“Perhaps the best place to begin a travel blog about Tasmania would be by starting with what I consider the most touristy town here, Richmond” is what I thought about after going there on a whim, trying to think of a good intro to the post. The word “touristy” carries a negative connotation with it. When one thinks of the word, one conjures thoughts of noisy crowds taking photos, long lines to points of interest that just aren’t worth it and stupidly high prices for a regular coffee. Richmond, surprisingly, manages to escape all of that. In Richmond, Tourists come in small groups, the coffee (from The Richmond Bakery) is a sweet deal, and the beautiful, historical tourist attractions surround you, free to admire without interruption. Richmond is touristy, but it is not “touristy”.
St Luke’s Anglican Church is so old that it only appears in black and white
Driving in from Hobart along Richmond Rd, you’ll be bombarded with signs for wineries to come in and buy a bottle. Since I’m a tight-arse, this didn’t appeal to me, however, if you’re coming in from the north, definitely make a trip out to Zoodoo. It’s a bit of fun and so far, hasn’t let any species to go extinct (I’m looking at you, Beaumaris Zoo).
Once you get into Richmond, don’t drive too far down the road or you’ll get out of it! It’s a deceptively small town despite the impressive buildings. When you start to explore those buildings, you find an immersive time capsule to Colonial Tasmania. Purposed as a military post and convict station, the rugged sandstone buildings were built throughout the 19th century. Furthermore, you can tell the settlers missed home as most of the flora is European. When visiting in Autumn, you’ll notice many trees are rudely naked of leaves (a rare sight in Tassie).
The Dispensary, built 1830, is a house I wouldn’t mind living in.
It’s hard not to mention the Richmond Bridge too. opened 1825, it holds the record of having one of the most boring facts of all time, that being, it is the oldest bridge in Australia. Wow. Luckily, the bridge brings it back by also being incredibly beautiful. Also, ducks like to swim in the Coal River which it crosses, so it’s worth a look just for that.
Sick view from the bridge of Coal River
If you seek nourishment or refreshment, there a few choices. The kebabs at Bridge Street Cafe are pretty yum. Afterwards, grab a pint of Cascade at The Richmond Hotel (assuming you haven’t already drank the wine you picked up on the way in). If you deserve a treat for being a good boy / girl (yes you are, yes you are!), then there’s also a cute sweet shop called Sweets and Treats. While I was there taking photos, I had a solid 8 / 10 Danish from The Richmond Bakery. I think she might have been a waitress.
Windows on the hotel proclaim, “Cascade Beer – for your health”. Wise words.
As mentioned in the first paragraph there are “touristy” things to do such as visit the Richmond Gaol and a model village of Hobart (which is genuinely cool), but there is also a museum called the pooseum (located next to the cum factory and peepee inn) which looks rather fun. Killara Distillery up the road does tours. My Partner, Tayla, took me last year and it was fab.
The greatest backyard of all time
In summary, Richmond is an awesome town for a day trip with plenty to see and do and poo. Go check it out.
If you would like more information on some of the historical buildings, I recommend visiting the town itself. To lazy? Have a read of Geoff Ritchie’s blog On The Convict Trail.