Kate Bradley came to Tasmania in 1988 and fell in love with the place.
"I just had this feeling that I'd come home," she said.
"So at the age of 43, I started life again."
At 80, Kate has decided to pass on the torch. (Supplied: Kate Bradley)
There was a 10-acre block of land up for sale in the little town of Swansea, on Tasmania's east coast.
She couldn't afford it, but luckily a friend from back in Victoria lent her $18,000 — the equivalent of around $48,000 today.
"I know it sounds ridiculous today, but $18,000 was quite expensive because it had a view across Great Oyster Bay and Freycinet National Park," she said.
She didn't know it at the time, but she was taking the first steps to create one of Tasmania's most iconic tourism businesses.
An image from 1989, showing things are happening at the site. (Supplied: Kate Bradley)
Building Kate's Berry Farm out of mud bricks
Kate would see Tasmanians travelling by, families with tents and caravans, and thought about creating a business for those travellers.
"Thirty-seven years ago, the east coast was not on the tourist map of Tasmania; only Tasmanians came here," she said.
"I saw lots of children and I thought, well, that's going to be my business. What do children like? They love ice cream."
Kate Bradley, pictured in the early days, says "I couldn't afford to employ anyone, so I just had to do it all myself". (Supplied: Kate Bradley)
Over the coming years, she taught herself everything through numerous courses and reading books, slowly making her dream become a reality.
"I laid the concrete. Gosh, I never want to lay concrete again. That was terrible. The worst job in the world I can think of is laying tiles on the floor — that wrecked your knees, I can assure you.
"So I made some mud bricks and built the little shop out of mud bricks, got some old windows and doors and then I bought a second-hand ice cream-making machine.
"I couldn't afford to employ anyone, so I just had to do it all myself."
An aerial view of the 2.3 hectare property. (Elders Real Estate)
Kate said the community of Swansea welcomed her with open arms, lending a hand to help or calling people to find answers to building and farming questions.
"I rang someone, and then they rang someone, and they rang someone, and I might get a phone call three weeks later from someone I'd never heard of saying 'I believe you're looking for this'," she said.
"Now of course everyone has YouTube, which is so easy, but in those days there was no internet."
When life gives you strawberries, make ice cream
Kate thought if she planted strawberries and made ice cream from it, the travellers would come, but it wasn't to be.
"I made every mistake in the book, I didn't realise how dry the east-coast was and how rocky it is," she said.
"So I did a lot of courses, bought all this machinery the first six months. It was a disaster, but I overcame that."
Cup or cone? (Kate's Berry Farm)
When the strawberries started to flourish, the doors to the shop opened and a sign was hung out the front. But it didn't stop there.
"I'll turn the strawberries into whatever I can possibly think of," she recalled deciding, making jam, sauces, chocolate and eventually wine and food.
"I bought a little English book on how to make a gallon of strawberry wine and then I pestered our local winemaker," she said.
"I decided to do things that our mothers and grandmothers made — crepes and pancakes and fruit pies and scones jam and cream, and people love that sort of thing."
Finally, they come
The east-coast of Tasmania is a popular tourist attraction for its stunning coastline, hikes and small towns — but it was not well-known in the 1980s and 90s.
Kate's block of land is a one-hour and 45-minute drive from Hobart and is over a kilometre off the main road.
"I was in the middle of nowhere, you know, too far away from everywhere," she said.
The property includes a residence, kitchen and shop. (Elders Real Estate)
In 1996, the state government established Tourism Tasmania to boost visitors to the island state.
"Tourism Tasmania and Tourism Australia had a program called the visiting journalist program, and they bought journalists from all over the world, you know, TV, magazines, newspapers, radio, all sorts of things," she said.
A visit from a Chinese television crew "boosted tourism numbers incredibly" after the report aired across Asia.
"Kate Berry Farm is actually known across the world. It's an icon, it really is a Tasmanian tourism icon," she said.
Jam products from Kate's Berry Farm. (Kate's Berry Farm)
'I want someone to continue the dream'
At 80, Kate has decided to pass on the torch of her life's work due to health issues, with the farm now up for sale.
"I might have health issues, but I'm not on my last legs. I'll keep running it until someone comes in and says 'wow, this would be perfect," she said.
After making the announcement on social media, Kate was flooded with support.
"I want to cry, I sort of didn't realise the impact it's had on everyone for so long."
Reflecting on the adventure, Kate said she's in the business of "making people happy" and wouldn't have changed a thing.
"Over the years there have been tough times, the global financial crisis, bushfires, floods, road closures … of course COVID was tough.
"It's just astonishing that we're still going after all these years."
But Kate won't be far away if someone wants to "continue the dream", as she's got a home on the hill above the property.
"If someone wants to continue it, I'm happy to help them," she said.
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