Six of Tasmania’s best sporting attractions
By Andrew Bain
Queenstown oval
Queenstown Oval, the gravel ground.
Drive into barren Queenstown on Tasmania’s west coast, and one bleak spot stands out even more than the rest. The difficulty of growing grass in the mine-scarred landscape means that the town’s oval is laid with gravel, turning Queenstown into a byword for tough AFL matches – an infamy borne out in the scars of those who’ve played on it, including current Brisbane Lions coach Chris Fagan and triple Brownlow medallist Ian Stewart, who both grew up playing here. Park up and wander onto the heritage-listed oval at any time, or come on a Saturday to watch the Queenstown Crows battle opponents and gravel rash.
Latrobe legends
Axeman David Foster, honoured at Latrobe.Credit: Sylvia Tuz
St Kilda supporters might want to swing into the town of Latrobe, 10 kilometres south of the Spirit of Tasmania terminal in Devonport, to pay homage to a life-size bronze statue of Darrel Baldock, the Latrobe lad who captained the Saints to their only AFL premiership in 1966. For other sport fans, the town is home to the Axeman’s Hall of Fame, recognising Latrobe’s claim as the site of the world’s first official international woodchopping championship in 1891. The museum’s displays include memorabilia from David Foster, the famed local woodchopper who won more than 180 world titles.
Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
On the home stretch in the Sydney Hobart.
In the days immediately after Christmas, expectation is high in Hobart and race trackers run hot – the Sydney to Hobart yachts are coming. Join the locals in lining the suburban shores to watch the first maxi yachts sail up the River Derwent to the Battery Point finish post then wander among the finishing boats in Constitution Dock. It’s tradition for finishers to sail past the applause of diners at Tasmania’s Taste of Summer festival after crossing the line, so grab a waterside table and prepare a welcome. See rolexsydneyhobart.com
Old golf
Golf at Ratho Farm.
When homesick Scots settled the Midlands town of Bothwell in the 1820s, they needed just one thing to make the place more homely: a golf course. Today, Ratho Farm is the oldest course in Australia and claimed as the oldest remaining course outside of Scotland. The public links course, trimmed neatly by its greenkeeping sheep, was extended to 18 holes in 2017, and is complemented by the presence of the Australasian Golf Museum in the centre of town. The museum traces golf from its origins, and includes a putting green with seven different styles of putters to try, as well as a display on the 1936 golf game considered to be the world’s first computer game. See rathofarm.com
New golf
Spectacular holes that wind along the coast at Barnbougle.
Tasmania’s best golf is world class, with three of its newest golf courses rated in the top-four courses in the country by Golf Australia in 2022. Wrapped along the dunes and beach in Bridport, one of northern Tasmania’s most popular beach towns, are the conjoined Barnbougle Dunes and Barnbougle Lost Farm. Barnbougle also has four tiers of accommodation, an on-site day spa, and an ocean-view restaurant. Edging out this Barnbougle pair to be ranked Australia’s second-best course is blustery Cape Wickham Links, set beneath the country’s tallest lighthouse at King Island’s northern tip. See barnbougle.com.au; capewickham.com.au
Tasmanian Cricket Museum
Bellerive, the home of cricket in Tasmania.
There’s more to Tasmanian cricket history than David Boon’s mile-high drinking prowess, but the great opening batsman does feature prominently at this cricket museum set beneath the stands at Hobart’s Bellerive Oval. Among the requisite trophies, signed bats and memorabilia is a detailed history of Tasmanian cricket, from the bat with which Charles Eady hit a world-record 566 runs in an innings, to displays on Boon, Ricky Ponting and the Baileys – current Australian selector George Bailey and his great-great grandfather (also George), who was one of Tasmania’s cricketing greats in the 19th century. The wall-to-ceiling windows that almost overhang the oval are a museum bonus. Stadium tours are also available. See blundstonearena.com.au
The writer travelled at his own expense.
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