Perfect Tasmania

You don’t have to venture far from your hotel to find inspiration in Hobart, Tasmania’s cool little capital. Whether you’re exploring the harbour precinct with its oh-so-tasty seafood restaurants, browsing one of the city’s applauded galleries, or easing into your Tasmania tour by kicking back in a hidden wine bar, there city doesn’t disappoint. Save room for dinner hero-ing local produce, enjoyed in the company of your fellow adventure-seekers and soon-to-be best friends.

Your morning excursions delve deep into many of the things that make Hobart great: from the Mt. Nelson Lookout, offering dizzying views over the city and Derwent River; to historic Battery Point and the Cascade Brewery. End the tour at the leafy Botanical Gardens spotlighting endemic plants, a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience. From alpaca throws to woodwork, gin to garden-fresh vegetables, Salamanca Market is like creative Tasmania in a bustling snapshot. Grab yourself a coffee before navigating more than 300 stalls, wedged alongside the Salamanca precinct’s historic sandstone warehouses.

From waterfalls to lakes to ancient moonscapes, today is a journey of contrasts. Not to mention blissful moments of soul revival. Exhale amid the tangle of forest that drapes Mt. Field National Park, where tiered Russell Falls casts a veil of mist over the flora. Forget your worries at mirror-like Lake St. Clair, the deepest natural lake in Australia. Sigh as you skirt the World Heritage-protected Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park. Then revel in the serenity of Strahan on the wild West Coast of the island. Did you know you’re overlooking Macquarie Harbour, which is a whopping seven times the size of Sydney Harbour?

No day that involves a cruise is a bad day. Even better if it’s the deep, dark waters of the far-flung Tassie’s Gordon River. Soak up the silence of this untouched wilderness area on your Gordon River cruise en route to Sarah Island, the state’s oldest convict settlement. Today, the island’s haunting ruins have been reclaimed by nature, enveloped by forest and twisting vines. Your commute toward immense Cradle Mountain-Lake St. Clair National Park sees you travel through tiny mining towns scattered amongst the mountainous wild terrain. Rest up – Cradle Mountain awaits.

Spend the day in Cradle Mountain. At the heart of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, Cradle Mountain is all moss-covered ancient rainforest and deep river gorges, snow-tipped peaks, wild alpine moorlands and glacial lakes – case in point Dove Lake, where you may spot Bennetts wallabies, echidnas and pademelons grazing. Pause at Waldheim Chalet, once the home of Gustav and Kate Weindorfer, a passionate husband-and-wife team who played a pivotal role in the park’s formation and protection. Being here, you can understand their vision: this pocket of paradise is like a salve for the soul, at once humbling and inspiring.

Tasmania has its fair share of award-winning gin and whisky distilleries, as well as small boutique breweries. Among them is a seaside tap house found in the petite town of Penguin. If there’s a place with a cuter name, we’re yet to locate it on a map. Sit back and enjoy a tasting paddle of local brew while taking in the views overlooking glorious Bass Strait. Continue your palate expansion at Mount Gnomon Farm. Farmer Guy Robertson is as passionate about his orchard as he is the cider he makes. Sip your way through a paddock-to-plate lunch. Continue to quirky Sheffield, the ‘Town of Murals’ and through the Meander Valley to Launceston.

Prepare for goosebumps – Cataract Gorge is humbling. How many cities can claim they have such a lush expanse of bushland and Victorian gardens within walking distance of the CBD? Take the chairlift across the gorge (own expense) or wander at your leisure. Next, step back in time at the UNESCO World Heritage listed Brickendon Estate, a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience, with a unique guided convict farm village tour provided by a member of the Archer family, the original owners of the estate. This is followed by a light lunch and a cuppa in the grounds of this historic village. By the time you reach Josef Chromy Vineyard, you’ll have worked up a thirst. We’ve got you covered, with a glass of one of the state’s finest cool-climate wines. It’s no secret that Tasmania produces some of the best food in Australia – it’s a combination of the clean air and water, lush landscapes, verdant soils, and talented growers and makers. Enjoy a free afternoon to explore the city.

