Visiting Tasmania
Itineraries
There are so many great things to see and do in Tasmania, and Hobart is a great place to base yourself or start and finish your journey. For great ideas and sample itineraries, go to Discover Tasmania.
Things to See and Do
Background
Tasmania is around 300km miles from north to south. At its widest point east to west it is about the same distance. The state has four distinct seasons. Summers are cooler than on the mainland. Hobart's average summer temperature is around 21 degrees. Even in the sunny days of summer you should be prepared for cooler weather. Winters are colder but often dry - Hobart gets less rainfall than most Australian capitals.
Hobart is the capital of the state of Tasmania and just an hour’s flight from mainland Australia. It sits on a flank of the River Derwent and this city, the oldest in Australia after Sydney, is furnished with Georgian sandstone buildings, water-side bars, cafes, galleries and restaurants and a city-side marina. Forested Mount Wellington is just 22 kilometres from the CBD and rises from the city in a far more dramatic way than any towering city building.
Hobart has a population of 200,000 people and while that translates to gloriously uncrowded roads, it is Hobart’s proximity to Mount Wellington and the mountain’s undomesticated wilderness that can set the tone for the island. Indeed, in Tasmania wilderness and adventure may be ever present (some 20 per cent of Tasmania is World Heritage Area) but Tasmania has developed this neat little trick in that it is rare for most visitors to stray far from good food, great places to stay and friendly locals.
Near to Hobart, the Tasman Peninsula is perhaps best known as the home of Port Arthur and the finest convict ruins in Australia. The ruins are a long standing highlight but all over the Tasman are cosy and stylish places to stay, wonderfully friendly cafes, fine restaurants, artists galleries, boat cruises along the peninsula’s extraordinarily fractured coast and coastal walking trails.
The Huon is a 30-minute drive south of Hobart. The valley is a mix of farmers, people following a sustainable lifestyle, orchardists, foresters and fisher folk. Many visitors take to the neighbouring D’Entrecasteaux Channel to watch whales, dolphins, seals or albatross. Elsewhere there are caves and forests, vineyards and restaurants featuring local produce.
To the north-west of Hobart, the Derwent Valley has a history of explorers and bush rangers. This gateway to the central highlands of Tasmania is more known for much-loved national parks, high-end fishing lodges, golf courses, waterfalls, long walks and even whisky distilleries.
Beaches and Seafood
It’s barely an hour from Hobart to the beginnings of Tasmania’s east coast. This Tasman Sea side of the island includes long white sandy beaches (Wineglass Bay is regularly voted one of the best beaches in the world), pure blue waters and charming villages. Around St Helens you’ll find some of the finest seafood and other produce (like berries) in Australia. Swansea has cafes and restaurants so close to the water you can almost dip your toes into it while eating. The coast also features iconic national parks: the Freycinet Peninsula, home of Wineglass Bay, is a bushwalkers and sea kayakers paradise; Wombats, Cape Barren geese and kangaroos have the run of Maria Island – the entire island is national park – but there is plenty of intriguing history to keep them and visitors company.
Tasmania includes hundreds of islands. Flinders Island is in Bass Strait off the north-eastern tip of ‘mainland’ Tasmania. Deserted beaches, friendly locals and great fishing are some of its DNA. Airlines from Melbourne and mainland Tasmania fly to Flinders Island.
World Heritage Wonders
Tasmania's west coast remains superbly wild and rugged. Strahan is the western gatekeeper of the World Heritage Area. From this harbour-side village you can cruise, sail, fly or paddle into the WHA. Not far from Strahan, Queenstown once claimed the world's richest copper mine. Now it’s a departure point for a steam railway journey through rainforest and it has a burgeoning arts community. The settlement of Corinna and forests of the Tarkine are nearby. Of course, no matter whether you are travelling from Devonport, Burnie, Hobart or Launceston, you’ll want to visit the centre-piece of the WHA - Cradle Mountain. The mountain, rivers, lakes and other alpine surrounds may be known for their ancient wilderness. Fabulously there is no mobile phone reception. But all is not wild. There are good coffees, fireside lounges and even day-spas near the entrance to the national park, a few miles from Cradle Mountain.
Wombats and Other Friendly Locals
Drive north from Cradle Mountain and the coast of Bass Strait is just some 80 km away. The north-west of the state includes a richly varied coastline stretching from the easy-to-spot wildlife (unflustered wombats and wallabies and if you’re lucky a Tasmanian devil) of Narawntapu National Park to the forests of Tarkine region and some of the world’s cleanest air which blows in uninterrupted from Antarctica. In historic Stanley you can walk to the summit of the Nut, a long expired volcano, for views over a swathe of the region. Other highlights can include discovering penguin rookeries, a cruise to a seal colony, spotting platypus in forest streams, and delicious fresh produce straight from the region’s farms. The village of Penguin is so laidback you’ll think everyone here spends all their time on holiday. King Island is off this northern coast. Incredible beaches, diving about ship wrecks, great food, and friendly locals are some of its personality. There are flights to it from Melbourne and mainland Tasmania.
Further Information
Discover Tasmania is a comprehensive guide to all things all things Tasmania.