This past week, we had the pleasure of driving around Tasmania, Australia’s biggest island, which is famous for its incredible natural attractions and pure air. We started our weekend in Hobart, the largest city of the island and the state’s capital. We were able to explore this quaint fishing town and start our time on the island with a great introduction to the culture of the region.
The British used Tasmania as a settlement for their penal colonies even though it was occupied by Aboriginal people who had inhabited the island for over 40,000 years. While the Aboriginal culture of Tasmania is not blatantly apparent because very few descendants have survived to today, the history of the prisoners and colonies that developed the base infrastructure of the island is commemorated throughout. (We even stayed right outside the ruins of a penal colony for a night!)
The main reason we wanted to explore Tasmania, Australia is because of the amazing nature that we heard about. The island has some of the purest air in the world and we just had to check for ourselves. Because the island is so isolated, they also have some unique animals, including the famous Tasmanian devils. We never got to see these in the wild but explored a sanctuary where they help rehabilitate the animals and only keep the ones that can no longer be released to the wild.
And we couldn’t go the weekend without hiking! We managed to squeeze in two days of hiking, one in Freycinet and one in Cradle Mountain National Park. We definitely rushed to get to see everything we wanted to see but it was worth it. In the future, we would love to spend longer in Tasmania, Australia to get to see some of the less traversed parts of the island and dive deeper into the beautiful and untouched nature here.
Destination Overview
Tasmania, Australia Became a Penal Colony
Tasmania, Australia (referred to locally as Tassie) is located 150 miles to the south of the Australian mainland and is the least populated of Australia’s 6 states. Its capital city, Hobart, contains around 40% of the island population. For the rest of the island, nearly half of its land is protected, making it an ideal destination for nature lovers.
The first European to discover the island was Dutch explorer, Abel Tasman, in 1642, and he named it after his sponsor Anthony Van Diemen. In 1803, the British settled the land to prevent French claims on it and during the next decades used Van Diemen’s Land as a penal colony, ignoring the Aboriginal people who had inhabited the island for tens of thousands of years. Unfortunately, a combination of European disease and conflict led to a decimation of the Aboriginal population with little remaining today.
In the 1850’s the island was renamed as Tasmania and eventually became a state of Australia through the 1901 federation. Today visitors can learn more about the penal history at Hobart’s museums or visit the former Port Arthur convict settlement. (There are even ruins throughout the island that are not highlighted but were constructed by these penal colonies, such as some bridges around Port Arthur).
Ultimately, we determined that the best way to dive deeper into the history of the island and take in the beautiful nature was to drive from Hobart to Launceston, allowing us to design a trip to visit the sights between the two towns. We were able to tour the historic sight of Port Arthur, try to spot Tasmanian devils (we ended up seeing them at a sanctuary), and hike in Freycinet and Cradle Mountain National Parks.
Where to Read More
An Introductory 5-Day Itinerary to Best Discover Tasmania
A sample itinerary for visiting Tasmania to explore the towns, breath the pristine air, trek in beautiful nature, and eat delicious seafood.
An Interesting Fact
Tasmania, Australia is home to 60 Great Short Walks
Tasmania, Australia is home to some of Australia’s best natural beauty which can be appreciated through hiking in its national parks. Prior to visiting the national parks, it is important to buy a vehicle park pass from the Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Services online or at one of the retail points, such as a visitor center or machines located at some of the more popular national park car parks. The Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Services created 60 Great Short Walks, which offer the best day hikes for a variety of different hiking levels. Our biggest motivation for visiting Tasmania, Australia was to explore Freycinet and Cradle Mountain National Parks. Since we didn’t have a lot of time, we could only do day hikes and found that these Great Short Walks were an excellent way to get an introduction to Tasmania’s nature.
Our first day of hiking was in Freycinet National Park, and we decided to do the Wineglass Bay to Hazards Beach hike which is one of Tasmania’s most visited locations. We started the hike a little later in the day and it was rainy so there were not many other people on the trail. When we got to the Wineglass Bay lookout, it was still a beautiful view even though there were clouds in the sky. The weather wasn’t ideal for swimming at Wineglass Beach or Hazards Beach, but it was still nice enough to appreciate the beautiful scenery. It was a solid return journey back to the carpark with a few rewarding views over the cliff coast line. After the hike there was still enough time to visit Honeymoon Bay and Sleepy Bay before finishing with one more spectacular Great Short Walk at Cape Tourville.
The next day of hiking was in Cradle Mountain National Park, and we arrived early to make sure we could take full advantage of multiple hiking trails. We started with a hike to Marion’s Lookout via the Overland Track, because we knew the more popular Dove Lake Hike would be crowded. While it was not included on the 60 Great Short Walks, it offered amazing views of the lakes below and peaks in the distance. On the hike to Dove Lake we were able to see Wombat Pool (we unfortunately didn’t see wombats though) and Lake Lilla before starting the Dove Lake hike later in the afternoon. There was hardly anyone still on the trail at this time, which allowed for peace and tranquility while taking in the incredible beauty. Both national parks were great experiences and left us wanting to return to hike more around Tasmania, Australia.
Travel Tip of the Week
Fly Into Hobart and Out of Launceston if You Only Have Time for a Short Visit to Tasmania, Australia
Initially, while visiting Tasmania, Australia, we looked at booking round trip tickets between Hobart and Melbourne and renting a car in Hobart for a round trip weekend drive. Since we didn’t have a lot of time for our visit, we realized that it would be more efficient to design our itinerary with a one-way route rather than return to Hobart. (The other option was to take a ferry from Devonport, the third-largest Tasmanian city, but this did not work with our timeline.) Instead, we saw that Launceston, the second-largest city, offered direct flights to Melbourne.
We knew, both when going into the trip and certainly after leaving Tasmania, Australia, that we wished we could have spent more time there. However, flying into Hobart and out of Launceston allowed us to get an incredible introduction to Tasmania, Australia. You can read more about our recommended itinerary to Tasmania here but the summary below explains the highlights from our time on the 1 way road trip.
- Day 1: Arrive to Tasmania, Australia, pickup the rental car, walk around Hobart, and enjoy a brewery tour then dinner at Cascade Brewing (Australia’s oldest brewery, Cascade Brewing)
- Day 2: Drive to Mount Wellington Summit, visit Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary to see Tasmanian Devils, and drive to Port Arthur for a tour of the historic convict settlement
- Day 3: Drive to Freycinet National Park to hike on the amazing trails, eat a nice seafood dinner at The Lobster Shack in Bicheno, and keep an eye out for little penguins in the evening
- Day 4: Drive to Cradle Mountain National Park to hike on the amazing trails and stay overnight in the park for a chance at beautiful star gazing
- Day 5: Drive to Cataract Gorge, visit Platypus House to see Platypus up close, return the rental car, walk around Launceston, enjoy a drink at James Boag Brewery, and depart Tasmania, Australia
