Experience the region in harvest season through its orchards, vineyards and restaurants
“Autumn is just a stunning time to be in Tasmania,” says Andrew Smith, a fourth-generation organic apple grower and owner of Willie Smith’s Apple Shed in the Huon Valley. “It’s our most stable season as far as temperature and wind go. From a food perspective, this is harvest season for us. This is where we reap what we sow entirely.”
For travellers, it’s a chance to experience Tasmania’s food and drink scene at its most generous. When orchards are heavy with fruit, vineyards hum with harvest, and markets are full of freshly picked produce. “There’s nothing like fresh produce straight out of the ground or off the tree, and this is the best time to sample it,” says Smith, who oversees 100 hectares of apple orchards in the fertile Huon Valley. “We’re drowning in it in autumn.”
Tasmania has built a reputation for its cool-climate wines, world-class whisky, pristine seafood and seasonal cooking, shaped by its cool-temperate growing conditions and island geography. Its relative isolation is also its strength in some ways, says Smith. “Our standard of products is going up, enhanced by an incredible environment to produce in. From a weather point of view, the world is coming to us, due to our temperate climate and growing conditions.”
For visitors, that advantage is tasted everywhere in autumn. In apples picked at peak ripeness, in “the biggest cherries you’ll ever see”, in edible mushrooms ready for foraging, in whiskies crafted with pure water, and in a food culture built on proximity to land, sea and producer.
Food and drink corridors
South of Hobart, the Huon and neighbouring Derwent valleys form one of Tasmania’s richest food corridors. Fertile soils, cool-climate conditions and a long agricultural history underpin a landscape where orchards, vineyards, distilleries and restaurants sit against a backdrop of flowing rivers and forested peaks.
At Willie Smith’s Apple Shed, which has been growing apples in the valley since 1888, the original 1942 apple-packing shed has been transformed into an inviting cellar door, bar, restaurant and museum celebrating all things apple. Andrew Smith leads the family business today, driving its evolution into a certified organic farm in the 90s and launching an award-winning cidery in 2012.
Autumn is a pivotal time in the orchard. “It’s stunning,” says Smith, “and stressful. Everything we want to do and be is in this season’s crop of apples.” Visitors to Willie Smith’s can sample award-winning, handcrafted ciders and spirits, including special autumnal pours, or settle into the historic shed for a produce-driven menu built around apples. Their famous apple pie sees close to a thousand servings sold in big weeks. “We’re all about worshipping the apple,” says Smith.
Nearby, the newly opened Kiln Collective brings together tastings from some of Tasmania’s most-loved makers, including Bruny Island Cheese Co., Wild Mother Tasmania’s small-batch vinegars and Haddow & Dineen wines. A relaxed dining space serves cheese platters, toasties and smoked seafood, with local wine, cider and beer by the glass. All of this sits beneath one distinctive pointed roof, a beautifully restored former hop-drying kiln, or “oast house”, built in the 1860s and reimagined several times, including as a restaurant.
Biodynamic wines and farm-to-table dining
Derwent Valley, which winds north-south through farmland, historic towns and golden poplar-lined valleys, is one of southern Tasmania’s most scenic food trails, boasting wineries, distilleries and restaurants.
At Stefano Lubiana Wines, Tasmania’s first certified biodynamic vineyard, cool-climate wines are paired with seasonal lunches overlooking the river. Just down the road in New Norfolk, Derwent Distillery crafts grain-to-glass whisky and gin using local barley and pure Derwent water. Visitors can stop in for guided tastings and cellar door experiences, like bespoke gin-making.
The multi-award-winning Agrarian Kitchen’s restaurant, kiosk and cooking school delivers one of Tasmania’s defining paddock-to-plate experiences, with “hyper seasonal” menus shaped by its impressive kitchen garden and traditional techniques like fermentation, smoking, cheesemaking and whole-animal butchery.
Follow the vines
Tasmania’s wine trails come alive in autumn, with vineyards glowing gold and cellar doors buzzing with harvest. In the north, the Tamar Valley has over 30 boutique cellar doors and vineyards specialising in cool-climate varieties like pinot noir, chardonnay and world-class sparkling. On the east coast, cellar doors such as Gala Estate, Spring Vale and Devil’s Corner sit amid sunlit vineyards with ocean views, producing crisp, fragrant wines that reflect the region’s coastal climate.
South of Hobart, the Coal River Valley has rolling hills and standout producers including Pooley Wines, Frogmore Creek and Mewstone Wines. While in the north-west, Ghost Rock Wines, Leven Valley Vineyard and Eastford Creek provide vibrant varietals and autumnal landscapes, perfect for tasting and enjoying the season’s harvest.
Farmers’ markets and festivals
Across the island, farmers’ markets are a chance to meet Tasmania’s passionate local makers and growers. Salamanca Market in Hobart remains a must-visit, with more than 300 stalls stretching along historic Salamanca Place every Saturday. Farm Gate Market brings producers into Hobart’s CBD on Sundays, with a street-food courtyard adding brunch to the mix.
In Launceston, one of only two UNESCO Cities of Gastronomy in Oceania, Harvest Market is a lively market with 60 stalls offering a farm-gate experience every Saturday, where visitors can chat with growers and sample northern Tasmania’s produce, from oysters to honey, berries, vegetables, beer, whisky and more.
Autumn also brings harvest festivals across the state, from TrailGraze in the north-west to long-table lunches in the Derwent Valley, giving visitors even more ways to taste the season. That accessibility is key, says Smith, who puts on an artisanal market of local wares and farm-fresh produce at The Apple Shed every Saturday. It’s a chance to meet the farmers, chefs, artists and small businesses that make the valley special, and that openness extends to Smith himself. “If you’re at The Apple Shed on a Friday afternoon, you could well be sitting beside me while I’m having a cider, and I’ll probably talk to you about apples.”
It’s that sense of connection – to place, season and producer – that defines Tasmania in autumn and gives the island’s food and drink culture its enduring appeal.
Air New Zealand offers non-stop flights from Auckland to Hobart seasonally between October-March. It has never been easier to explore the wild beauty of Australia’s island state. Book now at Air New Zealand.