Road into Queenstown
Jess Bonde
How Tasmania’s creative spirit feels to me
With Travis Tiddy
Ready to spark your imagination? Local creative leader Travis Tiddy shares how to delve into distinctive Tasmanian arts, culture and festival experiences like nowhere else.
For Travis, CEO of Design Tasmania and founder of the Unconformity festival, the island is a unique alchemy of landscape, community and creativity.
“This is a place where we have such an immediate and really visceral engagement with the environment,” he says. “I think that's alluring to people.”
A creative frontier
Growing up in Queenstown on Tasmania’s remote west coast might not sound like the most obvious path to the arts, but for Travis it was the perfect crucible.
“We’d get on our bikes, go to the waterholes, go into the mine site – we probably shouldn’t have,” he says, describing the “moonscape” landscapes of his hometown as a “dangerous but stunning” paradox.
It’s this childhood spirit of adventure amongst the enigmatic landscape that, Travis says, has shaped his creative journey.
This is a place that has really rich complexity and it seduces people, but it confounds people at the same time and that's the depth of the experience.
Pauline Morrissey
Consider the Unconformity: Queenstown’s bold, bizarre, biennial celebration of contemporary arts. Born out of the mining-scarred ground, this unique festival is all about connection, curiosity and culture.
“The power of festivals is that [they] can cross boundaries and divides and bring people together really authentically,” Travis says.
Slow time and sensory awakenings
“The Tasmanian story is so rich and so important,” Travis says.
He nods to the annual Tasmania Makes exhibition at Design Tasmania, where recent displays included myrtle timber drawn from the depths of Lake Pieman and textiles woven with wool from Launceston’s historic Waverley Mills.
It’s more than just an object – it’s a touchstone…that’s the identity of Tasmania and the people and the materials of this place.
For Travis, the island’s creativity goes beyond worldclass design – there’s a deep focus on making, feeling, spending meaningful time in nature and with materials, and telling their story.
“My father was, and still is, a woodworker,” he admits. “So, I’ve carried that tradition.”
He finds something meditative about woodworking in his garage. “It forces you to slow down...to spend time with it and work with the contours of that object.”
Huon pine is a prized Tasmanian timber, sourced sustainably
The Wooden Boat Centre attracts craftspeople from around the world
Nick Osborne
That same slow-time engagement is embedded in Tasmania’s creative culture – and he believes it’s a big part of why arts and events here appeal to visitors.
People who come here from all around the world, they are genuinely inspired. And how could you not be?
“The light is different in Tasmania,” he muses. “It provides an expansive sense of place. I think we can think things through here. We can spend time in deep thought.”
Where to capture Tasmania’s creative spirit
For travellers seeking to connect with the island’s stories and sensations through a creative lens, Travis urges them to not only connect with art but with communities, makers and materials.
“That's the challenge but that's also the really rich reward for people who come here,” he encourages.
See Huon pine trees growing in the wild then admire how local artists harness fallen logs into art, furniture or even boats. Discover worldclass galleries and edgy art. Taste wine or whisky while learning the process from the makers, learn new skills or simply watch artisans at work.
Make your own paper at Creative Paper
Samantha Simpson
Merino wool at the Tasmanian Wool Centre
Chris Crerar
Creative Paper
Uncover Tasmania’s paper mill heritage and make your own handmade paper from waste materials including old denim jeans, apples and even wombat poo.
Tasmanian Wool Centre
Trace the traditions of the island’s revered Merino wool industry. Thread through galleries, feel superfine wool at immersive exhibitions – there's even a recreated shearing shed. Then shop for snuggly soft woollen wares.
Huon Pine Shop and Gallery
Inhale the alluring aroma of Huon pine as you admire a showcase of raw, worked and finished products crafted from coveted Tasmanian timbers. And maybe pick up a woody souvenir while you’re at it.
Sustainably sourced timber
Huon pine is salvaged from forest floors, riverbeds and hydro-impacted areas in Tasmania, allowing artisans to source this sought-after timber sustainably.
