Tasmanian Wonders

The Tasmanian capital of Hobart may be small in size, but it’s big in attractions, as you’ll discover this afternoon. Put your destination into perspective from the summit of Mt. Nelson, offering endless vistas over Australia’s southernmost city. View the charming Georgian cottages of Battery Point and convict built warehouses along Salamanca Place, the backdrop of epic Saturday markets. Gaze over boats at Constitution Dock - this is where yachts finish when competing in the annual Sydney to Hobart race, and take a stroll in the second oldest Botanical Gardens in Australia with its amazing collection of plants from around the world. Tonight, join your Travel Director for a Welcome Dinner.

Western Tasmania is like nature amplified, a place where the wilderness rules and people are few and far between. Visiting Mount Field National Park is a humbling experience, not only for the fact it’s part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, but also because it’s home to some of the tallest eucalypts and flowering plants on Earth. Wander amid these giants to reach Russell Falls – take a deep breath; you’re officially on holiday. Records continue to be broken at Lake St. Clair, the deepest freshwater Lake in Australia, before you arrive in Strahan, gateway to World Heritage listed Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park.

The inky waters of the Gordon River and Macquarie Harbour – given their colour by amber button-grass tannins – are as eery as they are beautiful, the mirror-like surface only broken by your Gordon River chariot as you cruise through Hells Gates, the treacherous entrance to the harbour before returning to Sarah Island. It’s hard to reconcile the beauty of this part of the state with its grim history as a penal colony; a place where convicts would fell Huon pines for boat building. Disembark at Heritage Landing to view one of these 500-year-old majestic trees. Safely back on dry land, it's soon time to discover 'The Ship That Never Was', the dramatic and hilarious true story of the Great Escape from Sarah Island! You'll see it performed live by a group of theatre professionals.

Today your journey reaches new heights – quite literally with a visit to the 1,545-metre Cradle Mountain, your backdrop as you explore Dove Lake on your Cradle Mountain tour, the wild alpine moorlands here a natural magnet for lovers of the wilderness. The spectacular and pristine wilderness of Cradle Mountain is home to the mysterious and secretive Tasmanian Devil. You’ll love the next adventure today, a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience. A Day Keeper at Devils @ Cradle will lead you through the sanctuary and provide you with a thorough insight into its operation. When joining this tour you will be directly supporting these animals and threatened species conservation. Leave the Central Highlands after an uplifting day and head towards the scenic north-west coast for your overnight stay.

Table Cape is by far Wynyard's most remarkable natural wonder, at 180 metres high, 'The Cape' - as locals refer to it - offers spectacular views of Tasmania's coastline. As you drive to the top of the remains of a 12-million-year-old volcano you'll reach Table Cape lookout where, on a clear day, you can see mountain ranges over 175 kilometres away. If there’s a town with a cuter name than Penguin, we’re yet to find it. Locals embrace its appeal – there are penguin sculptures at every turn, including one measuring over 3 metres tall. Your journey along the northwest coast also passes through Ulverstone and Sheffield, The Town of Murals, boasting over 100 large paintings depicting the area’s rich history and local characters. All this exploring builds an appetite. Refuel at Ashgrove Tasmanian Farm, where happy cows contribute to award-winning cheeses – everything from cheddar and red Leicester to creamy Tasmanian blue. For lovers of sweeter delights, why not treat yourself to a delicious locally made ice cream?

There are few places in the world where you can leave the city behind and within minutes be surrounded by nature. Launceston is one. Blink and you’re at Cataract Gorge, a yawning chasm carved by ancient rivers. This rare natural phenomenon unites bushland with neat Victorian gardens, replete with ferns and exotic plants. Get a different perspective of the green cavern on the optional scenic chairlift, zipping you over the water to a lofty lookout. We wouldn’t blame you for lingering here, or perhaps taking a cruise along the river. The choice is yours.

You’ll smell Bridestowe before you see it, this enormous lavender farm perfuming the Tasmanian countryside. The flowers grown here aren’t just used in fragrances – they’re also infused into ice-cream, teas and jams. It’s a tasty entrée to the Legerwood Carved Memorial Trees, sculpted into World War One soldiers. Little penguins come out to play in Bicheno; sign up to spot them after dark as they waddle to shore from the water.

The colours at Freycinet National Park are so vivid you’ll think someone has taken the glasses off your nose and cleaned them for the first time: The patchwork of ocean blues that lap Coles Bay. The dramatic pink granite cliffs. There’s a reason why the peninsula stars on postcards. The other place on postcards is Richmond, its grand 1820s Georgian buildings today home to bijou boutiques, galleries and cafés that appear to be lost in time. Your last stop for the day is to the shores of the Derwent River where local palawa will welcome you to country and show off some local bush tucker.

The Isle of the Dead, Devil’s Kitchen, Blowhole… the attractions at and around Port Arthur nod to the region’s notoriously grim history. This is the best-preserved convict site in Australia, and among the most significant convict-era destinations worldwide. The stories these walls could tell.

It took early explorers months to circumnavigate Tasmania. You’ve done it in 10 days. What a wild ride.