AAT Kings: Perfect Tasmania 25/26

You don’t have to venture far from your hotel to find inspiration in Hobart, whether you’re exploring the harbour or easing into one of the city’s applauded galleries and wine bars. Save room for your Welcome Dinner, enjoyed in the company of your fellow adventure-seekers.

Staying in:

• Hotel Grand Chancellor Hobart (1 night)

Your morning excursions delve deep into many of the things that make Hobart great: from the Mt. Nelson Lookout, offering dizzying views over the city and Derwent River; to historic Battery Point and the Cascade Brewery. End the tour at the leafy Botanical Gardens spotlighting endemic plants, a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience. From alpaca throws to woodwork, gin to garden-fresh vegetables, Salamanca Market is like creative Tasmania in a bustling snapshot. Grab yourself a coffee before navigating more than 300 stalls, wedged alongside the Salamanca precinct’s historic sandstone warehouses.

Staying in:

• Hotel Grand Chancellor Hobart (1 night)

Waterfalls, lakes and ancient moonscapes – today is a journey of contrasts. Not to mention soul revival. Exhale amid the forest enveloping Russell Falls in Mt. Field National Park. Forget your worries at Lake St. Clair, the deepest natural lake in Australia. Sigh as you skirt the World Heritage-protected Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park. Then revel in the serenity of Strahan. You’re overlooking Macquarie Harbour, seven times the size of Sydney Harbour.

Staying in:

• Strahan Village (1 night)

No day that involves a cruise is a bad day. Even better if it’s the deep, dark waters of the far-flung Tassie’s Gordon River. Soak up the silence of this untouched wilderness area on your Gordon River cruise en route to Sarah Island, the state’s oldest convict settlement. Today, the island’s haunting ruins have been reclaimed by nature, enveloped by forest and twisting vines. Your commute toward immense Cradle Mountain-Lake St. Clair National Park sees you travel through tiny mining towns scattered amongst the mountainous wild terrain. Rest up – Cradle Mountain awaits.

Staying in:

• Cradle Mountain Hotel (1 night)

Spend the day in Cradle Mountain. At the heart of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, Cradle Mountain is all moss-covered ancient rainforests and deep river gorges, snow-tipped peaks, wild alpine moorlands and glacial lakes – case in point Dove Lake, where you may spot Bennetts wallabies, echidnas and pademelons. Pause at Waldheim Chalet, once the home of Gustav and Kate Weindorfer, the duo pivotal in the park’s formation.

Staying in:

• Cradle Mountain Hotel (1 night)

Tasmania has its fair share of award-winning gin and whisky distilleries, as well as small boutique breweries. Among them is a seaside tap house found in the petite town of Penguin. If there’s a place with a cuter name, we’re yet to locate it on a map. Sit back and enjoy a tasting paddle of local brew while taking in the views overlooking glorious Bass Strait. Continue your palate expansion at Mount Gnomon Farm. Farmer Guy Robertson is as passionate about his orchard as he is the cider he makes. Sip your way through a paddock-to-plate lunch. Continue to quirky Sheffield, the ‘Town of Murals’ and through the Meander Valley to Launceston.

Staying in:

• Hotel Grand Chancellor Launceston (1 night)

Prepare for goosebumps – Cataract Gorge is humbling. How many cities can claim they have such a lush expanse of bushland and Victorian gardens within walking distance of the CBD? Explore at your leisure. By the time you reach Josef Chromy Wines, you’ll have worked up a thirst. We’ve got you covered, with a tasting of some of the state’s finest cool-climate wines paired with lunch. Don’t miss a stroll around the verdant grounds. This afternoon and evening are yours: an optional cruise along the Tamar River, perhaps?

Staying in:

• Hotel Grand Chancellor Launceston (1 night)

You’ll smell Bridestowe Estate well before you arrive – this lavender farm welcomes with soothing aromas, and addictive flavours in the form of lavender ice-cream. Moving moments await at Legerwood Carved Memorial Trees, a series of trees carved with sculptures as a homage to fallen WWI soldiers. It’s a poignant reminder just how lucky we are to have Tasmania’s scene-stealing landscapes to gaze over. Be sure to head out tonight to catch a glimpse of the little penguins that call Bicheno home.

Staying in:

• Diamond Island Beach Resort (1 night)

There’s a reason this part of Tasmania takes home top honours for its beaches – they were made for postcards. The brilliant blue ocean follows you through Cape Tourville’s virgin eucalypt forests, with dramatic coastline as far as the eye can see. Soak in the beauty of the breathtaking Freycinet Peninsula on a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience that contributes to the preservation of its wildlife. You’ll cruise past granite mountains, towering pink cliffs of the Hazards range, beaches fringed by dense bush, as you graze on a tasty Ploughman's lunch while taking in the serenity of stunning Wineglass Bay.

Staying in:

• Eastcoaster Tasmania (1 night)

This morning, the GPS is set for the historic township of Richmond; explore the convict-built gaol and bridge or browse the quaint boutique shops in town. Next, join us for a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience at Risdon Cove. Kipli Takara (meaning food walk) is an immersive experience where you are invited to walk the culturally rich landscape with palawa (Tasmanian Aboriginal) guides across this abundant natural pantry that was returned to Tasmanian Aboriginal ownership in 1995. You will be treated to a guided walk of this unique property, hearing about the history and current story of the area. Along the way you  are able to taste the seasonal native bush tucker and get a first-hand glimpse into how palawa continue to enjoy cultural foods and undertake culturally-centred land management across lutruwita/Tasmania. This experience includes a unique tasting of local, native flavours. This evening is at your leisure in Hobart.

Staying in:

• Hotel Grand Chancellor Hobart (1 night)

While the World Heritage listed Port Arthur Historic Site has a grim convict history, you wouldn’t know it today – the countryside is all rolling green fields and ocean views, best glimpsed on a Port Arthur guided tour with an in-the-know historian. The secrets they can tell… Today you will cruise around the Isle of the Dead, glimpse rugged sea cliffs from Pirate’s Bay Lookout, and marvel at Tasman’s Arch, Devil’s Kitchen and the Blowhole. Tonight is at your leisure in Hobart – we can recommend any number of stellar restaurants and wine bars. There’s no shortage in Tasmania’s cool little capital.

Staying in:

• Hotel Grand Chancellor Hobart (1 night)

There’s something about Tasmania’s capital that encourages life in the slow lane. You’ll quickly fall into step today, yours to spend as you will. Celebrate Tasmania with your Travel mates at dinner at a popular Hobart restaurant.

Staying in:

• Hotel Grand Chancellor Hobart (1 night)

If you can still count all the delicious things you have eaten and drunk, and all the epic things you have seen and done, two weeks down the track, we commend you. Now’s the time to re-live them with friends and family back at home.