Things to Do in Tasmania

Reaching depths of nearly 700 feet, not only is Lake St Clair the deepest lake in Australia, it may very well be the most beautiful. Set at an elevation of 2,400 feet, this cobalt lake and its forest-lined shores make up the aquatic pearl of Tasmania’s Cradle Mountain-Lake St. Clair National Park. The distant peak of Mt Olympus towers above the shoreline as visitors dip their toes in the cool waters,. Though not as tall as the park’s Mt Ossa (which, at 5,400 feet, is the tallest mountain in Tasmania), the jagged spire of Mt Olympus manages to dominate the lakeshore’s skyline.

Besides the lake, the entire area is famous for housing some of the best hikes on the island. The six-day Overland Trail has its southern terminus here at Lake St Clair, and hikers who have just completed the 40-mile trail are often found on the ferry that crosses from Narcissus Bay to Cynthia Bay. Travelers just visiting for the day can spend an hour walking the lakeshore trails or tackle a six-hour backcountry journey into the surrounding Tasmanian wilderness. Since track conditions change frequently, the first stop should always be at the informative Lake St Clair Visitor Center, where not only will you get information on current trail conditions and closures, but also find exhibits on early settlers and original Aboriginal inhabitants. At the end of your hike, fire up the BBQ at the Cynthia Bay campground, wash your feet in the refreshing waters and watch as the fading afternoon sun drapes Mt Olympus in shadows.

Rising from the coastline of western Tasmania like soft, shapeshifting mountains, the Henty sand dunes are natural wonders on the outskirts of the town of Strahan. Trek to the top of these wind-sculpted pinnacles for sweeping views of the shoreline, and then feel the rush of wind in your face as you race down the dunes on a sandboard. Tall, dusty and with a soft cushion for landing, the largest dunes can create heart-pumping runs as you slide your way toward the shoreline. 

Or, to really explore the depths of the dunes as they stretch inland toward the interior, rev the engine of a 4WD quad bike and bounce away from the coast. Along the way you can drink in the views of Tasmania’s largest dune structure, and given the otherwise lush surroundings of the rainforest-laden west coast, you’ll see that the desert-like pinnacles are beautifully out of place. At the end of the day, stick around to watch the sun go down beneath the distant western horizon, and enjoy the isolated, elevated perch from the top of your very own dune.

Nowhere is Hobart’s communion with the sea more evident than Constitution Dock, where commercial fishing boats share the harbor with sailboats and luxury yachts. Each summer, Constitution Dock is the ending point for the Sydney-Hobart sailing race, which is generally regarded as one of the world’s most challenging offshore races. Even during other times of the year, however, Constitution Dock is a buzz of activity with visitors and Hobart locals, as fishermen hoist up crates full of fish, and waterfront restaurants serve some of Australia’s freshest fish and chips. When visiting the coastal Tasmanian capital, the dock is the perfect place for a stroll and feeling the city’s pulse. In the area surrounding Constitution Dock, many of Hobart’s historic buildings all line the action-packed waterfront, where buskers, fishermen, merchants, and tourists combine to create an energetic, yet authentic Tasmanian scene.

When visiting Strahan on Tasmania’s west coast, one of the most popular activities is to spend a day on a Gordon River cruise. Plying the waters of the lower reaches of the river, it’s easy to imagine what it must have been like in the early 1800s, when the nearby prison at Sarah Island housed some of Australia’s most fearsome convicts. Today, however, the Gordon River is as placid and peaceful as the leaves that drift on its waters, and it’s a natural resource that fortifies the beauty of the western Tasmanian coastline.

