Launceston and Woolmers Estate

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We got stuck into the washing today at the Big4 Caravan Park, chatting to the other campers there and getting ourselves better organised.

The Launceston Big 4 is huge although this time of year fairly empty. Like all the other van parks we've stayed at, it's pretty clean as well.

I read about a Farmers Markets in the city centre and thought it would be a good idea for breakfast. We of course tried some cider. And why wouldn't you. We liked the Champagne cider from Bradys Outlook, a new entrant to the ever increasing number of cider makers in Tasmania. Bought a tallie for later.

One of the things I had planned was a walking foodie tour of Launceston. I phoned to reconfirm and was told it had been cancelled as they wanted to get away for a few days themselves, but the owner recommended the festival being held in the park later that day. He said it was basically all the places he would have taken us anyway.

I'm not sure of the festivals name but as you can see by the photos a big theme was all about recycling everyday throw a way items and refashioning them into clothes. Remarkable stuff. And the food and more ciders were brilliant. We stayed much longer than we had planned to, just chatting and enjoying the whole thing. But time was getting away.

We had planned to do a do it yourself cider tour. Didn't quite go to plan as alot of the newer cider makers aren't really up to that stage yet, or are just tacked onto a winery. So we combined the 2 together and enjoyed some very nice wines from Holm Oak, Goaty Hill etc.

As we were late getting away, it made it very late and after dark when we got to Woolmers Estate. Luckily for us, one of the staff saw us driving blindly around the property in the pitch black and rescued us! We'd never have found our accommodation otherwise. Woolmers is an original property from the convict days. They have done up some of the old buildings as a rooms. Fantastic place and a much needed change from sleeping in the van.

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