Natural State News

The MONA Pavilions
From November 1, 2009, visitors to Moorilla vineyard on the banks of the Derwent River just 15 minutes’ drive north of Hobart can stay in the new MONA pavilions created by one of Australia’s most innovative architects Fender Katsalidis.

The pavilions share a name with the $150 million MONA museum which will open on the Moorilla Estate in 2010.

The four new pavilions have been added to the current Moorilla accommodation offering in anticipation of the opening, in late 2010, of the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA), Australia’s largest private museum.

The new pavilions sit on the northern tip of the peninsula: three are translucent glass and steel cubes that appear suspended on their apex; the fourth is a diamond-shaped three-storey building enclosed in silver metallic finish.

Guests can choose from one-or-two bedrooms configurations and each self-contained pavilion is completely private. All have access to an enclosed, heated lap-pool, sauna and gymnasium.

Owner, David Walsh, has chosen works from his private collection for each pavilion. Guests will also have access to their choice of online imagery streamed from the MONA collection once the Museum opens.

The contemporary design features include Arflex Marenco sofas, Fatboy bean bags, B&B Italia UP1 'doughnut’ chairs, Zanotta wire coffee tables and bespoke furniture by some of Tasmania’s top furniture designers.

State of the art bathroom fittings include Kaldewei spa baths. Guests will find their in-room Moorilla wine collection stored in under-bench, two-temperature zone wine cellars.

Not surprising given this level of luxury, guests will have 24 hour attention including personal butler services and limousine pick and drop-off.

Rates range from $AUD450 to $AUD1,000 per night.

www.moorilla.com.au

Truffle Season Begins
The new Tasmanian Truffles season has begun. Tim Terry from Tasmanian Truffle Enterprises harvested his first truffles of the season the week of 15 June. He’s not sure what awaits him under the ground but "they’re certainly smelling quite nice” says Mr Terry who is hoping to harvest some 100kg of truffles this year.

Most of Mr Terry’s truffles will be exported to international markets but those keen to get the hands on some can get them at gourmet delicatessen Wursthaus in Hobart and Launceston. They are also available from the Truffle Enterprises farm gate. Though you’ll need to make an appointment before you visit.

The best place for a serving of truffle might be in a restaurant. French couple Remi and Ginette Bancal will show off these at Glencoe Rural Retreat at Barrington near Sheffield. Remi will be cooking traditional French country dishes on Friday and Saturday nights and will serve them up in Glencoe’s intimate dining room. The cost of a three courses dinner is $90 per person (excludes wine).

Ginette and Remi can also organise a truffles package where Glencoe guests can participate in the harvesting of the truffles which includes watching the dogs sniff out the truffles. The truffle escape costs $840 per couple. It includes two nights at Glencoe, breakfasts, truffle dinners and a guided tour of a Tasmanian Trufflerie.

The dining room holds 12 people and there are just four Provence inspired suites at Glencoe. It wouldn’t take much effort for a few friends to book the place out.

www.glencoeruralretreat.com.au
www.trufflesaustralis.com.au

Tasmania Unbottled
Tasmania Unbottled will be the largest ever showcase of Tasmanian wines held on mainland Australia.

Visitors at events in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane will be able to taste world-class wines, sample some of Tasmania’s finest seasonal produce and meet some of the island’s winemakers.

At Tasmania Unbottled there will be over 130 award-winning releases from some 30 of the island’s top vineyards. Sparkling wines from producers including Bay of Fires, Clover Hill, Freycinet, Jansz and Stefano Lubiana will feature along with sassy sauvignon blancs and vibrant rieslings. Velvety pinot noirs, cabernets and some remarkable late harvest stickies – the 2006 Tamar Ridge Kayena Vineyard Botrytis Riesling was awarded the trophy for the Best Australian Sweet Wine over £10 at London’s Decanter International Wine Competition in May – will also make the leap across Bass Strait.

Tasmania Unbottled will be held in Melbourne on Tuesday 4 August at Intercontinental’s Melbourne The Rialto; in Sydney on Tuesday 11 August at the Museum of Contemporary Art and in Brisbane on Thursday 13 August at The City Hall.

Pre-registration for all three shows is essential. Tickets from $40. Registration comes with a chance to win an exclusive Tasmanian holiday.

www.winetasmania.com.au

Environmental Excellence
Driftwood Strahan Villas, owned by Dennis and Helen White were winners of the Small Business Sustainability award at the Tasmanian Environment Awards on 5 June. The awards were open to all businesses not just tourism ventures.

