DOUBLE WIN FOR CLIFTON BEACH

Congratulations to all the Tasmanian Surf Lifesavers who rounded out their summer on the beaches of Tasmania competing in high level surf competi­tions. Clifton Beach SLSC narrowly denied Burnie SLSC back-to-back club championships by winning the Junior State Championships in Burnie with 455 points, only five points more than the local team. Clifton Beach then took out the double winning the Open State Championships at Carlton Park too. And in the Tasmanian Masters Cham­pionships Carlton Park SLSC defended their title for the fifth year in a row, win­ning the overall point score. Then at the end of March, more than 80 Tasmanian surf lifesavers competed at North Kirra, Queensland for the 2026 Aussies.

NEW NEW NEW

The Rice Corner (22 Francis Street, Battery Point) has opened serving Thai and Vietnamese food, including some lesser known dishes and inspired by the comfort food the three owners grew up with. You can book a table online too (hurrah). Teddy’s wine bar is taking shape in North Hobart just off of the strip with a rooftop outdoor area perfect for enjoying sunny autumn afternoons. And in other wine bar news, Bar Clarry is opening in June in Launceston, more to be revealed soon. Hobart’s iconic shoe shop Icon Footwear (117 Collins Street, Hobart) has new owners. After 27 years, founders Barbara and Bernard have retired. Hobart nearly lost the store last year as the city’s go-to refuge for Birkenstocks, quality footwear, fashion, and comfort. But the saving moment came when new owners Katie and Rory jumped in to take the reins. Today, Icon Footwear remains a key part of the vibrant Hobart CBD. You’ll find more shoes than ever, supported by the same team and their amazing shoe knowledge. That Preloved Place (24 Clifton Drive, Sorell) have opened their brand new space in Sorell, filled with vintage, designer, retro and pre­loved clothes. Open seven days a week from 10am.

WITCHY BUSINESS

Congrats to local theatre group Bad Company Theatre, who recently took away three gongs at the Tasmanian Theatre Awards. All three pertained to their show Sunday Roast (Best Ensemble; Best Supporting Actress – Benedicta McGeown and Best Lead Actress – Rosemary Cann). This year the awards were held in the North West for the first time, at the Burnie Arts Centre. Congratulations also go to Rooke, Second Echo Ensemble, Mudlark, Jane Longhurst, PLOT, Ulverstone Repertory Theatre Society, Terrapin, Bijou, Big Job Productions, Hobart Repertory Theatre Society, Launceston Players, Encore Theatre Company, The Show Company, The Old Nick Company and The Show Company. What a list! Bad Com­pany’s newest show is Witch by Jen Silverman and directed by Emma Skalicky, a forgotten Jacobean drama featuring the devil and a woman whose village has deemed her a witch. It’s at The Hidden Theatre from 10-18 April, with a special storytelling night on the 13th. Book via Trybooking.

COATS FOR TASSIE KIDS THIS WINTER

The team at Tassie Mums is already thinking about winter, and making sure every Tasmanian kid has a warm coat to get through it. Their annual Coats for Kids campaign launched on 1 April, and they’re calling on the community to start sorting through wardrobes for donations. If you’ve got good-quality coats your kids have grown out of, this is a great place to send them. It’s a busy season for the organisation beyond the campaign too. They’ll be at the opening of the new Spring Farm Village shopping centre on 30 May, and the team are already working on prizes for their annual raffle in August. www.tassiemums.org/coats-for-kids

THREE CAPES CLOSED

The Three Capes Track will be closed from 13-26 April for planned burns and annual maintenance (part of the statewide fuel reduction program). The Old Cape Pillar Track and Bare Knoll Campground will also be closed, but the Cape Huay and Crescent Bay tracks remain open, as does Fortescue Bay Campground. More info and a full list of open spaces in the region can be found at www.parks.tas.gov.au

TASMANIA’S AI FUTURE GETS A $5 BILLION BOOST

A Launceston data centre deal worth $5 billion is set to contribute to Tasmania’s AI landscape. Aurora Energy recently signed a three-year power agreement with Firmus Technologies, an Austra­lian company building what the indus­try calls “AI Factories” – large-scale computing facilities that crunch data for businesses and researchers around the world. Under the deal, Firmus will begin ramping up its Tasmanian opera­tions from August 2026, drawing up to 104MW of power by November.

