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10 Things to Do Along Tasmania’s Heritage Highway

  • Old Kempton Distillery 📷 Darren Wright

Stretching from Hobart to Launceston, Tasmania’s Heritage Highway winds through charming towns, stunning landscapes, and past iconic landmarks.

Whether you’re a history buff, a nature enthusiast, or simply seeking a peaceful retreat, the Tasmanian Heritage Highway promises an unforgettable adventure.

Join us as we uncover ten captivating experiences along this iconic Tasmanian route, starting in the north and heading south. 

Heritage Highway
Heritage Highway Map
Ben Lomond

1. Visit Ben Lomond National Park

Starting in the north of the state, Ben Lomond National Park and Jacobs Ladder are must visit icons of Tasmania. 

The spectacular ascent of Jacobs Ladder is quite possibly the most hair-raising and impressive alpine road in Tasmania. 

Although a park for all seasons, winter is Ben Lomond’s time to shine, boasting one of Tasmania’s two ski fields. 

When the snow melts, a spectacular alpine landscape is revealed, and you’ll be in awe of the beauty of the rocks set against stunning views.

Ben Lomond
Brickendon Estate 📷 Darren Wright
Brickendon Estate 📷 Darren Wright

2. Discover Brickendon Estate

Brickendon is one of Tasmania’s oldest farming properties, settled in 1824 by William Archer. The farm has been continuously operated and lived on by his direct descendants, now in their seventh generation.

In July 2010, Brickendon Estate, along with its neighbouring property, Woolmers Estate, was listed jointly as a World Heritage Site being part of the Australian Convict Sites World Heritage Property.

The two Estates are regarded as the most significant rural estates in Australia, having the second largest number of convict workers and still retaining a living history from early European settlement to the present day.

Brickendon Estate
Woolmers Estate 📷 Darren Wright
Woolmers Estate 📷 Darren Wright

3. Unwind at Woolmers Estate

Woolmers Estate, situated in Longford, Tasmania, is a key component of Australia’s heritage. It represents one of the nation’s most intact pioneer farm complexes. 

This site is renowned for its comprehensive assembly of colonial buildings, antique furnishings, and artifacts, providing a glimpse into the early European settlement of Tasmania and the progression of rural life in Australia across two centuries.

Woolmers Estate boasts beautiful gardens and hosts various events throughout the year, including the celebrated Festival of Roses, attracting visitors from all over Tasmania and beyond.

Woolmers Estate
The Book Cellar, Campbell Town 📷 The Book Cellar
The Book Cellar, Campbell Town 📷 The Book Cellar

4. Visit The Book Cellar, Campbell Town

The Book Cellar in Campbell Town, Tasmania, is a world-class traditional bookshop experience in a fascinating heritage setting, the convict cellars under an 1830s-era coaching inn.

The architecturally significant cellars once housed the convicts who built the Red Bridge over the Elizabeth River, the oldest surviving brick arch bridge in Australia, and a must-view while in Campbell Town.

Today the cellars host a traditional bookshop and coffee bar, stocking an eclectic range of new and used books emphasising nostalgia, heritage and Tasmania.

The Book Cellar
Ross Bridge 📷 Darren Wright
Ross Bridge 📷 Darren Wright

5. Visit the Ross Bridge

The unique sandstone Ross Bridge was completed in 1836 and is the third-oldest bridge in Australia, and possibly the most picturesque. 

Tourists from all over the world come to photograph the bridge and marvel at the sandstone panels, with its 186 carvings consisting of abstractions of shapes – animals, birds, insects, plants, Celtic God and Goddesses, and heads of friends and foe. 

The ornate carvings on the bridge are the work of Englishman Daniel Herbert, who came to Van Diemen’s Land in 1827 as a convicted highway robber.

Discover Ross
Ross Female Factory 📷 Susan Roby Thomas
Ross Female Factory 📷 Susan Roby Thomas

6. Explore the Ross Female Factory

The Ross Female Factory, erected in 1833, was initially built to house the convict chain gains employed on the Ross Bridge.

