freedom not to enter.

Similarly if you want to upgrade your airline flight. You pay a premium. 

Those who decide they want to attend one of the seven AFL matches to be held each year in Hobart could easily pay $50 (or even $100) per person extra per event. Or choose to go to a match in Launceston without a roof instead.  

They would get to see to see games they would otherwise have to travel to Melbourne so see. That said, they would be saving a lot of money on flights, hotels etc while also boosting the local economy. 

The same when Bruce Springsteen or Maria Carey, or a Creedence tribute band, play a concert under the expensive roof. 

Those who want to attend and pay a premium payment would be happy about for not having to travel interstate. Those who prefer not to attend do pay anything. 

For seven home AFL fames fans would play $350 each season, or maybe $700. Same with cricket same, and concerts.  

All perfectly equitable. 

In fact, what could be fairer?  All the while helping the state and reining in that potential massive debt.    

  

Celebrating Tasmania and its seasonal bounty

 

Tasmania is renowned for hosting several outstanding festivals.

Events like Taste of Summer, Festivale and Dark Mofo are all major drawcards.

Less commercial and more connected, ECHO is the East Coast Harvest Odyssey festival, a smaller. more focussed "festival of the senses" that will run from March 13-15 in 2026.

The brainchild of singer and gin-brand owner Ange Boxall, ECHO has grown from small beginnings in 2019 into an event that Boxall describes as being "all about connection".

 


The event launch was held today in Hobart and full details are now available at echofestival.com.au.

ECHO is a festival of storytelling with close connections to First Nations culture, but also indigenous food experiences, hands-on adventures and music.

There is also plenty of wine, with several local producers involved - Spring Vale, Gala Estate, Mayfield Estate and Craigie Knowe among them - as well as Boxall's Spirited Gin brand.

From bush foods and medicine to morning yoga and drinks masterclasses, ECHO showcases live music, art, culture, storytelling and knowledge-sharing. It is a celebration both of harvest and the laid-back East Coast lifestyle.

"Our theme, Layers: Woven in Time, celebrates the people, stories and landscapes that give the East Coast its unique rhythm," says Boxall (below, at the launch).

 

"This year’s early program release features coastal storytelling with surf legend Dustin Hollick, woodworking using rare Hydrowood timbers, a cultural creative space with palawa creative Melissa West, blacksmithing in a historic forge and more.

"The music line-up brings together a powerful mix of emerging voices and established artists from Tasmania and beyond. Across intimate stages and open coastal spaces, musicians will share original sounds rooted in place, story and community. Expect soaring vocals, rhythmic collaborations and atmospheric performances that echo the landscape itself."

The much-loved Native Bounty Feast will also return as the key element of the opening evening.

ECHO, held in Swansea. is supported by the Tasmanian Government through Events Tasmania.

See https://tickets.oztix.com.au/outlet/event/90c6baf5-d569-408a-bc77-91650ed7ff7b

Pirie Tasmania ups the ante in sparkling wine space

Pirie Tasmania has upped the ante with two new releases in the Australian premium sparkling wine space. 

Pirie has announced the launch of its Millésime Prestige Range, which it says is "a rare and refined expression" of Tasmania’s cool-climate potential. 

The range features the 2022 Blanc de Blancs and 2023 Vintage Rosé made at the Tamar Ridge facility in the north of the state. 

Millésime Prestige is "born from a philosophy that greatness can only be achieved when site, season, and skill align perfectly". 

Head winemaker Tom Wallace says these cuvées are drawn exclusively from Tamar Valley vineyards, where Tasmania’s cool climate and long, gentle seasons create sparkling wines of "extraordinary purity, tension, and elegance".

“These wines are a true expression of patience and provenance,” says Wallace.

 “They’re only made when the vintage is exceptional. 

“These wines are crafted for life’s most memorable moments. Whether it’s a milestone celebration, an intimate dinner, or simply elevating a quiet evening, Millésime Prestige brings a sense of occasion to every pour.”

The RRP is $100 per bottle, which includes a gift box. 

The wines are available exclusively online at pirietasmania.com.au and at the Tamar Ridge Cellar Door.

Date clash a serious stuff up for Hobart's winter tourism industry

The Tasmanian capital of Hobart is extremely quiet for virtually every weekend of winter.

Hotels have empty rooms; restaurants bemoan empty tables.

So the announcement on November 3 that crowd-pulling Dark Mofo, Australia's mid-winter solstice festival, would return to Hobart from Thursday June 11 to Monday June 22 universally welcomed.

Alongside the festival’s large-scale public art installations, will be live performances and exclusive musical acts.

Dark Mofo 2026 will also include familiar rituals: Winter Feast, Night Mass, the Ogoh-Ogoh burning and the Nude Solstice Swim.

