#prestigetravel | JULY 2019 PRESTIGE 187
Left: A winding
boardwalk climbing
and descending over
coastal heathland
Below: Cape Pillar LodgeTAYLOR & SMITH GIN
Housed in a cool royal blue bottle
and produced by an independent
distillery, this brainchild of a writer
and an artist can be found at Hobart’s
weekly Farm Gate Market, where one
of the owners usually mans a stall.CAPE GRIM 666 VODKA
This award-winning small-batch
vodka is produced with rainwater
from the cleanest air in the
world (according to the 2018
Environmental Performance Index),
and exudes bold aromas of malted
grain and notes of sweet barley,
marzipan and cookie dough.NATURE
amplified by a three-course dinner taken on a huge wooden table that
includes lamb stew and panna cotta with mixed berry coulis (the
ingredients and drinks served are almost exclusively from Tasmania).
After the meal comes a rundown of what to expect the following day,
followed by more wine in front of a fire and some old-fashioned,
digital-free conversation. I notice a possum outside sniffing at the lodge
windows, eager to get inside to sample the amiable ambience.
The dark ash-coloured timber lodge took a year to build and is sealed
with a fire retardant coating. Huge plate glass windows wrap around its
main lounge, while terraced rooms and a separate Relaxation Pavilion
are set among the trees. The endeavour was consciously planned with
the environment in mind: The showers use ultra-low-flow recycling
systems so that water isn’t wasted, solar panels and wind turbines help to
generate energy, and the buildings are on stilts to reduce the footprint.
Comfortable rooms feature large windows that can be opened to cool
and ventilate the space, and the firm bed with soft sheets deserve a
special mention as I lapse into a deep slumber, serenaded by the haunting
sound of the wind whipping through trees.
LARK SINGLE CASK WHISKY
This is the flagship product of Lark
Distillery, whose establishment in
1992 was inspired by the island’s
pure barley, water and peat bogs.
The cellar door is on Hobart’s
lively waterfront.DROPS
HEIGHTEN YOUR WILDERNESS
REVELRY WITH THESE LOCAL
TIPPLES