Adventure
Tasmania is a joy for adventure travellers of all ages and interstate visitors don’t have to travel far from Hobart to find it. Drive 30 minutes south to Kettering and take the SeaLink car ferry to Bruny Island. Book a private house by the beach so you can pick mussels and oysters off the rocks for seafood feasts.
Head to South Bruny National Park to surf Cloudy Bay’s famous waves, or to hike along the towering cliffs above the ocean. You’ll spot whales and penguins. And take a three-hour fast-boat tour with Bruny Island Cruises to spot seals and sea lions.
Take the car ferry back to Kettering and drive 90 minutes west to Tahune Adventures where a treetop walkway takes you to a viewing point perched 50 metres above the river. There’s also a family-friendly zip-line experience and river rafting for beginners, while those with the nerve can try hang-gliding. You can stay in the lodge accommodation on site from $139 per night for a double ($170 for a family room).
Visit: tahuneadventures.com.au
Luxury
Hobart is the place to start any luxury holiday. When you wake at Macq01 hotel, right on Hobart’s historic waterfront, you’ll swear you’re on a boat, and harbour tours leave from just outside the hotel. Rooms cost from $260 per night.
Take a two-and-a-half-hour Iron Pot cruise on a fast boat around Hobart’s harbour for up to 12 people or book with Hobart Yachts for a full day’s sailing.
When you arrive back, there are over 20 restaurants to choose from along the waterfront and for maximum seafood delights, opt for the 42-year-old, family-run Drunken Admiral at Salamanca Wharf.
To get a taste of wilderness luxury that’s not just for couples, drive two hours west of Hobart to Strathgordon and check into Pedder Wilderness Lodge. Families can stay in self-contained units from $239 per night.
You can take kayak tours, fish or hike around Pedder Lake. Kids can abseil nearby at Aardvark Adventures, one of the world’s highest commercial abseiling sites.
Budget
Hire a car from Launceston and head for the east coast. It’s a stunning, steep drive down through forest, then follow the coastline to Bicheno (less than two hours away). Just before town, turn off to East Coast Nature World where you can come face to face with Tasmanian devils.
Bicheno is an ideal family destination, with lots of free attractions. Stay in a budget-priced, self-contained family accommodation at Bicheno by the Bay. Two-bedroom bungalows start at $185 per night, with three-bedroom options from $300 per night. Little penguins come to roost in the rocks each evening (you can also join Bicheno Penguin Tours) and don’t miss the blowhole around the corner.
Then drive 30 minutes south to Coles Bay. Stay at Big4 Iluka on Freycinet Holiday Park in a self-contained two-bedroom Park Cabin (from $108 per night), then take a sea kayak tour with Freycinet Adventures and hike to stunning Wineglass Bay.
Visit: bichenobythebay.com.au; big4.com.au
