Australia's Natural State (PDF, 3.6 - Discover Tasmania
Australia's Natural State (PDF, 3.6 - Discover Tasmania
Australia's Natural State (PDF, 3.6 - Discover Tasmania
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<strong>Discover</strong> <strong>Tasmania</strong><br />
Australia’s <strong>Natural</strong> <strong>State</strong>
Front cover: <strong>Tasmania</strong>n devil<br />
Bay of Fires
Our island, <strong>Tasmania</strong>, is about the same size as the<br />
<strong>State</strong> of West Virginia and is also renowned for its great natural beauty.<br />
Recently a luxe front has been moving across our island. The change has been in the air for some time now. You can still spend<br />
a lot of your time surrounded by unspoilt wilderness, but there are now also plenty of opportunities to spoil yourself.<br />
Luxurious accommodation combined with mountains of fresh produce and mouth-watering cool-climate wines can ensure<br />
merciless pampering at the end of a day’s adventuring. During your wanders on a deserted white sand beach the only signs of<br />
other people might be found sipping local wines or nibbling freshly shucked oysters in the luxury beachfront standing camp<br />
where you are staying. Go trout fishing in our highlands and afterwards lounge in an intimate 5-star lodge with a single malt<br />
whisky from a <strong>Tasmania</strong>n distillery. Take an eco-cruise then dine out on tales of encounters with dolphins, sea eagles and<br />
a mighty coastline in an award-winning restaurant where regional produce is a feature of the menu.<br />
If history or art are your passions, in <strong>Tasmania</strong> we can introduce you to a thriving art scene as well as galleries and markets.<br />
And of course there are the rollicking tales and the grand sandstone buildings of authentic colonial villages<br />
that help define our convict past.<br />
<strong>Tasmania</strong> remains gloriously unspoilt. But these days our island caters to passions<br />
as diverse as our island’s cherished natural attributes.<br />
Yours sincerely<br />
Felicia Mariani CEO
Direct Melbourne to King Island<br />
Cape<br />
Wickham<br />
Currie<br />
Hunter<br />
Island<br />
Cape Grim<br />
West<br />
Point<br />
Sandy Cape<br />
KING<br />
ISLAND<br />
Marrawah<br />
Naracoopa<br />
Yarra Creek<br />
Grassy<br />
Three<br />
Hummock<br />
Island<br />
Robbins<br />
Island<br />
SMITHTON<br />
Corinna<br />
S O U T H E R N O C E A N<br />
Cape Sorell<br />
King Island - Wynyard<br />
Savage River<br />
Zeehan<br />
STRAHAN<br />
Stanley<br />
TRAVELLING DISTANCES (km) AND TIMES<br />
Launceston-St Helens (via Scottsdale)<br />
Launceston-Bicheno (via Scottsdale)<br />
Launceston-Hobart (via Midlands Hwy)<br />
Bicheno-Hobart (via Sorell)<br />
Hobart-Port Arthur<br />
Hobart-Queenstown<br />
Queenstown-Burnie<br />
Burnie-Devonport<br />
Burnie-Smithton<br />
Devonport-Launceston<br />
Devonport-Hobart (via Midlands Hwy)<br />
Hobart-St Helens<br />
Queenstown-Launceston (via Sheffield)<br />
163<br />
236<br />
198<br />
178<br />
93<br />
260<br />
176<br />
49<br />
85<br />
99<br />
277<br />
265<br />
251<br />
Direct Melbourne to Wynyard<br />
Port<br />
Latta<br />
Savage River<br />
National Park<br />
2hrs20<br />
3hrs30<br />
2hrs20<br />
2hrs25<br />
1hr30<br />
3hrs40<br />
2hrs25<br />
40min<br />
1hr<br />
1hr15<br />
3hrs<br />
3hrs40<br />
3hrs30<br />
Waratah<br />
QUEENSTOWN<br />
Rocky Cape<br />
National Park<br />
Boat Harbour<br />
Table Cape<br />
WYNYARD<br />
Somerset<br />
Rosebery<br />
Low Rocky<br />
Point<br />
King Island - Devonport<br />
Yolla<br />
Ridgley<br />
TASMANIA<br />
Direct Melbourne to Devonport<br />
BURNIE<br />
Cradle Valley<br />
Penguin<br />
DEVONPORT<br />
ULVERSTONE<br />
Hampshire<br />
Gunns Plains<br />
Barrington<br />
Nietta<br />
Wilmot<br />
Cradle Mountain<br />
- Lake St Clair<br />
National Park<br />
Derwent Bridge<br />
Franklin - Gordon<br />
Wild Rivers<br />
National Park<br />
South West Cape<br />
0 10 2030<br />
40 50<br />
kilometres<br />
BASS STRAIT<br />
Spirit of <strong>Tasmania</strong> I & II<br />
from Melbourne<br />
Devonport<br />
Terminal<br />
Forth<br />
Strathgordon<br />
Railton<br />
Sheffield<br />
Port<br />
Sorell<br />
LATROBE<br />
Mole Creek<br />
Mole Creek Karst<br />
National Park<br />
Walls of<br />
Jerusalem<br />
National Park<br />
Southwest<br />
National Park<br />
Melaleuca<br />
Bronte<br />
Park<br />
Tarraleah<br />
Beauty Pt<br />
Beaconsfield<br />
Frankford<br />
Elizabeth Town<br />
DELORAINE<br />
Mount Field<br />
National<br />
Park<br />
National Park<br />
Maatsuyker<br />
Group<br />
Narawntapu<br />
National Park<br />
Maydena<br />
© STATE OF TASMANIA<br />
Westbury<br />
Miena<br />
Ouse<br />
GEORGE<br />
TOWN<br />
Bushy<br />
Park<br />
Direct Melbourne to Launceston<br />
Exeter<br />
Hamilton<br />
Poatina<br />
Cressy<br />
Bothwell<br />
Melton<br />
Mowbray<br />
Gretna<br />
Brighton<br />
BRIDGEWATER<br />
NEW NORFOLK<br />
GLENORCHY<br />
HOBART<br />
Bridport<br />
LAUNCESTON<br />
Kempton<br />
Lauderdale<br />
KINGSTON<br />
South Arm<br />
HUONVILLE Margate<br />
Snug<br />
Franklin<br />
Kettering<br />
Cygnet<br />
Geeveston<br />
Woodbridge<br />
Hartz Mtns<br />
National Park<br />
Dover<br />
PERTH<br />
Longford<br />
Southport<br />
Cockle Creek<br />
South East Cape<br />
Direct Sydney to Launceston<br />
Direct Brisbane to Launceston<br />
Flinders Island - Launceston<br />
Pipers<br />
River<br />
Lilydale<br />
BRUNY<br />
Alonnah<br />
Campbell Town<br />
Ross<br />
Richmond<br />
Derby<br />
SCOTTSDALE<br />
Ringarooma<br />
Ben Lomond<br />
Evandale National Park<br />
Deddington<br />
Nile<br />
Rossarden<br />
Cleveland<br />
Bagdad<br />
Direct Melbourne to Flinders Island<br />
Conara<br />
Tunbridge<br />
Oatlands<br />
Colebrook<br />
Cambridge<br />
Adventure<br />
Bay<br />
ISLAND<br />
South Bruny<br />
National Park<br />
Buckland<br />
SORELL<br />
Tasman<br />
Cape Portland<br />
Avoca<br />
Triabunna<br />
Orford<br />
Copping<br />
Gladstone<br />
Dunalley<br />
Emita<br />
ISLAND<br />
Mathinna<br />
FLINDERS<br />
Strzelecki<br />
National Park<br />
Whitemark<br />
Lackrana<br />
ST HELENS<br />
Scamander<br />
St Marys<br />
Fingal<br />
Douglas<br />
Apsley<br />
National<br />
Park<br />
Swansea<br />
Maria Island<br />
National Park<br />
Darlington<br />
Maria<br />
Island<br />
Eaglehawk Neck<br />
F U R N E A U X G ROUP<br />
Lady Barron<br />
CAPE BARREN ISLAND<br />
Clarke<br />
Island<br />
Swan<br />
Island<br />
Nubeena<br />
Port Tasman<br />
Peninsula Arthur National Park<br />
Cape Pillar<br />
Cape Raoul<br />
Mt William<br />
National Park<br />
Binalong Bay<br />
Bicheno<br />
Coles Bay<br />
Park<br />
Eddystone Point<br />
Ironhouse Point<br />
Freycinet<br />
National<br />
Freycinet<br />
Peninsula<br />
Schouten<br />
Island<br />
Direct Adelaide to Hobart<br />
Direct Melbourne to Hobart<br />
Direct Sydney to Hobart<br />
Direct Brisbane to Hobart<br />
AUSTRALIA<br />
<strong>Tasmania</strong>
CONTENTS<br />
Stories of <strong>Tasmania</strong><br />
