Distilling tradition

Toast the start of a great journey with a brace of distillery visits. Lark Distillery is the oldest whisky maker in Tasmania, with tastings and tours of its storied estate built in the early 19th century in Pontville. Nearby, the Old Kempton Distillery has an equally dignified location in an 1842 coaching inn, with tastings, lunch and afternoon tours available.

In Oatlands, wander the grounds of the 1837 Callington Mill, which has been repurposed and transformed into a whisky distillery. Also not to be missed is The Jardin Room & Provincial Interiors for unique antiques and  a coffee stop at Vintage on High, a delightful cafe brimming with character.  

Grab a pub-style dinner at the Kentish Hotel in Oatlands before staying overnight in town. Options include Raffah House, a restored three-bedroom sandstone cottage.

Take a morning stroll along the shores of Lake Dulverton, a waterbird sanctuary where some 80 bird species have been recorded. Look for the Cows in the Lake sculpture peeping above the waters. Then duck into Tidbit and Morsel to stock up on chocolates and local food products, and stop by artist galleries like The Weaver's Cottage Studio, an open studio and gallery specialising in local Tasmanian works. 

Drive to Ross to explore Tasmania's merino industry. It began in the Midlands around Ross in the 1830s and is celebrated in the Tasmanian Wool Centre, which features a re-created shearing shed, galleries and one of the state's largest retail areas dedicated to woollens.

Stay overnight at Shepherds Story. 

Ross is the perfect size for exploring on foot. Stroll past the red phone boxes on the main street and pick up the phone to listen to audio stories of the town's history.

Ross Bridge, built in 1836 by convicts, spans the Macquarie River. The 186 carvings on Australia's third-oldest bridge were considered so exquisite that the stonemasons were issued free pardons.

End your walk at the Ross Female Factory Historic Site, a probation station for female convicts and their babies in the mid-19th century. It's one of four female factories built in Tasmania, and regarded as the most archaeologically intact female convict site in Australia.

Head to Coco Blue in Campbell Town for gifts, clothing, homewares and pastries and sweet treats at the cafe. Then head to the Elizabeth River flowing through town. The 1838 Red Bridge spanning the river was constructed by convicts and is said to contain 1.5 million bricks.

Brush up on local history at the Campbell Town Museum, and then acquire your own artefacts among the town's antique stores or the Book Cellar, located inside an 1830s coaching inn.

Continue north on the Midland Highway toward Launceston, ready to explore the Northern Midlands and rounding out the journey much as you began, with a visit to Adams Distillery at Perth.