Best Things to Do in Tasmania, Australia

Tasmania punches well above its weight in almost every category: the food (the freshest oysters in the southern hemisphere at Freycinet, the finest whisky distilled in the southern hemisphere at Sullivan’s Cove and Lark, the best cool-climate wines in Australia from the Coal River and Huon valleys), the wilderness (the Southwest Wilderness World Heritage Area is the largest temperate rainforest outside South America), the art (MONA’s subterranean galleries beneath the Derwent River changed the definition of what a regional museum could be), and the wildlife (Tasmanian devils, wombats, and wallabies in the wild in a way impossible on the mainland). The things to do in Tasmania reward slow travel and unhurried exploration.

Best time to visit

November through March is the best time: longer days (Australia’s southernmost major landmass has the longest summer days), wildflowers in bloom in Cradle Mountain and the highlands, and the outdoor activities are all accessible. January is peak season with higher prices. April through May (autumn) is spectacular for foliage: the European beeches in the Huon Valley and the fagus (Nothofagus gunnii, Australia’s only cold-deciduous tree) in the highlands turn gold and russet. June through August is cold and often wet, with snow on the highlands and short days; MONA visits and the Tasmanian winter food festivals are the draws. The Dark Mofo Festival (June, midwinter) in Hobart is Tasmania’s most internationally known cultural event.

Getting around

Hobart Airport (HBA) and Launceston Airport (LST) receive frequent flights from Melbourne and Sydney. The Spirit of Tasmania ferry from Melbourne to Devonport runs overnight (9-11 hours) and is the way to bring a car to Tasmania. A rental car is essential for exploring the island; public transport between the main regions is limited. Hobart is 2.5 hours from Cradle Mountain, 2.5 hours from Freycinet Peninsula, and 1 hour from Port Arthur. The island is small enough to circuit in a week with a car, though two weeks allows a more thorough exploration.

What to eat and drink

Tasmania has Australia’s most celebrated artisanal food culture. The checklist: Atlantic salmon from the aquaculture farms of Macquarie Harbour (the largest farmed salmon operation in the southern hemisphere; the wild side of the operation is the extraordinary Franklin River catchment); Pacific oysters from Freycinet (regarded as the world’s finest oysters by some connoisseurs); Tasmanian wasabi (the only commercial wasabi farm outside Japan, at Jacks Hill near Bushy Park); cool-climate cheese from Bruny Island Cheese; and single malt whisky from the distilleries now clustered around Hobart (Lark, Sullivan’s Cove, Nant, Old Kempton — Tassie whisky has won global awards). The Taste of Tasmania festival (December 27-January 3 in Hobart’s Salamanca waterfront) is the island’s great food event.

Top things to do

MONA (Museum of Old and New Art) – The most extraordinary private museum in the southern hemisphere: art patron David Walsh built a subterranean museum complex beneath the Derwent River estate, accessible by high-speed ferry from Hobart. The collection is provocative, challenging, and enormous — ancient Roman mosaics alongside contemporary art that defies categorization. The O (an app replacing museum labels with multiple perspectives from curators, psychologists, and the artist) is an innovation widely copied since. Book a ferry and allow a full day.

Cradle Mountain and the Overland Track – Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park is Tasmania’s most iconic landscape: dolerite peaks, glacial lakes, and buttongrass plains covered in snow gum woodland. The Dove Lake circuit (2-3 hours, easy, extraordinary views) is the essential walk. The Overland Track — 65km from Cradle Mountain to Lake St Clair (6 days, fully booked in summer season, permits required) — is Australia’s greatest multi-day walk.

Freycinet Peninsula – The pink granite mountains of Freycinet National Park descend to the crystalline Wineglass Bay (consistently voted one of the world’s best beaches for its crescent shape and clarity). The Wineglass Bay lookout walk (45 minutes each way) gives the famous view; descent to the beach adds another hour. Kayaking in the bay and snorkeling the granite outcrops are excellent. The Freycinet Lodge has comfortable accommodation within the park.

Port Arthur Historic Site – Australia’s most significant and moving colonial history site: the preserved ruins of the Port Arthur penal settlement (1830-1877), where 12,000+ convicts served sentences at the remote Tasman Peninsula. The site includes the main penitentiary ruins, the model prison, the asylum, and the Commandant’s house, all preserved in a coastal setting. The Isle of the Dead (the convict cemetery on a small island in the harbor) and the evening ghost tour are additional experiences.