What To Do In Scottsdale Tasmania | Bushies Studio Art Gallery

Artist Craig 'Bushie' Williams with oil on glass artwork — Scottsdale: Things to Do – Bushie’s Studio & Gallery

What to do in Scottsdale, Tasmania

Bushie’s Studio and Scottsdale Art Gallery

Craig ‘Bushie’ Williams – Impressionist Artist

New to Scottsdale. Wondering what to do in Scottsdale, Tasmania… Opening in September 2026… A micro-gallery at Bushie’s Art Studio and in Scottsdale will welcome visitors soon. Known as Bushie in the international nature-based tourism world, Craig Williams paints and signs off as Ned, a nickname he has worn since childhood. At ease in his checked flannel bush shirt, Craig has converted the street-front tour business office into an art studio and micro-gallery where he can work and display his creations.

Over thirty years ago, Craig developed an oil-on-glass painting technique that produces fascinating results, sometimes creating a 3D effect. Craig has adopted the palette knife style of painting, which allows gentle layering of paint without mixing or changing colours, while maintaining the paint’s deep creaminess and true characteristics. Craig uses palette knives to create both the illusion of texture and texture itself. His paintings are bold, busy, and earthy.

Is oil really the best medium for the job when painting on glass? Simply put, no, but Craig has found a way to make it work with his impressionistic style. Using oil, he paints on both sides of the glass, drawing inspiration from the landscapes and waterways around northeast Tasmania. Bushie’s Studio is a working art studio, so you may find Craig on site with a brush in hand, working on his creations when not on tour.

Bushie’s Studio is located at 65 King Street, Scottsdale. If the gallery flag is out, please call in for a look. See Bushie’s Art Portfolio Here

All About Bushie – Specialist Wildlife Tour Guide

Craig “Bushie” Williams, founder of Pepper Bush Adventures, is a passionate advocate for north-east Tasmania’s wild beauty. For nearly three decades, he has guided visitors through the region’s forests, alpine plateaus, and coastal reserves, sharing his deep knowledge of wildlife, birds, and natural ecosystems. Bushie’s tours are renowned for their immersive, small-group experiences that connect travellers with Tasmania’s unique creatures, from nocturnal quolls and wallabies to rare forest birds. His genuine storytelling, respect for nature, and local insight have made him a leading figure in sustainable and nature-based tourism. Beyond guiding, Bushie promotes the region through photography, conservation advocacy, and community collaboration, encouraging visitors to explore the lesser-known wonders of Tasmania’s north-east. His work has helped position the area as one of Australia’s most rewarding destinations for wildlife encounters and eco-adventure. Blog Post – Bushie’s Backyard

What to do in Scottsdale, Tasmania

A visit to Bushies Art Studio and Gallery in Scottsdale offers the chance to explore more of the north-east Tasmanian town. After enjoying the gallery’s artwork, visitors can stroll through the town centre to browse boutique shops and specialty stores. Stop by a cosy café or the Cottage Bakery for coffee and local treats, or enjoy local craft beverage tastings at 2Birdz Liquor at Darby Norris Distillery or Little Rivers Brewery. Nearby attractions include the Scottsdale RSL Military Museum and tree carvings. The mural, painted by a local artist, is an outstanding depiction of military life from years gone by. You may find a new pair of shoes or a garment while exploring the boutique retail in the town’s hub. Scenic drives to the Sideling Range Lookout make Scottsdale a rewarding cultural and scenic day out.

See an extensive account of Things to do in Scottsdale here – Blog Post – Scottsdale: Things to do

Scottsdale RSL Military Museum - mural and entry — Scottsdale Things To Do. Scottsdale RSL Military Museum

Great personalised tour of Ben Lomond I did a personal tour of Ben Lomond National Park in early November 2022. I enjoyed my experience thoroughly. You need a certain type of vehicle to get into Ben Lomond National Park and I found it fascinating. My guide made plenty of stops along the way, I had lots of photo opportunities and the scenery is just stunning. I highly recommend. It's a great spot off the beaten track that a lot of tourists dont' think to go to. The wildlife is lovely as well as the lookouts and scenery. Very peaceful place. Even received some delicious fresh sandwiches from the award winning scottsdale bakery. Yum :) Thanks for a great half day trip.

Michelle P

25/02/2023

Tassie wildlife We did a 3 night / 2 day tour enjoying both Mt William & Ben Lomond NP our guide was informative and the meals supplied were more than sufficient The best part was watching the playful baby quolls enjoying their evening seach for food, so small, playful and moved so fast

