A lap around the island

Touch down on the island in Launceston, Tasmania’s UNESCO City of Gastronomy. Then pick up a hire car and head out to the state’s largest wine region: the celebrated Tamar Valley. 

But first, take a tour of Josef Chromy Wines and have lunch among the vines.

Then explore along the banks of Kanamaluka / River Tamar to find a host of quality (and at times quirky) cellar doors. Pop into Evenfall Vineyard for a casual drink on the deck with views over the valley before making your way back to Launceston.

Ogle at the city’s intact heritage streetscapes on your way to the dramatic Cataract Gorge, bridged by the world’s longest single-span chairlift. 

Then tuck into pizzas and beer brewed onsite at Du Cane Brewery & Dining Hall. After a big day of travel, rest easy at Hotel Verge Launceston.

Check-out and refuel for the day ahead at Tatler Lane, where you’ll find exceptional coffee and wholesome breakfast options.  

Today’s final destination is Boat Harbour. To get there, follow your nose along the Tasting Trail Tasmania, a collection of about 40 gourmet stops across the north and north west of Tasmania. The Truffle Farm, near Deloraine, is a trail must-visit. Join the truffle dogs on a hunt followed by a truffle tasting and truffle-infused lunch.

Stop in atop Table Cape, just outside of Wynyard, for the Table Cape Sound Walk, a self-guided ‘listening’ walk between the lookout and lighthouse.

See Bass Strait stretch out for miles in front of you whilst dining on Mediterranean fare at Appleby's Mediterraneo Bar & Grill. Then settle into Mallavale Farm for the night.

Enjoy a slow breakfast of fresh eggs and handmade granola at “home”, then check-out and head out for a stroll with Jye from tunapri Patuyala to learn about the importance of Boat Harbour for Palawa (Tasmanian Aboriginal people).

Drive west towards Stanley with a detour to Rocky Cape National Park (tip: buy a ‘Holiday’ Parks Pass to cover all of your national park stops during your stay). The wild and rugged beaches and caves of Rocky Cape can be explored on foot.  

Pop into nearby Lanigan’s for lunch, then continue on to your final stop: Stanley.

Climb or take the chairlift to the top of the Nut for spectacular views of the town and north-west coast. 

Drop in to “the local”, Stanley Hotel Bistro and Bar, for dinner. Then retire for the night surrounded by a rich tapestry of maritime history at Ship Inn Stanley. 

Enjoy a slow breakfast in bed then check-out of your accommodation.

Visit Highfield Historic Site, a stately 1830s home set on a bluff above Stanley that was built as part of a royal charter. 

Drive back along the coast, stopping into Bruce’s Cafe for a bite to eat on the Wynyard foreshore, before detouring south towards Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park. 

Ease into the afternoon with a walk around part, or all, of the Dove Lake circuit, one of Tasmania’s 60 Great Short Walks. To get there, park at the Cradle Mountain Visitor Centre and take the shuttle bus to the start of the walk.

Head to Devils @ Cradle conservation park to meet some of Tasmania’s most unique wildlife including Tasmanian devils, quolls, and an orphaned wombat named Pancake. 

Check-in to your accommodation and enjoy dinner onsite at Cradle Mountain Hotel.

Tuck into breakfast in-house then check-out.  

Spot pademelons and wombats on the short Enchanted Walk (park at the Interpretation Centre and Ranger Station – no shuttle needed), then sweat it out at Cradle Mountain Sauna before hitting the road to head south west.

At the storied west-coast mining town of Zeehan, explore the four historical buildings comprising the West Coast Heritage Centre. Right next to the entrance, you’ll find the Carol’s on Wheels food truck – grab a bite before heading to your next stop.

Make a roadside stop at Henty Dunes, rising up to 30m high behind Ocean Beach – Tasmania’s longest beach. Sandboards can be hired in Strahan. 

In the remote town of Strahan, don’t miss the nightly performance of the Ship that Never Was, a swashbuckling true convict tale enacted in Australia’s longest-running play.

Dine on a seasonally rotating menu, complimented by Tasmanian drinks, at Risby Cove Restaurant.

Then fall asleep surrounded by grandeur at Ormiston House.

Dig into continental breakfast at Ormiston House before taking on the day.

Set sail across Macquarie Harbour, a body of water six times larger than Sydney Harbour, stopping at the isolated convict station of Sarah Island.

Back in Strahan, grab a bite at the Coffee Shack, then head out for a rainforest stroll on the short and easy Hogarth Falls walk, ticking off another of Tasmania’s 60 Great Short Walks. Be sure to keep an eye out for platypuses.

Dine waterside at Hamer’s Bar and Bistro before heading back to your accommodation for the night.

Have breakfast in-house and bid farewell to Ormiston House. Today, you’re heading to Tarraleah. Before leaving Strahan, pick up some dinner and breakfast groceries.

Drive from deep forest through to the lunar-like landscape surrounding Queenstown.  

