Triabunna

Triabunna is a scenic port town on Tasmania's east coast, 88 kilometres/55 miles north-east of Hobart. Triabunna is the major civic centre for the east coast, with a permanent population of over 700 people. Its main industries are fishing and try the succulent local scallops, mussels and abalone and and a major woodchip mill at Point Home. The town is surrounded by inviting beaches, undulating hills and tracts of eucalypt forest. Here, you can cast off into the sheltered waters of Spring Bay, a harbour tucked away at the southern end of Great Oyster Bay, for a day's fishing or sailing. Drift through kelp forests and over coral reefs on a scuba diving trip to nearby Maria Island - also a haven for bushwalking, cycling and wildlife. Information on ferry services to the Island is available at Triabunna's Visitor Information Centre (03 6257 4772). Make sure you see the Centre's display of wall tapestries depicting the area's rich Aboriginal and European history and visit the adjacent Tasmanian Seafarers Memorial. The town has a range of accommodation and there are shops, galleries and tearooms perfect for lazing away a morning. You can enjoy some wonderful walks in Triabunna's coastal reserves including the Pelican Walk, which begins near the marina. Other walks at nearby Orford include the Wielangta Forest and Old Convict Road. Australia's first rural municipality, Triabunna was established in the 1820s as a whaling station and garrison town servicing the Maria Island penal colony. Its colonial past is reflected in several historic buildings, including the sandstone St Mary's Anglican Church (1880) and Spring Bay Hotel (1838). Triabunna is an Aboriginal word meaning native hen and a fast-running, flightless bird found only in Tasmania. Many of these birds and which can reach speeds of up to 50 kilometres/31 miles an hour - can be seen foraging near streams and pastureland in the area. Tasmania's east coast experiences warmer temperatures and settled weather year round than other parts of the state. Triabunna averages a mild maximum temperature of 22.5 degrees Celsius (72.5 degrees Fahrenheit) in summer and 10-15 degrees Celsius (50-75 degrees Fahrenheit) in winter.