A third-generation butcher in Tasmania shares his passion for the trade

For a snapshot in time, we asked eight people around the country to reflect on Australia Now. Here, Marcus Boks, master butcher of Boks Bacon in Tasmania, shares his thoughts on what the global pandemic has taught him.

Keep reading our Australia Now series here.

I live in a little town called Margate, which is over the mountains from the Huon Valley in Tasmania. It’s about 15 minutes south of Hobart. My family are from the Huon Valley, but we have just moved from the Huon to Margate.

Why it’s great to live and work in Tasmania

I’ve lived in Tasmania for 50 years and I’m a third-generation butcher. I have my eldest son working with us now so the fourth generation is entering the business. It’s a family tradition that dates back to my grandfather in the Netherlands.

My Australian family grew up in the Huon valley and with everything that’s been happening in the world, we feel lucky to be here. It feels like a safe haven. There are so many tracks for bushwalking and I love that freedom of setting off into the landscape. The scenery is breathtaking. One of my favourite landmarks is Sleeping Beauty, a mountain that resembles a giant female sphinx lying under a rumpled blanket.

The Huon is a vibrant place to live. I can travel two minutes down the road and be at a secluded beach. I can be fishing or picking oysters the size of my hand off the rocks. We’ve had a lot of mainland people moving down here recently for a sea change.

One of my favourite places to visit is Hastings Caves. It is a massive magical dolomite cave with stalactites and stalagmites and a thermal pool. Not too far is the Airwalk down in the Tahune Forest, which is a big footbridge system that has been built through the trees.

What the global pandemic has taught him

The beautiful scenery and our ability to get back to nature has definitely helped us weather the extraordinary circumstances of the past few years. And in terms of selling Boks Bacon, business has never been better. It’s been a challenge to keep up with the demands. We had to lift production, but I have plenty of good workers, so that wasn’t a problem. COVID nudged a lot of people to seek pleasure in simple things, like artisan produce. Our bacon has no added water, which means more flavour. Boks Bacon is made following an old Dutch recipe that was brought to Tassie in the 1950s. It has developed even more of a cult following during COVID.

Boks Bacon being dry-cured — The first thing to note about Boks Bacon is that it dry-cured and not injected with brine, says master butcher Marcus Boks. (Image: Samuel Shelley)

As a community, we learned a lot during COVID. Tasmania has, in the past, been a bit divided: with Hobart in the south, Launceston in the north, you were either north or south. There was a real divide there. Now that COVID has happened and we closed borders it made Taswegians feel like we were all living in the best spot. It made us get together a bit more and become more of a unified state rather than a state split into two different halves. The only place we could go was within our own state. It has given Tasmanian people a very good reminder about what we have here.

The growth in popularity of food from Tasmania

In the last 10 years or so, people around the world have started to recognise how good the food is coming out of Tasmania. Interstate people have known about just how good the food and wine is here for a lot longer than the Tasmanians. COVID has shifted the focus to products such as ours. People have started looking for local product. They want to support us. A lot of the big producers don’t use Australian pork. The pork we use is all Australian; it’s free-range pork from ethical and sustainable farms in Tasmania and Victoria. Our bacon is 100 per cent Australian pork.

When I offer my bacon to someone who hasn’t had it before, the first thing I tell them is it is dry-cured, so not injected with brine. Some of the mass-produced bacon is injected with 25 per cent to 50 per cent brine, which means you are paying for a lot of water. It’s also already cooked so you lose all the flavour when it hits the pan. Our bacon is cold-smoked. But we developed a no-nitrite product in the past year and we want to eventually move over to doing all nitrite-free. People have started looking at what they are consuming.

Boks Bacon is cold-smoked in a wood-fired smoker using Tasmanian Oak.

I am so proud of the fact our bacon is still made using this old-fashioned recipe. It’s a product that has withstood the test of time. My grandfather came out from Holland with his family in 1951. He had spent a few years in a POW camp and after that he decided he was going to ship the family out and start anew. He came to Australia and he brought that recipe with him. He learned his trade in about 1930 and learned the recipe from an old butcher who learned the craft in the late 1800s. The recipe has gone from my grandfather Johannes Sr to my father Johannes Jr to me and now onto my son Justin.

