1. MEET TASMANIA’S MOST FAMOUS RESIDENT
Hobart has long been a go-to for its rich history (Salamanca Place, with its market and 19th-century buildings, is a visitor favourite) and world-class art and music festivals. But visitors may also be surprised to discover that you only need to head half an hour in any direction to be on a mountain, at a beach, or by a waterfall. Start your adventure by catching a shuttle to kunanyi / Mount Wellington, where you can explore a sub-alpine world, with extraordinary summit views of the surrounding region. In the afternoon, visit Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary. A guided “feeding frenzy” tour will put you face-to-face with the island’s most famous residents: Tasmanian devils.
discovertasmania.com.au/places/hobart-and-south
2. EXPLORE A FENCE-FREE WILDLIFE SANCTUARY
Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary is just a taster when it comes to Tasmania’s wildlife. Drive roughly one hour to Triabunna, the gateway to Maria Island. Considered to be “Tasmania’s Noah’s Ark,” this national park, with its World Heritage-listed convict ruins, is home to Tasmanian devils, wombats, and 125 species of bird life, like rare Cape Barren geese and critically endangered swift parrots. Add in abundant marine life (including seals and whales), fascinating history (explore the convict ruins) and walking trails (don’t miss the geologically significant cliffs) and it’s easy to see why a day isn’t enough. Spend your night in the old penitentiary and you might even have enough time to tackle the 711-metre-high Mount Maria.
discovertasmania.com.au/places/east-coast/maria-island-national-park
3. FLY TO REMOTE SOUTHWEST NATIONAL PARK
After a refresh in Hobart, it’s time to catch your flight from Cambridge deep into the southwest wilderness with Par Avion. A place of mountain ranges, buttongrass moorlands, and primeval rainforest, Southwest National Park is the heart of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area—one of the last great wildernesses on Earth. Your day tour will take you by boat along the rugged coastline, to the Melaleuca Museum (which covers the remote former tin-mining settlement) and to the Needwonnee Walk (a monument to the rich palawa (Tasmanian Aboriginal) history of the area). On the return trip, you’ll fl y over the striking Arthur Range and Tasmania’s capital city.
discovertasmania.com.au/places/hobart-and-south/southwest-national-park
4. INDULGE YOUR SENSES ON BRUNY ISLAND
In Tasmania, adventures abound—and so do appetites. So, you’ll be happy to hear that today’s excursion to Bruny Island—about an hour south of Hobart—is all about indulgence. Bruny’s roads could easily double as an aisle in a gourmet grocer. Potential stops include an oyster farm (which is home to what’s billed as the world’s first oyster drive-through window), a cheesery, a distillery, a winery, and finally, to satiate your sweet tooth, a chocolatier. The rest of your senses will also be catered to on a threehour boat trip with Pennicott Wilderness Journeys. As you cruise, you’ll admire sea caves and some of Australia’s highest sea cliffs. At the end of the day, fall asleep contented in one of the island’s many cottages.
discovertasmania.com.au/places/hobart-and-south/bruny-island
5. TAKE THE SCENIC ROUTE THROUGH THE HUON VALLEY
On your final day, return to Hobart via the scenic route through the Huon Valley, part of the “apple isle.” The drive weaves alongside orchards, past roadside stalls, and through bucolic valleys framed by water. Of course, stopping to try the cider (including quince and cheery varieties) is a must, as is a visit to the apple museum. If you’ve still got energy, the Twin Rivers Adventure at Tahune offers a rafting trip on the Picton River, while the hiking trails of Hartz Mountains National Park traverse a stunning landscape of glacial lakes. Nearby Newdegate Cave is Australia’s largest dolomite tourist cave, or perhaps you want to spend your last day soaking in a mineral-rich thermal pool and spotting the elusive platypuses that live nearby. Whatever you choose, it will be time well spent.
discovertasmania.com.au/places/hobart-and-south/huon-valley
