Former plumbers draw crowds to Tasmanian vineyard with giant roadside sculptures
Robert and Robyn Pearshouse left their plumbing business 18 months ago to open Rooster and Robin vineyard on Tasmania's East Coast.
For two decades, Robert and Robyn Pearshouse ran a successful plumbing business in Hobart. Now they're drawing passing motorists to their new vineyard, Rooster and Robin, on Tasmania's East Coast near the Tasman Highway.
The couple bought the Melrose vineyard 18 months ago and installed two striking steel sculptures: a 4-metre rooster and a 1.5-metre robin. Artist Folko Kooper, who created Midland Highway silhouettes and the Verge Hotel eagle, built the pieces.
They light up at night, pulling cars over every hour. "Every hour or so we're getting cars pull over," Pearshouse said.
The couple set up a selfie frame and phone stand so visitors can take photos. They plan to open a cellar door by late 2027, positioned on the 42-degree-south latitude line that runs through their 26-hectare property, making them feel "even more proud of being Tasmanian."
- 4 metres
- Rooster sculpture height
- 1.5 metres
- Robin sculpture height
- 20 years
- Years in plumbing
- 26 hectares
- Property size
Why it mattersA successful business pivot shows how creativity and roadside appeal can turn a working vineyard into a tourism draw for regional Tasmania.
AustraliaA new attraction on Tasmania's East Coast, drawing visitor traffic and creating jobs in local hospitality and wine production.
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