Hotels will be full; bars and restaurants heaving.

That only leaves a dozen other weekends when Hobart's tourism operators would welcome some help from other events.

What a wasted opportunity then that after the hapless Tasmanian Government paid a million dollars for Richmond to play one home AFL game in Hobart in 2026, the AFL last week announced its fixture list.

Sure enough, the AFL chose Sunday, June 14, for the Hobart match between Richmond and reigning AFL premiers Brisbane.

Accommodation will be at a premium; many flights will be full with Dark Mofo attendees and any remaining seats will be priced stratospherically.

So who stuffed up? Jane Howlett, minister for tourism and events will plead ignorance. Dark Mofo will say it had announced its dates well in advance.

The AFL, one of the most arrogant sporting bodies on the planet, is unlikely to give a damn.

There will be two victims. The Tasmanian tourism industry. And interstate fans of Richmond and Brisbane. Just another stuff up. A shrug of the shoulders, Just move on.      

Where to try wines from some of Tasmania’s best small producers

Want to taste wines from some of Tasmania's best emerging wine producers?

Or to sip on releases from small winemakers that often fly under the radar?

Budburst Wine Collective, headed by Joe Lenck, is holding its first Tasmanian Wine Expo in Hobart on on Saturday, December 6.

The event at RACV Hobart Hotel will feature 10 local winemakers and Lenck hopes it will become a regular fixture.

So if you haven't tried wines from the likes of Alice Davidson from Wines by Aunt Alice, from Marco Lubiana, or from newish labels like Future Perfect, or Cave Wines, here is an opportunity.

"We've gathered a group of 10 of the best young and talented local winemakers with their emerging brands," Lenck says.

With a few more vintages under their belt are Jonny Hughes from Hughes & Hughes, Kate Hill, Frieda Hensekens from sparkling specialist Henskens Rankin, Keira O'Brien from Rivulet Wines, Todd Goebel from Brinktop and Greer Carland from Quiet Mutiny

"With so much talent in one room, you won't want to miss this one and get amongst the future leaders of our Industry," Lenck says.

And each attendee gets to take home a free tasting glass.

# Budburst Collective is an online retail portal. Joe Lenck has worked for several of Australia’s leading wine wholesalers over a long career in the industry.

Tickets are $32 per person, plus booking fee. Go to https://www.oztix.com.au/ and search for Tassie Wine Expo.

Connew named winemaker of the year

Samantha Connew (above) added to a growing number of honours won by members of the wine industry in Tasmania in 2025 when she was named ASVO Winemaker of the Year.

The Australian Society of Viticulture and Oenology (ASVO) this week named the winners of its 2025 Awards for Excellence, including ‘Winemaker of the Year’, ‘Viticulturist of the Year’, ‘Wine Science and Technology Award’ and the new ‘Emerging Talent Award’.

Connew, vigneron/owner of Stargazer in the Coal River Valley, north of Hobart, was "recognised for her huge commitment to volunteering her time and expertise back to the industry, particularly to reward excellence in others".

She was was the youngest judge and first woman to serve as chair of judges at the Sydney Royal Wine Show and is the current Chair of Judges at the Royal Adelaide Wine Show. She serves as a tutor and on the Board of the Len Evans Tutorial and has previously served on the board of Wine Tasmania and the advisory board of the Australian Women in Wine Awards.

“This has been a challenging year for me personally and professionally (as it is for so many in the wine industry right now) so to be awarded this accolade by my peers is a timely reminder of why we do what we do despite the obstacles, and what a great industry this is to be a part of, and how I’m fortunate to be able to contribute,” Connew said.

Connew earlier this month opened the new Stargazer vineyard tasting room.

Viticulturist of the Year was Steve Faulkner, currently senior viticulturist for Oakridge Wines in the Yarra Valley, while the Wine Science & Technology Award went to Kerry Wilkinson, Professor of Oenology at the University of Adelaide.

Maggie Jarrett, originator of the concept of the Rootlings wine industry youth network in NSW, was the recipient of the new Emerging Talent Award. She works for SeeSaw Wines.

Image: Adam Gibson

Moo Brew set to celebrate 20 years of artisanal beers

Long before there was MONA, there was Moo Brew.

Moo Brew, the oldest and largest craft brewery in Tasmania, will celebrate turning 20 later this month.

With two specially-brewed limited release beers on offer and a party at MONA, beer lovers will be able to raise a glass to two decades of brewing led by MONA supremo David Walsh.

Walsh founded Moo Brew when he discovered a bottle he liked and wanted something to put in it.

The brewery was established in Berriedale at Moorilla Estate in 2005 - several years before Walsh’s museum opened its doors - later moving to their purpose-built home in Bridgewater.

