AAT Kings: Tassie's Parks & Nature 25/26

The Tasmanian capital, Hobart, packs a lot of punch into such a small perimeter, from restaurants that garner global praise to moody wine bars, eye-opening galleries, waterside walks and character-filled historic precincts. Explore at your leisure before meeting the adventurous souls over a Welcome Dinner.

Staying in:

• Hotel Grand Chancellor Hobart (1 night)

Your morning excursions delve deep into many of the things that make Hobart great: from the Mt. Nelson Lookout, offering dizzying views over the city and Derwent River; to historic Battery Point and the Cascade Brewery. End the tour at the leafy Botanical Gardens spotlighting endemic plants, a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience. Three hundred – that’s the number of stalls you’ll navigate this afternoon at Hobart’s mighty Salamanca Market. Get your heart started sampling gin and whisky or order a coffee while perusing made-in-Tasmania arts and crafts. The Salamanca precinct, amid historic sandstone buildings, is almost as pretty as the produce.

Staying in:

• Hotel Grand Chancellor Hobart (1 night)

The West Coast of Tassie is wild – in the best possible way. The air seems cleaner, the lakes cooler, the colours brighter, the waterfalls larger… as you’ll discover when the mist envelops you at tiered Russell Falls. This is part of Mt. Field National Park, the state’s most diverse nature reserve. Speaking of breaking records, Lake St. Clair is the deepest of its kind in Australia, carved by ice during glaciations over the last two million years. Pausing here puts life into perspective, in the best possible way. Skirt the World Heritage listed Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park, before arriving in Strahan. Small in population but big in personality, the town overlooks the immense Macquarie Harbour. Did you know it’s seven times the size of Sydney Harbour? Locals-only insights like this are among the reasons why Tasmania touring is a must.

Staying in:

• Strahan Village (1 night)

No day that involves a cruise is a bad day. Even better if it’s the deep, dark waters of the far-flung Tassie’s Gordon River. Soak up the silence of this untouched wilderness area on your Gordon River cruise en route to Sarah Island, the state’s oldest convict settlement. Today, the island’s haunting ruins have been reclaimed by nature, enveloped by forest and twisting vines. Your commute toward immense Cradle Mountain-Lake St. Clair National Park sees you travel through tiny mining towns scattered amongst the mountainous wild terrain. Rest up – Cradle Mountain awaits.

Staying in:

• Cradle Mountain Hotel (1 night)

Cradle Mountain owes much of its protected status to early settlers Gustav and Kate Weindorfer, who were pivotal in championing the conservation of the area. Their efforts are remembered at Waldheim Chalet, their former home, set among myrtles and King Billy pines that gradually give way to moss-covered ancient rainforests and deep river gorges, snow-tipped peaks and wild alpine moorlands. This is the heart of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, carved by glacial waterways like Dove Lake. You can see why Bennetts wallabies, echidnas, wombats and pademelons live here – you, too, will find it hard to tear yourself away. If you’re a night person, consider enlisting to spot Tassie’s nocturnal animals, whether at a devil sanctuary or in the wild. Optional Cradle Mountain tours see you spotting elusive creatures. Where else in the world can you say you saw a devil feed?

Staying in:

• Cradle Mountain Hotel (1 night)

Bring your appetite as today, on your life-changing tour from Launceston to Hobart, you’ll try some of the state’s most applauded produce. Tasmania has its fair share of award-winning gin and whisky distilleries, as well as small boutique breweries. Among them is a seaside tap house found in the petite town of Penguin. If there’s a place with a cuter name, we’re yet to locate it on a map. Sit back and enjoy a tasting paddle of local brew whilst taking in the views overlooking glorious Bass Strait. Steel yourself for the ciders fermented at Mount Gnomon Farm. Passionate farmer Guy Robertson will pour brews made from apples grown in his heritage orchard, before you sit down to a paddock-to-plate lunch. Then you’re on your way to quirky Sheffield, the ‘Town of Murals’, before travelling through the Meander Valley to Launceston.

Staying in:

• Hotel Grand Chancellor Launceston (1 night)

Your final day ends on a high in Cataract Gorge, a rare natural phenomenon on the outskirts of Launceston. There’s bushland on one side, and a Victorian garden replete with ferns and exotic plants on the other. Get a different perspective of the green cavern on the scenic chairlift, zipping you over the water to a lofty lookout. You can’t leave Tassie without sipping one of its cool-climate wines, perhaps a pinot noir or sauvignon blanc enjoyed overlooking the manicured grounds of the Josef Chromy Estate. It’s no secret that Tasmania produces some of the best food in Australia – it’s a combination of the clean air and water, lush landscapes, verdant soils, and talented growers and makers. This all unites to create droolworthy sweet and savoury condiments at the Tasmanian Gourmet Sauce Company, overlooking the South Esk River and dramatic Eastern Highlands. Explore the estate’s gardens learning about edibles that are grown here, then sample the oh-so-tasty wares, whether sauces, jams, mustards or relishes with your lunch. We hope you have room in your suitcase, because it’s hard to resist picking up the likes of strawberry chilli sauce, whisky marmalade and pepperberry mustard. This afternoon is yours: if you're not heading home yet, we recommend extending your adventure with a cruise along the Tamar River (own expense). A fitting end to a week of wonderment.