Home › Travel Guides › Oceania Travel Guide › Australia › Tasmania › Things to see and do in Tasmania
Image gallery

Wineglass Bay, Tasmania

© Creative Commons / spin spin

Things to see and do in Tasmania

Cataract Gorge

Walk along a rushing river and stare into the Cataract Gorge (www.launcestoncataractgorge.com.au), with its impressive basalt cliffs, which almost reaches into the middle of Launceston, and is surrounded by bushland.

Cradle Mountain

Gasp at Tasmania's dramatic mountain peak, situated in Cradle Mountain/Lake St Clair National Park, famous for the Overland Track walk, and also bursting with natural wonders such as rainforest, alpine heathlands, glacial lakes and ancient pines.

Freycinet National Park

Step into Freycinet National Park on Tasmania's east coast and enjoy coastal heaths, wildflowers and the highlight: the long curve of picture-perfect Wineglass Bay with its pure white sands, fringed by peaks and bushland.

Hobart

Explore Hobart, with its strong links to the sea. You can discover the island's history at the Maritime Museum of Tasmania (www.maritimetas.org), the convict-era buildings of Battery Point and the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery (www.tmag.tas.gov.au).

Mt Wellington

Take in the views from Mt Wellington, towering 1,270m (4,170ft) to the west of Hobart, and the city's backdrop. From the lookout, the clear air offers a spectacular view of Hobart, its suburbs, the Derwent Estuary and Storm Bay.

Port Arthur

Port Arthur is a former penal colony which originally opened as a timber station in 1830. It became a prison settlement for male convicts in 1833 and quickly gained a reputation for being 'hell-on-earth'. Convicts ranged from boys as young as nine through to hardened criminals. The prison closed in 1877 and was renamed Carnarvon in an attempt to lose its former associations; however, in 1927 it was reinstated as Port Arthur. Today, the prison is open to the public and visitors can take part in guided tours and harbour cruises. There is also an interpretation gallery where visitors can find out about some of the convicts that were sentenced there.

Port Arthur

See Australia's most significant convict settlement, the Port Arthur Historic Site (www.portarthur.com.au), created with convict labour. Impressive architecture and delightful gardens belie the chilling historical prison facilities. About 12,500 convicts did brutal time here in the late 19th century.

Russell Falls

Watch the cascading of 45m- (148ft-) high Russell Falls, a pretty display of nature in the Mount Field National Park, and contender for most-photographed waterfall in Australia.

Sailing

Sail into Tasmanian bliss on a boat or sailing cruise. It's a popular way to explore the port cities of Launceston and Hobart, and outlying islands. You can explore the southwest Tasmanian coast from Strahan on the west coast.

Skiing

Hit the pistes at Ben Lomond, Tasmania's main ski resort (www.skibenlomond.com.au). Base yourself at the Creek Inn - Tasmania's highest pub. Alpine wildflowers run rampant in spring and summer when bushwalking becomes the main activity.

Tahune AirWalk

Walk the Tahune AirWalk (http://adventureforests.com.au), offering a suspended 37m- (121ft-) high walkway above spectacular forest canopies. It is part of the Huon Trail which includes the Hastings thermal pool, caves and sheltered bays of the D'Entrecasteaux Channel. Alternatively, the Hollybank Treetops Adventure involves cable 'flights' above Hollybank Forest Reserve.

Targa Tasmania

This international motorsport festival is a six-day annual racing event covering 2,000km (1,240 miles) of tarmac roads across the whole of Tasmania. With official spectator points enabling visitors to see touring, sports and GT cars, the competition has grown in popularity since it started in 1992 (www.targa.com.au).

Tasman Peninsula

Observe the Blowhole and Tasmans Arch among spectacular coastal scenery on the Tasman Peninsula. There are terrific views from Eaglehawk Neck over Pirates Bay and beyond. You can also visit the Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park (www.tasmaniandevilpark.com).

Tasmanian art

Study original Tasmanian and Aboriginal art at the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery (www.qvmag.tas.gov.au), located at Inveresk and Royal Park in Launceston. The Royal Park branch also has an excellent Chinese joss house.

Tasmanian devil sanctuary

Visit Devils @ Cradle Tasmanian devil sanctuary (www.devilsatcradle.com) at the edge of Cradle Mountain. The panoramic mountain scenery plus day and night feeding tours of Tasmanian devils in their natural habitat highlight the environmental wonders of this World Heritage site.

Walls of Jerusalem National Park

Experience utter wilderness in The Walls of Jerusalem National Park: the perfect environment for lots of hiking, but be warned, the treks are not for novices.

Wildlife

Go snap-happy taking photos of wildlife. Tasmania's national parks (www.parks.tas.gov.au) are home to a rich variety of animals, many of them unique to the island. They include wombats, platypus, wallabies, fairy penguins and the Tasmanian devil, a small, black, dog-like marsupial.

Travel Deals

Recommended Sites:

Protect yourself from malaria
Before you travel, find out if your holiday destination is in a malaria zone.
(An educational initiative organised and funded by GlaxoSmithKline Travel Health. UK/MARK/0173/10 September 2010)
Africa, the way it should be seen
We´re cutting the cost of Africa overland trips by up to a whopping 40%. 25% off many trips departing by 30/6/12.
Thailand Holidays from £349pp
Tailor made beach, city and multi-centre holidays to Thailand.
Travel insurance
For residents of over 150 countries. High levels of medical, evacuation, emergency & most adventure activities covered.