The Great Ocean Road has captured the hearts of Australians with its astounding scenery since 1932, but going off-course can enrich your experience with untouched nature, foodie delights and charming towns.

It’s a chilly 16 degrees. My husband pulls on a steamer and jogs – as all seasoned surfers do – into the water. We’re at Bells Beach , the legendary break on Victoria’s Surf Coast that’s home to the Rip Curl Pro, the world’s longest-running event in competitive surfing. Each year, over the Easter long weekend, up to 40,000 people descend on the region for the event. Today, though, we have the beach almost to ourselves, and the less-than-favourable temperature doesn’t deter my husband from surfing this famous break.

Torquay to Anglesea and Aireys Inlet

The red dome of Split Point Lighthouse in Aireys Inlet. (Image: Tourism Australia)

The nearby surf town of Torquay marks the starting point for the Great Ocean Road . Unfolding our map, which we have marked out with a highlighted route for our children to follow, we set off for lesser-known Anglesea, a chilled-out town 20 minutes south of here. Its wide, sandy beach is a gentler swimming option for our young family. Groms can learn to surf here with Go Ride a Wave, which also runs stand-up paddle boarding on the Anglesea River.

Split point lookout — The lighthouse overlooks the Shipwreck Coast. (Image: Tourism Australia)

After a couple of nights in Anglesea, we hit the road again, first stopping at Aireys Inlet. Here we stretch our legs at Split Point Lighthouse, which was made famous by the 1990s television series Round the Twist, before driving under the Memorial Arch that welcomes us, officially, to the Great Ocean Road.

This 243-kilometre coastal road was built by returned First World War servicemen and serves as a permanent memorial to those who fought and died during the war. Carved into rock using hand tools and horse-drawn carts, it was a huge engineering feat and provided much-needed access to isolated coastal communities.

Lorne to Birregurra

Lorne is a delightful beachside stop for lunch and browsing boutique stores. It’s also the gateway to Great Otway National Park , which comprises a varied landscape of old-growth forests, cool-temperate rainforests, heathy woodlands and rugged coast. With the highest rainfall in Victoria, the region is home to many waterfalls – 10 of which are within 10 kilometres of Lorne.

Turning slightly off the main drag, we wind along a gum-shaded road to Erskine Falls. Here, our son leads the way through the hyper-green rainforest and down 200-plus stairs to the cascade that drops 30 metres into a lush fern gully. We hop over large boulders to get closer to the falls, enjoying the entire place to ourselves; it’s worth the return climb.

From Sheoak Falls Picnic Area, there are walking trails to Henderson Falls, Phantom Falls, Won Wondah Falls and Kalimna Falls, some of which follow an old timber tramway from forest-logging days, which only came to an end in 2008.

You can follow your appetite north to the town of Birregurra, which is part of the Otway Harvest Trail that connects farm gates, markets, wineries, breweries and distilleries. It’s home to three-hatted modern Australian restaurant Brae , helmed by celebrated chef Dan Hunter, set among native gardens and an organic farm, and Otways Distillery, which produces small-batch spirits using local produce and botanicals.

Brae restaurant — Brae is a three-hatted restaurant in Birregurra. (Image: Tourism Australia)

Apollo Bay to The Otways

Back on track, the cliff-hugging stretch between Lorne and Apollo Bay is breathtaking. At Teddys Lookout, we overlook the winding road ahead and St George River spilling into the ocean. We spend languid days in Apollo Bay, a buzzy seaside town that boasts a three-kilometre-long, crescent-shaped beach with a backdrop of rolling green hills. One evening, as the sun sets, we take the steep 10-minute walk to Marriners Lookout, which affords panoramic views of the ocean, hinterland and town.

A 15-minute drive along the road, Maits Rest is a lush rainforest gully that has been protected since the early 20th century. Wandering along the 800-metre boardwalk, we inspect the delicate moss-covered forest floor and the gnarled roots of 300-year-old myrtle beech trees, then crane our necks to see their canopies, some 50 metres above us. It’s therapy in nature.