The project promises hundreds of jobs for Launceston across construction, tech operations, energy management and software engineering, with training pathways aimed specifically at young Tasmanians entering the industry. Aurora Energy CEO Nigel Clark described it as “strong commercial value for Tasmania,” pointing to the state’s clean-energy advantage as a natural drawcard for energy-hungry AI infrastructure.

Firmus co-CEO Oliver Curtis – and husband of Australian PR and business personality Roxy Jacenko – said the Tasmanian roots of the company made the agreement particularly meaningful. “We’re a proudly Tasmania-founded company, so this agreement means a great deal to us. Ultimately, this is about creating new baseload so that our AI factories are a grid asset, not grid strain.” The project also carries national ambitions, with Firmus’s Project South­gate expected to catalyse up to 5.1GW of new renewable energy capacity across Australia.

THE WINE IS RUNNING LATE

Better late than never? This year’s wine grape harvest has finally kicked off after an odd start. Paul Smart, Wine Tasma­nia’s Viticulture and Winemaking Offi­cer, said the 2025/26 growing season has been unpredictable. “It’s been a rather unusual season here in Tasmania. A very cool spring was followed by a mild summer and little rainfall, which means conditions have been dry, and grapes have ripened more slowly than usual.” The first grapes to be harvested are for sparkling wine, with harvesting likely to continue through to late May and potentially even June for later styles and varieties. “A slower season like this can be a good thing when it comes to flavour development in our wines,” explained Smart. “While yields are expected to be down around 30 per cent compared with last year’s record high production, we’re anticipating excellent quality and plenty of fruit intensity”. With vineyards entering the most sensitive period of the season, Wine Tasmania is also remind­ing landholders to work with nearby vineyards if and when planning burns. “Vineyards are particularly susceptible to smoke exposure at this time of year,” said Smart. “We’re simply asking people to have a quick proactive conversation with nearby vineyards before lighting a fire. Sometimes there may be limited risk based on weather conditions and the stage of harvest. Sometimes a short postponement may be all that’s needed to avoid potential damage.” More info on smoke taint can be found here: wine­tasmania.com.au/smokeandvineyards

DID YOU HEAR THE ONE ABOUT THE POSSUM AT THE AIRPORT?

We don’t have a punchline for this one, sorry, but we loved the story of the real possum found nestled among soft na­tive animal plush toys for sale at one of the airport souvenir shops last month. Apparently the possum was discovered mid morning on a Wednesday, first staying calm and snuggly then going for a walk around part of the terminal and causing some chaos (and starring in many photos and videos). Poss was safely escorted out of the building. But did the sniffer dogs give it a good once over on the way past?

KNOW SOMEONE WHO DESERVES A SHOUT OUT FOR VOLUNTEERING?

Devonport City Council is recognising the amazing volunteers in the communi­ty with Certificates of Recognition for National Volunteer Week. This year it’s running across Australia from 18–25 May and the theme is Your Year to Volun­teer. Community groups can nominate volunteers who have volunteered in the Devonport area in the past 12 months by completing the online form by Tuesday 5 May at www.devonport.tas.gov.au. To request Devonport Mayor Alison Jarman to present certificates at your event, email council@devonport.tas.gov.au to arrange.