You can thank a possum for introducing humans to Gunns Plains Caves, which were discovered by a local Tasmanian hunter when he chased the possum into a hole and instead emerged in a cave. While we’ll never know if he actually found the shrewd, cave-dwelling possum, what we do know is that in only 12 years it went from being an unknown cave to a popular Tasmania State Reserve, established in 1918. When you first descend down into the cave, the subterranean , water-carved beauty is instantly seen in the calcite shawls and large, shimmering flowstones. The sound of water trickling across limestone can still be heard in the cave, and crayfish, eels, and even platypus still splash in the underground river. During daily tours of Gunns Plains Caves, guides will point out the different formations that have slowly formed over time—from the Wedding Cake and Golden Fleece to others with comical, spot-on names that closely fit their appearance. Learn this history of how these caves were gradually formed over time, and marvel at how this wonderland is so magically different—almost surreal—when compared to life above ground.

This all-female prison is one of 11 places that make up the Australian Convict Sites World Heritage Property. Between 1788 and 1853 approximately 25,000 women—and even some of their children—were held in one of Cascade’s five structures. High rates of illness and infant mortality, as well as grim conditions led to tragic ends for many of the inmates who were forced to sew and mend to repay their debts to society.

Three of the five original buildings are open to the public, so visitors can see the heavy stone walls and thick metal bars that held so many women captive. The Matron’s Quarters in Yard 4 provides travelers with details about the lives of civilians who were charged with punishing and reforming Cascade’s wayward women. This female factory is a fascinating introduction to Tasmania’s role in convict transportation for Great Brittan.

This quiet suburb just south of Hobart was established in 1818, and while extravagant houses and luxury homes now dot the landscape of this prestigious town, a walk through its shaded streets offers visitors a look at how Tasmanians used to live.

The old warehouses of Salamanca Place are still visible from atop Kelly’s Steps, a series of hand-carved stairs built in the 1800s. Travelers can explore Battery Point’s colonial past at the Narryna Heritage Museum, then trek to the town’s highest point at St. George’s Anglican Church, built in 1936.

No trip to Battery Point is complete without a visit to Arthur Circus—one of the nation’s first official subdivisions. Today, visitors can wander around the original cottages, which are now some of the most expensive and sought-after homes in the area.

Tiny Bonnet Island sits at the mouth of Macquarie Harbour in Tasmania. Having just been opened to tourists since 2009, it’s a still a relatively undiscovered location that once served as a tiny, remote outpost, home to resilient lighthouse keepers and their families. The lighthouse that sits on its shore was once integral to ensuring the safety of ships into the harbour.

However, the island was still the site of many shipwrecks, relics of which can be seen today. In addition to those ruins, there is also an abundance of wildlife. Cruises to the island run regularly and serve as the only way of public access. A colony of little penguins (the world’s smallest) has made its home here, and short-tailed shearwaters are also regularly seen on Bonnet Island during their migration. 

Experts at Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary have been nursing some of Australia’s most-beloved creatures back to health since 1981. When the park first opened, its team of passionate volunteers worked tirelessly to provide orphaned wildlife, like its family of 17 Tasmanian devils, with a safe home and adequate care in a near-to-natural environment. For more than 20 years the sanctuary has continued to promote its mission of reducing rates of extinction by raising community awareness.

Visitors to Bonorong get a guided explanation of the sanctuary’s rehabilitation efforts, as well as a real-life lesson on the impact of wildlife conservation while on a tour of the grounds. Guests of the park can also get up close and personal with Australian animals by feeding one of the largest mobs of free-range kangaroos and wallabies in the world.

With a legacy dating back to 1824, Cascade Brewery is Australia’s oldest continually operating brewery, founded by English settler Peter Degraves. The historic brewery, set in Hobart at the foot of Mount Wellington, welcomes guests to its brewhouse and restaurant, and offers tours and tastings.

 

Beer lovers can peek behind-the-scenes and discover the beer-making process on a guided brewery tour, or take part in a Cascade Beer School workshop and learn more about its historic brews. You can also sample the full range of Cascade beers and ciders, and tuck into delicious seasonal cuisine, at the Brewhouse. Thanks to its strategic location by Mount Wellington, the brewery is also popular with hikers seeking an ideal pre- or post-hike lunch destination.

