Family Holiday in Tasmania

Teenage boy kayaking down the Ringarooma River on a family holiday in Tasmania - at Tin Dragon Cottages
Kayaking near Tin Dragon Cottages

Are you wondering where to go for a family holiday in Tasmania? Tin Dragon Cottages near Branxholm and Derby is your ideal location in the centre of the North East. We have a 36 Ac alpaca farm surrounded by the Ringarooma River. So you can enjoy the farm, meet the alpacas and chooks, explore bush trails and mess about in the river – in a secluded and safe environment. Of course there is more adventure and great places to eat just a short drive away, too!

Self-Contained Family Cottages

Ah Ping two-bedroom brick family cottage at Tin Dragon Cottages is suitable for a family holiday in Tasmania.
Ah Ping Cottage
The timber Settlers Hut in the bush is suitable for the more adventurous family holiday in Tasmania.
The Settlers Hut
The brick Ah Moy two-bedroom cottage is better suited to two couples or a small family of three.
Ah Moy Cottage

Although there are six cottages at Tin Dragon Cottages, the cottages shown above are best suited to a family holiday in Tasmania. Both Ah Ping and Ah Moy have two bedrooms, however Ah Moy has a queen bed in the second bedroom rather than two single beds. The Settlers Hut has four single bunk beds. Each cottage is fully self-contained with a kitchen and clothes washing machine and you can read more about each cottage on our web site. You can book direct here on our web page, too. Prices start from $160 for a family of four. in the Settlers Hut. Please note that there is a minimum booking requirement of three days over the Christmas to new Year holiday period. Outside these period the minimum booking is for two days.

Function Centre for Small Groups

Tin Dragon Cottages has recently added The Barn to its accommodation offering. The Barn includes a workshop and lounge area with wifi and smart TV. In addition there is a full kitchen. This venue is available for hire.

This charcoal coloured tin barn set in native bush has a large front deck. It is ideal for family holidays.
The Barn

Activities for a Family Holiday in North East Tasmania

On Our Alpaca Farm

Feed the Chooks & Walk with the Alpacas

You are invited to join Graham each morning as he feeds the hungry hordes of chooks and alpacas. Then ramble along with the alpacas for a walk along the river. Just let Graham know the day before, if you would like to join him.

Each morning Graham opens the chook palace and the chooks come flying out! The chooks receive wheat and the alpacas a muesli treat. After the feast he takes the alpacas for some exercise down our front road.

Graham leads a herd of alpacas down thew front lane of Tin Dragon Cottages
Morning walk
Graham feeding grain to a group of hens and one rooster.
Feed the chooks

Mess About in the Ringarooma

The Ringarooma River is just below your cottage. You are most welcome to use the two kayaks which we leave on the river bank. The river is usually quite shallow in summer. So most people can easily stand up in the water. But please ask us for a life-vest and child’s helmet.

Here’s a hint: it is so much easier to paddle upstream! (otherwise you may need a recovery vehicle to bring the kayak back)

By the way, this is a great river to practice your fly-fishing too.

Young teenager kayaking down the Ringarooma River.
James on the river

Trail Blazing – Walk Through an Abandoned Tin Mine

Ah Ping’s Sculpture Walk is an easy 2km walk taking you along the Ormuz/Arba water race and through the historic alluvial tin mine site. At the centre of the tin mine there is a meditation area with sandstone seats. A steel bollard has the inscription, “when you put yourself in another’s position, your wisdom reveals”. Graham and Christine can provide a brief history of Henry Ah Ping and the Chinese miners of Branxholm upon request.

How many Chinese workers can you find hidden in the bush? You get extra points if you can find the abandoned eagle’s nest!

Graham is pointing to a steel sculpture of a traditional Chinese figure carrying baskets over his shoulder.
Graham recounts the history

Farm to Plate – Pick your own!

Locally grown grass-fed beef and sheep and free-range organic pigs provide the most tender and tasty meats you are ever likely to eat! Our local supermarket and the General Store in Derby stock Pyengana Meats and Scottsdale Pork.

At different times of the year our organic garden is bursting with green goodness. You are most welcome to pick your own salad. Just ask us. If you are really lucky there may even be some sweet berries in season. Also, at most times of the year you can collect freshly laid eggs from our wonderful free-range chooks.