6 <strong>Tasmania</strong>n Waterfront Dining<br />
by MATT PRESTON<br />
As seen in Vogue Entertaining + Travel<br />
<strong>Tasmania</strong>ns love eating with a side dish that includes lot of water …<br />
8 A Wilderness Retreat<br />
by EMMA SLOLEY<br />
As seen in Harper’s Bazaar<br />
Bracing walks, massages and wildlife encounters …<br />
9 A Devil of an Encounter<br />
by DEREK GRELEWSKI<br />
As seen in Australian Geographic<br />
<strong>Tasmania</strong>n devils – theirs is a life without subtleties …<br />
Destinations of <strong>Tasmania</strong><br />
10 Hobart and Surrounds<br />
12 Launceston, Tamar and the North<br />
14 The Western Wilderness<br />
16 The North West Coast<br />
18 King Island<br />
19 Flinders Island<br />
20 The East Coast<br />
What’s Happening in <strong>Tasmania</strong><br />
21 <strong>Tasmania</strong>n itinerary suggestions<br />
22 <strong>Tasmania</strong>n Events<br />
23 Getting here<br />
Photographic acknowledgments: Tourism <strong>Tasmania</strong>.©<br />
All rights reserved. George Apostolidis, John de la Roche,<br />
Tim Dub, Richard Eastwood, Mark Eveleigh, Don Fuchs,<br />
Dennis Harding, Keiichi Hiki, Jeff Jennings, Andrei Jewell,<br />
Ray Joyce, Simon Kenny, Darran Leal, Geoffrey Lea,<br />
Garry Moore, Peter Morse, Geoff Murray, Matthew<br />
Newton, Robin Nyfeler, Nick Osborne, Pure <strong>Tasmania</strong>,<br />
Diane and Lindsay Stockbridge, Joe Shemesh, Rob Walls,<br />
Peter Whyte, Greg Willson.<br />
Disclaimer: Tourism <strong>Tasmania</strong> has made every endeavour<br />
to ensure that details are correct at the time of printing<br />
(December 2008) but can accept no responsibility for any<br />
inaccuracy or mis-description contained in this brochure<br />
as a result of information supplied, and can accept no<br />
responsibility for subsequent change or withdrawal of<br />
prices, details or services shown. ©Tourism <strong>Tasmania</strong><br />
NORTH AMERICA<br />
discovertasmania.com<br />
5
<strong>Tasmania</strong>n Waterfront Dining<br />
6 discovertasmania.com<br />
BY MATT PRESTON<br />
As seen in Vogue Entertaining + Travel*
The Source at Moorilla, Hobart<br />
Matt Preston tests the water on a tour of some<br />
of <strong>Tasmania</strong>’s best restaurants<br />
<strong>Tasmania</strong>ns love eating with a side dish that includes a whole lot of water.<br />
In Tassie it seems that more top places have water views than don’t.<br />
Pre-eminent in Hobart is Marque IV, which straddles the Elizabeth Street Pier.<br />
It has views of fishing boats, the harbour and wharfs. The lush dining room,<br />
with its bronze drapes and white linen, shimmers at night and is arguably the<br />
sexiest in <strong>Tasmania</strong>.<br />
The menu aims as high. This is fine dining with reliable combinations such<br />
as olive-oil- poached lamb loin with Sicilian olive tapenade and a red-pepper<br />
bavarois, or perfectly caramelised pork belly paired with the flavour of green<br />
apple infused into tapioca pearls.<br />
Elsewhere, The Source at Moorilla Winery, a smart glass and metal box notable<br />
for its location perched on a peninsula jutting into the River Derwent, is just<br />
15 minutes north of Hobart.<br />
In the surrounding countryside there is Eloise Baker’s The Mussel Boys on the<br />
Tasman Peninsula.<br />
To the south, in Woodbridge, is Peppermint Bay, a popular culinary cathedral of<br />
vaulted roofs and walls of glass. Outside, lawns scattered with sculptures and<br />
piles of cushions run down to the D’Entrecasteaux Channel and breathtaking<br />
views of Bruny Island.<br />
Up in Launceston, the water views may be panoramic ones of the River Tamar,<br />
but Daniel Alps at Strathlynn takes a similarly understated approach to turning<br />
good produce into a great meal. The vegetarian vineyard platter usually holds<br />
some seldom seen organic gems on it. The local scallops on the shell with<br />
buttery leeks under a sort of golden, toasty pine-nut crumble and served with<br />
a beet and coriander sprout salad are also really, really good.<br />
Launceston’s restaurateurs love water views with almost the same fervour as<br />
their southern counterparts. Down on the marina is casual bar and restaurant<br />
Mud, while out by the Cataract Gorge is the old mill that houses Stillwater. It’s<br />
not just the waterside location that sees Stillwater oft lauded as <strong>Tasmania</strong>’s<br />
best restaurant. This is the complete package, from good service and a wine list<br />
loaded with local interest, to the warm, wood-beamed interior of white-clothed<br />
tables intimately lit with oil lamps and amber-hued downlights.<br />
Don Cameron’s food is the kind that has you smacking the table with pleasure,<br />
whether it’s a pretty signature dish of lemongrass – poached abalone, scallop<br />
and octopus shavings on cubed dashi jelly or a tataki of yellowfin tuna. With<br />
seafood this good, it’s perhaps no surprise that Taswegians have a thing about<br />
their water views.<br />
*First appeared in Vogue Entertaining + Travel, Dec-Jan 2008. Copyright Vogue Entertaining + Travel.<br />
discovertasmania.com<br />
7
A Wilderness Retreat<br />
8 discovertasmania.com<br />
BY EMMA SLOLEY<br />
As seen in Harper’s Bazaar*<br />
Cradle Mountain Lodge<br />
There is something deeply, satisfyingly, old-fashioned about taking a boat to a destination that would normally be reached by plane.<br />
The passenger ferry service from Melbourne to <strong>Tasmania</strong>, the Spirit of <strong>Tasmania</strong>, offers the opportunity to do just that. The journey<br />
takes around nine hours and one of the major perks is that passengers can take their own car on board. I cling to dreams of ‘An Affair<br />
to Remember’ and on-board intrigue as my husband and I board the ship, which sails daily from Port Melbourne.<br />
We arrive in Devonport the next morning and drive onto dry land en route to Launceston. The landscape between the two cities is<br />
neat, green and gentrified, with none of the hallmarks of the mainlander’s fantasy of wild <strong>Tasmania</strong> – it’s more like a pocket of rural<br />
England. Our accommodation in Launceston is Hatherley House, a grand old 1830s home converted into an elegant boutique hotel<br />
decorated in British Colonial style. Launceston has a stellar dining scene, and during our stay we indulge in several memorable<br />
meals featuring locally sourced produce washed down with excellent <strong>Tasmania</strong>n vintages.<br />
The next day, we head to the World Heritage-listed Cradle Mountain/Lake St Clair National Park. It’s an easy three-hour ramble west<br />
through pristine countryside, and just before the Pencil Pine River we turn into Cradle Mountain Lodge, an upscale wilderness retreat<br />
whose suites feature fireplaces and decks with hot tubs overlooking bushland.<br />
Two days’ worth of bracing walks, massages and wildlife encounters begin to weave their spell and we’re almost fully restored when<br />
the time comes to point our car towards the east coast and Freycinet Lodge. The climate on this coast is far milder and the beaches<br />
