Tasmanian Attractions
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Adventure
Tasmania doesn't have just scenery to look at it also has a range of adventure activities from gentle outdoor pursuits to ones with a real adrenalin rush.
Rafting: White water rafting is to be had on many of the island's rivers including the Franklin, Derwent, Picton, Arthur, Mersey and Meander Rivers. The Franklin offers one of the world's great multi-day adventures with a full trip taking ten days, including a descent of the awesome rapids of the Great Ravine. From Hobart, a rewarding day's rafting can be had on the Picton River through ancient rainforests on the water's edge. A number of companies offer skilled and professional guided trips.
Jet Boating: To some observers jet boats hooning about a wilderness area is aural and visual pollution but, when you're on one - what a thrill. Take on the flat water or the rapids on the Derwent, Huon and King Rivers.
Diving: Many people associate scuba diving or snorkelling with tropical coral reefs, but temperate dives can be equally, or even more rewarding. The water temperatures range from 12°C to 18°C, but that's pretty irrelevant when you have a good dry or wetsuit on. There are spectacular 30m kelp forests to explore as well as numerous shipwrecks and reefs in a variety of unique marine habitats. There are professional dive operators to provide instruction, gear and access to the best dive sites in St Helens, Bicheno, Eaglehawk Neck, Wynyard, Devonport, Launceston, Hobart and on King and Flinders Islands.
Wilderness Flights: Flights can take you over the spectacular natural wonders or drop you into a wilderness or onto a remote beach or river. It's an excellent time effective way of getting a feel for the remoteness and rugged beauty that is much of Tasmania.
Horse Riding: You can ride trails blazed by early cattlemen and visit the huts they built, take multi-day camping rides or even take the Tasmanian Trail from north to south - sea to sea. Packages include tent sleeping bag, camping gear, all meals, saddle and, of course, the horse. There are trail riding opportunities in the Central Highlands, Tasman Peninsula, Cradle Mountain, Orford, Strahan, Coles Bay, Tamar and Huon Valleys, Ben Lomond and Seven Mile Beach near Hobart.
Cruising: This is relaxing adventure and a delightful way to explore the harbours and rivers of Tasmania. There are many cruises offered including the rivers in Launceston and Hobart, the sheltered waters of the D'Entrecasteaux Channel and the Huon and Gordon Rivers.
Sea Kayaking: Sea kayaking is very popular in Tasmania, either in sheltered waters or offshore. The coastal scenery is dramatic when seen from the sea and there's a good chance of meeting a pod of dolphins. There are guided voyages or you can go your own way. There are sea kayak operators in Hobart, Strahan, Kettering, Freycinet, Bruny Island, Bathurst harbour, Lake St Clair and the lower Gordon River.
Abseiling/Climbing: Experienced abseilers will be thrilled and novices will be spoiled. Guided trips are available in many areas including the Tasman Peninsula, the Organ Pipes of Mt Wellington near Hobart, Cataract Gorge in Launceston, Coles Bay and Ben Lomond.
Caving: Caving isn't just for the intrepid - many caves have easy access for the young or old and Tasmania has a wealth of limestone and dolomite caves with amazing caverns, chambers, passages, reflection pools, crystals, underground rivers and constellations of glow-worms. Some top spots include Newdegate Cave at Hastings, south of Hobart, King Solomon's Cave near Mole Creek Karst National Park and Gunns Plains Caves, near Ulverstone in the North West (apart from the cave formations this is home to the world's largest subterranean freshwater lobsters).
Cable Hang Gliding: Yes, there is hang gliding for the experienced, but this is a way of sampling the speed, freedom and thrills of gliding with a guaranteed safe landing. At Lake Trevallyn, near Launceston, you can launch into a 200m flight across a valley with your glider secured to a steel cable. You wont be aware of the cable, but it's nice to know it's there!