Cape Otway to the Twelve Apostles

The southernmost tip of Cape Otway is a delightful detour, home to the 1848-built Cape Otway Lightstation, the oldest surviving lighthouse on mainland Australia. We climb the narrow winding staircase to the gallery deck, explore the keepers’ quarters and telegraph station, and enjoy a coffee and some ‘famous’ scones at the charming onsite cafe.

It’s a pinch-me moment to finally see the Twelve Apostles in person. This unmistakable cluster of limestone stacks rising abruptly from the sea were never 12, however. When coined this in the 1890s as a marketing ploy, there were only nine; today, only seven remain after two collapsed in 2005 and 2009. We admire these Aussie icons from the viewing platform, in awe of Mother Nature’s ever-evolving artwork.

The Grotto is another natural attraction within Port Campbell National Park. (Image: Carmen Zammit)

Edging the wild Southern Ocean, this part of the coast – dubbed Shipwreck Coast – is made up of many sea-carved natural wonders including London Bridge, The Grotto and Gibson Steps. After exploring the lookout trails of Loch Ard Gorge/Poombeeyt Kontapool – its English name taken from the site of the 1878 shipwreck – we nestle into the sandy beach encircled by towering sandstone cliffs, as our children splash about on the water’s edge, and soak it all in.

Port Campbell to Timboon

Timboon Fine Ice Cream is part of a regional foodie trail. (Image: C McConville)

Just north of Port Campbell National Park, the region of Timboon is part of the 12 Apostles Food Artisans Trail, filled with purveyors of delicious foodstuffs such as Timboon Fine Ice Cream , Timboon Railway Shed Distillery and Apostle Whey Cheese. As an antidote to the indulgence, the 20-kilometre Poorpa Yanyeen Meerreeng Trail is a self-guided ride or walk between Port Campbell and Timboon through tall forests, over historic bridges and past sparkling lakes and farmland with grazing cattle.

Warrnambool to Port Fairy

Warrnambool building — A 19th-century building in Warrnambool. (Image: Peter Foster)

In Warrnambool, a town rich in maritime history, we take the four-kilometre Thunder Point Walk that traces the coast. The kids squeal when an echidna shuffles out from beneath the wooden boardwalk, and we stop to admire a seal lazing on a rock at the port.

Further along, the streets of quaint fishing village Port Fairy are lined with 19th-century cottages, old stone churches and Norfolk pines. Follow the historic walking trail to see some of the 60-plus National Trust buildings. Port Fairy is also home to Port Fairy Folk Festival (6-9 March), one of the country’s longest-running music and cultural festivals. You could time your road trip with the event for a fittingly celebratory end to any journey.

The Great Ocean Road can easily be done in three days, but we’ve spent a week on the road. The highlighted line on our now creased and well-worn map doesn’t follow the famous route precisely. It has sprouted branches in many directions, leading us to untouched rainforest and charming rural towns filled with culinary delights, and where we experienced some of our most memorable moments on the Great Ocean Road.

A traveller’s checklist

Staying there

The Monty is a highly anticipated, newly refurbished motel with a chic Palm Springs-inspired aesthetic set across the road from the Anglesea River. Basalt Winery in Port Fairy grows cool-climate wines such as pinot noir and Riesling in rich volcanic soil. Stay among the vines in its tiny home, complete with a kitchen, lounge area and outdoor firepit.

The Oak & Anchor Hotel has been a Port Fairy institution since 1857. Cosy up by the bar in winter or bask in the sunshine of the Lawn Bar in summer. The rooms are beautifully boutique with considered details, such as luxe baths for sinking into post-road trip.

Eating there

The Coast in Anglesea is a modern Australian restaurant focused on local ingredients. Grand Pacific Hotel has been a local landmark in Lorne since 1879 and recently underwent a restoration. It serves a mix of traditional pub and Italian fare alongside ocean views.

Graze is a cosy 40-seat dining room in Apollo Bay with a modern Australian menu complemented by regional wines. Apollo Bay Distillery offers tasting flights, a gin blending masterclass and serves woodfired pizzas.