are remarkably unpopulated, as we discover on taking a walk to Wineglass Bay. The lookout above this beach is reached via a fairly<br />
steep path, but once we reach the top, we’re rewarded with a perfect arc of white sand and crystal clear water that’s all but deserted.<br />
Our last stop is the Bay of Fires Lodge, a glass and timber eco-marvel perched high on a bluff overlooking a rock-strewn bay. Reached<br />
at the end of a four-day walk through Mt William National Park, the location has a wild and elemental allure. Guests relax at the<br />
lodge for the rest of their stay, chatting by the fireside, sipping <strong>Tasmania</strong>n wines and swapping dolphin-spotting tales as the waves<br />
crash on the beach below.<br />
It’s easy to see why <strong>Tasmania</strong> is getting a global reputation as the next hot destination: it offers unparalleled opportunities to see<br />
some of the world’s remaining ancient wilderness areas, walk on pristine beaches and for motoring enthusiasts, the chance to<br />
experience some of the country’s most exhilarating driving.<br />
*First appeared in Harpers Bazaar April 2004. Copyright Emma Sloley.
A Devil of an Encounter BY<br />
The autumn dusk descends quickly over the forests in northwest<br />
<strong>Tasmania</strong>. Hopping wallabies recede into the night.<br />
Thump! Thump! Thump! The night also hums with the mystery<br />
of the unseen. In 1982, here in the north-west, an experienced<br />
wildlife ranger reported seeing a thylacine, so close he could<br />
count all 12 black stripes across its back.<br />
I am, however, not looking for apparitions of the <strong>Tasmania</strong>n<br />
tiger. My quarry is its surviving relative, the <strong>Tasmania</strong>n devil.<br />
Pre-dinner drinks<br />
Maybe it was the childhood Bugs Bunny cartoons featuring<br />
the whirlwind ogre Taz, or the larger-than-life reputation of<br />
the beast, or the fact that among the world’s carnivorous<br />
marsupials they are a stand-alone success story, I’ve always<br />
been fascinated by the devils. Yet I’ve never seen one.<br />
The entrée<br />
In 1986, Androo Kelly took over the Trowunna Wildlife Park,<br />
at Mole Creek, in the Great Western Tiers. Androo is one of<br />
the devil’s most ardent advocates in <strong>Tasmania</strong>.<br />
The devils, he tells me, live such a furious life, running some<br />
15 km every night in pursuit of food or mates, they simply<br />
burn themselves out. Few live longer than five years. Theirs<br />
is a life without subtleties, where even mating is a form of<br />
combat. It’s tough going from the moment they’re born.<br />
‘The female gives birth to 20 young – each the size of a grain<br />
of rice – and they immediately set off on a long crawl to the<br />
mother’s marsupial pouch,’ Androo says.<br />
* Extracted from Dining with the Devil, Australian Geographic, Issue 70 Apr – Jun 2003. Copyright Australian Geographic.<br />
<strong>Tasmania</strong>n devil<br />
DEREK GRELEWSKI<br />
As seen in Australian Geographic*<br />
It’s an all-important race because in the pouch there are only<br />
four nipples. This running start sets the pace for the rest of<br />
their lives.<br />
<strong>Tasmania</strong>’s wildlife parks are great places to get close to a<br />
devil. But Androo suggests I should also book a seat at one<br />
of three devil restaurants. He recommends one in Marrawah,<br />
near the north-west tip of <strong>Tasmania</strong>.<br />
Main course<br />
Marrawah, perched on the edge of the ocean, is the home<br />
of Geoff King, a farmer-turned-devil-restaurateur. Geoff has<br />
set up an ecotourism business, the devils’ restaurant, where<br />
it’s the devils that dine — from the road-killed wallaby<br />
Geoff stakes out.<br />
Geoff and I wait in an old fisherman’s cottage. A diner<br />
arrives and I take a cautious, excited peek through the<br />
window. A devil, lit by a spotlight, is crouched behind the<br />
bait, tugging at it. To see a devil eat is to behold a miracle<br />
that something so small can eat so much, so quickly. A devil<br />
can consume the equivalent of 40 per cent of its body weight<br />
in half an hour. That’s comparable to a human finishing off<br />
25 kg of steak at one sitting.<br />
Dessert<br />
I can see that Geoff is proud of the fact that with each visitor<br />
passing through his restaurant the myth of the evil beast<br />
is dispelled a little, freeing these timid animals from their<br />
undeserved reputation. Before midnight Geoff switches<br />
off the light and we let the devils be.<br />
discovertasmania.com<br />
9
HOBART AND SURROUNDS<br />
Hobart brims with vitality yet retains a timeless appeal. This capital city is the centre of captivating history,<br />
amazing waterways, wild mountains and gourmet experiences.<br />
From bustling galleries, restaurants and shops at Salamanca Place to the magic of the Derwent River and the<br />
lofty summit of Mount Wellington, Hobart effortlessly mixes class with adventure.<br />
Cruise upriver to an award-winning winery or downriver for fine dining where much of what’s on the menu comes<br />
from local producers. Catch a concert by a symphony orchestra or a show in Australia’s oldest theatre. Wander<br />
Battery Point and soak up the finest colonial suburb in Australia. <strong>Discover</strong> the source of a silversmith’s inspiration,<br />
invest in your own barrel of whisky or choose a rock lobster fresh from Hobart’s amazing waterfront.<br />
Surrounding areas will astonish you with the breadth of experiences on offer. Near to the city, astonishing Port<br />
Arthur gives up both convict history and stunning sea cliffs: Bruny Island’s rugged beauty can seem impossibly<br />
close to a capital city: the Huon Valley’s tales include French exploration, the freshest seafood and friendly locals,<br />
and parts of the Derwent Valley and the Midlands mix authentic colonial charms with stylish and luxurious lodges.<br />
Hobart’s Victoria Dock<br />
10 discovertasmania.com
Food and wine<br />
• Enjoy award-winning wine, meet winemakers and<br />
relax in superb locations like Moorilla, Meadowbank<br />
or the Coal River Valley<br />
• Compare the flavour of flagship and craft beers after<br />
a tour at Cascade, Australia’s oldest brewery<br />
• Bite into rare Huon Valley heritage apples straight<br />
from the orchard<br />
• Sample regional cuisine around Peppermint Bay<br />
• Buy your own barrel of Bothwell’s Nant Estate single<br />
malt whisky; it’s flavoured with a colonial story<br />
• Graze your way through the food, colour, characters<br />
and offerings of renowned Salamanca Market.<br />
Adventure<br />
• Pedal downhill from Mt Wellington’s summit for alpine<br />
terrain, forest and panoramic views<br />
• Sail the Derwent on the square-rigger Lady Nelson<br />
and relive the days of epic sea odysseys<br />
• Soar in the treetops at Tahune AirWalk<br />
• Lift your spirits on a Bruny Island eco-cruise and get<br />
upclose to 300-metre sea cliffs, caves and abundant<br />
sea life<br />
• Tap into natures’s fury at Pirates Bay, with the Devils<br />
