TRAVELLING IN TASMANIA
Don't discount Tasmania as the Australian equivalent of the Isle of Wight; Tassie is a world away from retirement with adventures, wilderness and infinite natural beauty around every bend.
Step into the Tasmanian Tardis and you'll discover an island lost in the mists of time with national parks, wilderness zones and rainforest-filled valleys offering everything your heart could ever desire. Looks can be deceiving and although Tassie is just 364km north to south by 306km east to west, this little island packs a punch to floor even the most ardent of travelers seeking natural wonders Down Under.)
Take time out to hike into the heart of Tassie over the Cradle Mountain tracks or go bush in Narawntapu National Park where wombats and wallabies might appear when you least expect it. Tassie is a place to get metaphorically lost, with every day promising jaw-dropping natural highlights as well as freedom, bags and bags of freedom, to explore, to discover, and to think. Aside from life on Tasmania there are over 330 other islands surrounding the mainland with shipwrecks inviting tales of the past where times were a lot more tumultuous but Tasmania remained just about the same.
Our Australia Vacations
B&B self drive tour of Tasmania, meet the locals
Self-drive staying in Tasmania's most charming B&Bs
From
AU $1100 to AU $6000
14 days
ex flights
Southern Australia & Tasmania tailor made vacation
See Tasmania, Victoria and South Australia, tailor-made
From
£6450
15 days
ex flights
Tasmania wildlife tour
Extraordinary encounters with Tasmania's endemic wildlife
From
AU $1295 to AU $4500
15 days
ex flights
Tasmania 8 day tour, Australia
A comprehensive exploration of Tassie's West Coast & Hobart.
From
AU $3290
8 days
ex flights
Tasmania East Coast to Cradle Mountain tour, 5 days
The very best of Beautiful Tasmania in 5 Days.
From
AU $1795
5 days
ex flights
Western Tasmania wilderness tour, 3 days
Showcasing the beauty & heritage of Tasmania's west coast
From
AU $995
3 days
ex flights
Tasmania 6 day tour, Australia
Experience Tasmania’s amazing scenery, wildlife & culture.
From
AU $1995
6 days
ex flights
Tasmania East Coast tour, 3 days
Discover the scenery, wildlife and heritage of Tasmania
From
AU $995
3 days
ex flights
Tasmania self guided biking vacation, Australia
Biking touring vacation along Tasmania's stunning east coast
From
AU $1200 to AU $1500
8 days
ex flights
3 Capes walking tour in Tasmania
Winds through heathland, woodland and sections of rainforest
From
AU $1895
4 days
ex flights
Tasmania wilderness walking vacation, Australia
Explore the fascinating wilderness of Tasmania
From
AU $3795 to AU $3925
8 days
ex flights
Franklin River rafting vacation in Tasmania
Rafting and conservation on the Franklin River
From
US $2499
9 days
ex flights
Tasmania & Western Australia walking vacation
Australia's Great Walks in Western Australia and Tasmania.
From
US $8725
15 days
ex flights
Tasmania coastal cruise
Experience the wild beauty, food and heritage of Tasmania
From
£3195
8 days
ex flights
Tasmania fishing vacation
Fly fishing vacations in Tasmania for beginners to experts
From
AU $2195 to AU $5695
4 days
ex flights
Tasmania small group tour, 13 days
The most comprehensive, small group Tassie adventure ever.
From
AU $4890
13 days
ex flights
Tasmania coastal walking vacation, Australia
Guided walking in beautiful Tasmania
From
AU $3150 to AU $3495
7 days
ex flights
Cradle Mountain walking vacation in Tasmania, self guided
World heritage listed Tasmanian wilderness self-guided walk
From
AU $2895
6 days
ex flights
ACTIVITIES FOR TRAVELLERS IN TASMANIA
Walk your way to freedom
Freedom underpins Tasmania to stand in stark contrast to its penal past, and as you walk across the island's track-covered national parks and surrounding islands and you'll undertake your own journey, way beyond average Aussie expectations. Walk a little longer over the Freycinet Peninsula Circuit, Bay of Fires Walk, or the 65km Overland Track in Cradle Mountain Lake within St Clair National Park. Mix things up a little as you swap footprints for paddles as you kayak Ansons River in the Bay of Fires or, after trekking in the Tarkine Rainforest region, paddle down the Pieman River.If a four-day hike is more your thing, taking in some of Tassie's best beaches, then check out the 46km Three Capes Track that encapsulates the Tasman Peninsula where overnight stopovers in public huts allow the likes of Capes Pillar, Hauy and Raoul to really leave their mark. Alternative accommodation can be found in backwoods cabins and cosy, comfy guesthouses where bed and breakfast is all that's required to keep you up and active as wilderness guides offer insight into a world of wonder.
find your feral
Ever since Tasmania cut the cord to mainland Australia, thanks to rising sea levels some 10,000 years ago, its wildlife has fared rather nicely with white wallabies and 12 other marsupials on Bruny Island; Tasmanian devils and flocks of birds on Maria Island; and no end of duck-billed platypus abounding in the Central Highland's lake systems, to ensure wildlife watchers are in their absolute element. Whether it's wombats and wallabies in Narawntapau or dolphins and whales off west and east coasts, wildlife watching vacations in Tasmania let you find your feral just as readily as leafing through the pages of an animal encyclopedia. From fairy penguins on Bonnet Island to forty-spotted pardalotes and orange-bellied parrots, Tassie by day is a rainbow of colours whilst, by night, owls hoot and possums peer in torch light so tread carefully as you take a walk on the wild side.