Between 1847 and 1854 it operated as a probation station for female convicts and their babies. The buildings were converted from a chain gang station and extended to include a chapel, dining rooms, hospital, nursery, solitary cells, dormitories and an outer courtyard.

You will notice that there are few remains above ground, however, the Ross Female Factory is the most archaeologically intact female convict site in Australia. Take time to follow the Ross Heritage Trail which runs past the site.

Ross Female Factory
Callington Mill, Oatlands 📷 Callington Mill
Callington Mill, Oatlands 📷 Callington Mill

7. Tour the Callington Mill Distillery

Callington Mill in Oatlands was built in 1837 by John Vincent. It has been restored to full working order and is the only operating mill of its type in the Southern Hemisphere, the third oldest windmill in Australia.

The site offers the best of old and new, with the world-class Callington Mill Distillery on a scale like no other in Tasmania, offering immersive and unique single malt experiences.

Visitors are encouraged to experience a Whiskey Tasting and a historic self-guided tour. The mill and the precinct have been lovingly restored, transforming the historic site into an interactive tourist experience.

Callington Mill Distillery
Black Swan 📷 Alastair Bett
Black Swan 📷 Alastair Bett

8. Relax at Lake Dulverton

Nestled behind Oatlands, Lake Dulverton is a freshwater lake spanning over 65 hectares. It is surrounded by lush greenery and rolling hills, presenting a postcard-worthy landscape that leaves a lasting impression on all who visit.

Stroll along the well-maintained walking trails encircling the lake, and you’ll be greeted by the melodious songs of birds perched on the overhanging branches. 

Be sure to bring your binoculars and watch for the majestic swans gracefully gliding across the water.

Lake Dulverton
Old Kempton Distillery 📷 Darren Wright
Old Kempton Distillery 📷 Darren Wright

9. Taste & Tour, Old Kempton Distillery

Old Kempton Distillery is located in an 1840s mansion called Dysart House, in the picturesque colonial town of Kempton. 

The Distillery offers a range of tasting flights including Whisky, Gin and Liqueurs. They have a range of tour options and an all-day Cafe.

The Cellar Door is full of locally made produce, including Olde Spikey Bridge Peanut Butter, Tassie Settlers Whisky Sauces, Van Diemen Providore products and Port Arthur Lavender Farm products.

Try your hand at the Distillery Course, which will teach you all things Distilling, you can even purchase and mature your own 20L barrel of whisky!

Old Kempton Distillery
Chauncy Vale Wildlife Sanctuary 📷 Lucy Bradshaw
Chauncy Vale Wildlife Sanctuary 📷 Lucy Bradshaw

10. Explore Chauncy Vale Wildlife Sanctuary

Spend a day exploring the Chauncy Vale Wildlife Sanctuary at Bagdad and rediscover Tasmania’s inspiring landscape, natural beauty, and wildlife.

The Sanctuary is one of the oldest private reserves in the State. It’s the former home of Nan Chauncy, a multiple award-winning Tasmanian writer.  Nan’s writing vividly portrayed the Tasmanian landscape, its people, and its wildlife. She wrote to share her love of Tasmania. She also portrayed issues surrounding early colonial life, isolation, identity, migration, enduring hardship, domestic violence, and the Aboriginals of Tasmania.

Today, the sanctuary is open daily for everyone to enjoy.

Heritage Highway Articles:

Discover more about Tasmania’s Heritage Highway:
Visit the Heritage Highway

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We acknowledge the Tasmanian Aboriginal people and their enduring custodianship of lutruwita / Tasmania. We honour 40,000 years of uninterrupted care, protection and belonging to these islands, before the invasion and colonisation of European settlement.

As a destination that welcomes visitors to these lands, we acknowledge our responsibility to represent to our visitors, Tasmania’s deep and complex history, fully, respectfully and truthfully.

We acknowledge the Aboriginal people who continue to care for this country today. We pay our respects to their elders, past and present. We honour their stories, songs, art, and culture, and their aspirations for the future of their people and these lands. We respectfully ask that tourism be a part of that future.

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