Kitchen, Tasman Arch, Blowhole and the Tessellated<br />
Pavement<br />
History and culture<br />
• Explore the workers’cottages and village green of<br />
Arthurs Circus at Battery Point<br />
• Join strolling theatre that brings the heartbreak of a<br />
convict woman to life at South Hobart’s Female Factory<br />
• Encounter designers, makers and inspired arts and<br />
crafts around Hobart’s waterfront and beyond<br />
• Catch a symphony orchestra concert, live art<br />
performances or a show in Australia’s oldest theatre<br />
• Immerse yourself in the power of Port Arthur, its convict<br />
buildings, gardens, tours and captivating tales<br />
• Wander through galleries and antique shops at Richmond,<br />
one of Australia’s best preserved colonial villages<br />
Wildlife and waterways<br />
• Have a close encounter with <strong>Tasmania</strong>n devils in<br />
wildlife parks at Brighton and Taranna<br />
• Feed fish near New Norfolk at the Salmon Ponds,<br />
the southern hemisphere’s oldest trout hatchery<br />
• Stalk quolls and devils at night or see wombats and<br />
platypus by day at a Mt Field wildlife refuge then<br />
explore Mt Field National Park, including Russell Falls<br />
• Share the wonder of seals, dolphins, whales and<br />
seabirds along the Tasman Peninsula<br />
• Welcome little penguins returning to The Neck’s wild<br />
beach on Bruny Island after a day at sea<br />
discovertasmania.com<br />
11
LAUNCESTON,<br />
TAMAR AND THE NORTH<br />
As one of Australia’s oldest cities Launceston is rich with the charm of gracious Victorian-era buildings and<br />
gardens. The River Tamar, the city’s seaport and the waterside al fresco dining options create an intriguing seaside<br />
ambience. Launceston has some of the best restaurants in the state, their reputations built on the fresh flavors<br />
of local produce as much as a chef’s skills. Follow the walking path from the river-side eateries to Cataract Gorge,<br />
Australia’s most staggeringly beautiful inner-city reserve. Elsewhere, share the passion it takes to make worldbeating<br />
beer and fine timber furniture or visit a fabulous museum and gallery.<br />
You’ll be busy for weeks in this region of Tassie: stop at a Tamar Valley cellar door to sample award-winning coolclimate<br />
wines and meet friendly down-to-earth wine makers; ‘fly’ through a forest on a zip-line; wander lavender<br />
fields where the whole world seems to have turned purple; tee off on one of Australia’s best golf courses, right by<br />
Bass Strait. Or follow uncluttered roads to waterfalls, farm gates and captivating colonial villages where community<br />
roots run deep.<br />
Pipers Brook Vineyard<br />
12 discovertasmania.com
Food and wine<br />
• Check out the city’s café culture and award-winning<br />
restaurants, including a stroll along the riverfront<br />
promenade to al fresco waterfront dining<br />
• Taste the cool-climate difference at more than<br />
20 Tamar Valley vineyards, wineries and cellar doors<br />
• Try the Tamar’s contemporary food and fine dining<br />
featuring local seafood and produce<br />
• Check out a beer menu at Boags, where Wizard<br />
Smith’s an ale and the magic’s in the brewing<br />
• Stock up on raspberries at Christmas Hills, near<br />
Deloraine, and Ashgrove’s English county-style<br />
cheeses from the farm gate close by<br />
Cultural heritage<br />
• Explore romantic streetscapes featuring some of<br />
Australia’s best 19th-century architecture<br />
• Stroll Victorian gardens which include ferns and exotic<br />
plants, a band rotunda and peacocks – all within a wild<br />
oasis at Cataract Gorge<br />
• Celebrate craft skills and world-acclaimed design at the<br />
<strong>Tasmania</strong>n Wood Design Collection<br />
• Enjoy the vibrancy and energy of a Launceston dance<br />
company that celebrates island life<br />
• <strong>Discover</strong> a heritage-filled highway where colonial history<br />
is alive in a string of towns, from Evandale to Pontville<br />
Outdoor experiences<br />
• Glide on a high wire at Hollybank Treetops Adventure<br />
for a fresh perspective on forests<br />
• Take to a mountain bike for a thrilling guided descent<br />
of Ben Lomond. Start at the alpine village and negotiate<br />
Jacobs Ladder and forest paths<br />
• At Beauty Point enter the wondrous world of seahorses<br />
and endangered marine creatures then immerse in<br />
unparalleled access to families of platypus in a fascinating<br />
discovery centre<br />
• Head into a subterranean world at Mole Creek Tour through<br />
King Solomons Cave and Marakoopa’s glow worm cave<br />
• Play a round of golf at Barnbougle Dunes Golf Links<br />
Sensory experiences<br />
• Feel the texture of ripe camembert cheese, crusty bread<br />
from the providore, warm fruit growing on the vine or<br />
smooth Huon Pine<br />
• Relax with a spa, sauna, massage or beauty treatment,<br />
without even leaving your city hideaway<br />
• Enjoy the river breeze on a Tamar cruise, the calls of<br />
myriad water birds and a passing parade of vineyards,<br />
historic homesteads, and communities<br />
• Smell fragrant history on a journey through the evolution<br />
of the rose – there are more than 4000 to enjoy at<br />
Woolmers National Rose Garden at Longford<br />
discovertasmania.com<br />
13
THE WESTERN WILDERNESS<br />
<strong>Discover</strong> the wild heart of a World Heritage Area wilderness that is the envy of the world. It’s raw and<br />
powerful and can speak to you in a number of ways.<br />
Humility may steal upon you as the summit of Cradle Mountain emerges through a mist, or when Dove<br />
Lake captures the mirror image of the peak on its surface. Ancient rainforests, waterfalls and chance<br />
encounters with wildlife will arouse endless conversations with fellow travellers and friends.<br />
The region’s hardy pioneers were inspired by the alpine surrounds but not so many visitors rough it as<br />
they did. It’s more usual to enter this world via a luxurious lodge or from a comfortable cabin. And while<br />
gourmet food or a hot tub can greet you at the end of a day’s hike, the real reward is a wilderness where<br />
Mother Nature rules.<br />
Away from the main trails, go with the flow while rafting the mystical Franklin River and its rapids and<br />
ravines, or kayak the mighty Gordon River. Skim over rivers and forests on a seaplane flight from Strahan<br />
and put down on a river deep in the road-less wilderness.<br />
Some of the region’s great journeys, like the luxury cruises on Macquarie Harbour, can blend discovery<br />
with wine and gourmet food. You can meet local characters on a steam powered railway journey through<br />
the valleys and rainforest that shelter former mining towns. Tragedy and triumph have shaped this<br />
terrain. Adventures still happen every day.<br />
Gordon River cruise<br />
14 discovertasmania.com
Wilderness and wildlife<br />
• Hike through a dramatic glacier-carved world at Cradle<br />
Mountain and Dove Lake. Dance in the Ballroom Forest,<br />
discover hidden tarns and meet fascinating creatures<br />
