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Quamby Estate, TAS
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CALL MY BLUFF
A TOUCH OF CHARMING ENGLISH STYLE PERVADES THIS ESTATE NEAR LAUNCESTON.

The great escarpment of Quamby Bluff in Tasmania’s north is an inspiring sight. The entrance to its close namesake Quamby Estate, just a 20-minute drive west of Launceston, also elicits the tingling anticipation of something very special. We progress gently along the mile-long drive (1.6km), lined with 150-year-old hawthorn, poplar and elm trees that present a deciduous celebration of lushness and verdancy in an English park-like setting, to arrive at the house, an architectural jewel of colonial heritage, sited next to a 9-hole golf course of lustrous green.

It’s the ‘Englishness’ of so much of Tasmania that is part of its appeal, and the particular delight of the 64 hectares of Quamby Estate lies in the way it combines the elegance and leisured good manners of a Jane Austen novel with subtle hints of the British Raj. With five guest rooms completed already from what will become a total of 17 in the main building, this beautiful 1830’s Anglo-Indian homestead is being transformed into genteel accommodation by architect David Denman and interior designers Pike Withers, to take its place alongside the world’s leading luxury lodges.

Substantial wooden shutters, originally for protection against bush rangers, serve as screens for windows that look across manicured lawns, rose gardens and a tennis court with sumptuous views across undulating countryside to the Bluff and the mountain ranges of Ben Lomond. In the billiard room, dining room and drawing room, the decor is crisp and fresh. The walls are white but the colours of the landscape, greens, blues and creams, are referenced in the eclectic assembly of furnishings. Newly acquired art works from local artists such as Patrick Grieves, adorn corniced rooms with ceilings high above original 8-panelled French doors and Italian marble fireplaces. Grand French doors open onto wide flag-stoned verandahs with turned timber columns, and decorative balustrades complete a house that once served as ‘Tasmania’s Government House of the North.’

The ‘honesty bar’ is testament to an informal and relaxed atmosphere. The dinner menu is uncomplicated, reliant upon the quality of locally-sourced ingredients for its success. We enjoyed an excellent rack of lamb with a pinot noir from a list that showcases some of the best of Tasmanian cool climate varietals.

If tennis, billiards, and of course golf, aren’t enough, fishing is a popular option and Quamby is a perfect base for exploring the surrounding towns and countryside, or to just ‘kick back’ for some serious relaxation. Comforted by a sense of history, this is a haven where the convenience and stylish good taste of the ultra-modern can be enjoyed with the pampered self-assurance once reserved only for the ruling elite, and where the past and the future meet to provide an unforgettable opportunity to unwind.
Quamby Estate Rooms from $350 per night. Bookings: 03 6392 2211,
www.quambyestate.com.au

THINGS TO DO:
VISIT: Nearby Deloraine and Wesbury for art and crafts or Launceston, Tasmania’s northern capital.
EXPLORE: National Rose Garden at Woolmers Estate in Longford; Liffey Falls State Reserve; King Solomon’s Cave deep in the limestone caves of Mole Creek Karst National Park; Tamar Valley wine region.
PLAY: Hike, golf, tennis or fly fishing.
EAT: At Quamby, or in a choice of award-winning restaurants in Launceston.