So you really want to get away from it all in Tasmania, but still be within 45 minutes of Hobart and its myriad attractions?
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Head for the Huon Valley, Gourmet Farmer territory, and two newly opened luxury cottages at Frenchman's River, a 90-hectare cattle farm owned by McLeod's Daughters and Hi-5 creator Posie Graeme-Evans and her designer partner Andrew Blaxland.
The couple moved to Tasmania almost a decade ago as Posie's second career as a novelist took off and they have now opened the Writer's House and the Helmsman's House to share their little slice of paradise with visitors.
Think beautifully decorated and appointed cottages, private, both with sweeping views of the Huon River below, delightful garden decks, birds of prey overhead and a resident platypus in the dam. The southernmost region of Australia is both wild and beautiful.
If the setting is rural then the cottages are all country style, with roaring wood fires and every little luxury from Netflix movies on tap on the Apple TV to Bose sound system, luxurious baths and cupboards and fridges full of local gourmet treats (including a complimentary bottle of local wine, some local Pagan ciders and a beer or two).
The Huon is home to some of Australia's best produce; cheeses and other dairy products, fruits, vegetables and mushrooms, and the village of Cygnet is a mini gourmet central with two butcher's shops (the local free-range beef and pork are outstanding) and several restaurants/cafes (two of which made the Financial Review Top 500 List – not bad for a hamlet of around 1000 people).
Cygnet is surrounded by vineyards, orchards and berry farms and visitors can choose whether to eat at the Red Velvet Lounge, Lotus Eaters Cafe, Port Cygnet Diner or the Schoolhouse Coffee Shop, or one of the two pubs, a pizza outlet and a traditional takeaway.
Gourmet Farmer Matthew Evans recently launched his cooking school and eatery just down the road at Glaziers Bay. The Friday Feasts here are approaching legendary status after just a few weeks.
This being the country, however, cafe opening hours can change on a whim and dinner can be hard to find early in the week, so Frenchman's River is beautifully set up for self-catering with a massive pantry that includes rice, pasta, condiments, cheeses, biscuits and other gourmet essentials.
Your hosts will also throw in a gourmet dinner for free on your first night, delivering to your cottage a feast that for our stay featured a tasty pork ragu, creamed potatoes and fresh beans, followed by a home-made warm fruit crumble.
The fridge is packed with smoked salmon, free-range eggs, local bacon, local cheeses and all the fixings for a hearty country breakfast, which can be enjoyed on the deck of either cottage – quite remarkable given the opening price for the cottages is $355 a night per couple; ridiculously cheap for the standard of accommodation.
Well-organised guests will time their visit to coincide with one of Cygnet's local festivals (a folk festival each January, the Le Weekend festival celebrating the port's links with France in April, or the midwinter lantern parade), or, perhaps, with the lively Cygnet Market (held on the first and third Sundays of the month); a hive of activity with local foodstuffs, arts and crafts.
The name Frenchman's River celebrates the little-known French history of the Huon region when, more than 200 years ago, French explorers sailed into Cygnet Bay and would have claimed Tasmania for France had they not been under the misapprehension that it was part of the mainland. Names like Bruny Island, Freycinet and the d'Entrecasteaux Channel keep alive the memories of adventurers Huon de Kermadec and Bruni d'Entrecasteaux.
It was d'Entrecasteaux who named the bay "Porte des Cygnes Noire" in 1792, which later became abbreviated to Cygnet. The seaman had never seen black swans before – but they continue to live in the bay to this day.
The biggest dilemma for most visitors will be to decide which of the two cottages to choose.
The Writer's House is a brilliantly reimagined apple pickers hut in which Posie wrote two of her bestselling novels: The Dressmaker and The Island House – perhaps offering inspiration – and is ideal for couples seeking a romantic getaway. It has one bedroom and one bathroom plus a spacious living area, deck and pretty gardens; and a library of cookbooks and thrillers.
The Helmsman's House, a completely refurbed Federation Cottage, has two bedrooms, two bathrooms (one en suite), its own limestone terrace with jaw-dropping views – great books, and little extras like a Nespresso machine and tea library.
Both cottages feature high-quality linens, original Tasmanian artworks, informative house books and comfortable furnishings.
Visitors can expect to see eagles, hawks, wrens, parrots, robins and marsupials (including, at night, Tassie devils, spotted quolls and wallabies), as well as the farm's Angus cattle herd.
TRIP NOTES
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All major domestic airlines fly from Sydney and Melbourne to Hobart and hire cars are available at Hobart Airport. Cygnet is around a 60-minute drive from the airport and 45 minutes from Hobart city.
STAY
Frenchman's River is at 130 Winns Road, Cygnet. Rates vary according to the season but start at $355 a night per house; see frenchmansriver.com.au
Winsor Dobbin was a guest of Frenchman's River.
