Tasmania — the island state, S of Melbourne across Bass Strait. Size of Ireland, ~570k people. 40%+ national park or World Heritage. Most under-appreciated destination in the country.
5–10 day side loop from Melbourne.
Don’t miss: MONA in Hobart (the reason to go), Wineglass Bay lookout, Cradle Mountain Dove Lake loop, oysters + cheese on Bruny Island, Bay of Fires wild camping.
When
- Best: Nov–Apr (Tas summer). 15–25°C, long days
- Winter: cold, wet, but Dark Mofo in Hobart (mid-June) is excellent
Weather turns on a dime. Pack layers.
Hobart
Second-oldest city in Aus. Sits between Mt Wellington and the Derwent.
- MONA — Museum of Old and New Art. The reason most people go. Privately owned by David Walsh. One of the most interesting museums in the world. Ferry from Brooke Street Pier
- Salamanca Market — Saturday, iconic
- Mt Wellington / kunanyi — drive to the top
- Battery Point — old maritime neighbourhood
- MONA FOMA (Jan) + Dark Mofo (June)
Eat
- Franklin — modern Aus
- Aloft — Brooke Street Pier
- Dier Makr — intimate tasting menu
- Templo — tiny Italian
Port Arthur
Port Arthur — most significant of the Australian convict sites (UNESCO). 1.5hr from Hobart. The Tasman Peninsula drive — Tessellated Pavement, Eaglehawk Neck — is itself spectacular.
Ghost tour at night is excellent. The 1996 massacre memorial is moving.
Bruny Island
Short ferry from Hobart. Cheese, oysters, whisky, beer, beaches, fairy penguins. Day trip but better with a night.
Bruny Island Cheese, Get Shucked (oysters), The Neck, Cape Bruny Lighthouse.
Freycinet & East Coast
- Freycinet NP — Wineglass Bay hike. Stay at Saffire Freycinet if budget allows
- Bay of Fires — orange-lichened boulders on white sand
- Bicheno — little penguins at dusk
Cradle Mountain
Cradle Mountain – Lake St Clair NP — central highlands World Heritage.
- Dove Lake circuit — 6 km loop, the postcard
- Overland Track — 65 km, 6 days. Permits Oct–Jun
- Wildlife — wombats by day, Tasmanian devils at night
- Stay: Cradle Mountain Lodge
Launceston
Second city, in the N. Smaller.
- Cataract Gorge — through the city, walks
- Tamar Valley — sparkling, Pinot, Riesling
West & Southwest
Wild and largely roadless — Tas Wilderness World Heritage covers a fifth of the state.
- Strahan & Gordon River cruises
- Queenstown — copper-mining moonscape
- Franklin River rafting — 8 days, great wilderness trip
Getting there
- Fly Melbourne → Hobart (1hr) or Launceston
- Spirit of Tasmania ferry from Geelong to Devonport — ~10hr, bring your car
7-day loop
- Hobart (MONA, Salamanca)
- Bruny Island
- Port Arthur + Tasman Peninsula
- → Freycinet (Wineglass Bay)
- Freycinet → Bay of Fires → Launceston
- Cradle Mountain
- Back to Launceston/Hobart