There are a few things people tend to get wrong about Tasmania, the island south of Australia. First, that it’s just a remote farming island and not worth a visit if you’ve only got a few weeks to spend down under. Second, that it’s warm like the rest of Australia. And third, that Hobart — the state capital famous for its world-class oysters and contemporary art museum — is the only city you can fly into.
Let me clear a few of those up for you quickly. Yes, around 40 per cent of the island is protected wilderness, which is extraordinary. But Tasmania is far from one big forest full of people living off-grid in cabins. The island has one of the most highly rated food, wine and whisky scenes in Australia, including the world’s best oysters, according to locals (the brisk water means they’re richer in nutrients). It’s also home to one of the most provocative contemporary art museums in the world, a nod to the wickedly cool creative community who live on the island. It just happens to boast world-class, New Zealand-rivalling nature, too.
The weather was the main thing that struck me when we left a sweltering 42-degrees Sydney and found ourselves digging out our jeans and fleeces the moment we touched down in Hobart, only to find ourselves back in shorts and t-shirts by the afternoon. There really are four seasons in a day here in this wild and wonderful sixth Australian state.
Hobart, the capital and home to nearly half of the island’s 570,000 population, is not the only city you can fly into from major mainland Aussie cities (it’s just 90 minutes from Sydney and 75 from Melbourne). Launceston (‘Launnie’), Tasmania’s unassuming second-biggest city in the north-east of the island, also has its own airport. This was the key to nailing our five-day adventure, as it allowed us to tick off three major areas of the island — city, mountains and beach — in less than a week.
Here’s how to make a five-day trip to Tasmania work.
Days 1 and 2: Hobart
If you’ve heard anything about Hobart, it’s probably Mona, the private art gallery and immersive museum that has become world-famous for its quirky, unconventional visitor experience. Think Bond-lair tunnels, exhibitions on sex and death, and a famous ‘poo machine’ that mimics the human digestive process.
The place is colossal and weird and disturbing and dazzling all at the same time — a must on any visit to Tasmania. You can drive from Hobart centre easily. But take the ferry if you can, and opt for the cheekily-named ‘posh pit’ upgrade which comes with fun, premium offerings like mimosas and bloody mary oysters on arrival.
We stepped down into the museum alongside a cool mix of artsy types in blazers and outdoorsy couples in Salomon rain jackets. Somehow, a whole day went by, starting with a four-course chef’s menu lunch at Mona’s in-house restaurant Faro – an immersive experience in itself, when you find yourself feasting on slow-cooked wallaby and a starter inspired by Walsh’s finger as actors play violins and take selfies around you.
At some point during the afternoon, we stumbled across an artwork powered by the wind and the original mixing desk from Abbey Road, which is on loan to the museum for a dollar. Mona might be the largest private gallery in the southern hemisphere, and one-of-a-kind. But its cool, creative energy feels like a good metaphor for Hobart and Tasmania as a whole: underestimated and sure of itself, yet happy to remain a little off-the-beaten track if it means attracting a more intentional type of tourist.
We spent our first night in Hobart eating at Aloft, one of the city’s most popular restaurants right on the waterfront. We stayed at the oddly named MACq 01 (pronounced “mac zero one”) hotel, which sits on the marina and has a warm, artsy vibe. It’s the only hotel in Australia to employ a team of ‘Storytellers’ and guests are offered complimentary Storytelling Tours, from the Hidden Hobart to Gin Tales, a partnership with local distillery McHenry.
Day two depends on whether you’re after a city break (Salamanca Markets, Battery Point and the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery tend to be the hotspots for those sticking around in Hobart itself) or want to get going to your next destination, whether that’s Wineglass Bay further up Tasmania’s glistening east coast or Bruny Island, a 20-minute ferry-ride from nearby Kettering. Bruny is world-famous for its oysters, cheese and wine, and many stay overnight but you can do it as a day trip.
We chose to drive up to the 1,270m (4,169ft) summit of Mount Wellington before breakfast — just 30 minutes in the car from the hotel, and a popular spot for views across Hobart and Derwent if the weather is good.
Mid-morning, we set off for Cradle Mountain, making an essential pitstop at Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary just 30 minutes outside Hobart – the first of multiple wombat encounters we had on the trip (fun fact: there are more wombats than people in Tasmania). Tasmanian Devils, echidnas, wallabies and kangaroos were among the other wildlife we saw in our hour-long tour.
