If anything epitomises the offer Tasmania presents the business tourism market, it’s Luck’s. Located in a former butcher shop in what was one of the less salubrious parts of Launceston, Luck’s is today a chic restaurant that could compete with any on the Australian mainland. Agonising between the promise of a seafood soup for the filet of Tasmanian beef, owner Damon Wecker silently tipped my choice by placing a couple of Tasmanian harvested truffles on the table. Later, he returned to shave some of the fabulous fungus into the truffle-laden duxelle sauce which complemented the steak.
Tasmania has always had to try harder when it comes to luring conference and event planners across Bass Strait. Rather then retreating in the chilly months the state’s convention bureau recently hosted 10 conference and event planners for a “Winter Wonders” introduction to the island state. The trip coincided with SCAR (Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research) a high level international conference and exhibition for the Antarctic scientific community, with 850 delegates attending deliberations at the Hotel Grand Chancellor. On the other side of town at Wrest Point some 250 school administrators were deliberating their own agenda. Snow was lying well down the slopes of Mount Wellington and easily accessed via the road which takes visitors to the summit. All that was needed were the Tasmanian Convention Bureau-supplied gloves and a warm coat. It’s a good time to be considering Tasmania for a business meeting. The advent of budget airlines has slashed the cost of travel and the state’s tourist industry is also being impacted by the soaring fuel prices and the deep discounting by competitor destinations.
Some 30,000 conference delegates head to Tasmania each year and survey after survey show they are almost invariably happy with the experience. They’ve plenty of choice in terms of accommodation as well as pre and post conference touring. But it’s not all sweetness and light for Tasmania and the movers and shakers in the hospitality and events industry sectors work long and hard to maintain their market share. The recent failure of the ferry service from Sydney to Devonport on the state’s north coast has been a body blow that will cost Tasmania some 9000 visitors a year.
The understandable insularity that Tasmanians sometimes displayed a decade or so back has morphed into a quiet pride about what’s been achieved in a community of less than half a million.
Meetings & Events Australia (MEA) holds its annual National Conference in Hobart next April and it’s clear the state will prove a pleasant surprise for those delegates who might not have visited since the last time the (then) MIAA held its conference in 1996 in Hobart and Launceston. For starters, Launceston has rediscovered its waterfront, with a massive redevelopment in formerly derelict industrial wasteland, with the smart new Peppers Seaport Hotel. It’s an accommodation-only hotel, but there are several cafes and restaurants in the complex which provide a charge back system. The hotel has one meeting room, with capacity for around 60 theatre-style. The Grand Chancellor Hotel in Launceston has morphed from several other brands into the pre-eminent player in the conference market. A recently added ballroom and several smaller function rooms have increased this northern city’s capacity to service its meetings industry. Lynda MacKay, the Tasmania Convention Bureau’s sales manager has her time cut out exploring opportunities to bring national and international meetings to Launceston.
“We’re seeing good business coming into town. Tasmania’s travelling well economically and this certainly translates into more opportunities to meet. Launceston has a collection of restaurants to match any on the mainland; everything is in easy proximity here and the people running the venues have an excellent understanding of the requirements of meeting and event planners.”
Federal Hotels is the biggest player in the meetings sector in Tasmania, with major properties in Launceston, Hobart, Cradle Mountain, Freycinet Peninsula and Strahan. There’s more to come, with an ultra-deluxe property underway at Freycinet. Both the Country Club Tasmania in Launceston and the Wrest Point in Hobart are maintained in mint condition, with ongoing refurbishment programs. Both are underpinned with casinos, but in neither case are they intrusive and delegates are almost oblivious of the gaming floors if they so choose. The venue can easily cater for up to 500 – more if marquees are used. Hobart’s Henry Jones Art Hotel is coming up to its second anniversary and certainly has increased the accommodation choice for visitors seeking a five-star venue.
The landmark old jam factory buildings have maintained their architectural integrity, while being modernised internally and furnished in the most eclectic of ways. There’s a meeting room for around 50 which was in steady demand during SCAR. A more recent newcomer to Hobart is the Islington Hotel, a regency home dating from 1847 which has undergone a two-year renovation to emerge as a small luxury hotel with 11 individually decorated rooms and plenty of space for a small meeting. The hotel is filled with fine art and antiques, with one picture said to be worth $1 million. There’s a private chef in the kitchen and don’t expect much change from around $500 a night for bed and breakfast. Craig and Janine Williams operate Pepper Bush Adventures out of Scottsdale, Northern Tasmania and were serving up “Bambi” (venison) with “Skippy” (wallaby tenderloins) on the bank of the Huon River just south of Hobart when we visited, topping off a jetboat ride. There was also “swamp rat”, a delicious and spicy pikelet which included bacon pieces and native spices which was washed down with a Tamar Ridge Semillon. Mr Williams is a true renaissance man. He was originally a butcher by trade, but for the past few years he’s been giving visitors a four-wheel-drive showcase of the best Tasmania has to offer in terms of wilderness experiences.
“Our gourmet bush tucker experiences are becoming a favourite request from clients,” Mr Williams says.
Downhill from here
Time didn’t allow me to do the entire trip, but the time I spent on this activity was enough to confirm it as an absolute winner. It’s a dead simple idea: take the Island Cycle Tours bus to the top of Mount Wellington (1270 metres) and drink in the drop-dead-gorgeous views. When you’ve sated yourself and taken all the pictures you want of the wilderness and mountain views, you mount your bicycle and head back down the mountainside. It’s a totally different experience to the upward trip. The grind of the bus is replaced by an almost eerie quiet, broken only by birdsong and the whiz of your bicycle tyres.
Peppermint Bay cruise
They’ve spared nothing in making this cruise memorable. It’s a clever blend of fine dining and luxury cruising. We boarded Peppermint Bay II in Hobart for the 90 minute cruise down to lunch at Peppermint Bay across the water from Bruny Island. The soft leather seats were more deluxe airline business class than one expects on a catamaran transfer. There’s even a tray table to continue the aeronautical association. On the way down, a highly polished guide gave a rundown on the magnificent scenery of massive sea cliffs, spotting sea eagles, seals and even dolphins.
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