MAW

09/12/2022

Lifelong memories My wife and I had booked the Canopy Capers’ excursion with ‘Pepperbush Adventures’ as part of our road trip in Tasmania. Ben came promptly at 5 pm and we were taken to a nearby irrigation pond to look for platypuses. Whilst there were a few glimpses it was very difficult to see as it was quite windy so the water was quite rippled. We left there and drove to an area of private land where there was a small cabin overlooking a lake. There were some kookaburras, and we saw some pademelons and some possums. Ben prepared a meal for us to eat - there was an appetiser tray of smoked wallaby and smoked chicken, salmon, grapes and strawberries. After that he cooked steaks on the barbecue which we had a with some beans, new potatoes and salad. We finished off with some cheesecake and fruit. There was wine and soft drinks to accompany our meal - pre-arranged with the company. We stayed until it got dark. Although the animal sightings were rather scant, this was offset by the passionate and educational input from Ben. He is the consummate host / guide and we greatly enjoyed learning so much about the flora and fauna of the area. The next day we enjoyed a full day out with Ben on another excursion - aptly named ‘The Quoll Patrol’. Ben arrived just before 11 am as arranged. We had another look for platypuses but again the sightings were fleeting even though it was much less windy. We then had a long drive into Ben Lomond National Park in the extreme north-east of Tasmania. We had periodic stops, whenever there was a wildlife sighting or a point of interest. We had a stop at a lookout where we had lunch - rolls and sandwiches bought from the cottage bakery back in Scottsdale. We drove further up to reach Ben Lomond village - it was only 5 degrees there. We stopped to look at the interesting geological formations - 300 metre tall dolorite columns with huge areas of rocky boulders beneath. Ben dropped us at the village - we did a short trail for about 20 minutes where we met up with him again waiting for us in the car. We drove back down from the National Park and again made a number of stops, smelling and tasting some of the roadside plants. We reached our final destination, a cabin surrounded by pasture. Ben set the fire and we were able to view and feed the kangaroos which lived there - it was an unofficial nature reserve of about 100 acres. The original kangaroos had come from Bonorong and now numbered about 40. It was a very engaging experience watching the kangaroos as we had our first course - a range of appetisers similar to the previous day. Ben then prepared wallaby meatballs with onions and courgettes. We thought this was the main course but later we were given some salmon and salad - my wife couldn’t eat any more as she was full already. The dessert course was chocolate fudge cake served with raspberries and blackberries. During the evening we sat beside the fire, watching the Eastern Quolls appearing, followed by the pademelons and finally the possums. As it got dark there was a long drive back to Scottsdale. We were exhausted at the end of the day but felt utterly thrilled by the experiences we had. As a guide Ben is truly fantastic. His personable nature, coupled with his commitment to the natural world, will remain in our memories. We thoroughly enjoyed his company - such a kind and generous spirited man. PS. We went to the irrigation pond on our last day as we were leaving Scottsdale and guess what - we saw two platypuses at the surface of the water. We managed to bag some quality photos - result! Thanks again, Ben. You’re a top guy. Good luck with your new hobby of crafting in metalwork.

Owen Thesaints

07/12/2022

A fantastic wildlife experience The 2 days we spent with Craig was the highlight for us of a month travelling around Tasmania and a fantastic opportunity to see wildlife, especially the nocturnal creatures you don't usually get to meet. Craig has a wealth of knowledge and experience of living in the bush, so we learned alot about the flora and fauna of the north-east part of Tasmania and saw platypus on several occasions, along with wallabies, echidnas , kangaroos and, padmelons during the day. The Canopy Capers and Quoll Patrol experiences are both amazing. After a great meal in the open air, we watched as the wildlife drew near at dusk - possums, quolls, wombats. It's an incredible, magical experience, I can't recommend enough.

Island Sue

10/04/2020

A great wildlife experience A great day with Bushy seeing visiting Ben Lomond, learning so much about the flora and fauna of Tasmania, topped off by a delicious bush meal, sharing the site with possums, quolls, wombats and more

D H

31/03/2020

A Wonderful Backwoods Experience With Bushy The Ben Lomand and Quoll Patrol adventure was fantastic. We drove up Jacob's ladder at Ben Lomand and Bushy took us into the forest for exploring. Dinner at the cabin and the night adventure with the Kangaroos, Wallabies, Paddymellons and Quolls was a highlight. You can't believe the wildlife here.

Laura R

24/03/2020

Marvellous Some good walks and opportunity for wildlife viewing. The evening barbecue with kangaroos, wallabies and quolls was magical. A very good insight into local life - the farming and cheese making. Fabulous scenery all around.

Sally G

11/03/2020

Amazing We had a 1 day tour with Craig and it was truly amazing. Started with a sighting of a platypus and then an echidna. A great scenic drive up Ben Lomond via Jacob's ladder and then sightings of some iconic wildlife including wombats, quolls, tawny frogmouths and wallaby's and kangaroos. The bush supper with quality wines was a great success. We loved the whole experience.

LondonWelshboyo

07/02/2020

Outstanding bush experience, some of the best wildlife viewing in Tasmania We thought we had already had some amazing wildlife experiences in Tasmania, but Ben's Quoll Patrol with us was truly over the top. Lots of wildlife, including a number of elusive quolls. You have to see it all to believe it! Kangaroos, wallabies, pademelons, bushy-tailed opossums, eastern quolls, short-snouted echidna, come to mind. Meeting his mob of kangaroos is an experience not to be missed. And on top of it all, Ben cooked us an excellent meal out there in the bush. All in all, a very memorable experience.

LafayetteJohn

Outstanding experience in the Tasmanian bush We spent 9 hours with Craig who took us to the Ben Lomond National Park and its surroundings, watching for a wide variety of Tasmanian wildlife. This ended with an excellent and copious dinner he cooked around a fire in the open surrounded by Kangaroos, Wallabies, Wombats, Pademelon, Possums....and even sighting a platypus and a quoll. We are amazed by the extent of Craig's knowledge of the bush, its flora and fauna and his ability to communicate his passion for them to us. He enabled us to experience at first hand many examples of the plants and animals unique to Tasmania. An amazing and unforgettable experience.

Peter B

26/01/2020