AAT Kings: Tassie's East Coast Highlights 25/26

You don’t have to arrive early into Launceston, but we highly recommend you do. Time on your side? Walk the short distance to Cataract Gorge, home to the longest single-span chairlift in the world. It’s quite the ride, taking you up high into this intensely beautiful, and spiritual, place. Otherwise, meet your Travel Director and fellow Tassie companions for a drink in the evening.

Staying in:

• Best Western Plus Launceston (1 night)

Bridestowe is an assault on all your senses – in the best possible way. See the contoured rows contrasted against the rich red volcanic soils backdropped by the horizon-wide sky and when in flower (late Spring to early Summer) the rich purple tones add a whole other dimension. Then the musky aroma of the flowers, which has an instant calming effect. And the taste, beyond anything you ever imagined – try a lavender ice-cream, jams and teas, and thank us later. It’s a tasty entrée to the Legerwood Carved Memorial Trees, sculpted into World War One soldiers. Come dusk in Bicheno, sign up to spot tuxedoed little penguins waddle to shore from the water.

Staying in:

• Beachfront at Bicheno (1 night)

The colours at Freycinet National Park are so vivid you’ll think someone has taken the glasses off your nose and cleaned them for the first time: The patchwork of ocean blues that lap Coles Bay. The dramatic pink granite cliffs. There’s a reason why Freycinet adventures star on postcards. The other place 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:

• Best Western Hobart (1 night)

Port Arthur’s rather grim convict past is reflected in the names of attractions around it: Isle of the Dead, Devil’s Kitchen, the Blowhole… But believe us, they’re all spectacular. As is the Port Arthur Historic Site, its immaculately maintained buildings scattered over green pastures that fade into the Southern Ocean. Your private Port Arthur tour reveals the best-preserved convict site in Australia, and among the most significant convict-era destinations worldwide. The stories these walls could tell.

Staying in:

• Best Western Hobart (1 night)

Short and sweet and packed with highlights – this Tasmanian tour is sure to inspire future travels.