Rooms from around £181 per night, macq01.com.au
Days 2, 3 and 4: Cradle Mountain
With a five-day trip, you can’t afford to spend three full days at Cradle Mountain, the iconic Australian peak at the heart of Tasmania’s World Heritage Area. But you will need a half-day on either side to get there. Not that we minded — the roadtrip was half the fun. Think untamed forests, cows grazing in golden fields and misty alpine peaks. I can see why people compare Tasmania to Scotland and New Zealand.
Our day hiking to the summit of Tasmania’s most iconic landmark — a 12-kilometre hike past lakes, forests and rocky outcrops with an hour-long scramble to the top — was probably the highlight of the entire trip. We drove to the visitor centre (you’ll need to buy a Parks Pass for $30) and took a shuttle bus to the start of our hike from there. We were back to our car by 5pm, after a full day’s walking — and that was two relatively fit thirty-somethings taking it on in perfect conditions.
Many hikers opt for the shorter Dove Lake Circuit or Enchanted Walk if they’re not feeling up to the full summit or the conditions aren’t great, which is common. Our day packs were filled with puffer coats, hats and gloves and on any other day we’d have needed them. The scramble at the top felt dicey enough without having to navigate rain, ice or snow. It was worth it, but don’t take this mountain lightly or without the right kit. Kayaking is another popular activity in the area, if you’re more of a water-sports fan or the weather is better down at river-level.
Peppers Cradle Mountain Lodge and Discovery Parks are generally considered the best stays in the area, with Peppers’ in-house restaurant Altitude offering the finest dining option. We ate at Hellyers, the in-house restaurant at Discovery Parks, which had perfect uninterrupted views of the mountain, and were so impressed we came back (for takeaway fish and chips) on night two. Order the trout as a starter if it’s on the menu. The place might seem pretty unassuming as you walk in but the food and service felt surprisingly high-end.
Peppers Cradle Mountain Lodge rooms from around £341 per night, peppers.com.au; Discovery Parks rooms from around £95 per night, guestreservations.com
Days 4 and 5: Bay of Fires
I’ve heard it said that Tasmania is Australia’s answer to Norway, with its starry nights, Scandi-style dining and stunning scenery. Nowhere did I feel this more than in St Helens and Binalong Bay, with their old-school fishing village charm and happy, peaceful-seeming people.
Both spots sit at the southern end of this 50-kilometre stretch of beaches known as the Bay of Fires, an area known for its orange lichen-covered boulders that dazzle a fantastic red colour in the sunlight. They also make for a perfect postcard-worthy backdrop when you’re visiting Mermaid Pool, one of the most-photographed spots along that coastline, where you can dip in crystal clear waters at high tide. Make a day or half day of it if you can and drive the 11-13km of coastline between The Gardens and Binalong Bay, stopping off at the various coves and beaches along the route. The beaches reminded us of those we visited on a recent trip to Western Australia: unspoilt and bright white with Maldives-esque turquoise waters, with hardly a soul to be seen.
On a seafood sundowners experience on our first evening, Bay of Fires Experience Co. founder Daisy Lamont treated us to a feast of southern rock lobster, sea urchin butter and mussels she’d dived for and picked herself. And at the Bay of Fires Bush Retreat, our glampsite for the night, fellow tourists swapped cafe and beach recommendations in the communal kitchen as we made lamb gnocchi with fresh herbs we’d picked from the on-site garden.
The retreat would have made a charming backdrop to our stay whatever the weather but quickly became the highlight as the rain set in, with couples sitting around drinking wine, playing cards and chatting about their trips under the fairy lights. We stayed in a cute pre-erected bell tent fitted with electric blankets to warm the beds, and the bathrooms were the chicest I’ve ever seen on a campsite.
But the real USP of the place was its cool Scandi-style communal kitchen stroke living area, where guests are encouraged to socialise and help themselves to gourmet ready-meals, cheese platters, ice cream, hot chocolate and beers from the honesty kitchen. There are fairy lights and fire pit areas, and wallabies hopping around the place at dusk as campers chat and prepare their meals.
We didn’t have days this time though, unfortunately, and set off for Launceston the following lunchtime after a quick walk of the Skeleton Bay track and a pitstop at oyster supplier Lease 65 for some fresh oysters for the road (just make sure you bring cash). Our five-day adventure was rounded off perfectly with a pre-flight dinner at Stillwater restaurant right next to the estuary and quickly understood why it’s the most popular spot in town for a special occasion. The staff were excellent and the steak was exceptional. If we’d had more time in the city, Cataract Gorge and its chairlift and river trails would have been top of our list.
Bay of Fires Bush Retreat rooms from around £264, bayoffiresbushretreat.com.au
