Tasmania - Australia 2004 - page 625

Freycinet National Park, Coles Bay 7215. & 03/6257 0101. Fax [phone]. www.freycinetlodge.com.au.
60 units. A$190 (US$124) standard cabin; A$225 (US$146) cabin with Jacuzzi; $255 (US$166) deluxe cabin with
Jacuzzi. AE, DC, MC, V. Amenities: 2 restaurants; bar; golf course nearby; outdoor tennis court; bike rental; activ-
ities desk; coin-op laundry; Internet kiosk; nonsmoking rooms. In room:Fridge, coffeemaker, hair dryer.
HOBART TO LAUNCESTON: THE “HERITAGE HIGHWAY”
By the 1820s several garrison towns had been built between Launceston and
Hobart, and by the middle of the 19th century convict labor had produced what
was considered to be the finest highway of its time in Australia. Today, many of
the towns along the route harbor magnificent examples of Georgian and Victorian
architecture. It takes about 2 hours to drive between Launceston and Hobart on
the “Heritage Highway” (officially known as the A1, or the Midland Highway),
but you really need 2 days to fully explore.
ROSS
121km (75 miles) N of Hobart; 78km (48 miles) S of Launceston
One of Tasmania's best preserved historic villages, picturesque Ross was established
as a garrison town in 1812 on a strategically important crossing point on the Mac-
quarie River. Ross Bridge, the third oldest in Australia, was built in 1836 to
replace an earlier one made of logs. The bridge is decorated with Celtic symbols,
animals, and faces of notable people of the time. It is lit up at night, and there are
good views of it from a dirt track that runs along the river's north bank.
The town's main crossroads is edged by four historic buildings, humorously
known as “temptation” (represented by the Man-o'-Ross Hotel), “salvation” (the
Catholic church), “recreation” (the town hall), and “damnation” (the old jail).
The Ross Female Factory, built in the early 1840s, consists of ruins, a few inter-
pretive signs, and a model of the original site and buildings inside the original
Overseer's Cottage. Entry is free. Women convicts were imprisoned here from
1847 to 1854.
At the Tasmanian Wool Centre and tourist information center on Church
Street ( & 03/6381 5466 ), there is an exhibition detailing the growth of the
region and the wool industry since settlement. It's open daily from 9am to 5pm
(until 6pm Jan-Mar), and entry costs A$4 (US$2.60) for adults, A$2 (US$1.30)
for children, and A$10 (US$6.50) for a family.
Where to Stay & Dine
Colonial Cottages of Ross To feel the part, why not stay in one of these
delightful historic cottages. Apple Dumpling Cottage (from around 1880) is a
two-bedroom wooden cottage, sleeping four, with impressive sandstone fireplaces
set on the edge of the village in a rural setting. The spacious Church Mouse Cot-
tage (around 1840), set in an old Sunday School, sleeps just two. Captain
Samuel's Cottage (around 1830), accommodates six people in three bedrooms,
with two double and two single beds. Finally, Hudson Cottage (around 1850)
sleeps four. All cottages have modern bathrooms and kitchen facilities.
12 Church St., Ross, Tasmania 7209. & 03/6381 5354. Fax [phone]. [e-mail]. 4
units. A$138-A$156 (US$90-US$101) for 2 (depending on cottage and season). A$25-A$33 (US$13-US$21)
extra person. MC, V. In room:TV, kitchen.
The Ross Village Bakery and Inn This coaching inn, built in 1832, offers
four homey rooms done in old English style. One room has a double bed,
another a double and two singles. The third is a double, which opens up onto a
fourth room that has two singles (suitable as a family room). A separate lounge