PUBS: PUB IN THE PADDOCK, TASMANIA
THE PUB IN THE PADDOCK IN PYENGANA IS ONE OF TASMANIA’S OLDEST AND IS A TOP SPOT FOR A COLDY AND A LAUGH.
Nestled in the quiet rural village of Pyengana, around two hours’ drive from Launceston or just one hour from St Helens, the Pub in the Paddock is a great place to wash away the dust (or mud) after a fun day’s fourwheel driving in some of Tasmania’s most spectacular country.
The Pub in the Paddock has been licenced since 1880, and today it’s managed by the friendly and entertaining Rowena and Scott Codyre. On the day we showed up at the front door the pub was locked, as Rowena and Scott were attending a special function, but they showed up some 10 minutes after us, opened the doors and welcomed us in.
The walls of the pub are adorned with memorabilia that tells some of the stories of the area’s rich local history, while the friendly locals love nothing more than to have a chat with visitors. And then there’s Priscilla…
Priscilla resides in a paddock out the front
of the pub and is famous for her drinking habits. Yep, Priscilla is the pub’s beerdrinking pig, and she has become quite the celebrity over the years. These days Priscilla sticks strictly to the light stuff – her preference is to guzzle only specially watered-down beer, but she does so with enthusiasm!
As well as tap beers (James Boag’s Draught and Iron Jack), the Pub in the Paddock has a restaurant that offers a classic menu of tasty home-cooked pub meals including simple fare like chips, wedges and pies, ranging through to fish and chips, chicken Parmigiana, pork sausages, Scotch fillets and more. And much of the menu relies on local produce.
For those who decide they want to stay the night, the pub has six rooms with shared facilities. Alternatively, there’s plenty of camping space over the road in the Pyengana Recreation Area, which has toilets and hot showers.
Pyengana is the ideal base to set out and explore the surrounding area and is not far from the coastal town of St Helens, which boasts some of Tasmania’s best beaches, as well as Binalong Bay and The Bay of Fires.
There’s no doubt about it, the Pub in the Paddock is a top country pub.