Tasmazia and the Village of Lower Crackpot

It was back in 1987, after a few dismal years on the dairy industry front, that Brian Inder decided to pursue a childhood dream of creating a hedge maze and model town. His larger than life personality and quirky sense of humour, his passion for his dream and his can-do attitude saw his dream realised through the development of Tasmazia and the Village of Lower Crackpot, one of the world’s largest maze complexes and certainly the best we have ever experienced.

Our family loves the challenge of a good maze so when we learned that Tasmazia boasts eight mazes we knew that a visit had to somehow fit into our itinerary. I was also intrigued by the man behind the attraction, Brian Inder, and hoped that we would catch site of him. Let’s just say our visit proved to be much better than anticipated from the beautiful surroundings that include Mount Roland to the amazing bathrooms and of course, the spectacular mazes.

On arrival we headed to the cafe for lunch. The cafe sits outside the actual maze complex so I would be tempted to eat before or after your adventure although a hand stamp will allow you to move in and out of the gate. Tasmazia and the Village of Lower Crackpot is well known for its pancakes but the kids opted for hot dogs so T and I ordered adult servings for ourselves. While there was a long wait, we were notified this on arrival by Brian Inder himself. Sunshine and Striker explored the playground while we waited.

After lunch we headed inside and straight into The Great Maze. I don’t think I’ve ever had so much fun in a maze. Around each corner is a corny dad joke signs which never failed to make us smile. Sunshine and Striker also had tick sheet which they used to find hidden finds around the place. This was a great source of fun which also encouraged them to run full speed down paths as they raced to find the next item first. There are many, many surprises within The Great Maze such as a cubbytown and a Secret Passageway. You could stay in here for most of the day.

It took us over an hour to leave The Great Maze. We then moved into the Balancing Maze where I learned that I actually had better balance than I thought. Next, the Hampton Court maze which is a repeat design of the original maze at Hampton Court Palace in the UK. The little trick of keeping our left hand on the left wall led us to the central viewing platform super quick. How cool is that! We then moved through the rest of the mazes with a whole lot of laughter. We loved this place!

The mazes are pretty amazing but they are not the only attraction. Alongside the mazes you will find the Village of Lower Crackpot and the Embassy Gardens. The village is built to a 1/5th scale and showcases Brian Inder’s quirky personality. Embassy Gardens isn’t very politically correct which it is quite upfront about from the start. I’ll let you explore it yourself without myself framing it for you. The kids enjoyed both the village and the gardens.

It’s not typical that I include a few lines about the bathroom facilities at an attraction, but Tasmazia’s toilet block really needs a mention . Brian has created what I suspect is the best female toilet block in Tasmania – no mean feat, right? To start off with, there are no queues. The block has been created with enough cubicles to cater for a swell of visitors. The cubicles are huge as well – you could fit 3-4 cisterns in each one if you were stretched for space. There are plenty of hooks for your bag and jacket, or even a hat as well if you were keen to hang it up as well. Each cubicle has a comfy chair as well as a lovely painting on the wall. I was so impressed. Like other parents, I often accompany my kids to the toilet and I often need to go in the cubicle with them to assist. It’s usually a tight squeeze. Not as Tasmazia! I was quite overwhelmed that a man would go to so much trouble to make the bathrooms so user friendly.

Tasmazia and the Village of Lower Crackpot is quite a unique attraction. It is beautifully manicured with real attention to detail. I would certainly add it to your Tasmanian itinerary if you’re visiting with your family.

Location:  500 Staverton Rd, Promised Land Tasmania 7306
Opening Hours: Open 7 Days – Excluding Christmas Day: October – April: 9.00 am – 5.00 pm. May – Sept: 10.00 am – 4.00 pm
Current Ticket Price: $77.00 (2a + 2c)
Website: tasmazia.com.au

We self funded our visit.

Other model towns and mazes we have visited

— Kryal Castle — Amaze ‘n’ Place — Cockington Green Gardens — Amazement Farm (review to follow) —