Hyundai hits the Derwent Valley

We selected a mix of glazed goodies from Queens Pastry, placed our precious cargo in the back seat, where there is plenty of room for friends and all of your adventuring essentials, and began the picturesque drive to New Norfolk. With a glassy River Derwent to our right and the awesome Krell sound system pumping out our favourite tunes, so far everything about the Kona had been super easy. My particularly long-legged passenger had heaps of room, connecting my iPhone through Apple CarPlay was a breeze, and negotiating the infotainment screen and front console felt really natural.

To complement our sweet treats, we stopped at Badger’s Bike Café, a family owned and operated New Norfolk hotspot serving quality beverages and delicious food and pastries supplied by Tassie favourite, Jackman and McRoss. The café’s modern black exterior certainly stands out in this riverside town, but the light-filled wooden interior dotted with plants and reading material is perfect for catching up with friends or as a base for antique hunting. The team at Badger’s Bike Café aims to promote Tasmania’s cycling culture and to run cycling tours in the future, so watch this space if you like exploring our state on two wheels.

We took our coffee, chai and doughnuts and perched ourselves on the river bank, taking in the sounds of families playing on the jetty and the beautiful reflections on the water. With our sugar and caffeine kicking in, we headed west to Mount Field National Park. As the road past the hop fields became windier and narrower, the lane departure warning was a comforting reminder on a route I’m not overly familiar with.

As I bought our day pass for the national park in the visitor centre, I was asked for my vehicle details. When I told the attendant it was a yellow Hyundai Kona, her co-worker, who was probably in her mid to late twenties, broke out into a dance that mimicked the dancing car wash in the TV ad and exclaimed excitedly, ‘Oh my gosh, that’s the car with the cool dancing ad!’ The marketing team at Hyundai has certainly done a good job of capturing the attention of their target audience.

We stretched our legs and refreshed our minds on the way to Russell Falls, an easy, sealed walk alongside pademelons and luscious plant life to a multi-tiered waterfall. We continued uphill to Horseshoe Falls, taking in the spectacular view from the top of Russell Falls and across the treetops along the way. With so many walks to choose from, I would love to explore Mount Field further, especially in winter to see the waterfalls in full swing.

If you’re keen to stay the night, there’s a range of accommodation options in the Derwent Valley, or you may choose to pitch a tent at one of the camp grounds such as the popular Left of Field, which comes complete with woodheated bath.

As we moseyed back to the Kona, the combination of walking, humid weather, and my poor decision to wear jeans was quickly alleviated with the cool air ventilated front seats. As someone who is always disagreeing with my driving buddy about whether the car is too hot or too cold, I particularly loved this feature and would definitely make good use of the heated seats and steering wheel in the colder months.

Stomachs growling and ready for a late lunch, we cruised back to Westerway for a bite at The Possum Shed. The café is nestled on Ginger Creek, and we sat outside on the deck, watching the ducks and native hens frolic as we tucked into veggie focaccias and iced chocolates. Just down the road is the Westerway Raspberry Farm, which would have been another lovely way to spend the afternoon.