The cleanest air in the world

I took a very deep breath. And a few more. It seemed the thing to do at Cape Grim on the north west coast of Tasmania, which lays claim to the cleanest air on the planet. Scientifically measured by this baseline air pollution station.

When the wind is blowing from the west, it has travelled more than 16,000km across the Antarctic Ocean to reach land again. And when it rains (which is often), the entrepreneurial Cape Grim Water Company bottles it, claiming to be the purest water on the planet - and again it's been measured. A work colleague once told me he'd seen this water in New York restaurants for more than $20 a bottle. Marketing genius. I have tried the sparkling water and it is lovely. No doubt about it.

We visited Cape Grim during a half day tour of Woolnorth, the large property on the north west tip of Tasmania owned by the Van Diemen's Land Company. We saw stretches of green pasture feeding dairy cattle (Cape Grim Beef is now mostly raised elsewhere in Tasmania), historic farm buildings, wedge tailed eagles soaring, large flocks of Cape Barren geese and the 62 turbine wind farm operated by Hydro Tasmania. It was wonderful to get up close to one of these amazing structures providing clean energy to many households. Just an awe-inspiring sight and sound.