Lessons and workshops
Foster your creativity and forge new skills in a lesson or workshop with Tasmania’s thriving community of fine artisans and crafters. Perfect your photography, painting or pottery, forge metal, blow glass, carve wood or simply watch artisans at work.
Undersong Perfumery
Treat your senses and explore the art of perfume distillation with local botanicals and a beachside backdrop in Bicheno.
The Unconformity festival, Queenstown
We Are Explorers
Jacob Collings
“This is an island that is just filled with festivals,” Travis says. He is amazed how people come together to celebrate everything from murals to garlic, penny farthings to pinot noir.
The Unconformity
Imagine an unusual festival that turns Queenstown’s raw landscapes into a living gallery – provocative, poetic and sure to prompt something unexpected in you. Held in October every second year.
Junction Arts Festival
September sees Launceston’s founding arts festival spill into the streets with intimate, odd and extraordinary art, music and installations.
Tourism Tasmania & Brian Dullaghan
“The arts and cultural community here in Tasmania is small but mighty – there's really incredible things happening here,” Travis says, encouraging visitors to uncover the island’s regional rewards.
Western Wilds Art
Three evocative sculptures turn a road trip through the island’s western wilds into an open-air gallery inspired by the rich stories of the region – think Tassie tigers and the fabled Franklin River.
Wall in the Wilderness
Marvel at the ambition and craftsmanship of a 100m carving telling the history of the highlands.
Immerse in the elements on the west coast
Jess Bonde
For inspiring nature sure to spark the senses he recommends the town of Corinna. “Imagine this immense river on the west coast of Tasmania that’s got this black inky water... You catch the Arcadia boat to the mouth of the Pieman River and the Roaring Forties just hit you there on the beach.”
It’s like an embodied experience. It’s like you’re feeling it, not consuming information.
These are the sort of experiences that Travis treasures. And maybe that’s the secret to the island’s creative spirit: Tasmania isn’t just seen, it’s felt – deeply.
Continue your creative fix
FAQs
Tasmanian’s galleries and museums span bold innovation and deep heritage. A visit to provocative Mona – Australia's largest private museum – is a must. Hobart’s Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery (TMAG) and Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery (QVMAG) in Launceston hold important collections plus interactive exhibits. Local creativity and community take centre stage at regional gems like the Devonport Regional Gallery, Bruny NORTH, and Salamanca Arts Centre. For a touch of Tassie quirk try the Pooseum.
Tasmania’s unique natural materials like richly grained timbers, superfine Merino wool and high-quality leather are showcased in the island’s woodwork, weaving and leathercraft. Huon pine, which is found only in Tasmania, is prized for its honey colour, scent and waterproof qualities, making it sought-after for high-end furniture, woodworking and boat building.
Queenstown is a 3hr 45min drive north-west of Hobart along the scenic but remote Lyell Highway, or a 3hr 15min drive from Launceston via Sheffield and Tullah. If you’re arriving in Devonport, home to the Spirit of Tasmania, it’s around 2hr 30min via Burnie then the Murchison Highway. Read our driving safety tips before you set out.
Tasmania hosts many free festivals, but ticketed events that are part of popular programs like Dark Mofo, Beaker Street and the Unconformity can sell out quickly – book several months ahead. Secure accommodation early, especially in small towns like Queenstown, and watch for earlybird deals on stays and car hire before festival lineups are announced.
Explore Sheffield ‘the town of murals’ in north-west Tasmania, and swing by Wilmot’s novelty letterbox trail nearby. Follow alfresco art trails in the Great Western Tiers near Deloraine, at Birchs Bay in the south or travel along the the remote Western Wilds to see site-specific art.
From wooden spoon carving to all-inclusive paint-and-stay packages you’ll find a wealth of hands-on creative lessons and workshops across the island. Learn the art of blacksmithing, blend your own floral scent or craft your own gin. Many bespoke experiences run exclusively in the Off Season.
