Palawa Aboriginal group for hun-
dreds, perhaps thousands of years.
Sadly, the area lays claim to a fact
that can’t be denied as being shame-
ful. In 1905, Fanny Cochrane Smith,
passed away. Fanny was recognised
by the Tasmanian Government of the
time to have been the last Tasmanian
Aboriginal. With white settlement,
as early as the 1830’s, came the issues
for the indigenous peoples. Lands
were cleared for timber and farm-
ing, industries that remain to this
day. Aboriginal heritage is there if
you look for it, European heritage is
abundant.
Roadsides are littered with farm-
gate stalls selling all sorts of produce;
honey, fruit, vegetables, one even
suggested gin. Attention snatched!
We both turned in without even
thinking. A dirt road! Bugger, what
would Sam and Jac at SRT say? We
rode on, we’d beg forgiveness later,
after all, it’s easy than asking permis-
sion.
This was Hartshorn Distillery, one
of the smallest boutique distiller-
ies’ in the whole of Australia. Small
batch gin and vodka, infused with
sheep whey, a unique taste that had
to be tried. It’s an experience that
had to be had, batches of just 80 bot-
tles all made and labelled by hand.
Further around the idyllic road we
came to Port Huon, drizzle was start-
ing to fall, seemed like a perfect stop
for the night.
The original port remains from
when Port Huon was the apple capital
of the world. Ships would take their
wares across the world, to all ports,
to all cities. Tasmania was famous
for apples, amongst other things.
The rain had continued all night,
and a light mist hung in the air the
following morning. With no need to
rush we waited for it to lift, yet riding
was still a little wet. I laughed again
to myself, “aren’t Harley’s afraid of
the rain?” I was being harsh, these
two loved it and not once gave any
sign of worry. The roads continued
TRAVERSE 80