• Travel through rainforest and river country to Corinna,<br />
on the edge of one of the largest tracts of remaining<br />
temperate rainforest in the world for forest hiking, the<br />
Tarkine Hotel, the Tannin Restaurant, and a Pieman River<br />
cruise on a Huon pine boat<br />
• Near Derwent Bridge, at the end of the Overland Track,<br />
Cruise Lake St Clair, Australia’s deepest freshwater lake<br />
• Relax in a clifftop hot tub with sweeping rainforest views<br />
at five star Tarraleah Lodge, where wild times come with<br />
white linen and fine dining<br />
Living heritage<br />
• Ride the restored steam-powered West Coast Wilderness<br />
Railway through the imposing King River Rainforest Gorge<br />
• The Piners and Miners tour from Strahan mixes pioneering<br />
stories, a rainforest walk, and a gourmet waterfront lunch<br />
in the evocative ghost town of Pillinger<br />
• Sarah Island’s convict history takes an interesting twist<br />
with the play The Ship That Never Was, Australia’s popular<br />
longest running live performance<br />
• <strong>Discover</strong> frontier challenges at Zeehan’s Pioneer Museum<br />
and the Gaiety Theatre, brought back to life by a strong<br />
community spirit<br />
Exhilarating experiences<br />
• Raft gorges, rapids and the Great Ravine on the<br />
legendary Franklin River, known the world over for<br />
its untamed beauty<br />
• Hike the six-day Overland Track through <strong>Tasmania</strong>’s<br />
World Heritage heart with creature comforts and gourmet<br />
fare provided<br />
• Near Rosebery mountain bike or hike to <strong>Tasmania</strong>’s<br />
highest waterfall – magnificent Montezuma Falls – on<br />
an historic tramway track. Take the swinging bridge if<br />
you dare<br />
• Glide on an ancient waterway through uninhabited<br />
wilderness on the Gordon River Paddle<br />
Wilderness touring<br />
• Join guided tours or drive yourself to set your own pace –<br />
either way, immerse yourself in the best of the rugged west<br />
• Take your time on a series of stunning short hikes along<br />
the Lyell Highway that take you to a wilderness lookout,<br />
the Franklin River and Nelson Falls<br />
• Escape on a 4WD tour to roaring surf, mountain peaks<br />
and remote lakes<br />
• Take to the water on a kayaking expedition with Roaring<br />
40s into the sublime southwest and far-flung Bathurst<br />
Harbour. Granite-jawed mountains help keep this gigantic<br />
harbor and all that surrounds it a gloriously uncorrupted<br />
part of the world<br />
discovertasmania.com<br />
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The Nut, Stanley<br />
THE NORTH WEST COAST<br />
The North West is a sanctuary for simple and unhurried living yet the variety of experiences is extraordinary.<br />
Watch a wild devil feeding or chat to a whisky-maker who’s waiting to show you their favourite single malt.<br />
Wander some of the largest remaining tracts of temperate rainforest in the world. Step into a bush studio<br />
where an international designer crafts fine furniture. Harvest the freshest produce from farm gates. See<br />
exquisite truffles rolled by hand then savour the chocolate maker’s favourites in a tasting room.<br />
Take your time to get to know Stanley, one of the finest colonial-era villages in Australia. The Stanley Hotel<br />
has been fielding almost as many congratulatory calls as bookings for tables since winning the Australian<br />
Hotels Association Best Bistro/Brassiere in Australia award in 2008. To work up your appetite for local food,<br />
walk up the Nut, the remains of an exctinct volcano, or take a sea cruise to a seal colony. Whatever you do,<br />
share the locals’ passion for their place.<br />
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Meet the makers<br />
• Sip a single malt whisky at Hellyers Distillery<br />
• Indulge in cherries fresh from the orchard at a<br />
Spreyton farm that grows more than 15 varieties<br />
of this luscious fruit<br />
• Buy direct from growers and makers at Sunday’s big<br />
under-cover market in the coastal town of Penguin<br />
• At Anvers House of Chocolate in Latrobe taste fine<br />
couverture chocolate and truffles that are the choice<br />
of celebrity chefs<br />
• Shape your own handmade paper from exotic fibres<br />
at Creative Paper <strong>Tasmania</strong> in Burnie<br />
Wilderness and wildlife<br />
• Get close to wombats on the marsupial lawn at coastal<br />
Narawntapu National Park, where a short walk takes<br />
you to a lagoon that’s a paradise for endemic birds<br />
• Explore the secret life of the platypus at Latrobe’s<br />
Bells Parade<br />
• Hear the call of Leven Canyon from a lookout almost<br />
300-metres above a twisting river<br />
• See Burnie’s remarkable penguin colony, thriving near<br />
the city centre thanks to local care<br />
• On a coastal night tour with Kings Run Wildlife, watch<br />
and listen to wild <strong>Tasmania</strong>n devils feeding<br />
Adventure<br />
• Trek along the coastline of the Rocky Cape National Park,<br />
where sea caves abound, gnarled banksias grow in groves<br />
and you can learn about Aboriginal life in this area<br />
• Ride Tarkine Forest Adventures twisting110-metre slide<br />
into Dismal Swamp, a natural sinkhole that’s a world<br />
of mystery<br />
• Take a Tall Timbers Tarkine adventure tour to a rugged,<br />
remote coast<br />
• Choose a guided five or six day walk deep into Tarkine<br />
rainforest country, where nature’s power is evident at<br />
every turn<br />
• Head off the beaten track in the far North West on a<br />
personalised 4WD tour to a coastal bush camp<br />
Community experiences<br />
• Share a passion for history and nature at Sheffield,<br />
where almost every large wall in this town of murals<br />
is an impressive work of art<br />
• Stroll the shore in easygoing seaside villages like<br />
Ulverstone, Penguin or Wynyard, enjoying beach walks,<br />
bike rides and mixing with locals in parks and cafés<br />
• Shop at farmers’ markets at Don Village near Devonport,<br />
Ulverstone and Burnie for produce and local crafts, or join<br />
locals in food, wine and music events<br />
• Explore a Burnie rhododendron garden where locals<br />
nurture 20,000 plants, many of them rare, and you can<br />
stroll along fern walks and around tranquil lakes<br />
discovertasmania.com<br />
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Bay of Fires Walk<br />
THE EAST COAST<br />
Unwind on the East Coast of <strong>Tasmania</strong> with coastal adventures that get to the heart of things. Put foot prints<br />
into a deserted white sand beach; soar with a sea eagle and swim or sea kayak in water so clear you won’t<br />
be able to tell where the horizon meets the sea. Pack a picnic of local cheeses, berries and wine and wander<br />
a coastal trail where an ambling echidna might be all that breaks the spell of tranquil seascapes. Take a<br />
sea kayaking tour on Promise Bay and find a ‘secret’ cove. Climb to the lookout at Wineglass Bay in the<br />
Freycinet National Park and discover beaches fringed by lush forests where wildlife abounds.<br />
