Glaziers Bay: Saffron, Wine Growing and the Huon Estuary

Glaziers Bay combines local history with wine and saffron production, as well as the Huon Estuary Marine Conservation Area. Different themes can shape your trip planning: a historic timber house and early settlement history, regional produce with its own growing conditions, and an estuary of great ecological importance.

Local history along Cygnet Coast Road

R House, a single-storey timber house dating from around 1850 to 1860, stands on Cygnet Coast Road in Glaziers Bay. Its approximate date makes the house a landmark in the area’s built heritage. The settlement history of Pierce and Catherine Grace provides a separate local connection: both were sentenced to transportation to Van Diemen’s Land in 1844 and later settled as free citizens in Glaziers Bay on the Huon River. A named house and a personal settlement story thus offer two different perspectives on Glaziers Bay.

Wine growing and saffron production

At Tas-Saff, saffron production and tastings are the focus. Terry and Nicky Noonan established the business in 1990 on a three-acre property overlooking the Huon River in Glaziers Bay; today, Tas-Saff is a commercial saffron producer. Tas-Saff describes itself as the saffron centre south of the equator. Saffron is harvested every year in April and May. Free tastings of saffron gin and saffron tea are also available. If you would like to learn more about growing high-quality Tasmanian saffron, farm visits are available by appointment.

Elsewhere Vineyard is one of Australia’s southernmost vineyards and offers views of the Huon River. Its southern location provides suitable conditions for growing cool-climate grapes; long ripening periods allow maximum flavour development. As a result, Elsewhere Vineyard’s produce reflects different growing conditions from those at saffron producer Tas-Saff. The vineyard offers cellar-door tastings. Check current visiting arrangements before your visit, as these may change.

Farming and planning your visit

Fat Pig Farm raises Wessex Saddleback pigs and grows vegetables; it also fattens goats and milks a Jersey cow to produce whole milk. These farming activities are another facet of food production in Glaziers Bay. The farm is gradually reopening to the public. Check the current arrangements for visitors before planning a visit.

Huon Estuary: habitats and conservation area

The Huon Estuary Marine Conservation Area stretches from Huonville Bridge in the north to Glaziers Bay in the south. It encompasses an almost pristine estuarine habitat of great ecological importance. The area is an important migration habitat for the endangered Australian grayling. Whitebait find feeding, spawning and resting areas there, while sharks have nursery and refuge areas. These examples show the estuary’s different functions: it supports the migration of the Australian grayling and also provides habitats for different life stages of whitebait and sharks.

Discover more destinations: Adventure Bay, Hawley Beach, Strathgordon, Lebrina, Moonah, Waratah, Dennes Point, Austins Ferry

For the main travel overview: Tasmania.