Cascade Brewery is located at the foot of Mount Wellington in South Hobart, about a 10-minute drive from downtown. Buses from central Hobart stop close to the brewery; you can also catch a taxi. 

 

Cascade Brewery is open 10am to 5pm daily year-round except Christmas and Good Friday. The busiest time of year is during the summer months of January and February, when it’s recommended to book tours and tastings well in advance. 

Cascade’s beers are brewed on-site using Tasmanian-grown hops and barley, and water sourced from Mount Wellington. Popular brews include Cascade Pale Ale, the original Cascade beer; Cascade Premium Light, the top-selling light beer in Australia; and Cascade Draught, Cascade Bitter, and Cascade Lager. The brewery also produces a range of Mercury Ciders. 

Situated on Bruny Island in Tasmania, the Cape Bruny Lighthouse is the second-oldest lighthouse tower in the country, having been first lit in 1838. The structure was commissioned by Governor George Arthur following a series of mishaps and shipwrecks just off Bruny Island and took two years to build by convict labor.

Technological advances in the 1980s and 1990s led to the lighthouse being lit for the last time on Aug. 6, 1996, when it was replaced by a solar-powered light nearby. In December 2000, the lighthouse was declared part of the South Bruny National Park.

Visitors should be prepared for rough roads and a steep walk to reach the lighthouse, although you’ll be well rewarded on arrival; with some fantastic views out to sea, migrating humpback and southern right whales have been spotted from this vantage point.

Less than an hour from the Tasmanian capital and yet a world away from the busy streets of Hobart, Bruny Island draws a steady stream of weekenders from the mainland. The two islands, joined by a long narrow isthmus, are a wildlife haven of jagged cliffs and golden beaches swirling with seabirds. Both are dotted with sleepy villages and tranquil guesthouses, and main activities are hiking, fishing, and slurping fresh-from-the-ocean oysters.  

Most visitors opt to cruise in on a guided day or overnight tour from Hobart. Tours typically visit highlights such as the Cape Bruny Lighthouse, Mount Mangana rainforest, and Adventure Bay. Food tasting tours are also popular, with guides taking visitors to island hot spots such as the Bruny Island Cheese Company, Bruny Island Berry Farm, and other artisan producers. You’ll also stop at some of the best points for wildlife viewing.

Dangling off the southern shore of Tasmania, Bruny Island lies about 25 miles (40 kilometers) south of Hobart. Car ferries run to Bruny from the mainland town of Kettering, a 20-minute cruise across the Tasman Sea, arriving at the Bruny Island Ferry Terminal in North Bruny. The closest airport is Hobart, which offers regular flights to Sydney, Melbourne, and other mainland Australia cities. Once on the island, you’ll need a car or bicycle to get around.

 

The most popular time to visit Bruny Island is summer, when weather is warmer and all the island’s attractions are open. Tours, ferries, and accommodations can be more expensive at this time, however, especially over summer holidays (December to January), and advance bookings are advised. A winter visit can save money, and you’ll get many of the natural wonders to yourself, but check ahead that accommodations and attractions are open. 

Wildlife-spotting opportunities abound on Bruny Island, whether you embark on a wilderness cruise, hike through the South Bruny National Park, or take in the views from Bruny Island Neck. Rare animal sightings include white wallabies, forty-spotted pardalotes, and great white sharks, while more common finds are New Zealand fur seals and southern elephant seals, leatherback turtles, dolphins, penguins, and humpback whales.