<strong>Discover</strong> why Lonely Planet chose the Bay of Fires as the best destination in the world for 2009.<br />
But you’ll also want to make time for Maria Island National Park. Maria has been described as a type of<br />
Noah’s Ark – it’s easy to mix with the unhurried wombats, <strong>Tasmania</strong>’s indigenous birds including thriving<br />
populations of once endangered Cape Barren geese and the elusive white-breasted eagle. <strong>Discover</strong> too,<br />
world-rated fossil cliffs and a restored convict settlement.<br />
Collect additions to the cellar from East Coast wineries including the much respected Freycinet Vineyard<br />
and Spring Vale wines, homes to some of Tassie’s best pinot noirs. No matter what you do on the East<br />
Coast, some of Australia’s finest oysters, rock lobsters and local pinots will be a fine complement to the<br />
sunsets and unhurried seaside villages.<br />
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Beach experiences<br />
• Find freedom on Freycinet’s beaches overlooking the<br />
shimmering turquoise sea – at Honeymoon Bay, Wineglass<br />
Bay or secluded Hazards Beach<br />
• Escape with Freycinet Sea Cruises to Wineglass Bay; local<br />
oysters, cheeses and sparkling wine are served at anchor<br />
near the world-acclaimed beach<br />
• Settle back in a spa overlooking a private beach and<br />
uninterrupted views of the vast Great Oyster Bay<br />
• Take a guided four-day walk along the stunning white<br />
beaches of the Bay of Fires, meeting abundant wildlife<br />
and exploring coastal woodlands<br />
Adventure<br />
• Kayak with Freycinet Adventures to bays where the<br />
Hazards mountains meet the sea<br />
• Take an exhilarating ride on an all-terrain vehicle to<br />
faraway beaches and forests with All4adventure<br />
• Battle a marlin, swordfish or bluefin tuna on a game<br />
fishing charter out of St Helens, widely acclaimed as<br />
one of Australia’s best game fishing spots<br />
• Take on a vertical challenge, abseiling down dramatic<br />
granite crags at Whitewater Wall, Freycinet Peninsula<br />
• Dive into enormous kelp forests, sea caves and<br />
shipwrecks with dive operators at Binalong Bay,<br />
St Helens or Bicheno<br />
Food and wine<br />
• Join a guided hike to Wineglass Bay for a sumptuous<br />
beachside banquet of local lobster, scallops, beef, quail<br />
and <strong>Tasmania</strong>n wines<br />
• Dine at Diamond Island Resort’s award-winning beachfront<br />
restaurant, with its own Fairy Penguin colony in the garden<br />
• Choose freshly-shucked Salty Seas oysters at St Helens –<br />
they’ve won gourmet awards and the business is a local<br />
success story<br />
• On a picturesque family farm, bite into tangy Pyengana<br />
cheddar made to a century-old recipe<br />
• Savour premium seafood, local wine and a view over<br />
Binalong Bay and the Bay of Fires from the deck of<br />
Angasi Restaurant<br />
Nature and wildlife<br />
• Hike for four days on the wildlife refuge of Maria Island.<br />
Get lost in the island’s own convict story<br />
• Go beach to bush – cruise to Wineglass Bay then walk the<br />
granite outcrops of the Hazards Range for coastal scenery<br />
• Go wildlife spotting after dark to see eager <strong>Tasmania</strong>n<br />
wildlife<br />
• Visit East Coast Nature World, one of the finest nature<br />
parks in <strong>Tasmania</strong><br />
• Make time for a hike that will take you to the rugged river<br />
gorges, waterholes and waterfalls of the Douglas Apsley<br />
National Park<br />
• Watch Fairy Penguins in a natural environment in the<br />
nightly parade at Bicheno<br />
discovertasmania.com<br />
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King Island Island lifestyle<br />
Renowned for its special relationship with the sea, King Island<br />
capitalises on its Bass Strait location to provide highly prized<br />
food that’s coveted by some of the country’s best restaurants.<br />
The island’s clean air and water, lush pastures help nuture<br />
gorgeous creamy cheese, succulent seafood and tender beef.<br />
Flinders Island<br />
Find your own rhythm on more than 120 deserted beaches or<br />
reach new heights atop the craggy granite cliffs of Strzelecki<br />
National Park. Enjoy mouth-watering lobster from pristine<br />
waters or succulent lamb favoured by celebrity chefs.<br />
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• Linger at the King Island Dairy fromagerie, tasting<br />
camembert, double brie, tangy blue vein, and indulgent<br />
crème desserts or yoghurt<br />
• Chat to farmers with a passion for bee-keeping and<br />
sample their aromatic Lymwood Honey, select grass-fed<br />
beef for a barbecue or stop at the Currie bakery for a<br />
delicious scallop pie<br />
• Choose a rock lobster, king crab or oysters at King Island<br />
Seafoods – you need to order in advance<br />
• Meet a remarkable Italian butcher at Grassy – he’s<br />
turned his skills to local fare ranging from smoked eels<br />
to black back salmon<br />
• Head out before dawn and step into the life of a<br />
fisherman for the day<br />
• Go wildlife viewing at dusk for wallabies, potoroos and<br />
possums, watch Fairy Penguins come ashore or spot<br />
the rare orange-bellied parrot<br />
Nature and wildlife<br />
• Slow down on an evening cruise of Franklin Sound –<br />
the clouds are actually shearwaters on the wing<br />
The harbour at Currie<br />
• Sea kayak the ever-changing coastline – or go diving with<br />
a master diving instructor who has spent years exploring<br />
these waters<br />
• Chase trophy-size tuna or battle marlin and blue eye on a<br />
world-class game fishing expedition<br />
• Revel in unspoiled beaches – swim at Trousers Point, with<br />
a view that’s one of Flinders’ most photographed; fossick<br />
for Killiecrankie diamonds; or go beachcombing for a prized<br />
paper nautilus shell<br />
• Take the rewarding five hour hike to the top of Mt Strzelecki<br />
for sublime views or the gentle two kilometre Strzelecki<br />
Walking Track to seascapes, tree ferns and orchids<br />
• Buckle up for a flight over majestic Franklin Sound and<br />
Furneaux islands with Flinders Island Aviation<br />
Sawyers Bay, Flinders Island
<strong>Tasmania</strong>n itinerary suggestions<br />
North West Coast Wilderness 5 Nights / 6 Days<br />
Day 1 Hobart – Spend the day in Hobart discovering the<br />
harbour, galleries and gardens. Stroll around historic Battery<br />
Point – on Saturdays don’t miss Salamanca Market. Admire<br />
superb views over the harbour from Mt Wellington, visit the<br />
famous Cadbury Chocolate Factory or Cascade Brewery.<br />
Overnight Hobart.<br />
Day 2 Hobart to Strahan – (300 km [186 miles] 4½ hours)<br />
Start early to tour through the Derwent Valley to New Norfolk.<br />
Take a break at Lake St Clair, Australia’s deepest lake. Visit<br />
the historic mining town of Queenstown before driving to<br />
the harbourside village of Strahan. Overnight Strahan.<br />
Day 3 Strahan to Cradle Mountain – (151 km [94 miles]<br />
2½ hours) Take a morning cruise across Macquarie<br />
