I recently had the opportunity of visiting the historic town of Oatlands. Located in the “Heartlands” on the Heritage Highway to Launceston, there are a few historic towns worth the visit. Oatlands is a little over an hour from Hobart and one of the most beautiful country towns in Tassie with a high concentration of old sandstone buildings. I personally have wanted to approach the Premier to rename the highway to the “Tassie Whiskey Way” as when you leave Hobart, you have the Lark Distillery in Pontville, then Old Kempton Distillery in Kempton and slightly further afield Callington Mill Distillery in Oatlands.
The Callington Mill Distillery and restaurant are absolutely stunning. The distillery itself is state of the art and something for the eyes to behold. You can see significant investment has gone into not only the new glass facade buildings, but a lot of care has gone into restoring the heritage buildings that surround the distillery, creating a harmonious fusion of past and present.
Spirit of Oatlands (Credit: Adi Munshi)"
We got there around 1.30pm (in time for lunch) and I had informed the Callington Mill Distillery team that I would be coming with my family (who were visiting from India). We were given a very warm welcome and were positively surprised when we were invited into the most stunning “Founders’ Room” for private dining. Bathed in natural light filtering through its glass windows, the room exuded a sense of warmth and intimacy that was truly unforgettable. We started off with a beautiful meal (all food is made for sharing) – the highlight I would say was the “Beetroot Tarte” – one of the most delicious veggie dishes I’ve eaten anywhere. After lunch, we were taken on a very informative guided tour of the distillery. You can even do a self-guided tour or go deeper and blend your own whiskey.
After the tour, we grabbed some bottles of both gin and whiskey for the family to take back to India and walked around all the wonderful buildings in the immediate vicinity. They even have a giant lounge chair outside to laze in and this is perfect after a beautiful meal and beverage (or two). We unfortunately didn’t have time to taken all the lovely boutiques and sandstone buildings around Oatlands on this trip but that is just another excuse to come back on another roadtrip real soon.
All in all, I’d say if you’re a whiskey lover then Tassie is where it’s at and a trip down the newly crowned (by yours truly) Whiskey Highway with a designated driver would be the way to go.
If you're eager to uncover more hidden gems and travel tips for your Tasmanian adventure, don't hesitate to reach out to our team of local Travel Advisors on 03 6238 4222 or via email at bookings@hobarttravelcentre.com.au.
Adi Munshi - Manager
Tasmanian Travel & Information Centre