The pit stop: Franklin
On a clear morning, the Huon Valley town of Franklin can look as much like a painting as a town. A major port in the heyday of Huon’s apple industry, Franklin’s maritime heritage lives on.
Eat
Owned and operated by a couple from Umbria, Osteria @ Petty Sessions brings an authentic taste of Italy to the banks of the Huon River. Bread and salumi is made in-house, while ingredients are sourced from a lengthy list of Tassie producers. The menu changes every couple of weeks, though the salumi and the signature handmade gnocchi are resolute staples.
Shop
Head four kilometres out of town to find a produce stand with big ideas at Whispering Spirit. Inside a gingerbread-like cottage beneath the roof of a farm shed, it sells farm-fresh produce but also the likes of homemade ice-cream, spätzle, fresh juices, soup, linseed bread, slices and cookies.
Credit: Adrian Cook
See
A 40-minute tour of the Wooden Boat Centre, one of only eight or nine schools of traditional wooden-boat construction globally, is a deep dive into the world of shipwrights and the beauty of Tasmanian timbers. Tours take you onto the floor of the boat-building area and down to the restoration area. You can even sign on for a course lasting from one day to 12 months.
Drink
Directly across the road from the Wooden Boat Centre, Frank’s Ciderhouse and Cafe fills a rustic old church hall. Sample a chilled cider or warm up with a mulled version as you wander the museum of old apple boxes, processing systems and photos of early 20th-century apple farmer Frank Clark (the Frank of the name) and family.
Stay
Peep out your windows onto the Huon River from inside a former bank manager’s residence at The Bowmont. A mix of country-cute and contemporary, the two-bedroom apartment is upstairs in a heritage-listed 1906 building that’s central to Franklin’s townscape.
