JUST 45 minutes from Hobart, the riverside town of Franklin is the place for a picnic lunch with a difference.
Fat Pig Farm Afloat takes you on a two-hour cruise along the Huon River while you kick back and dine on southern Tassie's finest small-batch produce from Fat Pig Farm, run by television chef Matthew Evans.
The Saturday lunch cruises, running from November through February, are aboard the good ship Yukon.
Rescued from the bottom of a harbour near Copenhagen, the beautiful 80-year old Scandinavian tall ship now calls the tranquil waters of the Huon River home.
With skipper David Nash at Yukon's helm, you can hoist the square sail, learn about the ship's amazing history, or just sit back and enjoy a picnic basket filled with farmhouse goodness such as cheeses, free-range Fat Pig Farm ham and a selection of charcuterie, wood-fired bread and sweet treats.
The picnic cruise, which costs $180 a head, includes a choice of two drinks, which may be Tasmanian wine, Huon Valley apple juice, local cider or beer, or Fat Pig Farm Fruit Shrub with a splash of local gin. With sufficient notice, dietary requirements can be catered for.
Matthew Evans is a chef by trade who is also the host of Gourmet Farmer on SBS. He is an advocate for sustainable seafood and is a strong believer in knowing and trusting what you eat.
His 28-hectare family farm in the Huon Valley is home to Wessex saddleback pigs, chooks, a beef herd, a market garden, milking cows, a heritage orchard and a newly planted olive grove.
For information click HERE