SOCCER CONTINUES TO DOMINATE PARTICIPATION NUMBERS IN TAS

As soccer season begins, we wonder whether 2026 will be another re­cord-breaking year for participation? 2025 saw a 32 per cent increase in par­ticipation in soccer in Tasmania, with 41,395 registered participants across outdoor football, futsal, community and school programs. Outdoor football saw a 4 per cent growth, and 27 per cent of participants were female. Foot­ball Tasmania Chief Executive Officer Tony Pignata OAM said: “Football’s ever-growing popularity is reflected in this huge increase in participation right across the State. What we need now is for our governments to help provide us with the facilities we need to support this continued growth,” he said. Foot­ball Tasmania is seeking funding to de­velop an $80 million Home of Football in the State, to provide additional pitch­es and modern facilities for all levels of the game, from juniors to elite, and an A-League club for Tasmania. They’re hoping for six full-sized pitches (three synthetic and three turf) plus four five-aside pitches for all levels of communi­ty and elite football, as well as modern women’s and men’s change rooms and training facilities.

ART BY ANY OTHER NAME

A new exhibition from Second Echo Ensemble encourages us to appreciate art without knowing anything about the art­ist. In [Let the] Art Speak, artists remain anonymous, from the selection period through to exhibition. “This is about stripping things back,” said Maggie May Jeffries, lead artist provocateur for [Let the] Art Speak. “When you remove identity, you start to see how much weight we place on it, and what happens when the artwork has to speak for itself.” A public program running throughout the exhibition will extend the conver­sation, with panel discussions with art sector leaders including Caine Chennatt, Sharifah Emalia Al-Gadrie, Zara Sully, Luke John Campbell, Jane Barlow and the Second Echo Ensemble curatorial team. Check it out at Long Gallery at the Salamanca Arts Centre until 11 April.

NEW FESTIVAL FOR BOOK LOVERS

The inaugural Nipaluna/Hobart Readers and Writers Festival is set to be a vibrant five-day celebration of literature, story-telling and creating connection, taking place in Hobart from 28 May–1 June 2026. Produced by Island, this new festival will feature a mix of in-conversations, panels, workshops, readings and performances. The program features more than fifty writers including Hannah Kent, Shaun Tan, Garth Nix, Robbie Arnott, Aman­da Lohrey and Steve Toltz. Events span author conversations, panels, master­classes and a schools program. Tickets from $25, with free events included.

NEWLY ACCESSIBLE TRAIL

The lovely Ferndene walking track in the Dial Range is the first nature trail in the north-west to be made wheelchair-accessible. The upgrades, along the Ferndene to Thoresby’s Tunnel track, include the installation of an elevated boardwalk, a viewing platform and three new bridges.

FREE GRAFFITI CLEAN-UP KITS

Glenorchy City Council is offering free graffiti removal kits of residents and businesses across the municipality. The kits are available to locals and business owners who are willing to re­move graffiti from their property them­selves, in the hope that the community will feel empowered to act quickly to reduce the impact of graffiti and pos­sibly discourage re-tagging. “Graffiti can have a real impact on how safe and welcoming our neighbourhoods feel,” Mayor Sue Hickey said. “When graffiti is removed promptly, it sends a strong message that our community cares and won’t tolerate vandalism.” Mayor Hickey said the additional sup­port was on top of Council’s ongoing graffiti removal program, not instead of it. Anyone interested in receiving a free graffiti removal kit can get in touch via email at gccmail@gcc.tas.gov.au, or by calling 03 6216 6800.

KINGBOROUGH SOLVES THE MOST

Kingborough Council is the winner of the Tasmanian Top Solver Award, based on its strong performance in the Snap Send Solve 2025 Community Satisfac­tion Index Ranking. “Snap Send Solve is a mobile app that allows residents to quickly report issues by taking a photo and sending it directly to Council,” Mayor Paula Wriedt said. “These reports can relate to anything from graffiti and potholes to dumped rubbish, trip hazards, illegal parking and more. We’re proud to receive this award,” she continued. “It shows what we can achieve when our community works with us to keep King­borough safe, clean and vibrant.”

TONES AND I TO PLAY ULVERSTONE?

Aussie pop star Tones and I hinted at a Tassie gig, posting on her social media page “ULVERSTONE. What you doing first week [of] May?” Tones has been running a challenge encouraging regional communities to get the most support for an affordable gig in town, and Ulverstone seems to be up there. Watch this space!