TARRALEAH
Built to house workers on one of Australia's first hydroelectric schemes, Tarraleah is now a unique wilderness-edge resort.
The highland village’s handbuilt 1930s cottages have been turned into holiday accommodation with 21st-century comforts, while Tarraleah Lodge has been restored to its original Art Deco grandeur, creating a small luxury hotel on the fringe of Tasmania’s wildest edge. There’s clifftop dining at the lodge, or hearty pub meals at the friendly Highlander Arms.
Wallabies tend the local golf course, the surrounding lakes are filled with wily brown trout, and it’s hard not to fall in love with Tarraleah’s mop-haired Highland cattle.
The town’s history is ever-present, with striking views dominated by the massive steel water pipes that feed the hydroelectric scheme – the reason Tarraleah was created in the first place.
Highland cow
Tourism Tasmania & Scott Sporleder, Matador
Highlander Arms - Tarraleah Estate
Natalie Mendham
Penstocks feeding the Tarraleah Power Station
Stu Gibson
Where
Tarraleah is a 1hr 45min drive (128km) north-west of Hobart, and a 2hr 15min drive (165km) south-west of Launceston.
Insider tips
- Head to the Tarraleah Power Station Lookout for the best views of the hydro works.
- Take an hour-long return walk to Tarraleah Falls, a single-drop waterfall 40m high.