A stainless steel bowl filled with a mixture of green salad vegetables.
Pick your salad
A bunch of purple garlic bulbs
Freshly picked garlic
A group pf people are enjoying a selection of foods displayed on a timber picnic table at an outdoor bar-be-que.
Outdoor family bar-be-que

Experience the Wild Life

Echidna coming towards the camera so that you can see its eyes in the lens.
Friendly echidna
A platypus coming out through the front door of our house.
House platypus

Monotremes are only found in Australia and there are only two – the echidna and the platypus. Although these unusual creatures are rarely seen on mainland Australia, we often see them here at Tin Dragon Cottages. Ask us about the house platypus!

A padymelon, also known as a rufus wallaby is sitting in a flower bed.
Padymelon in our flower garden
A brush tail possum sitting on the top of a bar-be-que plate eating a sausage.
Possum cleaning up the BBQ

Many marsupials come out to feed at night. If you go quietly with a torch along the river and on our road you may see bandicoots, quolls, possums and padimelons. On occasions you may be lucky enough to see a wombat, antechinus, or even the most rare Eastern Barred bandicoot. You may hear the distinctive mopoke call… Why not ask us for a flash light?

In Our Region

North East Tasmania is jam-packed full with family-friendly adventures. In fact,there are too many for us to list them all here. So ask us to help you plan your daily itinerary. For example, there are amazing waterfalls, short bush walks, white-sand beaches and tin-mining heritage. For most of the short walks there are great picnic spots, too. Please ask us!

Ralphs Falls as seen from the look out.
Ralphs Falls
St Columba Falls in North East Tasmania
St Columba Falls
Harridge Falls
Harridge Falls
Little Blue Lake near South Mr Cameron in North East Tasmania
Little Blue Lake
The Cube rock
Cube Rock (near Little Blue Lake)
White sandy beach at Little Musselroe in North East Tasmania
Our beaches!
The anchor tin stampers covered in tree ferns
Anchor Stampers
The Big Tree dwarfs Graham who is standing in front of it
Big Tree
Tree carving depicting the soldiers who went away from Legerwood to the first world war.
Legerwood Carvings

Mountain-Biking and Rail-Trail

Just 8 km down the road, Derby is home to one of the world’s premier mountain bike networks. Encompassing 125 km of purpose built mountain bike trails with options to suit all skill levels. If you are new to mountain biking, Derby has an excellent range of options with a pump track for the kids and the stunning newly opened Lake Derby trails and tunnel trail. Derby is also home to the Derby Mini Shredders babysitting service. They offer childcare for families staying in and around Derby (mob: 0413 966 416; minishreddersderby@gmail.com).

Another great family ride is the North East Rail Trail. This trail starts just a few km from Tin Dragon Cottages and will take you 26 km into Scottsdale. Even better- the good news is – it is a gentle down-hill ride most of the way!

An aerial photo man on a mountain bike riding uphill on the winding Axe head Blue Derby Trail.
Blue Derby MTB trails
A young boy on a bicycle riding on the North East rail trail through a rock cutting lines with man ferns.
North East Rail trail
A group of child mountain-bike riders in Derby, Tasmania
Mini Shredders – child-minding service

There are several local businesses that can help make your mountain-biking into an even better experience. For example, you can hire bicycles, including children’s mountain bikes, from Vertigo MTB, Mad MTB and Evolution Biking. Each business also offers uplift shuttles and Vertigo offers skills clinics for beginners. Mad MTB offers airport pick-up shuttles for groups, as does Premium MTB Transfers.

Other Awesome Adventures

Tasmania is world renowned for it fresh-water fishing. And some of the best freshwater is in North East Tasmania. North East Tasmania offers a variety of locations to enjoy trout fishing, from forested rivers to coastal lagoons. Of course you can fish right here at Tin Dragon Cottages, too! But if you love river adventures, you might like to book a tour with Secret River Tours.

A young boy and his farther placing bait on a fishing line with a fresh-water lake in the background.
Fresh-water fishing
Two people each on quad bikes riding beside a farm dam.
Kookaburra Ridge/Facebook
A woman flying between two tree-top platforms on a zip-line.
Tree-tops zip line adventure

Other local businesses offering family-friendly adrenaline rushes are Kookaburra Ridge Quad Bike Tours (for children over 8 years old) just outside Bridport and Hollybank Adventures near Lillydale.

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