Highlights of Australia: Dutch tulips of Table Cape, Tasmania

Highlights of Australia: Dutch tulips of Table Cape, Tasmania

Australian tulip lovers take note. While thanks to coronavirus, a trip to the world famous Kukenhof Gardens in the Netherlands might be off the table for 2020, that doesn’t mean that you can’t view the finest Dutch tulips at home here in Australia.

At Tasmania‘s largest tulip-bulb farm, near the town of Table Cape on the Bass Strait, farmer and tulip-obsessive Paul Roberts-Thompson grows tulips for the Dutch market. While the Netherlands grows 96% of the world’s tulip supply, Australia supplies a large proportion of the remainder. In fact, the Australian tulip market generates a revenue of about $1.5 million a year. Our tulips are primed to flower in the northern winter, brightening dreary cold days in Europe.

The Table Cape Tulip Farm is ideally placed for tulips, thanks to its location in the cone of an ancient volcano whose rich soils make for some of the best growing conditions anywhere in the world. The farm plants over 4 million tulip bulbs in April each year, which then flower in the first two weeks of October.

Thanks to its origins in the mountains of Iran and Turkey, where a short spring growing season is surrounded by icy winters and hot summers, the tulip is a hardly plant, ideal for growing in Australia. It was first brought here on a large scale by Dutch immigrants fleeing the Second World War. Dozens of Dutch war refugees set up Australia’s first tulip growing region in the Silvan-Monbulk area east of Melbourne. Even today, older tulip farmers in the area continue to speak Dutch. At the farm of Kees Tesselaar, Padua, a tulip festival takes place each spring, highlighting Dutch culture among the spectacular blooms.

Back in Tasmania, the Table Cape Tulip Farm opens up to visitors from late September to the end of October each year, while the nearby town of Wynyard hosts the Bloomin’ Tulip Festival in October.

Odyssey Traveller is now running three tours of Tasmania. Our wildlife tour of Tasmania takes in the spectacular scenery and endemic wildlife of Tasmania. Beginning and ending in Hobart, we start with a day trip to Maria Island, before winding our way up the east coast, taking in the dramatic coastlines of the Freycinet Peninsula National Park and Wineglass Bay. We then head inland to Launceston, where our west coast adventure begins, including the stunning ancient rainforest of the Tarkine, the glacial lakes of Cradle Mountain, Lake St Clair and Dove Lake, and the pristine wilderness of the Franklin-Gordon River National Park – recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Area. We then return to Hobart, enjoying a last day tour of Bruny Island.

You may also be interested in our colonial history of Tasmania tour. This guided tour begins with several nights in Hobart, learning about the early history of the city as a penal settlement. We tour heritage architecture such as Salamanca Market/Salamanca Place, now home to quirky local businesses. From here we head to Launceston and the Tamar Valley region, another early colonial settlement. This tour also makes a visit to Cradle Mountain National Park, and enjoys views of the rugged coastline of Bass Strait from the town of Stanley. This tour itinerary also visits the historic town of Queenstown.

We are also offering a holiday tour of the pristine wilderness of Flinders Island.

Odyssey Traveller has been serving curious mature-aged and senior travellers since 1983, who seek an authentic and informed experience of their travel destination. Each tour is led by an experienced and knowledgeable tour operator/tour guide. The tour price includes hotel accommodation, entrance fees to attractions, transport, and several meals – ranging from group dinners to picnic lunch.

Articles about Australia published by Odyssey Traveller:

• The Kimberley: A Definitive Guide
• Uncovering the Ancient History of Aboriginal Australia
• Aboriginal Land Use in the Mallee
• Understanding Aboriginal Aquaculture
• Mallee and Mulga: Two Iconic and Typically Inland Australian Plant Communities (By Dr. Sandy Scott).
• The Australian Outback: A Definitive Guide
• The Eyre Peninsula: Australia’s Ocean Frontier
• Archaeological mysteries of Australia: How did a 12th century African coin reach Arnhem Land?
• Ancient Aboriginal trade routes of Australia

For all the articles Odyssey Traveller has published for mature aged and senior travellers, click through on this link.

External articles to assist you on your visit to Australia:

• Table Cape Tulip Farm
• The History of the Tulip
• The Australian: Going Dutch