One for the road
Jaguar’s latest sports coupé, the F-Type SVR, proves to be the ideal vehicle for exploring Tassie’s back roads. Behind its sleek feline looks, this car knows how to roar.
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Tasmania is filled to the brim with some of Australia’s best food and wine experiences. From Hobart to Launceston, the quality and diversity on this little island is truly impressive. Jaguar’s magnificent F-Type SVR coupé is the perfect mode of transport for a driving and eating adventure in the Apple Isle. It’s the fastest vehicle in the 14-strong F-Type range, which is priced from $119,545 to $298,590; a convertible is also available. Under the long, elegantly curved bonnet is a supercharged V8 engine, so we have no excuses for running late.
Our first stop, Mures on the Hobart waterfront, is just a few minutes’ drive from our collection point on Victoria Dock – barely time for the superfast Jaguar to reach its optimum operating temperature.
Mures doesn’t just command sweeping views of the harbour, it also offers two distinct dining experiences: a casual, affordable bistro on ground level called Lower Deck; and a more formal dining room on the first floor known as the Upper Deck.
This bustling seafood eatery is now in the hands of the Mure family’s second generation – and they proudly lay claim to being the only seafood restaurant in the region with its own fishing boat.
At the Upper Deck, chef Eugene Burgo starts us off with a dozen oysters, which he garnishes with a deft mix of classical and clever dressings – in this case horseradish cream and slivers of smoked salmon and topped with dill. It’s a masterful combo, the saltiness of the smoked salmon combining perfectly with the briny yet creamy oysters. Then come classic oysters Kilpatrick, which deliver a nice salty kick. The jewel of the meal, though, is an epic seafood laksa, with a perfect balance of fresh chilli and lush coconut creaminess and brimming with a generous helping of prawns, mussels and chunks of fish.
We pour ourselves back into the Jaguar F-Type SVR, grateful for the generous and supportive seats. As we head out of Hobart using the navigation system, it’s clear this quintessentially British car maker has managed something of a masterstroke with the F-Type SVR. Yes, it’s ferociously fast and focused, developed to satisfy the most committed driving enthusiast. Yet the trademark grand touring ability associated with Jaguar has not been sacrificed.
The roaring exhaust can be quelled by shutting down part of the muffler system. The suspension has a comfort setting that easily soaks up the lumps and bumps of Tassie’s back roads. In addition, our test car is also fitted with a premium audio system from UK high-fidelity specialist Meridian and delivers stunning power and clarity.
The next morning we roll into sleepy Longford, a tiny town 23 kilometres from Launceston which was once home to the Australian Grand Prix, on a street circuit still occasionally used for classic car events.
It’s a fitting place for the Jaguar, given the marque took out the top three spots at the 1962 Tasman Series.
However we’re more interested in the best eatery in town – for miles, actually – called Hubert & Dan.
We order from the breakfast menu, starting with a zesty lemon-maple granola with rhubarb and yoghurt, followed by poached eggs, buttered kale, and pan-fried haloumi on sourdough bread. The dish is beautifully presented and served with excellent Ritual coffee roasted in Launceston. The eggs poached to runny perfection, the haloumi taken to a perfect golden crust and the sourdough is as good as any you’ll find in the best capital city bakeries.
From Longford we drive west on the Midland Highway towards Oatlands, the Jaguar coupé slipping back into hushed touring mode. A core part of the F-Type’s duality is the ability to shift between languid cruiser and back roads blaster.
When we pull into the main street of Oatlands, the Jaguar turns heads, but its burbling idle cuts as we pause, part of the fuel-saving measures extended to this model. Under an azure sky, the historic Callington windmill rolls out a steady, quiet cadence. The stone mill house was built way back in 1837 and has recently been lovingly restored. Today, Callington is thought to be the only operational windmill in the southern hemisphere, still milling three types of grain the old-fashioned way.
There’s no restaurant here, but the small café at the back of the main building serves great coffee and cakes, scones and pastries made with the mill’s own flour. Visitors can also buy a range of freshly milled wheat, rye and spelt.
The old Tasmanian mill provides a dramatic contrast to the cutting-edge technology deployed in the awesomely quick F-Type SVR, a vehicle that suggests this august car company has embarked on one of its most exciting chapters.