TASSIE’S TOP TOURISM TOWNS

A SCENIC 40-minute drive through the hills south from Hobart will put you in the picturesque, riverside village of Franklin.

Here, you will discover why this place is christened the “Jewel of the Huon Valley”.

The broad, slow-flowing Huon River is its lifeblood, and home to an eclectic mix of river craft, from the resident tall ship Yukon, to rowboats bobbing in the currents.

The coffee-coloured water flows from button grass plains upstream, and creates the amazing sharp reflections that are a photographer’s dream.

Franklin has been a thriving hub of wooden boat construction for almost two centuries.

Dedicated souls (mostly bearded) spend countless hours steaming, sanding, varnishing and eventually launching traditional bespoke vessels. To see them at work in the Wooden Boat Centre is a truly captivating experience.

Across the road from this hive of activity is a delightful former parish hall, now the home of the multi award-winning local cider, Frank’s.

Here you will discover not only sparkling blends, but also a stunning range of fresh Huon Valley produce. Delicious beef and cider pie, fresh-cured salmon, soft scones and ripeberry jam, the list goes on.

Generations of hard working, resilient folk have been tending the surrounding hillsides since the 1830s, and the rows of worn headstones below the old church hold their melancholy stories.

Quaint weatherboard cottages, once home to the clock maker, the apothecary and the cobbler, line the side of the street – in stark contrast to the stately Palais Theatre and several imposing double-storey original brick buildings.

In Franklin you can spend the night in an old bank, a former church, or a converted convent. Luxury accommodation is not hard to find.

At the southern end of the township, the gorgeous original hotel still stands, and the courthouse is now an Italian restaurant, aptly named Petty Sessions.

Below here, hungry black swans wait eagerly for the next group of children to throw some scraps, and campers admire the stunning water views.

Franklin is home to numerous sociable dogs and their owners who will nod and smile as they pass. It is commonplace to see a terrier leaping and chasing a ball, or a kelpie emerging from the river.

In the late 19th century, this town was the thriving heart of the valley, with the river as its vital connection to the outside world. A stroll along the foreshore’s history walk, away from the road, transports one back to a time when busy steamers plied the waterways and early settlers left sacks of potatoes or crates of apples on their jetties.