The West Coast of Tasmania has always held a special place in Andrews heart, and I too fell immediately in love with it on my very first trip to Tasmania in the Ive now visited the region quite a few times, and I should be able to say I know it reasonably well; but it has a certain mysterious quality that makes me think it would take a lot more than a few trips to get under the tough skin of the West Coast.
Andrews family lived on the West Coast for a few years when he was a little kid, so his understanding and appreciation of from within. When you live somewhere as a child, theres an honest and candid acceptance of a place for exactly what it is; which sadly can rarely be replicated as an adult, because of the filters and biases we subconsciously bring to every situation.
The West Coast epitomises the word ‘rugged. The natural landscape is solid and severe. The weather is treacherous and wildly unpredictable (it rains in excess of 300 days of the year). Given these natural conditions, its not surprising that the people who choose
The West Coast has definitely been ‘shaped by mining over the centuries. All the towns that dot the region show their old mining history very clearly its seen in the tiny mining cottages, the grand mansions, the abandoned remnants of mining and transport infrastructure, and the museums dedicated to mining and minerology. But its also very obviously seen in the scarred and mutilated landscapes that surround the mining towns. Thankfully the natural environment is slowly regenerating, but its clearly been a very long process.
Although there are still a handful of mines operating in the area, they are pretty low key (from a visitors point of view at least), and I think it would be fair to say the biggest draws to the area are now the tourism and hospitality industries.
For Christmas last year we decided to do a road trip to the West Coast with Aileen (Andrews Mum). We based ourselves in Strahan, staying in a gorgeous old manor thats been converted into a bed and breakfast. Ormiston House is an old Federation / Victorian style house that sits right
on the shores of beautiful Macquarie Harbour. The original owner was one of the wealthiest men in Tasmania at the time, making his money from a pioneering trading business (that also founded Strahan), as well as having shares in the nearby Mt Lyell mine. The house had many beautiful features like lovely doors and gorgeous fireplaces, and was very charmingly furnished with antiques. And even though it seemed a tad sprawling, it had a lovely feel to it. Our suite was and we loved our time there.
For me, one of the best things about Ormiston House was the amazing breakfast we were served. They previously offered a buffet style breakfast; but Covid had necessitated an a la carte set up. Not knowing the very generous serving sizes, we said ‘yes to everything on our first morning; but we learnt quickly and didnt repeat that mistake again. Starting with a selection of juices and pots of tea (with our individual milk selections), we had waves of food brought to us: fresh fruit salad, absolutely delicious fresh yoghurt, pastries, toast of our choice, a selection of jams, and a Scandinavian inspired breakfast plate of
After a long day of driving on our first day, we arrived in Strahan just in time for our dinner reservation at Risby Cove Waterfront Restaurant. It was on the other side of the harbour to Ormiston House, but only took us a few minutes to get there. The meal at Risby Cove was brilliant; and probably the best meal of the trip. Given our environs Aileen and I ordered fish dishes, but Andrew couldnt resist the slow cooked Clover Hill lamb shoulder which was seriously delicious. Fresh food, a lovely atmosphere and a great setting literally on the water made it a memorable meal. It also helped that it was a evening with a golden setting sun sending shimmering sparkles off the water.
