Shuck off
with Hugh Whitehouse

For Hugh Whitehouse, the only way to tackle winter in Tasmania is to mussel his way through it with hearty seafood.

The former executive chef at famed luxury hotel Saffire Freycinet now cultivates his passion for ocean-to-dish produce at Freycinet Marine Farm in Coles Bay and Fishers of Freycinet at Devil’s Corner Cellar Door. Find these culinary havens on the sunny east coast near Freycinet National Park: a pristine playground of pink-granite mountains, hemmed by turquoise bays and white sands.

“I think it’s really quite rare as a chef that you actually also have a farm that sits with your business,” Whitehouse says of Freycinet Marine Farm, “so the idea of getting fresh oysters and mussels daily from these pristine waters is pretty special.”

Mighty mussels

An Off Season offer for the seafood lovers, come and warm up this May–August when Freycinet Marine Farm serves up its hearty winter seafood: filled with fresh local fish, scallops and Freycinet Marine Farm’s own steamy Tasmanian blue mussels plucked fresh from the sea. Polish it all off with a paired Freycinet Vineyard riesling.

“I thought it was a fitting dish for the winter season to sit in the winter sun or beside our fire,” Whitehouse explains.

You’re sensing all those beautiful aromas coming out of the dish.

The carbon-neutral mussels are farmed onsite at Freycinet Marine Farm in Great Oyster Bay, their discarded shells layering the ground in the restaurant’s outdoor dining area, crunching and clattering underfoot.  

The cooler months mark the best time to visit Tasmania for plump scallops, crayfish, oysters and mussels. As Whitehouse explains, “they love the cold water”. Good thing, then, that Tasmania is particularly crisp in winter, with water temperatures diving down to 12–14°C – lovely conditions for a cold plunge.  

Eat up the east

Being based in chilled-out coastal paradise Coles Bay places Whitehouse within easy access of the east coast’s best Tasmania winter road trip experiences.

You might find him camping somewhere picturesque, cooking over a fire and warming up with a whisky from Waubs Harbour Distillery in Bicheno, or strolling along seemingly endless (and in winter, virtually empty) stretches of sand. Whitehouse recommends Waubs Beach, Denison Beach or the “unique and raw” Friendly Beaches.

And he can’t go past the region's finest drops, especially the spice and citrus of a Freycinet Vineyard chardonnay.

“Tassie produces some of the great wines not just in Australia, but I’d say the world,” Whitehouse says.

Discover delectable Off Season offers on the east coast, such as Waubs Harbour Distillery’s whisky by the waves, pairing single-malt spirits with a local tasting plate on the windswept water’s edge.

If you’re travelling further afield, Whitehouse recommends a trip to the state’s north for a Fork it Farm long table feast celebrating all things pork.

Savour a seasonal stay

You don’t have to leave the comfort of your east-coast accommodation to experience foodie indulgence this Off Season.

Twamley Farm’s rustic bliss heats up in winter with a hot tub under the stars and a picnic of pinot noir, pheasant terrine, hot chocolate, toasted marshmallows and pumpkin soup over the firepit. 

Discover a winter awakening of ice and fire at Japanese-inspired Sabi Stays: tap into wild wellness with an icy plunge on a private forest deck before heating up in the onsen. If that doesn’t warm you up, add on a sake tasting flight. For a calmer stay at this Binalong Bay retreat, embrace the Off Season forest bathing offer, soothing your senses with guided meditation in the east coast wilderness.  

More hot-and-cold opportunities await when you visit Still at Freycinet in Coles Bay, a Nordic-style sauna retreat. During your winter stay, receive cabernet sauvignon from the Bend Vineyard, a Bicheno Berries and Blooms mulled wine kit and some yummy chocolate. Or flock to the Keep – an extravagant escape with epic 360-degree views of north-east Tasmania – for an Off Season welcome platter with local wine and supplied items for your indulgent winter breakfast and dinner. And there are plenty more luxurious stays to choose from.

And across the island, Tasmania has winter food experiences galore to explore.

Mussel out the cold

Whatever you choose to do this Off Season, embrace the unpredictability. For Whitehouse, nothing beats winter’s bluebird days and star-speckled nights, but he’s also no stranger to woolly weather. So how exactly did this former Sydneysider become a winter person?

“First thing: toughen up. It’s not as cold as everybody thinks it is,” he says with a giggle.

Wintertime here, it’s about putting on your beanies and your scarves and your big jackets and getting out there.

Whitehouse recommends taking your time, and thoughtfully disposing of rubbish to help preserve the pristine environment.

“Embrace the slowness of Tasmania,” he says. “Enjoy the people that you're going to meet and talk to them, because they've always got a great story to tell.”

If all else fails to warm you up, there’s always seafood chowder.

Coastal FAQs

What are the best Tasmanian seafood experiences?

A remote island bordered by crisp seas; Tasmanian seafood takes the cake. For the best seafood in Tasmania, taste oysters, abalone, scallops and crayfish fresh from the source, or head to one of Tasmania’s fine seafood restaurants for an experimental feed (urchin pasta, anyone?). Hit up a seafood market in Tasmania or a festival dedicated to the humble scallop, an abalone-drying facility or live it up on a seafood cruise while a diver gathers and barbecues the fresh catch before your eyes. Here are the top seafood experiences in Tasmania.

What is the top Coles Bay accommodation?

If you’re venturing to Coles Bay near Freycinet, you’ll find no shortage of dreamy quarters to relax in. Accommodation in Coles Bay includes camping with killer views of the Hazards mountain range, idyllic caravan parks, lavish resorts, quaint coastal cottages and sauna escapes. From eco-retreats with vast water views to glamping amongst the wildlife; humble bushland escapes to a luxurious stingray-shaped sanctuary; pick your stay, then discover what to do in Freycinet.

What is the water temperature in Tasmania?

Swimming comes with added invigoration down here: just remember to breathe. In February, average water temperatures of about 17°C provide welcome relief from the heat. In August, the sea drops to around 12°C (pro tip: don’t stay wet for too long). No matter how low the temps go, you’ll likely see plucky locals plonking themselves into rivers and bays. Here’s how to go out of your comfort zone, be it in Tasmania's icy winter water or elsewhere. Or if you prefer to admire the aquatic realm without the arctic jolt, try sailing and cruising in Tasmania.