Ride the rails of history with a journey on the West Coast Wilderness Railway, passing above a deep gorge and ascending the steepest gradients of any railway in the Southern Hemisphere. 

Refuel at Tracks Cafe Queenstown then head on to Derwent Bridge.

Take a peek (and perhaps a refreshing dip) at Australia’s deepest lake, Lake St Clair.

Pay a visit to the ambitious art project, the Wall in the Wilderness.

Check-in to Tarraleah Estate’s 1930s Art Deco cottages. Once homes for hydro workers, now cosy self-contained accommodation.

You’re the star chef tonight. Time to unpack the groceries and cook up a storm.

Cook your own breakfast at Tarraleah Estate and keep an eye out for the woolly (and very cute) Highland cattle on the property.

You’ll be making your own lunch today. Hit the road early and head to the Agrarian Kitchen Cooking School in the charming town of New Norfolk.

After a decadent cooking lesson, poke around in the town’s antique stores before continuing on to Hobart.

Dinner tonight is modern Japanese fare at Bar Wa Izakaya.

Then settle in to your stay at the Corinda Collection. Take a look at the magnolia tree in the garden, it’s more than 100 years old.

Wake up and enjoy breakfast cooked by your in-house chef.

Take a short drive (or the dedicated ferry) to Mona for an underground art fix. You’ll want to set aside a few hours for this one.

Lunch is a little bit fancy at Faro Bar + Restaurant at Mona. Then jump on the ferry back to Hobart’s harbourfront for a stroll through the historical precinct of Battery Point.

Wander back to Brooke St Pier to taste local produce at its finest at Aloft. Retreat to your accommodation for the night with a full belly.

Dine on breakfast in-house then check-out. Today you’re heading south to the fertile Huon Valley.

Walk above the forest floor on the Tahune Airwalk, and watch old-fashioned boatbuilding at the Wooden Boat Centre in Franklin.

Dine on the banks of the Huon River at Lost Captain Restaurant & Taphouse.

Be sure to stop in at Willie Smith’s Apple Shed on the way home to see what Tasmania squeezes from its apples these days. 

Dinner tonight is at neighbourhood hole-in-the-wall, Ogee. You don’t have to go far after dinner, your accommodation is upstairs at Ogee Guesthouse.

Check-out and stroll a few blocks to breakfast at Erda Cafe.

Back in the car, head towards Turrakana / Tasman Peninsula, detouring to Bream Creek Vineyard for a wine tasting and local cheese plate overlooking Marion Bay and Maria Island.

Continue south towards Port Arthur Historic Site, Australia’s largest and most intact convict settlement. You’ll want to set aside a few hours to explore the grounds at this UNESCO World Heritage-listed site.  

Drive back to Teralina / Eaglehawk Neck and check-in at Lufra Beachside Hotel where you’ll be dining and snoozing tonight.

Have breakfast onsite then check-out, ready to hit the road for Coles Bay on the Freycinet Peninsula.

Before departing Turrakana / Tasman Peninsula, walk across the road from your accommodation to explore the Tessellated Pavement; a geological wonder of fractured rocks resembling a huge mosaic.

Then jump in the car to check out the curiously named houses in Doo Town at the southern end of the isthmus. On the other side of Doo Town, you’ll find a sea-cliff-spectacle: Tasmans Arch and Devils Kitchen.

Journey north along the scenic, coast-hugging Tasman Highway. Get your seafood fix at Melshell Oyster Shack, then make tracks for Freycinet National Park.  

Take a walk to arguably Tasmania’s most famous view at Wineglass Bay Lookout. Feeling more energetic? Continue down the slopes onto the dazzling white sands of the bay itself. 

After a big day in the outdoors, dine at Mount Paul Lounge for dinner. You don’t have far to get to bed, your stay tonight is at Freycinet Resort.

Time to take it easy and soak up the east coast. Have breakfast onsite then check-out of your accommodation.

Plan a seafood lunch on the deck at Freycinet Marine Farm and stay for a tour of the oyster farm. 

Call in at Bicheno to see if the Bicheno Blowhole is doing its thing and take in the lofty scene from Whalers Lookout. 

Keep heading north along the coast, at times right at the edge of the sea, and stay overnight in Binalong Bay. 

Tuck into woodfired pizza and beers at The Hub - Seaside, then check-in at the atmospheric Bay of Fires Bush Retreat.

Wake up to birdsong at Bay of Fires Bush Retreat. Add breakfast to your stay and check-out, ready for your final day in Tasmania. 

Catch the early sun on the Larapuna / Bay of Fires area, when the spectacular scene of white sand, blue sea and orange lichen blazes in colour. 

If you’re a mountain biker, you might well have just found your spiritual home. Pick up a bike at Vertigo MTB – St Helens and spin the wheels on the St Helens Mountain Bike Trails.

Ready to shred lunch after shredding the trails? Call in for farm-fresh cheese at the Pyengana Dairy Farm Gate Cafe.

Return your hire car at Launceston Airport and start planning your return to Tasmania.