AAT Kings: Tasmanian Wonders 25/26

The Tasmanian capital of Hobart may be small in size, but it’s big in attractions, as you’ll discover this afternoon on a city tour. 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 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 dinner.

Staying in:

• Best Western Hobart (1 night)

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 tallest flowering plants on Earth. Wander amid these giants to reach Russell Falls – take a deep breath; your Tasmania tour has begun. 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.

Staying in:

• Strahan Village (1 night)

The inky waters of the Gordon River – given its colour by amber buttongrass tannins – are as eery as they are beautiful, the mirror-like surface only broken by your chariot out 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. Thankfully, they didn’t get to the 2,000-year-old pine that still stands proud at Heritage Landing. Early settlers didn’t mince their words when they called the treacherous entrance to the river’s harbour Hells Gates. You’ll understand why when you drift past. Cradle Mountain awaits to the north. We're sure you'll be content by the fire perhaps with a glass of wine.

Staying in:

• Cradle Mountain Hotel (1 night)

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 are 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 tour at Devils @ Cradle will lead you through the sanctuary and provide you with a thorough insight into its operation. By joining this tour you will be directly supporting the conservation of this threatened species. Leave the Central Highlands after an uplifting day and head towards the scenic north-west coast for your overnight stay.

Staying in:

• Beachfront Voyager Motor Inn (1 night)

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 (own expense).

Staying in:

• Best Western Plus Launceston (1 night)

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 scenic chairlift, zipping you over the water to a lofty lookout. We wouldn't blame you for lingering here, or perhaps this afternoon take one of the river cruises on offer (both own expense). The choice is yours.

Staying in:

• Best Western Plus Launceston (1 night)

You’ll smell Bridestowe before you see it, this enormous lavender farm perfuming the Tasmanian countryside (bloom late Spring to early Summer). 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 (own expense).

Staying in:

• Beachfront at Bicheno (1 night)

Soak in the beauty of the breathtaking Freycinet Peninsula on your Tasmania tour that contributes to the preservation of its wildlife. Nothing quite prepares you for the drama of Freycinet National Park – the colours here seem more vivid, the air crisper, the water cleaner, the skies wider. A patchwork of ocean blues lap Coles Bay, framed by pink granite cliff faces. There’s a reason why this place stars on postcards! The other destination 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.

Staying in:

• Movenpick Hotel Hobart (1 night)

The Isle of the Dead, Devil’s Kitchen, Blowhole… the attractions at and around Port Arthur nod to the region’s notoriously harsh 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. Enjoy dinner tonight at a historic waterfront pub.

Staying in:

• Movenpick Hotel Hobart (1 night)

It took early explorers months to circumnavigate Tasmania. You’ve completed your Tasmania tour in just 10 days. What a wild ride.