Activities - Olive's Cottage

Olive's Cottage - Activities

Home    Overview    Location    Facilities    Views    Contact Us    Rates    Activities    Guest Book One Day to Two Weeks
Your itinerary might limit your stay to just one or two days, but you could easily spend one or two weeks at Olive's Cottage. Use it as a base to enjoy the Launceston and Tamar region; do longer day trips in daylight saving time to the east coast, to the north west coast, to the mountains or even to Hobart; or just relax at Windermere. Some web links are given below which may prove useful for planning your stay.

The Cottage and Windermere
The cottage is an ideal place to relax and unwind. Read a book or plan a menu (the cottage has an extensive library of cookbooks). After a day's outing, return to Olive's to enjoy those local products you have just picked up and to try those bottles of wine you had to buy. Sit on the deck, sip a Tassie sparkling, try some Tassie cheese, be mesmerised by the views and the procession of riverbirds. Take a 30 minute walk around to the historic, beautifully sited, "Normanesque" St Mathias Church, or do a three-hour loop of the local roads and past the cherry and nashi orchards.

Launceston
The City of Launceston is possibly the best preserved provincial town in Australia, with a breathtaking array of gorgeously preserved and maintained buildings. The pride and care behind them is to be marvelled at. You could wander the streets for hours, witnessing an awe-inspiring display of stone and art-deco banks, shops and public buildings, brick terraces with wonderful iron lace, verandas and balconies, and beautifully painted weatherboard homes. Launceston has other unexpected attractions as well. The Cataract Gorge, the Inveresk Museum and the Seaport complex, are all "must see" examples of the best Australia has to offer. Launceston is a great place to shop, and it has some of the nation's best restaurants. The Australian School of Fine Furniture is world renowned: no tours are scheduled, but a call might enable you to see the building and furniture. However, tours are scheduled for Boags Brewery.

Tamar Valley
The Tamar Valley, snaking north of Launceston to Bass Strait, is extraordinarily scenic and fertile, with some of the country's most beautifully sited vineyards, tasting rooms and restaurants. It is a substantial waterway, in parts wider than Sydney Harbour, and somewhat longer. The Wine Route extends from the West Tamar out to Pipers Brook and Lilydale, into the magnificent foothills of Mt Arthur. There are beautiful beaches on the Bass Strait coast, and wonderful bushwalks in nearby parks and reserves. The whole Tamar region is accessible within 15 to 40 minutes drive from Windermere.

Historic Towns
Just 30 to 40 minutes away, to the south and west of Launceston, are historic towns such as Evandale, Longford, Westbury and Deloraine, surrounded by lush farming land. As well, there are the historic homesteads of Entally, Clarendon and Woolmers. And cheesemakers and raspberry farms.

Bushwalks
There are numerous bushwalks in the region, from one to two hours long, to whole day walks. These include the Cataract Gorge in Launceston itself; Notley Gorge and Narawntapu (Asbestos Ranges) on the western side of the Tamar; Hollybank Forest, Lilydale Falls and Mount Arthur on the eastern side; and Mount Barrow, Ben Nevis and Ben Lomond east/south-east of Launceston.

Day Trips
Adventurous day trips are possible from Windermere.
- North west coast to Burnie, and possibly Stanley
- Sheffield, and possibly Cradle Mountain
- Mole Creek caves, Liffey Falls and Central Lakes
- Mt William National Park and Bay of Fires
- St Helens via Scottsdale
- Bicheno and Freycinet via St Marys
- Hobart via the Midlands Highway

Web links:
Launceston:
    Launceston information and attractions
    Discover Launceston
    Launceston Museum
    Aquarius Roman Baths
    Cataract Gorge
Tamar:
    Touring the Tamar - Map, Attractions
    Tamar Cruises
    Tiger Wilderness Tours and Walks
    Shuttlefish Ferry and Cruises
    Seahorse World, Beauty Point
    Seal and Sea Adventure Tours
    Lavender Farm
    Windermere Church
Food and Wine:
    Tamanian Wine Route
    Tasmanian Wineries
    Tiger Wilderness Wine Tours
    Valleybrook Wine Tours
    Tony Walker: Food and Wine Guide
    eLaunceston Guide
    House of Anvers Chocolate
    Boags Brewery
    Christmas Hills Raspberry Farm
    Ashgrove Farm Cheese
Tasmania and General:
    Discover Tasmania: Tourism Tasmania
    National Trust of Australia (Tasmania)
    Tasmania: Third highest score in 115 destinations worldwide