Touring Tasmania
After landing in Hobart, hop into your car
and immediately make the hour-long drive
to Port Arthur, home to the best-preserved
convict settlement in Australia. It’s best
to go on an Introductory Guided Walking
Tour to see buildings like the Penitentiary,
Separate Prison and Asylum. Spookier
sightseeing can also be done with the Isle
of the Dead Cemetery Tour but there’s
more to Port Arthur than its convict past.
The Tasman National Park is famous for
its breathtaking natural formations and
dazzling coastline. Other such dynamic
geological formations are accessible by car
and include the Tasman Arch, Blow Hole,
Tessellated Pavement and more.
Return to Hobart, the capital city of
Tasmania to enjoy the colonial charm of
Australia’s second-oldest city. But Hobart
doesn’t live in the past – a fusion of heritage
and modern design promises intrigue to all
travellers. Discover galleries, theatres, and
craft shops in the 1830s-built warehouses
of Salamnca Palace. More history can be
enjoyed at Battery Point, or at the Maritime
Museum of Tasmania and the Museum of
Old and New Art. For children, head to
places like Mt Wellington, Tahune Forest and
Bruny Island that are just on the outskirts
of Hobart. These places offer fun activities,
such as the Mt Wellington Descent, Tahune
Airwalk or berry picking at the Bruny Island
Berry Farm.
Head back out into thriving landscapes with
your next drive to Cradle Mountain. Start the
day early as the drive takes about four hours
but it’s well worth the journey to reach the
ancient rainforests, icy glaciers and cascading
mountain waterfalls. Choose to stay longer
than a day to go on treks up to the summit or
around the glistening lake. For a completely
different experience, try a scenic tour entirely
on horseback or even on a four-wheeled quad
bike. Feed cravings of adrenaline junkies with
a Dove Canyon Tour as well. Abseil, swim,
hike and waterfall jump your way through the
ravine to your heart’s content.
The final destination for road trippers is in
Launceston, Tasmania’s food and wine hub.
Two hours is all it takes to reach the city
centre and the crown jewel, Cataract Gorge.
The natural attraction features recreational
parks, scenic walks, rock climbing and a
river for swimming. Tour the forge from the
comforts of an 1890s boat with Tamar River
Cruises and hear regalements of historical
facts from the skipper. More history can be
discovered at the City Park Radio Museum,
Launceston Tramway Museum, and National
Automobile Museum of Tasmania that
exhibit interesting artefacts. Launceston
cannot be toured without stops at its award-
winning wineries as well. There are many
to the north of Launceston that offer wine
tasting tours, degustation menus and even
accommodation within the vineyards.