A crackling fire, a sweeping alpine horizon, and one of Australia’s most recognisable storytellers stepping into the room. This Saturday, the Central Highlands will play host to a conversation as engaging as the setting.

Central Conversations brings acclaimed journalist Charles Wooley will join Tasmanian thought leader Natasha Cica at the Great Lake Hotel this Saturday for Central Conversations, an afternoon designed to challenge, inspire and shape the future of Tasmania’s Central Highlands.

Facilitated by Dr Cica, the event will explore a bold vision: positioning the Central Highlands as Australia’s highland lakes district. Locals, tourism operators and anyone with a connection to the Highlands are invited to be part of the discussion about how the region’s beauty, deep history and quiet character can be better celebrated and shared.

It’s a conversation grounded in place, but aimed squarely at the future.

“This is about more than tourism. It’s about identity, storytelling and unlocking opportunities that strengthen both the economy and the community, without losing what makes this place special,” Dr Cica said.

Few are better placed to lead that conversation than Wooley. His career spans decades, from the ABC to London and Channel Nine, including more than 40 years on 60 Minutes. A self-described “Hydro kid” who grew up in Tarraleah, Wooley now keeps a shack at Bronte and knows the rhythm of the Marlborough Highway as well as any local.

Natasha Cica is a director of Kapacity.org and was recognised as one of Australia’s 100 Women of Influence, known for helping communities navigate big ideas with clarity and purpose. As founder of the Inglis Clark Centre and co-editor of Tasmania: The Tipping Point?, Dr Cica brings both intellectual rigour and a deep understanding of Tasmania’s social and economic fabric.

For Great Lake Hotel owner James Johns, the Central Highlands holds a mission as much as a business opportunity. Since taking over the hotel and Miena Village site, Johns and his family have been investing in the region’s future with plans that balance tourism growth and community integrity.

“I think Tasmania’s strength is that the type of people you see in each of the regions are so different,” Mr Johns said.

“There’s a commonality of hard work and no-nonsense, but the Central Highlands is that hidden gem within the whole state.

“There needs to be something here that fits and respects the area. We don’t want to take over the pie, we want to make the pie bigger.”

From its hydro-industrial past to its potential as a world-class nature destination, the Central Highlands has always been a place of quiet significance. Central Conversations invites the community to help shape what comes next.

Event details