Cycling/Mountain Biking: The distances are short, the roads and the locals are friendly and the scenery awesome. You can hire bikes to tour around Hobart, through the national parks or off the beaten track in the mountains. You can go it alone or join an organised expedition that comes with a guide and a support vehicle. Start in Launceston or Devonport and head south to Hobart via Evandale, the Fingal Valley and down dramatic Elephant Pass or go via the East Coast with a side trip to Freycinet or Maria Island… Or take the Huon Valley circuit for a gentler orchard, farmland and forest cycle, stopping to sample food and wine on the way… Or take the more strenuous Wild Way through the West Coast World Heritage wilderness.
All-Terrain Touring: Hire a 4WD and head for the off-road trails. Again, you can go your own way or pick up a licensed tour guide. Explore remote bush tracks, old stock routes and disused railway lines in low gear for high enjoyment
Art, Craft and Design
Whether it's because of the cool climate, the stunning surroundings or simply because creative people tend to attract and inspire each other, there seems to be a disproportionate number of talented people knocking out art and craft in The Apple Isle.
Woodworkers make the most of the unique rainforest timber… Metalworkers and jewelers fashion gold, silver, bronze, precious stones and leather… Painters seek to capture the soft, subtle light… Photographers abound because there's photogenic scenery wherever you point a lens… Writers draw on the moody, wild landscapes.
A good place to get a taste for Tasmania's creativity is Salamanca Place in Hobart where there are galleries, shops, markets and working studios. Launceston also has a busy creative heart. There are galleries in the city and along the riverside displaying local paintings, sculptures and ceramics. There are also many smaller creative communities (Deloraine, Bothwell, Stanley etc) where you can drop in to see works in progress and finished works.
Fishing
There are fighting trout in just about every freshwater stream, lake and river in Tasmania but you will need a licence. It costs from $12 for a day licence or from $45 for the season (August to May, with the best fishing in October and April). There are also private lakes where no licence is required like the Launceston Lakes (15 minutes from the city) and the Snowy Range Trout Fishery (an hour south of Hobart). Special licences are required to catch crayfish, scallops or abalone.
It's difficult to recommend any particular area or stream because trout are everywhere - in the north there are many streams - the Mersey, Meander, Liffey, North and South Esk, Macquarie and Elizabeth. To the south and west there's Lake St Clair, Lake Burbury and Lake Peddar. On the Central Plateau there are numerous lakes including the luxurious London Lakes which is rated as one of the world's top five specialist angling lodges.
The estuaries, bays and beaches are also an angler's paradise (bream, flathead, whiting, Australian salmon) and big game (tuna/marlin) and bottom fishing can be found in the East Coast ports of Bicheno, St Helens, Coles Bay and Triabunna… on the West Coast, at Strahan… at Eaglehawk Neck on the Tasman Peninsula and on both King and Flinders Islands.
A few tips…
- Local knowledge counts. If you don't go for a guided trip, tackle and bait shops are the best source of information on what's biting where and what gear/bait to use.
- There are accredited fishing guides who can get you fly-fishing in a day's tuition and there are fully-guided expeditions.
- Some of the lakes and streams are so crystal clear, you can stalk trout by sight. Polaroid sunglasses and a sunny day also improve your chances.
- The best months for marlin and tuna are February to June and all catches are tagged and released.
Food and Wine
Food, wine and fruits of the sea don't come more plentiful or tastier! The temperate climate, the clean air, the fertile soil and the untainted waters of Tasmania offer a multitude of delights – apples, blueberries and raspberries (pick them yourself at Lilydale, Lalla, Swansea or Sorell)… Australia's oldest breweries produce some of the world's finest ale… there's award-winning King Island cheese… tender beef and lamb… the freshest vegetables… honeys, truffles, chocolates and jellies… and, from the sea - oysters, crayfish, salmon, scallops, abalone, octopus, wakame seaweed - all straight from the sea to the plate, and the superb cool-climate wines have won many awards as well as fans.
