Tasmania

In some cities you can take an elevator to the top of one of the tallest buildings in the world and be gobsmacked by extraordinary views. Hobart doesn’t need to do skyscrapers. At 1270 metres kunanyi / Mt Wellington is more than twice the height of the world’s tallest building.

The Bay of Fires is a Tassie favourite. Here a ribbon of coves, rocky outcrops and empty beaches flow under azure skies. The Bay of Fires Conservation Area has clean white beaches, turquoise water and granite boulders splashed with bright orange lichen. Beach activities and bird-watching are popular and you may see a pod of dolphins cruise parallel to the beach. The area is known for its snorkelling and diving, with scenic reefs, corals, underwater caves and abundant sea life.

MONA is a three level subterranean art space dug into a sandstone cliff face underneath an ambient vineyard. Australia's largest private museum, its unconventional and challenging curatorial approach makes MONA a must-see for any visitor to Australia.

Maria Island is a natural wildlife sanctuary and off-shore retreat with historic ruins, sweeping bays, dramatic cliffs and plenty of stories to tell. Located off Tasmania's east coast and accessible only by ferry, Maria Island contains the most intact example of a convict probation station in Australia. Spend the night and piece together Tasmania’s intriguing convict history, encounter very cute wildlife and explore Maria Island’s pristine beaches and ancient forests. The island offers excellent walking and cycling journeys and a limestone quarry at the Fossil Cliffs provides a fascinating close-up look at the many ancient creatures immortalised as fossils in the rocks. The Painted Cliffs at Hopground Beach are beautifully patterned sandstone shaped by the mineral-rich water and wind.

At Mount Field National Park you'll find Russell Falls — one of the most photographed waterfalls in Tasmania. Its three elegant tiers, framed by lush vegetation, have attracted visitors for more than a hundred years. Put on your walking shoes and explore one of its easy walking tracks only a fifteen minute stroll from the car park.

Corinna is a Wilderness Experience that offers a rare opportunity to discover Tasmania’s remote west coast. This former gold-mining town is the southern gateway to the globally significant Tarkine forest. Recently transformed into a tourism experience, Corinna offers visitors access to rich pioneering and natural history. Set in pristine temperate rainforest, Corinna provides cottage accommodation, a stately guesthouse and the Tarkine Hotel and Tannin Restaurant, serving regional produce onsite.

Discover an intriguing history that helped shape Australia at the World Heritage-listed Port Arthur Historic Site. Port Arthur is the best-preserved convict settlement in Australia and among the most significant convict era sites in the world.

The tulips from Tasmania's north west coast are so good that the bulbs are exported all the way back to Holland! Come and see the tulips in full bloom in Wynyard in October when the rows and rows of spectacular tulips adorn Table Cape.

It doesn’t get much more Tasmanian than Cradle Mountain and Tassie devils. Keep an eye on the clock because the Devils@Cradle feeding tour happens at 5:30 pm sharp — or the devils get mad. This is a rare chance to observe these unique animals in the company of some fellow carnivorous marsupials — the eastern and spotted-tail quoll.

Riders worldwide are heading to Tasmania. Blue Derby is a network of trails that surround the town of Derby. Once the centre of a tin mining boom, these days it’s the mountain bikers carving up the dirt. Cruise to the top of the hill. Tear downhill as fast as you can. Repeat.

A cruise down the Gordon River rewards with mirror-calm reflections of World Heritage Area rainforest. Gordon River Cruises and World Heritage Cruises can take you down this ancient waterway stopping off at Sarah Island where you'll get a history lesson as you walk among the ruins of this once notorious convict settlement.

It is an engineering marvel, the world's steepest steam-operated railway. This is Tasmania's West Coast Wilderness Railway, and it is 28 tonnes of special. Today, passengers are moved by the same locomotives that began the run from Queenstown back in 1896. They take a comfortable 16-kilometre run through the wildlands, uphill through spectacular landscapes and down to a place called Dubbill Barrill, with stops for a little gold panning and sightseeing. These locos were originally built to move copper ore for the Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company, delivering the mine's deep riches out of a massive, landlocked deposit at Queenstown to the port of Strahan, and from there, to the world. And every passenger is greeted by one of the line's original workhorses, a 28-tonne steam locomotive that's ready to roll — and guaranteed to raise a smile.

Barnbougle Dunes is a popular golfing destination on the coast of Bridport. Tee off to the sound of crashing waves on a links course where sweeping beaches, farmland and manicured greens mix effortlessly. Challenge yourself to 18 holes followed by a Tasmanian whisky in the clubhouse.

Renowned for its flights into the Southwest National Park, a vast and special place of extraordinary natural beauty that forms part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, there’s often more to a scenic flight with Par Avion. Fancy whisking that special someone away to devour oysters and wine on a picnic by the sea?