In 2023 the team opened Manky Sally’s in Salamanca, a taphouse and nano-brewery boasting tiny tanks and an oversized attitude.

Moo Brew returns to MONA on Saturday, November 22, taking over the lawns to celebrate its r birthday with the help of the museum’s chef Vince Trim and an all-Tassie music line-up, There will then be a "riotous" after party at Manky Sally’s.

The two new limited-release beers, brewed to mark 20 years, are the Single Hop Tassie Pale Ale and Belgian Golden Strong Ale, brewed by all three of Moo Brew’s former and current head brewers: Owen Johnston (2005-2014), Dave MacGill (2014-2020) and Jack Viney (2020-present).

The Single Hop was re-released this week with the Belgian Strong Ale following on November 27.

The beers will be available in good bottle shops and venues around Tasmania and via Moo Brew’s website. Both will be available to Mona and Manky Sally’s imbibers on November 22 as part of the birthday celebrations.

Moo Brew Head Brewer Jack Viney says: 'It's not often a craft brewery makes it to 20 years, and it’s testament to the enduring love of Moo Brew - and the efforts of the people behind it -that we’re able to pull this off.

"Getting together with our former head brewers was so special, and we’re thrilled to present a traditional Belgian-style beer (a nod to David's beer cellar) in the OG bottle, as well as the much beloved Single Hop tallboy."

Birthday celebrations from 12pm–4:30pm at MONA will feature games, giveaways, flame-grilled lawn food from the Heavy Metal Kitchen, and a stout and oyster bar.

Beers and merch available via www.moobrew.com.au.

Stargazer opens bijou vineyard tasting room

One of the most exciting wine brands in Tasmania has just opened a new mini tasting room.

Sam Connew's Stargazer Wines has unveiled a dedicated tasting room on its estate vineyard in the Coal River Valley.

The opening marks a significant milestone for winemaker and owner Connew, who founded the label in 2013 after being drawn to the region for its cool-climate conditions that reminded her of her native New Zealand.

Coinciding with the opening is the release of the 2025 vintage estate-grown Palisander wines - a single-vineyard pinot noir and riesling sourced from the now five-hectare vineyard that the tasting room overlooks. Tasting notes soon.

The small, architecturally designed space (above) reflects Connew’s bespoke, small-batch approach to winemaking.

Seating just 12 guests, it has been designed to host one-hour guided tasting experiences around a handcrafted communal table. Three guided tastings will be held per day, and the tasting room will also host special events, including collaborative dinners.

Before founding Stargazer, Connew had already built an impressive reputation across Australia and abroad.

She was senior winemaker at Wirra Wirra Vineyards in McLaren Vale, later managed Tower Estate in the Hunter Valley, and served as manager of the Hunter Valley node for the Australian Wine Research Institute.

 
A formative vintage in Oregon ignited her enduring passion for cool-climate viticulture.

“Opening this tasting room is a very personal achievement for me,” Connew said.

“Much of my earlier career centred on achieving consistency, but Stargazer has been about embracing the nuances of site, season and variety.

"This space is an opportunity to bring those stories to life and share them first-hand with the people who enjoy our wines.”

Bookings are essential for the intimate tastings, held Friday through Monday at 10am., 12:30pm and 3pm. 

Guests can reserve via the Stargazer website, with tastings priced at $35 per guest. Stargazer wine club members enjoy complimentary visits.

Bookings: stargazerwine.com.au

Image: Adam Gibson

New cellar door eatery in Tasmania focuses on local produce

 

There is a new food offering at one of Tasmania's most popular cellar doors: Devil's Corner at Apslawn on the east coast. 

Devil’s Corner Kitchen is a food destination "designed to capture the wild beauty and elemental character" of the region. 

With views of the vineyards, Moulting Lagoon and The Hazards mountain range, Devil’s Corner Kitchen promises to champion local produce, smokehouse flavours and garden-to-plate principles. 

The new facility is open daily (10am–4pm), with Jack Bennett as head chef. His career spans regional venues including The Chophouse at Falls Creek, Trentham Hotel and Sister’s Rock at Borrodell Vineyard in Orange. 

“At Devil’s Corner Kitchen, we’re creating dishes that feel inseparable from this landscape - flame, smoke and seasonal ingredients are at the heart of everything,” Bennett says.

“It’s about celebrating the east coast’s raw beauty and Devil’s Corner wines in a way that’s generous, approachable and distinctly Tasmanian.”

Bennett’s launch menu brings this philosophy to life with a line-up of pizzas, pastas and seasonal mains that showcase local produce and pair with Devil’s Corner wines.

Pizza choices include chardonnay-braised Tasmanian pork belly with barbecue sauce, pork crackling and mozzarella ($34) and fresh mozzarella, Napoli sauce, local tomatoes and basil oil ($28). 

