Hiba Bruny Island, TASMANIA
Airing Date: May 19th, 2003
Bruny Island is an island, off an island, off another island, and has all the wild beauty and rugged coastline that you need in an island escape.
Located off the tip of Tasmania, Bruny Island, is about 50 kilometres long and is home to some spectacular scenery. If you're looking for a rugged coastline, rolling green hills and a fascinating history, Bruny Island is an ideal place to get away from it all.
The first European to visit the island was Abel Tasman, who sailed his ship along the coast in 1642. Several other explorers visited the island but it wasn't until a Frenchman by the name of Bruni D'Entrecasteaux visited the island that it got its name. Today Bruny has only 300 people living on it two of those are Michael and Robert, who have run Hiba 'castle' for the past seven years.
Hiba, an Arabic word for 'gift from heaven', is a grand mansion that's perched on the hillside overlooking the treacherous ocean.
While it doesn't look like a castle in the traditional sense it oozes grandeur and elegance. Complete with its own guest wing, the house is occasionally open for visitors to stay overnight. When the house isn't available for guests, there's a very cosy self-contained cottage just behind the house. It accommodates two and is the ideal retreat for a romantic getaway.
The gardens surrounding Hiba are a big hit with visitors. Among eight hectares of landscaped gardens there are magnificent rose and rhododendron walks under canopies of eucalyptus trees. Walking along the path you'll also find a wall that was constructed with rocks quarried by convicts from 1830. A tour of the garden costs $5.
Hiba is also home to a fudge factory, which Michael began running about 10 years ago. There are 15 different varieties of fudge, ranging from Devonshire style cream to chocolate sauce fudge, and each packet sells for around $3.95.
The Hothouse across the road from Hiba offers delicious food, with most of the ingredients either coming from the garden or from the sea. Among the dishes to choose from is a homemade damper with herbs and a Bruny Island fresh oyster platter that costs about $20.
The facts
Hiba offers accommodation for $185 dollars per night per double, including breakfast.
Hiba
Tel: 03 6293 1456
A return ticket on the ferry from Kettering costs $21 dollars per car. It's a 15-minute trip and bookings are not required.
Car Ferry from Kettering
Tel: 03 6273 6725
