Bridestowe Lavender Estate

Bridestowe was established in 1922 with French lavender seed and is now one of the largest lavender farms in the southern hemisphere, with rows running for kilometres over rolling hills. For roughly four weeks from mid-December the plants flower and the whole property turns purple, harvested in late January by machine and distilled on site for oil. Outside those weeks the rows are green stubble. The estate found unexpected fame through Bobbie the Bear, a heat-pack teddy filled with lavender that became a viral hit in China, and Chinese visitors now make up a large share of the summer traffic. A café, shop and distillery tour operate alongside.

What you actually see

• The flowering rows - kilometres of lavender in bloom over the hills.
• The harvest - machine cutting and on-site distillation in late January.
• The distillery - oil extraction explained on the property.
• Bobbie the Bear - the lavender heat-pack that made the farm internationally known.

When to go

Mid-December to late January for the bloom, which peaks around the turn of the year; the exact window shifts with the season. Outside it the fields are cut and green, and entry is often free but there is little to see.

Honest expectations

The flowering season is short, entry is charged during it, and the farm is crowded at peak. Bees are everywhere in the rows during bloom. Outside the season the visit is a shop and café stop.

Nearby

Launceston lies southwest; Derby and the mountain bike trails are east.