
Cradle Mountain, TAS

Tasmania
Reconnect with nature, wildlife and your taste buds on a trip to the impossibly beautiful island state of Tasmania.
Tasmania’s natural beauty is captivating, its cultural experiences are diverse, and its food and drink offering is enviable. The capital city of Hobart is home to one of the world’s most intriguing art galleries as well as a fascinating convict history. Get a true taste of Tasmania in its fresh apple cider, cheeses, wine and oysters, and experience a dose of its serenity with its powder-white beaches and laid-back luxury. Looking for adventure? You’ll find that here, too. Hiking in Tasmania is world-class, with towering mountain peaks, dense forests, serene lakes and thundering waterfalls, with plenty of wildlife along the way, too.
Top things to do
- Visit Hobart’s most fascinating art gallery, the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA)
- Wander among the white sand and calm blue waters of Freycinet National Park
- Taste straight-from-the-sea oysters and crayfish on Bruny Island
Home to just 500,000 people, the island of Tasmania is as intimate as it is wild and beautiful. Heritage cities like Launceston and Hobart make the perfect base for exploring the vast wilderness, from the jagged, snow-capped Cradle Mountain to the mighty swell of the Southern Ocean. Watch penguins waddle home after the day’s fishing, feed a Tasmanian devil after dark and visit a lavender farm alight with purple blooms. Anglers are drawn to Tasmania for its incredible fishing opportunities, where they can toss a line in clear lakes, bubbling rapids or serene rivers. Add the state's edgy festivals to your calendar, including Hobart’s Dark MOFO and the Huon Valley’s Mid Winter Festival, and it really is a state not to miss.
Tasmania may be Australia’s island state, but it’s still easily accessible from the mainland. The two major Tassie cities, Hobart and Launceston, have direct flights from Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. You can also travel by sea using the car ferry, Spirit of Tasmania, which crosses between mainland Australia (from Melbourne) to the Tasmanian city of Devonport (near Launceston) daily. Driving is a great way to get around after arriving in Tasmania, with incredible road trips like the Great Eastern Drive waiting to be discovered.