DESTINATION SOUTHERN TASMANIA
"Did you get away to the island on the weekend?"
"We sure did, it was fantastic shack weather – wouldn't have believed you
could still get in the water at this time of year."
"Wow, that’s pretty hard-core – wetsuits, of course?"
"OK, you’ve nailed us. But Andy and Mel got some nice abalone – we did it
on the barbie, fresh from the sea, bit of oil and garlic, delicious."
It’s the kind of conversation many
Tasmanians have over the first coffee
at the office on Monday mornings
– because our shack culture is an
essential part of Tassie life. And
when you live on an island with a
fascinatingly complex coastline of
bays, beaches and waterways, it’s a
rare shack that doesn’t enjoy a view
of the sea.
There’s no such thing as a typical
Tassie shack – they vary as much as
the scenery. There’s the rustic, homegrown and home-made variety,
knocked together from scrounged
corrugated iron and useful planks of
driftwood, furnished from the local
Tip Shop, a half-44 gallon drum for
a barbecue, a long drop loo out
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the back and a tinnie pulled up on
the beach. Then there’s the threebedroom brick veneer dwelling, with
a lock-up garage and a driveway to
park the runabout.
Perhaps best of all are the shacks
that have been bought cheaply and
rescued from a dilapidated state
by new owners with not a huge
budget but lots of imagination and
a flair for design. It’s amazing what
a transformation can be achieved
when you add sliding glass doors,
a big deck, oiled timber cladding –
and an open-air bath!
But whether they’re old or new,
rough and ready or slick and stylish,
shacks are all about escaping
from town for a couple of days of
relaxation. Waterside shack-life is
the aroma of an evening barbecue,
a chilled glass of savvy B as the sun
sets, sand between your toes and
the sound of the sea.
South-east of Hobart is the
wonderful waterway that separates
‘mainland’ Tasmania from
Bruny Island. In and around the
D’Entrecasteaux Channel – and
across the water to Bruny – there
are some brilliant locations where
Tasmanians love to get away
to the shack. You’ll find holiday
accommodation in these places too,
so if you’re a visitor to Southern
Tasmania, it’s easy to experience our
shack culture for yourself.