Tasmania's lavender bear smells potential of gigantic Chinese market

Nabowla, Australia

WHEN Chinese President Xi Jinping stepped onto the airport tarmac in Australia's smallest state of Tasmania last November, he was presented with a purple-coloured fluffy toy called Bobbie.

The welcome gift he received - stuffed with lavender and wheat - was not in the shape of the southern island's iconic Tasmanian devil, but instead a teddy bear that has captured the hearts and wallets of Chinese consumers.

Bobbie has been an overwhelming success in China with a remarkable following. The bear's success has helped creator Robert Ravens - owner of the lavender farm in north-east Tasmania - …