Harbour along the Gordon River into the heart of <strong>Tasmania</strong>’s<br />
wilderness. Then head to the North West. Overnight Stanley.<br />
Day 4 Cradle Mountain – Head to Cradle Mountain.<br />
Icy streams cascading from rugged mountains, calm lake<br />
waters and a wealth of wildlife make this one of <strong>Tasmania</strong>’s<br />
most popular and breathtakingly beautiful areas. Spend the<br />
day discovering it at your leisure. Overnight Cradle Mountain.<br />
Day 5 Cradle Mountain to Launceston – (181 km [112 miles]<br />
2 hours) Visit Sheffield, the town of murals, before a scenic<br />
drive to Launceston. Visit one of the city’s many public<br />
gardens or museums; or experience the natural attraction<br />
of Cataract Gorge. Overnight Launceston.<br />
Day 6 Launceston – Explore Launceston before your<br />
return flight.<br />
Strahan<br />
Stanley<br />
Cradle<br />
Mountain<br />
HOBART<br />
LAUNCESTON<br />
East Coast Explorer 5 Nights / 6 Days<br />
Day 1 Hobart and surrounds – Arrive Hobart and explore its<br />
architectural heritage. <strong>Discover</strong> Salamanca Place and Battery<br />
Point, cruise the Derwent River or drive to Mt Wellington for<br />
superb views. Overnight Hobart.<br />
Day 2 Hobart and surrounds – Tour the Tasman Peninsula.<br />
Visit the <strong>Tasmania</strong>n Devil Conservation Park and Port Arthur<br />
Historic Site. OR ... explore the Huon Valley – visit the Tahune<br />
AirWalk and sample local food and wine. OR ... cross to Bruny<br />
Island for an eco-cruise. Overnight Hobart.<br />
Day 3 Hobart to Freycinet – (194 km [120 miles] 3 hours)<br />
Tour to Richmond and the east coast. Take a 20-minute ferry<br />
ride from Triabunna to Maria Island National Park. On return,<br />
follow the coast to Swansea, sample local wines and fresh<br />
berries. Overnight Freycinet National Park.<br />
Day 4 Freycinet National Park – <strong>Discover</strong> Freycinet National<br />
Park. Walk to the Wineglass Bay lookout to admire one of the<br />
top 10 beaches in the world. Visit Cape Tourville Lighthouse,<br />
photograph the pink granite rocks of The Hazards or explore<br />
the coast in a sea kayak. At nearby Bicheno see Fairy<br />
Penguins on an evening penguin tour. Overnight Freycinet.<br />
Day 5 Freycinet National Park to Launceston – (173 km [107<br />
miles] 4 hours) Tour north to Bicheno and St Helens. Travel<br />
through rainforests and see St Columba Falls. Visit the Forest<br />
EcoCentre at Scottsdale, the Bridestowe Estate Lavender<br />
Farm, and Pipers Brook Vineyard. Overnight Launceston.<br />
Day 6 Launceston – Stroll along the riverbank boardwalk to<br />
Cataract Gorge Reserve, walk in the Cliff Grounds gardens and<br />
ride the Basin chairlift. Cruise the Tamar River on the Tamar<br />
Odyssey, visit the Inveresk Cultural Centre and Queen Victoria<br />
Museum and Art Gallery.<br />
St Helens<br />
LAUNCESTON<br />
HOBART<br />
Tasman<br />
Peninsula<br />
discovertasmania.com<br />
Freycinet<br />
National<br />
Park<br />
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<strong>Tasmania</strong>n itinerary suggestions<br />
Taste of Two Cities 3 Nights / 4 Days<br />
Day 1 Hobart and the Huon Valley – (Hobart to Geeveston<br />
180 km [112 miles] 3 hrs return) Travel south from Hobart<br />
to the Huon Valley. Visit the Tahune Forest AirWalk near<br />
Geeveston or take a jet boat ride at Huonville. Enjoy the<br />
region’s fine produce – fruit, wine, mushrooms and seafood.<br />
The Huon Valley is one of southern <strong>Tasmania</strong>’s acclaimed<br />
wine regions – taste superb cool-climate wines and luscious<br />
fruit liqueurs. Overnight Hobart.<br />
Day 2 Tasman Peninsula – (190 km [118 miles] 3 hrs return)<br />
Tour the vineyards of the Coal River wine region and spend<br />
time in the historic colonial village of Richmond before touring<br />
along the Tasman Peninsula, with its spectacular coastal<br />
scenery and rock formations – the Tessellated Pavement,<br />
Blowhole, Devil’s Kitchen and Tasman Arch. Visit Port Arthur<br />
Historic Site – take a guided tour; cruise to Tasman Island;<br />
stay late for the evening Ghost Tour. Overnight Hobart.<br />
Day 3 Hobart to Launceston – (198 km [123 miles]<br />
2½ hours) Don’t miss Saturday’s Salamanca Market in<br />
Hobart. Drive north along The Heritage Highway towards<br />
Launceston, pausing at the historic villages along the way<br />
– visit Oatlands; see the carvings on the convict-built Ross<br />
Bridge. Enjoy the evening relaxing in the Old Launceston<br />
Seaport precinct with its variety of restaurants and bistros.<br />
Overnight Launceston.<br />
Day 4 Around Launceston – (100 km [62 miles] 2 hrs return)<br />
Spend a relaxing day exploring the Tamar Valley with its<br />
many fine cool-climate vineyards. Enjoy lunch at a vineyard<br />
restaurant such as Rosevears Estate or Daniel Alps at<br />
Strathlynn. See fields striped with colour at Lavender House<br />
at Rowella or the Bridestowe Estate lavender farm at<br />
Nabowla, before departing from Launceston Airport.<br />
22 discovertasmania.com<br />
LAUNCESTON<br />
HOBART<br />
Tasman<br />
Peninsula<br />
<strong>Tasmania</strong>’s Adventure Island 9 Nights / 10 Days<br />
Day 1 Hobart – Explore historic Battery Point and Salamanca<br />
Place. Experience the thrill of a downhill bike ride on Mt<br />
Wellington with Island Cycle Tours. Overnight Hobart.<br />
Day 2 Bruny Island eco-cruise – Spend the day with Bruny<br />
Island Charters and enjoy an amazing cruise from Adventure<br />
Bay along the coastline of South Bruny. See sheer-faced sea<br />
cliffs, seals, dolphins and sea eagles. Overnight Hobart.<br />
Day 3 Tasman Peninsula – (93 km [57 miles] 1½ hours) Explore<br />
the spectacular Tasman Peninsula and the convict history of<br />
Port Arthur. Take a cruise or an evening ghost tour. Overnight<br />
Port Arthur.<br />
Day 4 East Coast – 237 km [147 miles] 3 hrs) Drive north<br />
along the East Coast to Freycinet National Park. Walk to<br />
Wineglass Bay, try abseiling, sea kayaking or a four-wheel<br />
motorbike tour. Overnight Freycinet.<br />
Day 5 East Coast to Launceston – (173 km [107 miles] 2½<br />
hours) Travel to Launceston. Take the chairlift ride across<br />
Cataract Gorge and discover the innovative Inveresk Cultural<br />
Precinct and Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery.<br />
Overnight Launceston.<br />
Day 6 Launceston to Cradle Mountain – (181 km [112 miles] 2½<br />
hours) Travel west to Cradle Mountain. On the way, get close<br />
to a <strong>Tasmania</strong>n devil at Trowunna Wildlife Park and tour the<br />
Marakoopa Caves to see the glow worms. Overnight<br />
Cradle Mountain.<br />
Day 7 Cradle Mountain – Enjoy a walk in Cradle Valley –<br />
circumnavigate Dove Lake or climb to the summit of Cradle<br />
Mountain. Indulge in a luxurious spa experience. In the evening,<br />
take a wildlife-viewing tour. Overnight Cradle Mountain.<br />
Day 8 Cradle Mountain to Strahan – (151 km [94 miles] 2 hrs)<br />
Drive to Strahan – pause at Rosebery to walk to Montezuma<br />