Driftwood Strahan Villas is the first accommodation business in Strahan to obtain AAA Tourism green stars. Manager Tish Thompson has implemented many of the environmental practices. The villas have insulation under floors, in walls and in the roof to control heating losses. Toiletries come not in individually wrapped sachets but manual dispensing devices. The same principle is used for all cleaning and laundry products. There are energy efficient light globes, cold water is used for washing and a complete recycling system includes sending all the food scraps to the on-site worm farm. The Driftwood management is involved in Strahan’s sustainability group.

Driftwood Strahan Villas has eight self contained 3½-star villas. Rooms from $85-$150 per night.

www.driftwoodstrahanvillas.com.au

Whisky Awards
At the 2009 World Whisky Awards held in London in May, Lark won the Best Other Single Malt Whisky award. The Judging panel included Whisky Magazine’s independent editorial panel drawn from the best journalists and retailers across the world. “This is now the third year in a row we have taken out a major international competition award for our whisky”, said Lark’s head distiller and general manager Kristy Lark. "We couldn’t be happier.”

www.larkdistillery.com.au

New on Flinders Island
There are two new accommodation options on Flinders Island. Both are at West End Beach, about a 30-minute drive from Whitemark, the island’s administrative centre.

West End Beach House is part of a 50-acre property that has beach frontage. The light-filled open-plan house has two bedrooms (the main has a king-size bed and ensuite) and there is a fold out daybed in the living room. Bi-fold doors open the house up to the decks, the sun, panoramic views, summer breezes and perhaps dolphins, whales and seals cruising the bay. There is wireless satellite broadband, TV, DVD/CD player and phone. There is a barbecue and wood-fired oven.

There is private access to the wholly unruffled West End Beach and the sunsets over Bass Strait. The house costs from $200 per night and has a minimum two night stay.

The two-storey Island Views Beach House is part of a 100-acre property. It is wind/solar powered but just as in suburbia the TV, stereo, and DVD run on 240 volts. There is a fully equipped kitchen and laundry though you might be more interested in the views of Roydon Island. The house comes with some fishing equipment which is quite a bonus considering nearby North East River is a great place for catching salmon and large flathead. Cook them up on the glass fronted wood stove and oven which also gifts the house heating and hot water (there is also a gas stove and refrigerator/freezer). The house comfortably sleeps five people and normally costs from $165 per couple per night (add $30 per night for extra persons) but there is a 10 per cent discount until 31 October.

www.visitflindersisland.com.au

Pure Tasmania Wildside MTB 2010
Entries opened for Pure Tasmania Wildside MTB 2010 on 1 June.

Australia’s premier mountain bike stage event will start at Cradle Mountain Chateau on 30 January 2010.

The four-day event attracts the very best riders from around Australia and an increasing number from overseas but the core of the participation is the adventure sport rider – those who experience the event as a personal journey and challenge.

"Pure Tasmania Wildside MTB was the first multi-day stage event in Australia,” said Race Director Nic Deka. “It has established a boutique reputation that other events will always struggle to match. One of the great things about our event is that ordinary riders, who might just get out a couple of times a week for fun and exercise, get to shape up against Australia’s best.”

www.wildsidemtb.com

New Guided Walks Association
Tasmania’s six leading overnight guided walks operators – Cradle Mountain Huts and Bay of Fires Walk; Freycinet Experience; Tasmanian Expeditions; Tarkine Trails; Tasmanian Wilderness Expeditions and The Maria Island Walk – have joined together to promote Tasmania as a world leading destination for quality guided walk experiences. Ian Johnson from Maria Island Walk is president of the group which has been named The Great Walks Of Tasmania. “It is an exciting new opportunity where operators can work collaboratively to raise awareness on the mainland and overseas of the wonderful guided walk experiences Tasmania has to offer,” said Ian.

"Our wilderness, our wildlife and heritage and are all special points of difference for Tasmania and combining this with friendly and passionate guides, we offer experiences as special as any in the tourism world”

"Clearly the quality products are here and the challenge for us is how to get the message across to our target audience who mostly live many thousands of kilometres away from Tasmania”

"By working to together, sharing resources and knowledge and working closely with Tourism Tasmania we believe that we can now talk with one much stronger voice. We feel like we are entering an exciting new era of opportunity”

Email: ian@mariaislandwalk.com.au

Events
Festival of Voices just one month away
More than 1000 singers from around the country will converge on Hobart from 9-12 July for Australia’s biggest and only national celebration of choral singing.

Other upcoming events in Tasmania include: Tastings at the Top at Cradle Mountain Lodge, and Chocolate Winterfest. More information

Media Contact:
Sonia Rendigs at Media Moguls: (03) 9836 2167
sonia@mediamoguls.com.au

Download: High-resolution images from Tourism Tasmania's Visual Library.

Check the Events Tasmania website for upcoming events:
www.eventstasmania.com

For further information:
travelmedia.tourismtasmania.com.au
www.discovertasmania.com