Tasmanian Wonders

The Tasmanian capital of Hobart may be small in size, but it’s big in attractions, as you’ll discover this afternoon. Put your destination into perspective from the summit of Mt. Nelson, offering endless vistas over Australia’s southernmost city. View the charming Georgian cottages of Battery Point and convict built warehouses along Salamanca Place, the backdrop of epic Saturday markets. Gaze over boats at Constitution Dock - this is where yachts finish when competing in the annual Sydney to Hobart race, and take a stroll in the second oldest Botanical Gardens in Australia with its amazing collection of plants from around the world. Tonight, join your Travel Director for dinner.

Western Tasmania is like nature amplified, a place where the wilderness rules and people are few and far between. Visiting Mount Field National Park is a humbling experience, not only for the fact it’s part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, but also because it’s home to some of the tallest eucalypts and flowering plants on Earth. Wander amid these giants to reach Russell Falls – take a deep breath; you’re officially on holiday. Records continue to be broken at Lake St. Clair, the deepest freshwater Lake in Australia, before you arrive in Strahan, gateway to World Heritage listed Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park.

The inky waters of the Gordon River – given its colour by amber buttongrass tannins – are as eery as they are beautiful, the mirror-like surface only broken by your cruiser out to Sarah Island. It’s hard to reconcile the beauty of this part of the state with its grim history as a penal colony; a place where convicts would fell Huon pines for boat building. Peek into one of the oldest cool, temperate, horizontal Gondwana rainforests & await the surprises in store - ancient Huon pines, Myrtle beeches, leatherwood, mosses & fungi. In fact over 140 species growing on an ancient pine. Early settlers didn’t mince their words when they called the treacherous entrance to the river’s harbour Hells Gates. You’ll understand why when you drift past. Cradle Mountain awaits to the north. We're sure you'll be content by the fire perhaps with a glass of wine.

Today your journey reaches new heights – quite literally with a visit to the 1,545-metre Cradle Mountain, your backdrop as you explore Dove Lake on your Cradle Mountain tour, the wild alpine moorlands here are natural magnet for lovers of the wilderness. The spectacular and pristine wilderness of Cradle Mountain is home to the mysterious and secretive Tasmanian Devil. You’ll love the next adventure today, a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience. A Day Keeper tour at Devils @ Cradle will lead you through the sanctuary and provide you with a thorough insight into its operation. When joining this tour you will be directly supporting these animals and threatened species conservation. Leave the Central Highlands after an uplifting day and head towards the scenic north-west coast for your overnight stay.

Table Cape is by far Wynyard's most remarkable natural wonder, at 180 metres high, 'The Cape' - as locals refer to it - offers spectacular views of Tasmania's coastline. As you drive to the top of the remains of a 12-million-year-old volcano you'll reach Table Cape lookout where, on a clear day, you can see mountain ranges over 175 kilometres away. If there’s a town with a cuter name than Penguin, we’re yet to find it. Locals embrace its appeal – there are penguin sculptures at every turn, including one measuring over 3 metres tall. Your journey along the northwest coast also passes through Ulverstone and Sheffield, The Town of Murals, boasting over 100 large paintings depicting the area’s rich history and local characters. All this exploring builds an appetite. Refuel at Ashgrove Cheese Dairy Door, where happy cows contribute to award-winning cheeses – everything from cheddar and red Leicester to creamy Tasmanian blue. For lovers of sweeter delights, why not treat yourself to a delicious locally made ice cream.

Few places in the world let you leave the city behind and, within minutes, be immersed in nature. Launceston is one. In the blink of an eye you arrive at Cataract Gorge, a dramatic chasm carved by ancient rivers. This rare natural setting blends rugged bushland with elegant Victorian gardens, rich with ferns and exotic plantings. Consider joining one of our Optional Experiences. Take in sweeping views over the gorge from the scenic chairlift as it glides above the water to a lofty lookout. Or choose to visit Beaconsfield Mine, Seahorse World or Platypus House. The choice is yours!

You’ll smell Bridestowe before you see it, this enormous lavender farm perfuming the Tasmanian countryside (bloom late Spring to early Summer). The flowers grown here aren’t just used in fragrances – they’re also infused into ice-cream, teas and jams. It’s a tasty entrée to the Legerwood Carved Memorial Trees, sculpted into World War One soldiers. Little penguins come out to play in Bicheno; sign up on an optional experience to spot them after dark as they waddle to shore from the water.

Soak in the beauty of the breathtaking Freycinet Peninsula on your Tasmania tour that contributes to the preservation of its wildlife. Nothing quite prepares you for the drama of Freycinet National Park – the colours here seem more vivid, the air crisper, the water cleaner, the skies wider. A patchwork of ocean blues lap Coles Bay, framed by pink granite cliff faces. There’s a reason why this place stars on postcards! The other destination on postcards is Richmond, its grand 1820s Georgian buildings today home to bijou boutiques, galleries and cafés that appear to be lost in time. Your last stop for the day is to the shores of the Derwent River where local palawa will welcome you to country and show off some local bush tucker.

The Isle of the Dead, Devil’s Kitchen, Blowhole… the attractions at and around Port Arthur nod to the region’s notoriously grim history. This is the best-preserved convict site in Australia, and among the most significant convict-era destinations worldwide. The stories these walls could tell. Enjoy dinner tonight at a historic waterfront pub.

It took early explorers months to circumnavigate Tasmania. You’ve done it in 10 days. What a wild ride.