Tasmania, Travel Information

Wild about Tasmania

There are many sides to Tasmania, an island state small enough to experience a taste of everything and large enough to get lost when you choose to.

Luxury accommodation & cottages Tasmania

Historic Hobart on the Derwent River estuary makes a great base for discovering the southern part of Tassie. Lying at the foot of Mount Wellington, the city was founded in 1803 and still retains an historic air, with many original buildings being reinvented as hotels, restaurants, art galleries and theatres – especially around the wharf areas.

Attractions in and around Hobart include the famous Salamanca Markets, a thriving cultural, arts and crafts and food scene, with plenty of opportunities to discover local produce – including delicious oysters, fruit and wine.

Outside Hobart you can follow the wonderfully scenic Huon Trail to the Huon Valley and enjoy the views over Hobart and the coast from the top of Mount Wellington. You can also explore the Derwent Valley. To the south east lies the historic convict settlement of Port Arthur and the colonial village of Richmond, while the Southwest National Park is a dramatic wilderness area that you can experience by scenic flight from Hobart.

Tasmania – with its history, gardens, food and wine – holds appeal for almost everyone, but the wilderness areas are most compelling for their beauty and diversity. Some unforgettable experiences in the north west include cruising up the Arthur River aboard the MV George Robinson, a night-time vigil in an isolated fisherman’s cottage watching for Tasmanian devils, and a 4WD journey on the unsealed Arthur Pieman Highway. The 15 kilometre cruise up the Arthur River takes you into the heart of the Tasmanian rainforest, where sea eagles nest and giant trees grow. Walk through the forest with a guide to explain about its unique qualities.

Spotting Tassie devils with a local named Geoff King is an exciting experience. He drives would-be spotters across his property to the coast, where smooth boulders jostle for position on the beach and huge welts of seaweed float in the rock pools. A fisherman’s cottage acts as the hide, where Geoff produces a bubbling pot of abalone stew – a delicious mix of abalone, red peppers and Tabasco – and thick slices of bread as you wait in the candlelight for the devils to show themselves.

The unsealed Arthur Pieman Highway is thrilling, with tall trees giving way to low heath packed tightly with banksia and many other plant varieties. The low bush means you can see forever across this landscape, the powdery white road snaking away into the distance.

At Strahan, paddle a kayak on the Henty River to look for platypus, take a cruise, and enjoy the sights and facilities of this historic village.

What’s on in the island state:

1 December/January – Hobart Summer Festival.
2 February – Great Abalone Bake-Off at Binalong Bay; Australian Wooden Boat Festival in Hobart.
3 Until 27 February – “Talking to the Spirits of the Land” photographic exhibition at the Cradle Mountain Wilderness Gallery, featuring images of Tasmania March – Taste of the Huon.