Meadowbank Lake: The Ultimate Picnic Day Trip
The Covid era might not make anyone’s list of 21st-century highlights, but it did leave behind a few silver linings, amongst them an almost universal improvement in personal hygiene practices, flexible work arrangements … and the resurgence of the picnic. Years on, the casual outdoor meal is adored for more than its ability to put social distance and fresh air between diners. The humble picnic’s enduring charm lies in its invitation to slow down, soak up the surroundings, and savour one of life’s simplest pleasures.
In Tassie, Meadowbank Lake offers the perfect backdrop for this timeless ritual: sparkling waters, rolling hills, shady nooks, and easy access to some of the state’s most delicious produce. Here’s our suggested itinerary for your next lakeside picnic lunch day, just over an hour’s drive from Hobart.
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Meadowbank Lake (image: Lara Christie)
PACK YOUR PICNIC
There’s no need to think too hard about your menu pre-departure - the trip from Hobart to Meadowbank offers plenty of stops for delicious eats and drinks. Plan your picnic for a Friday or weekend, and let The Agrarian Kitchen fill the wicker basket for you. Open from 11am-2pm Friday-Sunday, the award-winning New Norfolk enterprise serves up an ever-changing selection of house-made pastries, cakes, sandwiches and salads from its outdoor kiosk. Think seasonal savoury danishes and nostalgia-laced buns - bonus points if you get there before the sausage rolls sell out.
For Monday-Thursday travels, drop into one of Hobart’s many specialty grocers - Hill Street, Salamanca Fresh and Blac Fig are some of our favourites - on the way out, and make a beeline for the deli section. A selection of your favourite cured meats, olives, gooey cheeses, and artisan sourdough puts the “pick” in picnic.
Save a bit of room in your basket for the inevitable roadside stall that will pop up on your journey. Depending on the time of year, you can stumble upon homegrown citrus, tomatoes, stone fruits and root vegetables from unassuming little cubby holes outside a local market gardener’s front yard.
The Agrarian Kitchen Kiosk (image: Anna Critchley)
CAFFEINATE
The historic neighbourhood of New Norfolk marks almost exactly the halfway point between Hobart and Meadowbank, so it makes very good sense to stop in for a mid-trip caffeine hit. Just off the town’s main street on Stephen Street, Black Swan Bookshop is as much a trove of excellent reading material - complete with intel and recommendations generously shared by owner Alexander Okenyo and his team - as it is a purveyor of specialty coffee. Browse the shelves for the next addition to your TBR pile, and order an espresso to tide you over to lunchtime.
SOMETHING SWEET
Half an hour from your picnic destination, Westerway Raspberry Farm provides the sweetest final detour. Locally made berry jams, soft and spiked drinks, frozen berries, and scoops of Tassie ice cream favourite Valhalla are available year-round, and there’s more than 40 hectares’ worth of pick-your-own berries to be done in the right season. From classic strawberries, raspberries and blackberries, to more boutique varieties like silvanberries, tayberries and josterberries, check the farm’s socials for what’s on offer when you’re passing through.
Westerway Raspberry Farm (image: Pete Harmsen)
LAY OUT THE GINGHAM RUG
It’s almost lakeside picnic time. Continue north-west along Ellendale Road until you hit the calm waters of Meadowbank Lake - you’ll know it when you see it. Take the bridge across to the eastern side of the water, where you’re spoilt for shady nooks in which to roll out the rug and settle in. With views and atmosphere like this, you’ll be glad there’s nothing left to do now but open the basket and enjoy the bits and pieces you collected along the way.
Meadowbank Lake (image: Lara Christie)
