28 gates Luxury Farmstay and Fishery

Indulge in your yearning to connect with nature and the cosmos and understand the benefits of a Tasmanian Dark Sky Sanctuary over a fire feast lunch at heritage listed Rathmore Wool Shed. President of Dark Sky Tasmania Lachlan Bannister will speak on the psychology of candlelight and the goal of preserving and protecting Tasmania’s wondrous night sky. The humble candle, once an important provider of illumination to our evenings, has today become a symbol for romance and, at times, a reminder of our heavy reliance on electricity. However, the history of the candle holds some key learnings about our relationship to light as humans. It can also teach us a lot about our relationship to our nocturnal environment. This talk is designed to get you thinking about your relationship to light, the impacts this can have on the environment and our health, and how the power of a candle might help us achieve a brighter future.

BEST INDEPENDENTLY RATED TASMANIAN TOUR 2018, 2020, 2022 "This experience goes down as one of the best experiences of my life." - Rosie Rees - Australian Entrepreneur Why not swap the steering wheel for a paddle for a few hours and jump on board Tassie Bound’s multi-award-winning kayak adventure? Explore a little deeper below the surface of the Derwent Valley’s idyllic countryside and you might find yourself catching a glimpse of our not-so-shy but still very wild local resident; the platypus. With “the bill of a duck, the body of an otter, and the tail of a beaver”, this evolutionary relic has a long history of confounding humans and puzzling scientists. Unlike other iconic Tasmanian species like the pesky possum or the ever-present wallaby, platypuses are becoming increasingly difficult to spot. Active at sunset and living much of their lives underwater or within the comfort of their hidden riverside burrows, their habits are the opposite of their human observers. Here on the edge of Tasmania’s Western Wilds is a stretch of protected river environment where; if we travel quietly and respectfully, we have an exceptionally good chance of spotting platypus.

Lake Meadowbank is between Hamilton and Ouse on the Lyell Highway, a one-hour drive north-west of Hobart. This is the most downstream lake in the Derwent River hydro-scheme. Like all Hydro Tasmania lakes, Lake Meadowbank is stocked with trout. Try your luck fly fishing, spinning or trolling for brown trout - the lake’s most abundant fish - or perhaps a big rainbow trout. Water-skiing, canoeing and swimming are popular here and you can pitch your tent by the shore for a few days and truly get away from it all. Boat launching facilities, toilets, picnic and barbecue areas are available on the lake’s eastern banks and there's easy access from most shores. You need a licence to fish for trout in Tasmania’s lakes. A free brochure - Fishing Code for Anglers - is available from licence-selling agents and the Inland Fisheries Service.