You’ll smell Bridestowe Estate well before you arrive – this lavender farm welcomes with soothing aromas (did you know that lavender is a soporific?) and addictive flavours in the form of lavender ice-cream or perhaps a spoon of honey from the half-a-million bees that graze the floral fields. Moving moments await at Legerwood Carved Memorial Trees, a series of  trees carved with sculptures as a homage to fallen WWI soldiers. It’s a poignant reminder just how lucky we are today, to have Tasmania’s scene-stealing landscapes to gaze over. Be sure to head out tonight to catch a glimpse of the little penguins that call Bicheno home.

There’s a reason this part of Tasmania takes home top honours for its beaches – they were made for postcards. The brilliant blue ocean follows you through Cape Tourville’s virgin eucalypt forests, with dramatic coastline as far as the eye can see. Soak in the beauty of the breathtaking Freycinet Peninsula on a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience that contributes to the preservation of its wildlife. Your boat will cruise past granite mountains, towering pink cliffs of the Hazards range, beaches fringed by dense bush, as you graze on a tasty Ploughman's lunch while taking in the serenity of stunning Wineglass Bay.

This morning, the GPS is set for the historic township of Richmond; explore the convict-built gaol and bridge or browse the quaint boutique shops. Next, join us for a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience at Risdon Cove. Kipli Takara (meaning food walk) is an immersive experience where you're invited to walk the culturally rich landscape with palawa (Tasmanian Aboriginal) guides across this abundant natural pantry. Taste the seasonal native bush tucker and get a first-hand glimpse into how palawa continue to enjoy cultural foods and undertake culturally-centred land management across lutruwita/Tasmania. This experience includes a unique tasting of local, native flavours. Now, want to disconnect from technology, and reconnect with Mother Nature? You’ve come to the right place. To the northeast of Hobart in the atmospheric town of Sorell, Iron Creek Bay Farm comes with seclusion and style to spare. This is your base for the night, and what calming treasures await. This working farm features a range of design-driven accommodation, all enveloped by 70 hectares of orchards growing cherries, apricots, apples and grapes. You’re invited to pick fruits during your stay, whether on your own or during a guided tour – while you wander the grounds, you’ll likely meet resident geese, turkeys, ducks, chickens, sheep, alpacas, horses and white-bellied sea eagles. The food here heroes Tassie produce in all its glory. It doesn’t get any fresher than this.

While the World Heritage listed Port Arthur Historic Site has a grim convict history, you wouldn’t know it today – the countryside is all rolling green fields and ocean views, best glimpsed on a Port Arthur guided tour with an in-the-know historian. The secrets they can tell… Today you will cruise around the Isle of the Dead, glimpse rugged sea cliffs from Pirate’s Bay Lookout, and marvel at Tasman’s Arch, Devil’s Kitchen and the Blowhole. Tonight is at your leisure in Hobart – we can recommend any number of stellar restaurants and wine bars. There’s no shortage in Tasmania’s cool little capital.

There’s something about Tasmania’s capital that encourages life in the slow lane. Perhaps it’s the calming watery outlook. Maybe the art-filled streets. Definitely the forest-clad mountain backdrop. You’ll quickly fall into step, on this day to spend as you will. Perhaps add on a Bruny Island Cruise to spot playful fur seals and ogle Australia’s highest sea cliffs? Or enjoy a bird’s-eye view of the Apple Isle on a scenic flight down to the great Southwest? (Both own expense). Or get your cultural fix with a visit to the Tasmanian Museum & Art Gallery. Celebrate Tasmania with your travel mates at dinner at a popular Hobart restaurant.

If you can still count all the delicious things you have eaten and drunk, and all the epic things you have seen and done, two weeks down the track, we commend you. Now’s the time to re-live them with friends and family back at home.