Northwestern Tasmania has some of Australia’s most stunning wilderness scenery, although much of it is only accessible by hiking for multiple days at a time. At spectacular Leven Canyon, however, just minutes from the town of Nietta, experiencing this miraculous, mountainous majesty is as easy as taking a 20 minute stroll through pristine Australian bush. Located in Leven Canyon Reserve, Leven Canyon is a forested cleft that drops nearly 1,000 vertical feet to the Leven River below. At Cruickshanks Lookout, walk from the parking lot out to a platform that hangs out over the canyon, and offers a sweeping, panoramic view of the Leven Canyon Basin. Straight ahead is Black Bluff, a tree-covered mountain that at 4,400 ft. is often snowcapped in winter, and while visitors with even the slightest fear of heights might get nervous out on the platform, the epic view and fresh mountain air make the entire experience worth it. To complete the loop trail back to the car, continue on the aptly named Forest Stairs, where nearly 700 stairs link up with a trail that loops its way back to the parking lot. For a completely different vantage point, hike the Canyon Floor walk to the rushing Leven River, where you can continue on for 30 more minutes to the scenic Devil’s Elbow. Here you’re immersed in a wilderness setting that’s virtually remained untouched, and only a moderate 1 hour stroll away from where you parked. You’ll also find tracks to cascading falls and all-day trails to the summits, so whether you’re an avid, outdoorsy hiker or simply in search of a stroll, Leven Canyon is a wilderness site that travelers of all ages can enjoy.

With its jagged dolerite peaks standing watch over a trio of glacial lakes, Cradle Mountain is the grand centerpiece of the Cradle Mountain-Lake St. Clair National Park. Part of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Tasmania Wilderness, the natural landmark also marks the north end of the famous Overland Track.

 

Surrounded by ancient rain forest, lakes, and alpine heathland, Cradle Mountain is a favorite among hikers. The long-distance Overland Track is the star attraction, but day visitors can enjoy a variety of short and long-distance trails, including the 2-hour Dove Lake Loop, a more challenging 3-hour hike to Marion’s Lookout, the Weindorfers Forest Walk to Weindorfers Chalet, or the short Rain Forest City and Pencil Pine Falls trails.

 

Day trips to Cradle Mountain from nearby Launceston usually include views of the mountain and Dove Lake, a stop at the visitor center, and one or more short hikes. It’s also possible to visit on a one-way tour from Launceston to Hobart, including Cradle Mountain, Freycinet National Park, and Port Arthur.

 

 

 

Cradle Mountain lies about 93 miles (150 kilometers) west of Launceston, a 2.5-hour drive. From Hobart, the 187-mile (302-kilometer) drive takes just over four hours. The mountain is located at the northern end of the Cradle Mountain-Lake St. Claire National Park and regular shuttle buses run there from the Cradle Mountain Visitor Center, just outside the park entrance.

 

High season in the national park is from October to May, when there are regular shuttle buses and ranger-led walks. During this period, the Overland Track can only be walked from north to south and advance bookings are recommended. December to April is the optimum time to visit the park, when alpine wildflowers are in bloom and the weather is most reliable.

 

The 40-mile (65-kilometer) Overland Track runs from Cradle Mountain in the north to Lake St. Clair. The track takes about six days to travel. It is a difficult route that’s best suited to experienced hikers, but those who accept the challenge are rewarded with spectacular scenery and the chance to spot wildlife such as wallabies, Tasmanian pademelons, spotted-tailed quolls, and Tasmanian devils.

The Bay of Fires got its unique name in the late 1700s from Captain Tobias Furneaux, when he spotted flames along the coast, leading him to believe the country was heavily populated. Evidence left behind by Aboriginal people can still be seen today along the coast, where the bay serves as a popular place among folks who like the outdoors. Known for white beaches, orange lichen-covered rocks and blue water, the area is prime for boating, fishing, swimming, surfing and camping.

The Bay of Fires is divided into a northern, middle and southern section, with the northern piece found within Mt William National Park. This is a day-use only area only. The middle portion is also known as Policemans Points. There are many campsites, some with beach access, but there are no shops or facilities, so visitors must bring everything they might need. Taylors Beach and The Gardens Beach are popular spots with folks just visiting for the day.