Mains may include gnocchi with hazelnuts, sage, brown butter and parmesan ($28) and local venison pappardelle with mushrooms and rich venison sauce ($32). 

There are suggested wine matches for each course. 

“Our wines are made to tell the story of this coast - wild, elemental and full of character,” says senior winemaker Tom Wallace. 

“Having a kitchen that mirrors that philosophy elevates the entire cellar door experience. Jack’s approach is adventurous yet authentic and we couldn’t imagine a better way to showcase our wines.”

Stillwater Tasmanian wine list runs deep

Visiting Tasmania? Keen to seek out the best wine lists in the state that showcase local drops? 

You might want to take a look at the results of the 2025 Tasmanian Wine List of the Year awards.

The winners were announced this week with the Judges' Choice Award for the Best Tasmanian Wine List going to Launceston dining institution Stillwater (above).

Category winners were also announced, with Stillwater collecting another award (Best Tasmanian Wine List - Hobart or Launceston), Stanley Wine Bar being recognised by both the judges and the public (Best Tasmanian Small Bar Wine List and People's Choice Tasmanian Wine List) and The Branch Swansea (Best Tasmanian Wine List - Regional).

Black Cow Bistro, which hosted the awards, was highly commended by the judges for its Tasmanian wine list.

"The record number of 16 finalists reflects the high quality of wine lists featuring local wines from around the island," said Wine Tasmania CEO Sheralee Davies.

"We are delighted to see the significant efforts our hospitality venues are making to highlight, promote and support Tasmanian wines.

"We know that people are travelling to Tasmania specifically to experience our exceptional wines and that our wine tourists are staying longer, spending more and travelling into our regional areas to visit cellar doors.

"Being able to enjoy a glass of Tassie wine over a meal is great for both our visitors and supportive locals."

Wine Tasmania also released the new 2026 edition of its Tasmanian Wine Trails publication.

This brochure, concierge map and accompanying online directory serves as the go-to guide for visiting Tasmania’s cellar doors along the North-West, Tamar Valley, East Coast and Southern Wine Trails.

The online Wine Trails can be accessed at https://winetasmania.com.au/wine-trails.

Dark Mofo returns to brighten up Tasmania's winter

Tasmania's Dark Mofo mid-winter solstice festival,will return in 2026 from Thursday, June 11-Monday, June 22.

Alongside large-scale public art installations, live performances and musical acts, Dark Mofo 2026 will include familiar rituals: Winter Feast, Night Mass, the Ogoh-Ogoh burning and the Nude Solstice Swim as the sun rises after the longest night of the year.

While the full festival program will be announced next year, organisers have revealed that a strictly limited first release of tickets to Night Mass - Dark Mofo's late-night takeover of Nipaluna/Hobart CBD - will go on sale at 10am on Wednesday, November 5, to those who have pre-registered via the Dark Mofo website.

"Mark your calendars," urged Dark Mofo artistic director Chris Twite. "It’s exciting to share Dark Mofo’s 2026 dates today as we take our first steps towards next year’s festival where we’ll once again bathe the streets in red, feast by firelight and indulge in a smorgasbord of art, music and performance.

"With plenty of surprises in store, revellers have an opportunity this week to access an early release of tickets to Night Mass and get a head start on planning their winter debauchery."

Following a one-year hiatus, the return of Dark Mofo in 2025 attracted over 50,000 interstate and overseas visitors to Tasmania and delivered over $67 million in economic benefit to the state.

"We’re so grateful for the continued support from David Walsh, and that of the Tasmanian Government, not to mention Tasmanian businesses, residents and visitors - all of whom enable us to continue celebrating the dark," Twite says.

Minister for Tourism, Hospitality and Events, Jane Howlett, said: "Dark Mofo is an iconic Tasmanian event, which drives visitation to the state during the off season and one that is recognised as a world-class winter festival. The Tasmanian Government is a proud supporter of this event.

‘Dark Mofo has something for everyone and we know how important it is to our tourism and hospitality sector during the quieter months. Visitors to Tasmanian events stay longer than the average visitor, and stays have grown, now 2.5 nights longer than they were in 2019."

 # Dark Mofo is a project of the Museum of Old and New Art (Mona), supported by the Tasmanian Government through Events Tasmania, with additional support provided by the City of Hobart.

Tasmanian gin partners with much-loved TV star

Take a much-loved reality TV star and a small craft distillery in Tasmania.

Add a good cause to the refreshing drink and you have the Reggie Bird edition of Island Coast Spirits Butterfly Pea Flower Gin.

It is a small-batch gin made using Tasmanian botanicals. Think juniper berries, butterfly pea flower, Iavender and mulberries.

