Escape to Cygnet: The scenic Tasmanian town comparable to bohemian Byron Bay, without the crowds

Cygnet is laughingly referred to as Tassie’s answer to Byron Bay. With a bustling arts community, scenic beaches and a population that tends toward the bohemian, the descriptor is right on the money. 

The main exception to Bryon is of course, the sunny temperatures. Located in the Huon Valley, at the southern end of the state, Cygnet’s winters are bitterly cold and summer temperatures are lucky to reach a maximum of 22.

But it doesn’t bother the locals. In fact, a good deal of them have migrated from warmer climes to enjoy the cool weather and lush surrounds Tasmania’s so well known for. 

A 50-minute drive south of Hobart, day-trippers love to venture to Cygnet’s apple, strawberry and cherry orchards or visit its popular market held twice a month. These regular markets are a great place to see Cygnet’s flourishing art and food scene, listen to live music or nab a pre-loved bargain. 

Outside of tourism, Cygnet is well and truly standing on its own feet. Locals say the population is rising and community spirit is soaring. 

This is due in part to the town’s long list of festivities, which last year included the French festival Le Weekend to celebrate the town’s French connections. Cygnet was originally named the Port des Cygnes Noir (the Port of Black Swans) by French explorer Bruni D’Entrecasteaux in 1793.

The town’s biggest event is the Cygnet Folk Festival, which was cancelled this year due to the pandemic, but is planned to return for its 40th anniversary in 2022. As many as 10,000 people converge at the festival each year for its performances and workshops in an eclectic mix of music genres, dance and poetry. 

Thanks to its volunteers, Cygnet enjoys a good range of events that encourage a healthy tourism trade and welcoming community spirit. 

Population: 1556 as of the 2016 census.

Who lives there?

After living in some of the hottest parts of Western Australia and Queensland, painter Richard Stanley first came to Cygnet 24 years ago for some relief from the heat. 

He and his wife decided to road test the town’s winter before settling in for good. 

“When we came here, we came in winter to make sure we saw the so-called worst of it and see how cold it would be,” he said.

“Then we found this beautiful old building. It was only $70,000. I walked in, fell in love with it and my wife agreed to get it if I built a house out the back. 

“So we flew back to Perth, sold our house and drove back across the Nullarbor in the Commodore with the three kids in the back.”

When the family first arrived, Stanley noticed a lot of sale signs on properties around Cygnet. 

“We couldn’t believe it, the economy was really bad,” he recalls.

Over time, the town’s economy has lifted and Stanley attributes this to Tasmania’s increasing popularity.

“Tasmania has really boomed in the past five years, thanks to MONA and the weather,” he said.

“Those hot summers you guys up north are having and bushfires, Tassie is like a little green beacon where you can get some relief.”

The warmth of the community won the family over shortly after they moved to Cygnet, particularly after a medical emergency threatened Stanley’s wife and unborn son.

“We had people turning up with apple pies, shepherd’s pies and fruit, and I didn’t know them from a bar of soap,” he said. 

“It was awesome. Country people looking out for each other.”

Stanley’s paintings, which are inspired by Cygnet’s scenery and that of nearby Bruny Island, have won him nine People’s Choice and three Mayor’s Choice Awards at the Southern Exposure art exhibitions. 

Local artists like Stanley are supported by the Cygnet Community Arts Council, which facilitates touring exhibitions and performances. This includes the Cygnet Handmade Art Trail and short film festival Flickerfest.  

What happens there?

The people of Cygnet have a lot of places to choose from when it comes to socialising.

Among them are the Red Velvet Lounge cafe and restaurant, the recently refurbished Port Cygnet Cannery, which is a former apple cannery converted into a venue for community events, live music and weddings, and another revamped historical treasure, the Cygnet Old Bank. The Old Bank is a 1909 Victorian National Trust building, which houses a cafe and bed and breakfast.

Four years ago, the Cygnet Community Hub set up in town to support locals with everything from mental health services to employment opportunities.

Mez Newman and Cate Warren, who run the hub, said it came at a critical time for the Cygnet people. 

“It came out of a community action plan for mental health,” Warren said.

“We had four suicides in a very short space of time here in Cygnet, which sent shockwaves through the community. So we were asked by Relationships Australia if we could do a community action plan and so we did. 

“Out of that came that the community wanted a community house or somewhere they could talk to somebody because back then there were very few services in Cygnet and you had to wait a long time to go for an appointment.”

The hub is housed at the town hall alongside a visitor information centre. Both services have come in handy as the town has simultaneously found its feet and grown its tourism industry.

“It’s a happy place,” Newman said. “We get a bit of sunshine, not much, but people are friendly.

“Because there’s more resources here now, there’s also the opportunity for them to decide to do something about their own health for themselves. 

“We’ve had a huge change in the way they approach living in the community and how they manage their health. 

“There’s a lot of people coming here for a sea change and that’s been a really good thing because there’s more money coming into the town and that creates jobs and youth employment.”

What’s life like?

Cygnet is home to Tasmanians who enjoy being self-sufficient and many of them shop at Esther and Peter Cooke’s organic food store Heartfelt Wholefoods.

“There’s a lot of people who live in the Cygnet area and surrounds who are looking to be as self-sufficient as they can,” Esther Cooke said.

“Our shop is independent which ticks a lot of boxes for them, because we source from independent farms and small-scale business as much as we can and prioritise Tasmanian and Australian produce.”

The couple and their two daughters moved to Tasmania three years ago from Brisbane. They weren’t expecting to call Cygnet home, but fell in love with the town and its people. 

“We came down for the cooler weather and because my husband and I are originally from the UK, we were actually going to go to Britain, but we just decided to spend a bit of time in Tasmania,” Cooke said.

“We lived in the lighthouse on Bruny Island and then we just thought we really loved the vibe here, then I don’t know, everything just sort of happened. 

“The community is really diverse. There’s an interesting blend of old Tasmanian families and then a lovely selection of internationals from all over the world. It creates a lovely melting pot of culture in a very small town.

“And the other bit I love about Cygnet is although it’s quite picturesque and has all the pretties you associate with a nice little historical town, the people who live there do buy from the local shops. It’s a very fully functional, alive place rather than a historical sort of museum piece.”

What jobs are there?

With an abundance of orchards, there is plenty of seasonal work at Cygnet. While many residents are self-employed in the arts industry, the 2016 census reveals fish farming is the number one industry of employment in the area owing to salmon farming company Tassal located in nearby Huonville. 

Why should you move there?

The weather may not be warm in Cygnet, but the community certainly is. Newcomers can expect a welcoming environment and choose from a number of active community organisations to join. 

In addition to its local cafes and community venues, Cygnet has a natural wilderness well worth exploring.  There’s Randalls Bay and Mickey’s Beach, plus the nearby towns of Franklin and Lymington.