Falls, the highest waterfall in the <strong>State</strong>. From Strahan, take an<br />
all-terrain vehicle tour to Henty Dunes or a scenic flight over the<br />
wilderness. In the evening enjoy the play ‘The Ship That Never<br />
Was.’ Overnight Strahan.<br />
Day 9 Strahan – Take an inspiring Gordon River cruise across<br />
Macquarie Harbour – or ride the West Coast Wilderness Railway<br />
through the King River gorge and pristine wilderness<br />
to Queenstown. Overnight Strahan.<br />
Day 10 Strahan to Hobart – (300 km [186 miles] 4 hrs) Start<br />
early to drive through Queenstown to Hobart. Stretch your<br />
legs at Lake St Clair. Detour to Mt Field National Park and get<br />
close to a platypus at the Something Wild Wildlife Sanctuary.<br />
Complete your tour in Hobart.<br />
Strahan<br />
LAUNCESTON<br />
Cradle<br />
Mountain<br />
HOBART<br />
Bruny<br />
Island<br />
Freycinet<br />
National<br />
Park<br />
Tasman<br />
Peninsula
Events in <strong>Tasmania</strong><br />
Summer<br />
Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race<br />
(December/January)<br />
Welcome home intrepid sailors competing<br />
in this bluewater classic from Sydney<br />
Harbour to Hobart’s harbour – and<br />
welcome in the New Year at waterfront<br />
festivities.<br />
Taste of <strong>Tasmania</strong> – Hobart (January)<br />
The island’s largest food and beverage<br />
event puts the spotlight on <strong>Tasmania</strong>’s<br />
much-celebrated food and wine.<br />
On Hobart’s waterfront.<br />
Australian Wooden Boat Festival<br />
– Hobart (February)<br />
The festival celebrates maritime craft,<br />
art and heritage over four unforgettable<br />
days of colour, action, music, theatre,<br />
flavours and fun.<br />
Festivale – Launceston (February)<br />
Premium food and wine is centre stage<br />
during three days of fabulous treats,<br />
sensational cool-climate wine, and great<br />
arts and entertainment.<br />
Southern Open Vineyards Weekend<br />
– Southern <strong>Tasmania</strong><br />
(February to March)<br />
Southern <strong>Tasmania</strong>’s vineyards and<br />
wineries open their doors for a weekend<br />
of insights into local wine life, tastings<br />
and cellar door sales.<br />
Getting here<br />
Fall<br />
Northern Open Vineyards Weekend<br />
– Northern <strong>Tasmania</strong> (March)<br />
Northern <strong>Tasmania</strong>’s vineyards and<br />
wineries welcome you into the world<br />
of cool-climate wines at cellar doors<br />
and tastings.<br />
Ten Days on the Island – <strong>State</strong>wide<br />
(March/April – every two years 2009, 2011)<br />
Poignant, powerful and even provocative<br />
– <strong>Tasmania</strong>’s biennial state arts festival<br />
brings together unique island artists from<br />
around the world<br />
at more than 40 <strong>Tasmania</strong>n venues.<br />
International Mural Fest – Sheffield<br />
(April)<br />
See art on a large scale at a contemporary<br />
art competition.<br />
Hydro Three Peaks Race – <strong>State</strong>wide<br />
(April)<br />
Australia’s ultimate non-stop endurance<br />
challenge. Teams sail from Beauty Point<br />
north of Launceston to Flinders Island,<br />
Coles Bay and Hobart and scale three<br />
mighty mountains – Mt Strzelecki,<br />
Mt Freycinet and Mt Wellington –<br />
along the way.<br />
Targa <strong>Tasmania</strong> – <strong>State</strong>wide (April)<br />
The world’s best touring, sports and<br />
GT cars compete on the island’s toughest<br />
roads, travelling more<br />
than 2000 kilometres.<br />
Climate – <strong>Tasmania</strong> has a mild, temperate maritime climate with<br />
four distinct seasons, summer (December to February), fall (March to<br />
May), winter (June to August) and spring (September to November).<br />
Currency – <strong>Tasmania</strong>’s currency is Australian Dollars $AUD. Most<br />
major credit cards are accepted. Tipping is not essential – giving tips<br />
is at your discretion.<br />
Voltage – Electricity is supplied at 230/240 volts (50 hertz).<br />
Winter<br />
Antarctic Midwinter Festival – Hobart<br />
(June)<br />
A festival celebrating the frozen continent,<br />
the amazing people who go there and<br />
Hobart’s special relationship with<br />
Antarctica.<br />
Tastings at the Top – Cradle Mountain<br />
(June)<br />
Four days of indulgence, tasting and<br />
discussion of <strong>Tasmania</strong>’s finest food<br />
and wines in the renowned Cradle<br />
Mountain Lodge.<br />
Festival of Voices – Salamanca Place<br />
(July)<br />
Four days of uplifting workshops,<br />
concerts and happenings filled with<br />
the joy of voices and singing, centred<br />
in and around Hobart’s historic<br />
Salamanca Place.<br />
Chocolate Winter Fest – Latrobe (July)<br />
Wickedly delicious chocolate, food and<br />
wine in ways you love best and some<br />
you’ve never thought of before, in a town<br />
that is home to one of the world’s finest<br />
chocolate-makers.<br />
Launceston Ten – Launceston (July)<br />
Northern <strong>Tasmania</strong>’s largest fun run,<br />
with more than 1700 runners sharing the<br />
pleasure of hitting the road together.<br />
Spring<br />
Blooming <strong>Tasmania</strong> – <strong>State</strong>wide<br />
(September to May)<br />
Blooming <strong>Tasmania</strong> is a celebration<br />
of the <strong>State</strong>’s diverse horticultural and<br />
botanical delights. It is an invitation<br />
to you to share in these simple<br />
pleasures.<br />
Point to Pinnacle Fun Run & Walk<br />
– Hobart (November)<br />
Take on the thrill of an iconic 22 km<br />
footrace from Wrest Point Casino to the<br />
pinnacle of Mt Wellington. Regarded as<br />
Australia’s toughest half marathon.<br />
<strong>Tasmania</strong>n International Beerfest<br />
– Hobart (November)<br />
A showcase of the world’s finest<br />
boutique beers and brewers.<br />
Mark Webber Pure <strong>Tasmania</strong><br />
Challenge – <strong>State</strong>wide (November)<br />
See Olympians, celebrities and<br />
Australia’s only Formula One racing<br />
driver in a gruelling adventure race<br />
in aid of charity.<br />
The Zeehan Gem and Mineral Fair<br />
(November)<br />
At the Zeehan Gem and Mineral Fair<br />
there will be displays of all sorts of<br />
crystals, minerals, opals, gold, fossils,<br />
jewellery, beads and lots more!<br />
Getting here – International flights are available direct from Los<br />
Angeles to Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney; and from New York to<br />
Sydney. Domestic connecting flights are available from all of these<br />
cities direct to Hobart, <strong>Tasmania</strong>’s capital city.<br />
Getting around – <strong>Tasmania</strong> is an easy <strong>State</strong> for touring in a<br />
campervan or hire car. Local transport is also available around the<br />
major cities and to/from airports. Most tour companies can collect<br />
you from your hotel for tours to surrounding attractions.<br />
discovertasmania.com<br />
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In <strong>Tasmania</strong><br />
my space<br />
isn’t a website