We finally left the hustle of Launceston behind us and headed North East on the Tasman Highway. Now, we use the term "highway" loosely here because, in Tasmania, that often means a ribbon of bitumen that twists and turns like a dropped piece of string. The climb up toward the Sideling Lookout was particularly narrow, and we had to keep our wits about us as the road hugged the steep, orange-dirt embankments. We even came across a massive orange cherry picker tucked right into the side of the cliff, busy maintaining the trees that seem to want to reclaim the road.
By the time we reached the tiny town of Springfield, we were ready for a bit of a breather. We spotted a lovely roadside stall run by the McCallum family, who are locals in the area. It was such a quintessential country stop—a green corrugated iron shed filled with the freshest farm produce you could imagine. Lisa couldn’t help herself and spent a good ten minutes chatting and picking out some treats for our dinner, while Steve was just happy to stretch his legs in the fresh mountain air.
Once we settled into our camp at Branxholm Park, we took a short drive out to see the famous tree carvings at Legerwood. We’ve seen a lot of memorials in our travels, but these are something truly special. Instead of cold stone, the community has carved the likenesses of their fallen soldiers directly into the trunks of the old trees that were originally planted in their honour. Seeing the detail in the wood, like the soldier holding his flag high, really brings the history home. It’s a very moving place to walk through, and we spent a long time just quietly taking in the rows of figures standing guard on the grass.
Just a hop and a skip away is the town of Ringarooma, where we found the most incredible hedge trees. We’ve seen some tidy gardens in our time, but these are on another level. The cypress hedges tower over the road, perfectly manicured into a solid wall of deep green that follows the curve of the bitumen for what feels like kilometres. It’s a bit like driving through a giant's garden.
We finished our little loop by heading back into Scottsdale. It’s a classic Tasmanian town, full of that old-world charm we’ve come to love. Lisa was quite taken with the architecture, especially the beautiful yellow timber church with its red roof and intricate white trim. It sits so proudly on the hill, looking exactly like a postcard.
Steve, of course, was more interested in the local establishments, particularly the Lords Hotel. It’s a grand old two-storey brick building with a classic wrap-around balcony that looks like the perfect spot for a cold drink on a warm afternoon.
Back to Branxholm and a bit of an international flair with a cheerful Italian restaurant called Casa Pinocchio. We got a real kick out of the big wooden puppet painted on the side of the building. It’s those little quirky touches that make these small towns so memorable. The kids would have loved searching for all the different characters around the place. After a big day of exploring these little corners of the world, we were glad to head back to camp and put our feet up.
