TASMANIA

Julie Sade has a unique problem: her Highland cattle are too friendly. People visit her farm stay, Highland Getaway in Ranelagh, for the opportunity to brush the “giant grass puppies”, as she calls them.

“If you brush too softly, they’ll go to someone else who brushes harder,” she says. I’m drawn to a shaggy, reddish-coated calf named Jasmine, whose glassy eyes close in delight with each brushstroke. “They’re like a two-year-old child; they’re gorgeous animals but they’ll push the boundaries.” True to form, when I stop to take a photo, Jasmine gives me a gentle nudge with her head, urging me to continue.

Ranelagh is located at the gateway to the Huon Valley, a region known for its farms, fruit orchards and cool-climate wines. This year, the Tasmanian government has