Australia's cellar doors are always open with nearly 100 boutique wineries on Tasmania from where to sample, socialise and spend some quality time soaking up the surrounding scenes.
Taste the difference on Tasmania
Fresh organic fodder thrives in Tasmania with a bounty of fine fare adorning farm tables and B&B kitchens the length and breadth of the island. From wineries to whisky distilleries, there's a reason why connoisseurs come to Tasmania with cottage industries opening their doors to delight the uninitiated and thrill the experts across the board. Apple orchards, cheese companies (Briny Island especially) and some of the most sublime scallops, oysters and seafood suppers imaginable. What more could foodies wish for? Oh alright then, there's wagyu beef and island reared lamb as well.
Tasmania in itself is stunning but who knew there were hundreds of other idyllic odysseys just offshore? It's like someone split the rock, scattering gems all around.
Get hopping skippy!
Hopping from one island to the next lets you live life in Tasmania with a spring in your step with more than 300 separate shorelines featuring everything from rocky and remote to sun-kissed and sublime sand. No matter whether you're into walking, surfing or wildlife spotting, Tasmania’s islands conjure up all manner of escapist experiences with white wallabies in Bruny, historic heritage on Flinders and Tasmania's one true Aboriginal island, Cape Barren, offering more than enough temptations to get you started.
Our top Australia Vacation
B&B self drive tour of Tasmania, meet the locals
Self-drive staying in Tasmania's most charming B&Bs
From
AU $1100 to AU $6000
14 days
ex flights
Tailor made:
This trip can be tailor made throughout the year to suit your requirements
This trip can be tailor made throughout the year to suit your requirements
Travel Team
If you'd like to chat about Australia or need help finding a vacation to suit you we're very happy to help.
Responsible Travel asks the experts
Susie de Carteret from our leading Tasmania vacation supplier, Tasmanian Odyssey, shares her Tasmania travel advice:
Itinerary tips
“Tasmania is much bigger than most people anticipate and driving distances are deceptive. For itineraries of less than two weeks I suggest flying into Launceston and out of Hobart, or the other way around, to maximise touring opportunities. Do take a scenic flight into the South West National Park with Par Avion from Hobart. It is nothing short of jaw dropping and you can usually see the orange-bellied parrot, which is the rarest bird in Australia – this is the only place it breeds. And do go to Bonorong or Trowunna – two of the best wildlife sanctuaries in Tasmania.”
What to bring & what to buy
“Pack for all seasons; it is quite possible to experience four in one day – layers are essential. Pack good walking boots and take a torch for nocturnal wildlife spotting. No need to take your Sunday Best – the dress code is very casual everywhere. Don’t expect to get good or any mobile phone coverage in many parts of the state. Get a Telstra SIM card for your phone and you will get the best coverage.”
Getting off the beaten track
“If you like an adventure, take the road less travelled – the Western Explorer or ‘Road to Nowhere’ which is an old logging track that runs down the west coast from Smithton to Strahan through ancient forest and across the wilderness via the old mining village of Corinna. The road is entirely unsealed, there is no mobile phone signal and you are unlikely to see more than one car a day so take plenty of food, water and fuel and be prepared for a long wait if you breakdown, but it is absolutely stunning. You cross the Pieman River on the single vehicle ‘Fatman Barge’ after you leave Corinna.”
Making time for dinner
“A lot of B&B owners are brilliant cooks and you can eat there for half the price of eating out, and they all use local produce, and you hang out with other guests and local friends pop in, and they always include wine. So when meals are included take advantage of it! And they cater for any dietary requirements, no matter how bizarre!”
Read more about Tasmania in our Tasmania travel guide
More about Australia
Follow our straightforward temperature and rainfall chart to help you discover the best time to visit Australia; and see our pick of the cultural calendar.
Put down your camera, throw out your Neighbours box set and let our Australia travel guide lead you on an adventure that will become as much a part of who you are as where you go next.
Our Australia map and itineraries page allows responsible travelers to learn about locations from Kakadu National Park to Tasmania with the Kimberley, Uluru and Kangaroo Island in between.
There are just so many things to do in Australia that this page deserves to be an entire travel guide in its own right.
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Queensland is Australia’s tropical treasure trove, where glorious coral reefs lie offshore and ancient rainforests throng with life.
South Australia is like a continent in miniature, home to rugged coastline, vast mountain ranges and ancient forests.
Find out how to get around Australia, what to pack and where & what to eat as you read advice and tips from our friends in Australia and take the time to travel safely in Australia after checking out our health & safety travel guide containing everything from sun protection to snake prevention.
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Find all of our Australia guides in one place, including guides for different areas such as the Great Barrier Reef, Tasmania or the Great Ocean Road.
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Photo credits: [Page banner: Steven Penton] [Topbox: Steven Penton]
[Walk your way to freedom: Diego Delso]
[Taste the difference: Jameson Fink]
[Itinerary tips: JJ Harrison]
[Beaten track: Steven Penton]
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