Gardens
Being a temperate climate, Tasmania's gardens are delightful any time of the year... hosts of daffodils in spring to roses in winter to the autumn's deciduous trees blaze of colour. You'll find rhododendrons, magnolias, ferns, cacti, succulents, formal gardens, mountain gardens, alpine shrubs, tulips, poppies, lavender and much, much more. Many private gardens open regularly and welcome visitors, there are guided tours of gardens throughout the state and the national parks and reserves boast masses of wildflowers.
Golf
Golf was invented in Scotland and it was the Scottish settlers who introduced the game into Australia in the 1830's, on a grazing property called Ratho at Boswell. The course is still there, along with the Australasian Golf Museum. There is also a Scottish 'feel' to many of the highland and seaside links.
There are more than 80 courses in Tasmania, some public, most private and visitors from other registered clubs will receive a warm welcome at the clubs and courses. There are 11 major 18-hole courses including championship courses in the south (Royal Hobart, Tasmania Golf Club, Kingston Beach and Claremont) and the north (Launceston Country Club, Devonport and Ulverstone).
There are lots of charming and unique 9-hole courses dotted around the country. At Grindelwald, near Launceston, the gabled facades of a Swiss village surround the course and, if you tee off at the Tasman Club near Port Arthur, beware the par 3 eighth hole. Take a few spare balls because your tee shot has to lob onto a small green on the other side of a deep chasm that plummets hundreds of metres to an ocean below!
Heritage
Tasmania is Australia's second oldest settlement with Hobart being settled soon after Sydney. Launceston was the third European settlement, but Tasmania's history pre-dates that by thousands of years. Aboriginal people inhabited Tasmania during the last ice-age, some 10,000 years ago, and their carvings and handprints in charcoal, blood and ochre can still be seen on cave walls.
Please visit these sites, but also respect them, as they are fragile and sacred to the Aboriginal people. Places to visit include the Tiagarra Aboriginal Centre (Devonport), Rocky Cape (north west), Bedlam Walls (near Hobart), Wybalenna (Flinders Island) and Henty Dunes (West Coast).
Europeans first arrived in Tasmania in 1642 when a Dutch ship came across the island and called it Van Dieman's Land. French explorers followed, which explains the many French names for the bays, headlands and mountains. The English then settled, bringing convicts and soldiers from where farms and towns grew.
There are many stately homes and Georgian civic buildings that recall a grand, bold vision as well as reminders of the harsh convict days with hand-chiselled historic sites throughout Tasmania. The convict heritage is strongest on the Tasman Peninsula, particularly Port Arthur, in towns like Richmond and Ross (the Female Factory and the hand-carved bridge), in the Old Hobart Gaol and on Maria Island where the penal settlement pre-dates Port Arthur.
There is also a strong mining heritage - tin, gold, gemstones and copper. Queenstown still has working mines as the moonlike landscape attests and you can pan for tin and gems in Derby in the northeast.
Natural Areas
Over a third of the island is protected in national parks and reserves and they are a joy to explore. There are 17 accessible national parks from the mountains to the coast. The Tasmanian World Heritage Area, the world's last great temperate wilderness, is made up of the Southwest National Park, Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park and Cradle Mountain-St Clair National Park.
Unlike on the mainland, Tasmania is such a compact state that all the parks are in easy travelling distance. A fee is charged for entry to the national parks and all money raised goes back into protecting the parks for the future. A National Parks Pass (AUD$30) allows entry to all parks and is valid for two months. A 24-hour pass costs $15 per car and those on foot, bike or in a coach pay $5. * prices are subject to change without notice.
There are also marine reserves and extensive working forests with many forest reserves where you can kayak, take a bushwalk, ride a bike or hop on a horse.
In all there are more than 2000 km of world-class walking tracks, thousands of highland lakes, hundreds of clean ocean beaches, extensive underground caverns and natural sculptures along the rugged coastline.
