Tasmanian Wonders

Fly to Hobart

Transfer to your hotel and later discover Hobart's big attractions. View the charming Georgian cottages of Battery Point and convict built warehouses along Salamanca Place, gaze over boats at Constitution Dock, and take a stroll in the Botanical Gardens. Tonight, join your Travel Director for a welcome dinner.

Be humbled by Mount Field National Park, which is part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, and home to some of the tallest eucalypts and flowering plants on Earth. Wander amid these giants to reach Russell Falls, and see Lake St Clair, the deepest freshwater lake in Australia, before you arrive in Strahan, gateway to World Heritage listed Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park.

The inky waters of the Gordon River are as eerie as they are beautiful, the mirror-like surface only broken by your ride out to Sarah Island. It's hard to reconcile the beauty of this part of the state with its grim history as a penal colony. Cradle Mountain awaits to the north.

Your journey reaches new heights – quite literally with a visit to soaring Cradle Mountain, whose spectacular and pristine wilderness is home to the mysterious and secretive Tasmanian Devil. At Devils@Cradle embark on a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience as a keeper leads you through the sanctuary and gives thorough insights. This tour directly supports these animals and threatened species by helping their conservation. Leave the Central Highlands and head towards the scenic north-west coast.

Table Cape is by far Wynyard's most remarkable natural wonder, and the lookout offers spectacular views. If there's a town with a cuter name than Penguin, we're yet to find it and locals embrace its appeal with penguin sculptures at every turn. Continue along the northwest coast passing through Ulverstone and Sheffield. Refuel at Ashgrove Tasmanian Farm, where happy cows contribute to award-winning cheeses.

Launceston is one of the few places in the world where you can leave the city behind and within minutes be surrounded by nature. Namely, Cataract Gorge, a yawning chasm carved by ancient rivers which unites bushland with neat Victorian gardens. Linger here and get a different perspective with a ride on the scenic chairlift, or perhaps this afternoon take one of the river cruises on offer (both at extra expense) - the choice is yours.

You'll smell Bridestowe before you see it, a huge lavender farm perfuming the Tasmanian countryside (blooming late Spring to early Summer). The flowers grown here aren't just used in fragrances – they're also infused into ice-cream, teas and jams. It's a tasty entrée to the Legerwood Carved Memorial Trees, sculpted into World War One soldiers found in Dorset. Little penguins come out to play in Bicheno; sign up to spot them after dark as they waddle to shore from the water (at extra expense).

The colours at Freycinet National Park are so vivid: the patchwork of ocean blues that lap Coles Bay and the dramatic pink granite cliffs. Next up is Richmond, whose grand 1820s Georgian buildings are today home to bijou boutiques, galleries and cafés that appear to be lost in time. Your last stop for the day is to the shores of the Derwent River where local palawa will welcome you and show off some local bush tucker.

Today, visit Port Arthur Historic Site. With attractions like the Isle of the Dead, Devil's Kitchen and Blowhole you get an idea of the region's notoriously grim history. This is the best-preserved convict site in Australia, and among the most significant convict-era destinations worldwide. Imagine the stories these walls could tell. Enjoy a farewell dinner tonight at a historic waterfront pub.

With memories galore to take with you, the tour concludes with a transfer to the airport for your onward journey.