I tried it at the Cygnet Market and enjoyed its freshness. Purple coloured, it is designed for sipping on ice; in a cocktail; or in a gin and tonic, when it turns pink.

Island Coast is a small business that uses only local ingredients and packaging.

Based in the Channel region south of Hobart, it offers free local delivery.

$10 from every 700ml bottle sold online until November goes to former Big Brother Australia contestant Bird to further her efforts and in support of raising awareness of retinitis pigmentosa and cystic fibrosis.

Bird, also known as Reggie Sorenson, won the third and 14th seasons of Big Brother Australia in 2003 and 2022, and is the only contestant to win twice.

She has suffered for many years from an ongoing degenerative eye condition.

See https://islandcoastspirits.com.au/collections/all-products/products/official-reggie-bird-release-of-our-island-coast-spirits-butterfly-pea-flower-gin

Where to find star Tasmanian wines when visiting

Planning to visit Tasmania and wanting to know where to find interesting local wines on restaurant lists?

The judges for the 2025 Tasmanian Wine List of The Year award have done some work for you - this week naming the finalists in the state wide competition.

A record 16 venues from around the island have been selected as finalists in the 2025 Tasmanian Wine List of the Year awards.

The program recognises local venues going the extra mile to champion the island’s home-grown wine.

Finalists have been chosen from an exceptional field of nominated venues based on the diversity and representation of Tasmanian wine on offer as well as the quality of wine service and local knowledge.

Wine Tasmania CEO Sheralee Davies congratulated the 2025 finalist venues:

“The quality of this year's award entrants has been incredibly high and it's great to see a number of new venues being deservedly recognised as finalists this year," she said.

"The ever-increasing efforts our hospitality venues are making to highlight, promote and support Tasmanian wines is very valuable for both our local wine producers and visitors to these venues."

"The Tasmanian Wine List of the Year awards were instigated to encourage and recognise venues of all locations, styles and sizes who are our local wine champions, and the award categories allow for diverse offerings to be individually and equitably assessed.

"This year's finalists represent a wide range of some of Tassie's most well-known fine dining institutions alongside casual and specialised experiences, not just in our major cities but all the way from the Huon Valley to the East Coast, Cradle Mountain and Stanley in the North West."

The announcement also marks the commencement of the People’s Choice voting campaign, which invites Tasmanian wine lovers to visit and vote for their favourite finalist venue.

Among the awards under consideration by the judging panel include Best Hobart / Launceston Wine List, Best Regional Wine List and Best Small Wine Bar List, as well as the overall champion Tasmanian Wine List of the Year.

Public voting in the People’s Choice Wine List of the Year closes on Sunday, November 2, and votes can be submitted at winetasmania.com.au/vote. The winners of each 2025 Tasmanian Wine List of the Year Award category will be announced on November 5.

The following eateries (listed in alphabetical order) have been selected as finalists:

# Black Cow Bistro, 70 George Street, Launceston TAS 7250, blackcowbistro.com.au
# Driftwood Restaurant, 13 North Terrace, Lauderdale TAS 7021, driftwoodrestaurant.com.au
# Grain of the Silos, 89 Lindsay Street, Invermay TAS 7248, grainofthesilos.com.au
# Harvest and Light, 6 Church St, Geeveston TAS 7116, harvestandlight.com.au
# Hellyers Restaurant at Discovery Resorts Cradle Mountain, 3816 Cradle Mountain Road, Cradle Mountain TAS 7306, discoveryholidayparks.com.au/resorts/cradle-mountain/dining
# Lost Captain Restaurant & Taphouse, 2-4 Short St, Huonville TAS 7109, lostcaptain.com.au
# Mures Upper Deck, Victoria Dock, Davey Street, Hobart TAS 7000, mures.com.au/upper-deck
# Peppina, 2b Salamanca Place, Hobart TAS 7000, peppinarestaurant.com
# Piermont, 12990 Tasman Hwy, Swansea TAS 7190, piermont.com.au/restaurant/
# Stanley Wine Bar, 2 Church Street, Stanley TAS 7331, stanleywinebar.com.au
# Stillwater, 2 Bridge Rd, Launceston TAS 7250, stillwater.net.au
# The Branch Swansea, 7 Maria St, Swansea TAS 7190, thebranchswansea.com.au
# The Old Bank of Geeveston, 13 Church Street, Geeveston TAS 7116, theoldbankofgeeveston.com.au
# The Whaler, Salamanca Pl, Battery Point TAS 7004, thewhaler.com.au
# Urban Greek, 103 Murray St, Hobart TAS 7000, urbangreek.com.au
# WunderBar & Restaurant, 45 Goulburn St, Hobart TAS 7000, www.wunderbar.au

# Disclosure: The writer was a judge for these awards until standing down this year.

Tasmania's charms grabbing global attention

Tasmanian tourism is having a moment in the sun, with increased visitation and global recognition.

