First and foremost, if you’re staying at Trouty Cottage and you don’t really fancy doing a whole lot, the homely comfort of the cottage allows you to relax and unwind either inside or out on the deck, while the heroes are out riding! It’s a short walk to coffee or something harder at the Dorset Hotel if you want to stretch the legs.
Coffee and Cafe
Good coffee is available from 7.30am with multiple venues serving coffee through the day and most evenings.
Food
Eating opportunities include very good pub food at the Dorset Hotel, pizza and great atmosphere at The Hub, café breakfast and light meals, and old fashioned take away food at the Derby General Store. Check seasonal opening hours.
Bevvies
The Dorset Hotel and The Hub both stock your normal favourites together with local Tassie beer, cider, wine and spirits. The Federal Hotel is a more conventional Hotel.
Sauna
Sauna you say? Yep sauna; the Derby Floating Sauna is a must do even if you’re not into saunas. It’s on the Briseis Lake about 10min walk from Derby town across the suspension bridge. The picture window in the spa provides views over the lake and adjoining hills and is especially nice toward the end of the day as the sunlight lights up the hills, or in winter of you time it with a full moon. Book online.
Walking
The Riverside, Lake Derby and Rapids trails are a beautiful option for relaxing walks especially in the morning as the fog rises from Lake Briseis or in the orange light of the afternoon. You can also walk the Derby-Branxholm link trail, and an out and back walk to the Valley Pond from Derby is a good option. If you’re chasing serious walks from Derby the fire trails that are inter-twined with the MTB trails provide opportunities for getting the heart rate up. (insert photo walking on Lake)
Paddling and swimming
There is plenty of water in Derby with the Ringarooma River and Briseis Lake providing options for kayaking, and the Briseis Lake a good option for swimming, especially to burn extra energy off the kids! If you’re more serious about paddling you can do longer, more difficult runs on the Ringarooma River with road access to the Mutual Valley and Moorina downstream.
Fishing
Plenty of rainbow trout in the river and Briseis Lake. Good fish are caught from the fire pit area next to the floating sauna on Briseis Lake.
History
The Derby Schoolhouse Museum looks at the local tin mining and timber history and characters and personalities of the area. You can easily spend half an hour or more in the Museum and come away better informed about the area and past goings on including the devastating flood of 1929. If you want to combine history and a walk, from the cascade River bridge near the trailhead you can walk up a gravel track to the monument erected to a local Mine Manager. You can see the monument from the main street in town.
The Tin Dragon Interpretation Centre and Café is located on the river side of the main street and is an additional source of the history of the area.
Fossicking
Never tried it? Even if you don’t find your fortune, fossicking is a fun way to spend a few hours in the river environment especially with the kids. There are designated fossicking areas within and near Derby where you can try your hand. the Derby Schoolhouse Museum has information on fossicking in the area as well as the Derby Lapidary Club which opens a few hours a week.
If you have your own car in Derby and are looking further afield for things to do some great local attractions within an hour drive from Derby include…
