ST HELENS - BAY OF FIRES
Leaving the Launceston region behind, we made our way towards our next destination, St Helens, with a stop in the charming historic village of Evandale. Often regarded as one of Tasmania's best-preserved heritage towns, Evandale is lined with beautifully restored late-Georgian and early-Victorian buildings, many dating back to 1809, giving visitors the feeling of stepping back in time. One of our favourite discoveries was the Evandale Village Store, housed in the original general store built in 1843. Remarkably, it has traded continuously ever since, and much of the original shop fit-out remains today, making it a fascinating place to browse. For lunch, we settled into the historic Clarendon Arms, a heritage-listed hotel built in 1847 by English settler Thomas Fall. Rich in history, the pub is renowned for its convict-built brick beer garden and its connection to the father of the infamous bushranger Ned Kelly. On a chilly winter's day, there was no better place to enjoy lunch ...