Tourism Tasmania's latest Visitor Data Snapshot shows Australia's smallest state welcomed 1.35 million visitors for the year ending June 2025, with those travellers spending more than $3.6 billion during their stay.

This was a 3.5% increase in visitor numbers and a 3.6% growth in spending compared with the year ending June 2024. 

Visitors stayed 12.79 million nights and spent on average $2,671 each, both equal with the previous year.

International visitors spent a record $648.6 million, representing a 23% increase from last year despite a slight reduction in visitor numbers. 

This was above the national spend increase of 18%. The USA and UK led international visitor numbers and spend, surpassing pre-Covid levels.

Interstate visitor numbers, spend and nights were all up on June 2024, with visitors from Victoria, NSW and Queensland leading all three categories.

Tasmania was also recently named the world's second-best island in Condé Nast's 2025 Traveller Readers’ Choice Awards. 

It comes as renowned chef Gordon Ramsay also praised the state's produce in an interview with Condé Nast.

The Readers’ Choice Awards, voted on by over 500,000 global travellers, celebrate the best destinations, hotels, and experiences across the globe.

Tasmania came second in the World's Best Islands - Australasia and South Pacific just behind Bora Bora. 

Saffire Freycinet and Kittawa Lodge on King Island were also named in the World’s Best Resorts for the same region, coming in at fifth and 16th, respectively.

Adding to the recognition, chef Ramsay told Condé Nast he was impressed by the standard of Tasmania's produce during his visit to film the National Geographic TV series Uncharted. 

The praise was part of a video interview where he recounted his favourite food destinations around the world.

Image: Hobart waterfront 

Low-profile Tasmanian winery offers good value

 

Making wines in Tasmania's cool climate is both risky and expensive. 

That's why you'll see cult Tasmanian drops selling for $30-40 a glass in Melbourne and Sydney wine bars, but rarely find a decent bottle of Tasmanian pinot noir or chardonnay for under $30-40 a bottle in your local wine store. 

The simple fact is that Tasmanian wine is a premium product that usually fetches premium prices. 

That's why the name Chartley Estate - owned by Peter and Loraine Kossmann -should be on the radar of wine lovers with ambitious tastes but tight budgets. 

The labels are low key (pretty dull, actually) and the marketing close to non existent, but the Chartley wines from the West Tamar in the north of the state do offer good value for money. 

The secret is healthy high-cropping - for Tasmania - vineyards that are managed personally by Loraine Kossmann. 

Their wholesalers at Red+White/Mezzanine recently sent me their current releases to take a look at the range. 

The best-seller is the delightful 2024 Pinot Gris, but the 2023 Riesling, 2024 Sauvignon Blanc and 2023 Chardonnay are all well-made and immediately enjoyable, as is the savoury 2021 Pinot Noir. Value with a capital V here. 

All the white table wines retail for between $25 and $35.  The brisk savvy B, they stylish chardonnay and the pinot noir were my personal favourites. 

There are also two sparkling wines on offer: the 2021 Lavinia and 2020 Sparkling Rosé, made by Jeremy Dineen that offers appealing strawberry notes. 

The still wines are crafted by consultant winemaker Peter Dredge, one of the Apple Isle's star winemakers, who adds his own sprinkle of stardust.   

 For more details see https://chartleyestatevineyard.com.au/ 

Direct flights to launch between Hobart and Newcastle

Good news for wine lovers from the Hunter Valley wanting to visit Tasmania. And vice versa.

Jetstar today announced the first direct flights from Hobart (above) to Newcastle, with sale fares available from $59 one-way (good luck!). 

The news came as QantasLink relaunched two routes out of Hobart, with flights to Perth restarting last month and flights to Canberra set to take off in late October.

These three routes will boost Qantas Group capacity by more than 76,000 seats a year in and out of the Tasmanian capital, supporting tourism and providing more travel options for residents.

The Hobart to Newcastle route will initially run from December 2, 2025, until April 21, 2026. 

Jetstar's seasonal service will operate three times a week using Airbus A320 aircraft.

To celebrate the new route, Jetstar is offering sale fares from just $59^ one-way. The 24-hour sale will start at 11am AEDT today at jetstar.com.

Jetstar CEO Stephanie Tully said the new route will provide a major tourism boost across Hobart and the Hunter.

“The Qantas Group already carries more tourists into Hobart and Newcastle than any other airline - and arrivals are set to soar yet again."

Tasmanian Minister for Tourism and Hospitality Jane Howlett said the new route is a landmark addition to Tasmania's aviation network.

"The Tasmanian Government is proud to work with Jetstar and Hobart Airport to deliver this new route and unlock opportunities for Tasmanians and visitors alike," she said.

