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ROSS
Australia’s Finest Heritage Village: a rave review by canines Bella and Cassie
Ross was designed by someone with a love of us canines as the Main Street is chock-a-block with trees, glorious trees, offering shade and endless sniff opportunities. The absolute best time of the year for a canine visit is autumn when these trees shed humongous amounts of leaves that are irresistible if you're the sort of dog who relishes diving into warm earthy-aromatic foliage. Be warned though - only play and frolic in the leaves scattered in gutters. Don’t go near those raked into piles and about to be removed by local Council workers. For some reason they don't find us playing in these neat leaf piles at all cute. Humans: who can fathom what goes on in their minds?
As you travel into Ross stare intently at your pet leader and communicate” “Drive to the Tasmanian Wool Centre in Church Street.” Continue to repeat this mantra until you're parked outside the Wool Centre which is also the Visitor Information Centre. At this point your pack-leader will undoubtedly turn to you and say “Look! How clever of me - I found the visitor centre without any assistance. “ Resist the urge to sneer or snigger; remember your packleader is firstly, only human and secondly, the provider of your food.
So politely wait while pack-leader trots into the centre to visit the heritage museum, collect the town walking map and enjoy the warm hospitality of the centres very friendly and knowledgeable staff.
Ross is compact so it's an ideal place to explore on paw and foot. We recommend leaving your vehicle outside the Wool Centre and making your first walk from here down to the intersection of Bridge Street – where the Cenotaph is. If your pack-leader has a town walking guide in hand, you will inevitably stop here while she studies what’s called ‘The Four Corners’ as there are four buildings facing this intersection. They're all ancient (well, in doggie years they are!): the Man O’Ross Hotel, the Roman Catholic Church, the original town gaol and the town hall. Humans label these buildings in the order we've just listed as ‘Temptation’ ‘Salvation’, ‘Damnation’ and ‘Recreation.’
We have doggified them as ‘Temptation’ (to nick a sausage off the BBQ), ‘Salivation’ (that joyful feeling just before scoffing said sausage), ‘Dalmation’ (couldn’t liken it to anything but it rhymes) and ‘Retrieveration’ (retrievers are all about recreation aren’t they?). It makes so much more sense…..
Strolling on down Church Street will take you through the heart of Ross where there are many interesting, small specialty shops in lovingly restored heritage buildings. Be prepared to spend considerable time waiting for your packleader outside these shops. You won't be bored: anytime we’ve been there we've had lots of pats from passing tourists who have left their dogs at home (SHAME ON THEM), and are (quite rightly) missing their canine companions.
Once you've walked up one side of Church Street and down the other, resist the temptation to head back to your vehicle. Instead, lead your pack-leader along Bridge Street to the Macquarie River and the site of the famous Ross Bridge. Your pack-leader will inevitably want to spend time here viewing and photographing the intricate carvings on the bridge. It is beyond us how the convict stonemason who did the carvings in the 1830s go away with doing them, as some are very unflattering portrayals of very important people of that era.
If it's a hot day and you’re up for a swim we suggest accessing the river on the eastern side of the bridge as the ducks that congregate on the river near the picnic area can be quite feisty, and might require you to make an undignified hasty retreat from the water. As we all know, our behaving like that makes humans laugh and that definitely isn't good for our doggie egos is it?
Another ‘must-do’ walk is from the Wool Centre up Church Street (the opposite direction to the town centre) to find a path down the bank that will lead you to the female factory. Please do approach this path with care and take it slowly as it is steep and if you pull, your pack-leader may fall and sustain an injury. Then you won’t get your daily walk for a considerable period of time.
The Female Factory was a convict women’s work prison and scores of their babes are buried nearby: so don't be surprised if your hackles automatically rise as you enter the site.
Upon heading back into town, savour the food at one of the cafes with an outdoor dining area. You can enjoy a tasty homemade party pie whilst your pack-leader dines on gourmet local produce.
Feeling tired? Then snuggle overnight in dog-friendly accommodation. Woof!!
ROSS ITINERARY
Target market: “Empty-Nester” couple travelling with their canine companion
Day One
10am - Tasmanian Wool and Ross Visitor Information Centre
Meet the friendly and knowledgeable staff, absorb the history of Ross through the permanent and short-term changing exhibitions in the museum, buy fine quality woollen garments and accessories, collect a Ross Information Guide Book and Female Factory Guide Map. Collect your canine companion and go for a stroll to…..
11.30am - Ross Village Bakery
Settle in the outdoor dining area and order from the bakery’s extensive range of pies, pastries, breads, buns and cakes – all cooked in this historic building’s original wood-fired oven. Find out why Japanese tourists make a pilgrimage to this bakery (hint: it’s all to do with the animation ‘Kiki the Witch’).
12.30pm - The Four Corners of Ross
After your satisfying meal, use your town guidebook to stroll the short distance to The Four Corners of Ross, where you will become immersed in the stories of four historic town buildings.
1pm - Ross Bridge and riverbanks
Stroll the short distance to the historic Ross Bridge – a fine tribute to the hard labours of convicts – and admire the 186 intricate carvings around the bridge’s 6 arches. Indulge your canine companion’s love of sniffing new territory by taking a romantic walk down Lover’s Lane, and then follow the riverbank path to…..
2.30pm - Ross Female Factory
The stories of the convict women and their babes, incarcerated here between 1847-1854 when the site was a convict probationary station, is chronicled on the graphic wall panels within the onsite stone cottage. Then stroll back into the village to…….
4pm - Man O’Ross Hotel
It’s well and truly time for you and your canine companion to relax in the tranquil beer garden of this c. 1832 magnificent building. Savour a Tassie wine or ale (and a saucer of fine Tassie water) and after viewing the menu, book a table for dinner.
5pm - Ross Caravan Park Collect your vehicle from outside the Wool Centre, and drive the short distance to your accommodation at the Ross Caravan Park – either self-contained if you have a mobile home, or in one of the park’s heritage-listed cabins.
After dinner - Ross Village
Ross is magical after dark. The streets are free of day-visitor cars and there is a sense of peace as the vintage street lights shed a warm amber glow of filtered light through the Elm trees onto the quiet streets below. Savour viewing the village’s floodlit features including the picturesque Village Green, the Bridge, Cenotaph and churches. Also the absence of city lights makes Ross perfect for star-gazing.
Day Two
9am - Ross Bakery
After a refreshing sleep, enjoy a leisurely breakfast in this bakery’s outdoor dining area – there is bound to be a treat on hand for your canine companion.
10am - Church Street
It’s now time to explore the village’s many delightful shops – all with convenient canine tie-up points at the front. Don’t miss ‘The Wrinkly Tin’s’ massive vintage/retro collection plus more, ‘Classwood’s’ quirky opening hours sign, and ‘1821 Crafts, Gifts and Plants’ – filled to the brim with items handmade by local artists. A short walk up Church Street to the ‘Species Hotel’ (restorative habitats for the area’s diverse native wildlife) is highly recommended.
2pm - Ross Bakery or Ross Village Bakery
Depending on your appetite and food preferences, you can choose between lunch at the Villager Bakery including devouring the BEST vanilla slice in the world, and lunch at the Ross Bakery that serves the best scallop pies in Tasmania (both bakeries made superb sausage rolls that canines adore).
3pm - Bid farewell to Ross as you leave feeling refreshed, serene and determined to return for another dose of Ross’ restorative magic.
