Vacation Golf: Tasmania

From Victoria Golf Club, we headed to Moorabbin Airport to board a flight to Tasmania. It was bittersweet to leave Melbourne after five fantastic days, but we were also excited for the next leg of our journey. None of us had been to Tasmania before, which added to the intrigue of the destination.

Arrival Day: January 1st, Tasmania

I remember seeing a propeller whirling and feeling quite warm as our plane prepared for takeoff in Melbourne. It’s hard to believe that Australia used to be a penal colony for Great Britain and Ireland, seeing how serene things seem now. I wondered how Tasmania differed from Melbourne. I had learned while researching visas that Tasmania is an island state of Australia. Bass Strait separates Tasmania from mainland Australia, and apparently it’s one of the roughest stretches of ocean in the world. I wondered if that meant more dangerous convicts were sent there, assuming they were truly criminals. I fell asleep with these thoughts swirling in my head, and it must have unlocked a new level of REM, as I have no recollection of the inflight experience. If it weren’t for the vibrations of the plane during landing, I probably would have stayed asleep beyond the hour-long flight.

We lifted the final piece of luggage from the plane and were greeted by a fleet of trucks. Our friendly shuttle drivers were taking us to Barnbougle, a property that would become our home base for the next two days. During the 8-minute commute, we received a rundown of the local wildlife. We learned that wallabies and wombats were plentiful in Tasmania, but danger was lurking in the bushes here. Our driver advised us not to wander beyond the fairway, as a few species of poisonous snakes could have taken residence in the longer grass.

We dropped off bags at our cottages and met up at the restaurant on property for dinner. Perched atop a steep hill, the Lost Farms restaurant at Barnbougle offers the most spectacular views of the sea and surrounding landscape. From the restaurant, I could see the Marram grass swaying in the wind, as if it were waving hello to us.

The stunning views were second only to the presentation and taste of the incoming food. My main course was Mariners Pie, which according to the menu was “Tasmanian fresh farmed salmon, local scallops, and king prawn tails in a light curry and cream white wine sauce topped with crispy filo.” We also shared their house cheesecake, which came accompanied by poached pear and double cream. It was one of the most delicious meals I’ve ever had.

Janaury 2nd, Barnbougle Lost Farm

After a good night’s rest and putting away a casual but delicious Eggs Benedict for breakfast, we headed to Barnbougle’s Lost Farm course for our 8:30 a.m. tee time. Established in 2010 and designed by Coore and Crenshaw, a golf architectural firm established by Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore, Lost Farm is currently ranked in the top 100 courses in the world list. This 20-hole track features holes that run along the coast and inland and carries two additional par 3’s on the back nine. After playing the first few, I noticed there were many strategically placed bunkers throughout the holes, and though the course is not overly narrow, the undulating greens and elevation change demand precision.

We played an alternate shot match on this day, and I partnered with another coach to take on a duo of team members. Our golf games were a little less sharp as a group, but there was plenty to talk about between the majestic views of the shoreline and the lack of man-made objects in every direction. It truly felt like we were playing golf on the edge of the earth.

At lunch, we shared a couple of pizzas, and a few of us went back for a second eighteen at Lost Farm. Another small group went to play Bougle Run, a 14-hole short course on property that opened recently. I was bummed to be missing out on both experiences, but my legs were starting to feel like logs. I decided it would be best to pace myself given the many can’t-miss rounds that still lie ahead.

Group dinner that night was a quicker meal at The Dunes Clubhouse. The restaurant was a short walk from our cottages, so it was nice and convenient. I had a salmon salad for dinner and a pecan pie with vanilla bean ice cream and wild berry coulis to finish. After dinner, I walked back to my cottage and repacked a few bags, as I knew we were leaving again the next day.

January 3rd, Barnbougle The Dunes

The next morning, we met up at The Dunes Clubhouse for breakfast at 6:45 a.m. I enjoyed another delicious Eggs Benedict, this time with smoked salmon. For the first time in my life, I tried Vegemite, the popular Australian spread. The paste is dark brown in color and smells quite pungent. The smell reminded me a bit of Better Than Bouillon’s vegetable base. I found the taste to be a lot better than its smell, and learned that the paste is made from brewers' yeast and seasonings and contains lots of B vitamins. I wouldn’t say I became an instant fan of Australia’s iconic paste, but while traveling abroad, it’s something that I could easily scrape on my toast to get the full experience.

Our group began play at Barnbougle’s original course, The Dunes, at 7 a.m. This Tom Doak and Michael Clayton design was another masterpiece. The track features spectacular views of the natural landscape, and balances approachability and challenge extremely well, alternating between generous landing areas, steep drop offs, a few almost drivable par 4’s, and speedy, multi-tiered greens that demand good placement on approach shots. The course felt quite different from Lost Farm, and it became my new favorite course on property by a tiny margin.

My playing partners pointed out a big striped lizard on the 13th tee, but none of us was quite sure of its name despite Google’s assistance. The picture doesn’t quite do it justice - we should have included an object for scale.

After our rounds we packed up our bags and said goodbye to our wonderful hosts and restaurant staff. It was bittersweet to be leaving our temporary home base for the past few days. I hope to return to Barnbougle one day when the third course is built.

We arrived on time for our flight, which was headed back to Melbourne. I made sure to stay awake on the short flight to savor the gorgeous aerial views before sunset.

Our original bus driver greeted us when we landed, and helped us load bags into our trusty trolley buddy. We headed to a hotel that was within walking distance of Melbourne Airport. Since our flight to New Zealand didn’t depart until the following morning, we needed to stay overnight at an airport hotel.

January 4th, Travel to Auckland, New Zealand

I packed my bags before going to sleep, as I wanted additional time to enjoy the hotel’s breakfast buffet in the morning. The front desk staff raved about their breakfast bar, so I had a feeling it would be memorable. It certainly didn’t disappoint. From the hot bar with breakfast classics such as scrambled eggs, baked beans, and crispy hash browns to an actual make-your-own fresh vegetable juice bar with carrots, ginger, celery, and kale, it was the definition of breakfast of champions.

I skipped the shuttle and crossed the street to the airport to log a few extra steps. There were signs that warned of swooping birds along the walkway, so I braced myself for a different type of inflight experience. Luckily, I didn’t see any action on my short commute.

Our flight was delayed by about an hour, so I had time to grab a coffee. I enjoyed a delicious iced latte from Mocopan, which, interestingly, was served in a paper cup. It was delicious and refreshing.

It was a relief when we finally boarded the plane to Auckland, as we were on a tight schedule. I had never been to New Zealand before and was excited to be visiting the next country on our journey. I had a feeling it was going to be more extraordinary than imagined, and I was right.