Walking
Tasmania is regarded as the world's best walking destination. There are hundreds of walking tracks through a variety of landscapes and there are all easily accessible because of the size of the island. The mountains, beaches, coastline, rainforests, rivers and lakes all offer a great walking experience. Also, the facilities provided for walkers are superb - campsites, toilets, shelters, visitor centres as well as excellent tracks. And, because of the number of tracks, none of them are ever crowded.
There are walks of two hours, four hours, whole day walks and multi-day walks to choose from and, again, you can go at your own pace or join a guided walk where you will have an expert guide to point out the flora and fauna. Of course, there are short walks throughout the state - even half an hour can take you through a rainforest to a spectacular waterfall. All walks are marked with a track map and an approximate time it should take to enjoy it. But, no matter how long or short the walk, there are some things to keep in mind…
- Walking solo on remote tracks can be risky. A group of three people is probably the ideal number. If something happens to one person, someone can stay with him/her while the other goes for help.
- All Tasmanian Walks have excellent navigation maps but, on extended wilderness trips, take a compass as well as a map.
- Weather can change quickly and dramatically, especially in alpine areas. Cold fronts can arrive and pass quickly and the sun can be deceptive - take a hat and plenty of sunscreen, no matter how cold it is.
- A first aid kit can come in handy and a good waterproof jacket with a hood is an important item of clothing
- There is a fee for walking in the national parks with all money raised going back into maintenance of the park. A National Parks Pass costs AUD$30 which gives unlimited access to all parks for up to two months or you can take a day pass for $5 per person or $15 per car.
Wildlife
Tasmania is full of wildlife but you will have to go looking for it as much of it is nocturnal and there is enough bush and wilderness for the daytime critters to safely tuck themselves away. Sadly, the prolific nature of the wildlife is evident by the amount of roadkill you'll come across on your travels. Motorists can help prevent this happening by slowing down at night and taking heed of wildlife warning signs.
The trick to spotting wildlife in Tassie is to try and become one with nature - walk quietly, slowly and use your ears and eyes to explore. The snap of a twig or a swish of scrub may be a wallaby nearby, tracks in the sand or dirt may lead to birds or animals, a splash in a creek or waterhole may be a platypus or some feathers and bones may be the remains of a Tasmanian devil's dinner - they're not the tidiest of eaters. Or take a walk at dusk with a torch to spot wombats, possums and wallabies. Mt William, Freycinet and the Narawntapu Parks are good for spotlight walks. Mt William is also a refuge for forester kangaroos, the island's largest marsupials, and they graze at dawn and dusk.
Specialist wildlife tours are widely available and are highly recommended, as they will provide you with the best opportunity to get camera-close to devils, wombats or quolls. Latrobe, in the northwest, is one of the best places to view platypus in the wild and the local Landcare group conducts tours.
The cute little echidna, the platypus's closest relative and the world's only other egg-laying mammal, can often be seen waddling through the bush or on the side of the road. Be careful if you see one on the road, it certainly won't hurry to get out of your way. This curious little creature is about the size of a small football and has spines, fur, a long beak, a sticky tongue and digging claws.
Birdlife also abounds with sea eagles hovering over the coastal cliffs, shearwaters (who make an annual trip north to the arctic circle and, amazingly, return almost to the day each year to nest in the same burrow!) and many rare and colourful parrots. You'll find rare swift parrots, orange-bellied parrots (particularly in Melaleuca in the Southwest wilderness), ocean-going albatrosses, fairy penguins toddling up beaches and pink robins darting about the rainforest floor. In the Tamar Island wetlands there are marsh birds, native ducks, black swans, herons, cormorants and pelicans.
There is also a rich marine life that includes dolphins, fur seals and whales and scuba diving opens up yet another world of wildlife.
One animal you probably won't come across is the thylacine, or Tasmanian tiger. The last one supposedly died in captivity in 1936 but many people have claimed to have spotted one since and some still believe it roams in the wilderness. Have the camera ready and you could become famous!
