Lavender fields and a beloved purple bear

Bobbie the Bear is probably better known in China than it is in Australia.

The scented purple bear, a product of the Bridestowe Lavender Estate in northeastern Tasmania, is one of the island state's most successful stories.

Each year, thousands of tourists from mainland Australia and overseas flock to the 160-hectare property on the upper reaches of the Tamar Valley outside Launceston to walk through the fields of lavender.