Spring is here in Tasmania and you can see native flowers like wattles blooming everywhere. I figured it was the perfect time to take my partner and dog Charlie on a break from the hustle and bustle of city life and enjoy the pristine coastline in the North West of the state.
We have it pretty good in Hobart, but when you get to the coast on the Northwest, you feel like you’re breathing in the freshest and cleanest air, drinking pure Tassie rain water, and tasting the best quality local produce. The wonderful produce is the result of having the rich red and black color soil – great for not only agricultural crops but also ornamentals like flowering plants like tulips.
Table Cape Tulip Farm (Credit: Annie Jiang)
Typically, the tulip flowering season runs from March to May as can be observed in Northern hemisphere in Holland (famous for tulips). However, down here in Tassie, the Roberts Thompson family (natives of Wynyard) began to plant native Dutch tulips on their own farm in 1984 and we now have a Southern hemisphere tulip flower season which goes from July to November each year. However, they’re at the best in and around October.
We have (and dare I say it) the most beautiful tulip farm located at Table Cape on the Northwest coast of Tasmania. Table Cape (about 180 metres in elevation) was once the crater of an active volcano, and the fertile volcanic soil is what lends to the fantastic local produce.
We arrived at Table Cape Tulip Farm at about 3pm to some lovely sunshine. Whilst I knew Charlie was very excited when we got there I could see him quite controlled and he was very well behaved. It was probably the first time he smelled the fragrance of so many flowers. It felt like he sniffed every tulip carefully, and we even managed to capture the moment.
Table Cape Tulip Farm (Credit: Annie Jiang)
You can enter the tulip fields after paying a small fee at the main building. You can also buy tulip bulbs until the harvest in November. At present, there are more than 4 million tulips across 10 different colors in bloom on the farm. Every year they plant tulips in April, and the flowers bloom gradually from July till the end of September. From afar the field looks like a rainbow!
There’s also some stunning beaches nearby like Boat Harbour and Sisters Beach if you want to just sit in the sun and look out to the Bass Strait. If you’re looking for more tips for visiting the Northwest, come down to the travel centre and speak with our team of Travel Advisors who can help personalize an itinerary for you.
Annie Jiang - Travel Advisor
Tasmanian Travel & Information Centre