THE best autumn break in 20 years has delivered more than soaking rains across southern Australia; it's left cattle markets from Hinnomunjie to Hobart awash with positivity.

The mood was upbeat for the first of Tasmania's weaner calf sales at Powranna on Thursday where Angus steers consistently returned more than 200c/kg and Victorian buyers snapped up the best of the Angus heifers, paying to a top of $600.

The first offering of 2700 calves marks the beginning of the Tasmanian selling season with another 14,000 to 15,000 calves to be offered over the next eight weeks.

Steers averaged $533 over the 1620 head aged just six to 10 months, Warren Johnston for Roberts Livestock said.

Steers 330kg and heavier sold from $666 to $740, medium weights (280-330kg) from $560 to $645 and lighter weights (200-280kg) from $485 to $580, the National Livestock Reporting Service noted.

Bidding topped at $745 for a pen of 21 nine-month-old Angus steers, on account of Shene, Pontville, just north of Hobart.

The same vendor achieved $600 for a pen of 20 nine-month-old Angus heifers to be at the top of the heifer market as well.

Rates were slightly dearer than last year's sale and well above expectations following 50mm of rain at Powranna the week prior, Mr Johnston said.

"The prime cattle market has moved 20c/kg in the right direction in the past fortnight and with the northern rain, people have the confidence to step back into cattle,'' he said.

The increase in interest was most evident on heifers, which sold to strong Victorian demand to average $452 across 1088 head aged six to 10 months.

"People are looking for females to put to the bull,'' Mr Johnston said.

The limited offering of heavy heifers (330kg and heavier) sold from $600 to $640,  medium weights (280-330kg) from $525 to $590 and lighter pens (200-280kg) from $430 to $535, according to the NLRS.

Most heifers returned from 180c and 190c/kg, with pens lighter than 200kg reaching 210c/kg.

About a quarter of the yarding went to areas in Victoria's north east, namely those districts surrounding Wodonga and Wangaratta, and across Gippsland, with the balance selling to finishers and backgrounders on Tasmania's northwest coast, Mr Johnston said.