“Tasmania is a world-class destination for Australians wanting to experience unique landscapes and fine food and produce."

New Tolpuddle releases reflect a special site

 

It is now almost 15 years since Shaw+Smith co-owners Martin Shaw and Michael Hill-Smith MW visited Tasmania and purchased a vineyard on a whim. 

The Tolpuddle Vineyard in the Coal River Valley was planted with chardonnay and pinot noir clones best suited to making sparkling wines. 

But Shaw and Hill-Smith had very different plans, Their vision was to create one of the best single vineyard sites in the country, producing world-class table wines. 

After some re-planting, new clones and a decade and a half of work on the vines, Tolpuddle has established a global reputation for excellence. Mission accomplished. 

"There was never any great plan to buy in Tasmania," the duo says. We were simply blown away by some of the wines from this vineyard that we had tasted from barrel, then fell in love with the site when we visited. Both serendipitous and spontaneous.

"We believed, and still do, that it is a special site with potential to produce wines of outstanding personality and quality."  

The 2024 Tolpuddle Chardonnay and 2024 Tolpuddle Pinot Noir were launched this week at the award-winning tasting room surrounded by the vineyard. CD manager Pip Anderson did a great job of overseeing the tasting and lunch.

The wines hit the market this morning and are sure to be in high demand following international wine show successes for the 2023 releases. 

"We think this already one of the great single sites," Shaw told guests who were lucky enough to taste five previous vintages of each variety: 2015, 2016, 2018, 2020 and 2022 - which illustrated just how gracefully both wines age. "A lot has changed over the last 15 years."

The new releases are super impressive - and very food friendly - and you can read full reviews at www.tasmanianwineonline.blogspot.com this weekend.

A Tasmanian adventure for well-heeled guests in a hurry

On Board, the floating member of Luxury Lodges of Australia, has launched a new two-night Tasmanian adventure. 

The Port Davey Highlights expedition gives time-poor travellers rare access to Tasmania’s wild southwest. 

Aboard Odalisque III - purpose-built in Tasmania for wilderness immersion - this condensed three-day journey captures the essence of the region’s silence, waterways and rugged peaks, previously only available on longer voyages.

Departing Hobart via seaplane, guests fly over the jagged Arthur Range and the spire of Federation Peak before touching down beside Odalisque III in Port Davey. 

Over two nights and three days, travellers explore the wilderness; Huon pine-lined rivers, untouched Southern Ocean beaches, and weather-beaten coastlines. 

The mini expedition is guided by On Board’s all-Tasmanian crew, who share decades of knowledge of the southwest’s flora, fauna, geology, and the stewardship of the Needwonnee and Ninene people, the region’s first custodians. 

Guests can tailor their experience - heart-pumping hikes and sea-cave adventures, or the chance to just be still in a World-Heritage wilderness. 

Evenings offer a gentle pace, with Tasmanian wines and whiskies poured in the Wheelhouse Lounge, and freshly sourced Tasmanian fare served around a Huon pine table that was handcrafted upstream on the Huon River in Franklin. 

Guests then retreat to private suites with views of wild rivers and peaks. 

“Port Davey is the kind of place that makes three days feel like weeks,” says Alice van der Woude, On Board’s director of marketing & experience. 

“Whether you’re out exploring or simply pausing to take in the vastness and quiet of the harbour, it’s the sort of place that stays with you long after you’ve gone home.”



For travellers with more time, On Board continues to offer its signature 4- and 6-night Port Davey expeditions. 

The vessel caters for a maximum of 12 guests. 

Fares start from $5,800 per person twin share, all-inclusive and to celebrate the launch of Port Davey Highlights, On Board is offering a $1,000 cabin credit on new bookings made by December 12, 2025, valid for expeditions through May 8, 2027.

For more details see onboardexpeditions.com.au

Multi-million dollar sweet treat for Hobart

Lindt's Home of Chocolate in Zurich, Switzerland, is widely regarded as the world's greatest destination for chocolate lovers and is home to the world's largest chocolate fountain,

Valrhona Cité du Chocolat in Tain-l'Hermitage, France; Cadbury World in Birmingham, UK, and the Museum of Cocoa and Chocolate in Brussels, Belgium, are also much-loved destinations of those with sweet tooths.

Now Hobart, in Tasmania, hopes to challenge those destinations with a $150 million project that aims to transform the Cadbury factory waterfront parklands into a new visitor experience that may open as early as 2027.

Developed by Simon Currant and Associates, the Chocolate Experience at Cadbury promises "a celebration of chocolate on a scale never before seen".

The project will celebrate a century of Cadbury in Tasmania while also showcasing the state’s producers, ingredients, and makers.

“This is a uniquely Tasmanian story that embraces 100 years of Cadbury, provenance, innovation and artisan chocolate production, with the entire State sharing in the benefits,” said developer Simon Currant. who has a lomg and impressive history in the travel industry.

Tasmanian architecture firm Cumulus Studio, together with world-renowned Art Processors - a David Walsh enterprise born from MONA - will shape the creative direction of the project.

“Built on curiosity, invention, and joy, this is an active sensorial experience that brings the wonder of chocolate to life, inspiring discovery and connection through generosity and hands-on fun for all ages,” said Tony Holzner of Art Processors.



The design takes cues from the adjacent Cadbury factory, reimagining its pipes, machines, and conveyor belts.

“The CEC is an architectural embodiment of chocolate itself - rich, layered, and unforgettable," said Peter Walker of Cumulus Studio..

"It is a place where magic is not just seen, but felt, tasted, and experienced in every detail.”

The attraction, which will still need investors, is forecast to welcome 550,000 visitors annually.

The project will be 95% privately funded, with government support (that's Tasmanian taxpayer money).

Toby Smith, President of Mondelēz International in Japan, Australia, and New Zealand, said: “Given the significant community benefits this project delivers, we’re excited to be on-board as the brand partner, helping to create a lasting tourism and economic legacy for the state.”

In partnership with Navigators, operators of the MONA ferries, two new purpose-built ferries will transport more than 80% of visitors from Hobart to a new Claremont terminal in just 30 minutes.

See www.cadburyexperience.com.au

Image: Cumulus Studio and Art Processors

Marking 30 years of Tasmania's globally recognised sparkling wine house

 

It began as a dream for winemaker Ed Carr, but Australia’s most-awarded sparkling wine producer House of Arras is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. 

There can be no doubt that House of Arras has helped establlish Tasmanian sparkling wine as a global presence over the past three decades.

“We are so honoured here at the House of Arras to be celebrating 30 wonderful years of our cherished Tasmanian sparkling wine,” says Carr. 

“Looking back, the story of our Pipers River winery has been remarkable and humbling, to say the least. It means so much to us the recognition and respect both industry and consumers alike have for our wine. We can’t wait to continue producing our Tasmanian sparkling for many years to come.”

While the story of House of Arras began in 1995, Ed Carr’s vision to craft exceptional Australian sparkling wine started in 1988 with a visit to pristine sites in Tasmania.

Carr immediately saw the potential of the island state's cool climate, maritime influence, and ancient soils for producing sparkling wines of elegance and longevity.

“When I first visited Tasmanian in 1988 there was about 46 hectares of land under vine, and now we fast-forward to today, and there’s over 2,000 hectares - it’s just phenomenal,” Carr says.

1998 marked the first edition of the winery’s flagship wine, the E.J. Carr Late Disgorged placed into tirage, to be unveiled a decade later in 2009. The following year in 1999, the first wine from the House of Arras debuted. 

In 2001, Pipers River in Tasmania’s north east established as the home for the House of Arras, where the winery and cellar door are still based. 

Arras, meaning intricate tapestry, sources fruit from seven regions across Tasmania, each selected by Carr for its unique microclimate and location. The regions span northern Tasmania in the Tamar Valley and Pipers River, then further south along the East Coast and Coal River Valley and around Hobart in the Huon Valley, Derwent Valley and Ouse regions. 

Carr works with a combination of House of Arras-owned vineyard sites and local growers, many of whom have been with the winery since 1995. 

Like in Champagne, House of Arras utilises the traditional sparkling varieties of chardonnay, pinot noir, and pinot meunier. 

“The combination of Tasmania’s pristine, cool-climate fruit and the process of extended lees aging produces a sparkling wine with a great balance of elegance and complexity," Carr says.

"Something I have always admired about Tasmanian sparkling wine is its notable longevity and  incredible vibrancy which is a hallmark of the world’s finest cuvées.”

Under Carr’s leadership, the House of Arras has achieved remarkable international acclaim across major shows. 

In 2024, Carr was the first Australian and second non-Champagne recipient of the Sparkling Winemaker of the Year award at The International Wine Challenge (IWC). 

The 30th anniversary celebrations coincided with the release of House of Arras' annual 2025 Vintage Collection including the House of Arras E.J. Carr Late Disgorged Special Edition 2006 (top image).

“House of Arras is a respected sparkling wine brand not only here in Australia but across the world, and we are honoured to be continuing its legacy into its 30th anniversary in 2025,” says brand owner William Dong of DMG Fine Wine.

“Ed Carr’s craftsmanship has set the benchmark for premium sparkling wine in Australia, and we’re proud to be part of that legacy and continue it for the next 30 years and beyond.”

See www.houseofarras.com.au