Two Weeks in Tasmania: A Foodie & Adventure Paradise

Go on a Storytelling Tour

Take advantage of a MacQ01 hotel storytelling tour (free for guests, also available to non-residents for a small fee). You can learn about the 114 unique doors in the hotel, each of which features a different Tasmanian character, or opt to discover Hidden Hobart. I loved being given an old-fashioned viewfinder to take on the tour so I could compare historical photos of Hobart to present day!

Explore Hobart

Take a stroll from the hotel along the length of the Hobart Harbour and stop at one of the small floating cafes for some awesome fresh seafood.

If you’ve planned your trip on a Saturday, which I highly recommend, wander through the Salamanca Market to sample tasty treats — rhubarb custard doughnut anyone? — and find local food products — cheeses, honey, nuts, saffron — and other handmade goods.

On any day of the week, just next to the Salamanca Market you can visit St. David’s Park — the spooky site of a former cemetery! Some of the best-preserved historical tombstones are on the wall on the edge of the park. Rumor has it there are still bodies under the grass — but I didn’t feel any fingers trying to grasp my ankles!

Finish your day a wee dram at Lark Distillery.

No trip to Hobart would be complete without a visit to the MONA (Museum of Old and New). The MONA is the lovechild project of David Walsh, who made his money in professional gambling. To call the museum eccentric would be the understatement of the century. The collection ranges from Picasso to pornography, with everything in between. This is one of the most entertaining museums I’ve ever visited. Start your experience right by traveling to the museum from the Hobart pier on one of the MONA Roma camouflage ferry boats, and be sure you book the “posh pit”!

It’s day three, and you are in for a treat. Rent a car or a helicopter, and proceed directly to Saffire Freycinet — one of the most spectacularly beautiful and rarified places I have ever experienced. With only 20 luxury suites, you will be one of the lucky few who get to go to this place. The accommodations, the view, the staff, the food, the wine. They are all at least five stars. And it’s all-inclusive — the fridge in your room will even come pre-stocked with champagne so you can sip under the stars, where the sky is so dark you will feel like you can touch them.

On your second day in paradise, take advantage of as many of the complimentary activities as you can while staying as a guest. Saffire will offer you several unique experiences to enjoy while there: exclusive wine or whisky tasting, a Tasmanian devil experience, a guided hike to the Wineglass Bay overlook or a private tour of the Freycinet Marine Oyster Farm, where only Saffire guests get to use a tablecloth-covered table standing in the water. Your guide will shuck for you while you drink more champagne, wondering if you really could ever get tired of the stuff. Probably not.

Head up the wild and beautiful coast through Bicheno to the spectacular Bay of Fires, named because of the orangey red lichen that covers the rocks in the bay. Take a short hike along Binalong Bay.

Whether leaving from Saffire or the Bay of Fires, today make your way to Launceston. In contrast to the wild and rugged east coast of Tasmania you’ve seen so far, today you will delight in pastoral scenery. If possible, stop by the Pyengana Dairy en route for a gooey grilled cheese sandwich while looking at the grazing cows that produced the milk! If you want to walk off your lunch, head to Saint Columbia Falls for a short hike. That afternoon, as you approach Launceston, visit one or more of the stunning methode champenoise producers, such as Clover Hill. You will wonder how this gorgeous wine country has remained such a secret for so long.

Pack a picnic lunch and either hike or take a rideshare to the spectacular Cataract Gorge. While you’re there, you can explore the gorge on other trails, have lunch or tea and admire the peacocks and wallabies. Also, the gorge features the world’s longest single span chairlift providing a gorgeous (pun intended) view from above. Don’t forget your swimsuit, weather permitting, as there is also a large public pool with surrounding lawn areas.

Spend a day in the beautiful Tamar Valley wine country. Top suggestions for wineries to visit include Josef Chromy, Marions and Ghost Rock. Plan to have lunch either at Josef Chromy or Ghost Rock, and you will not be disappointed! If you decide to do further exploring, head to Latrobe — the “Platypus Capital of the World” — and try to spot a platypus! Or, if the sun is shining, admire some of the wide, white sandy beaches on Tasmania’s north coast.

Pack your bags in the morning for Cradle Mountain. If you decide to have lunch along the way, Sheffield is a cool small town with lots of interesting cafes. Once you arrive and check in at the Peppers Cradle Mountain Lodge, get your park pass and shuttle bus tickets before the welcome center closes — you will need it later in the evening. If you get there in time and feel like stretching your legs after the drive, do some short hikes outside the main park entrance. The enchanted forest walk is particularly lovely! Wildlife abound in this national park, so have your camera ready. Take pictures of wombats and echidnas. Your friends at home will think they came from Dr. Seuss! Top tip: After hours, you can drive your own car into the national park with your permit and enjoy sunset without the crowds!

If you enjoy a challenge, take the shuttle bus into the National Park to the Ronny Creek stop and hike the beginning of the Overland Track past Crater Lake to Marion’s Lookout and then down to Dove Lake (approximately four miles). The complete Overland Track walk (six days/40 miles), which runs from Cradle Mountain to Lake St Clair, is considered one of the top hikes in the world! If you don’t mind a few chains and a bit of climbing, the view from the lookout is well worth it. From there, you can descend to the Dove Lake shelter on the path that goes past the Wombat Pool lookout. Reward your hard work with a visit to the Waldheim Alpine Spa at Peppers Cradle Mountain Lodge, which boasts beautiful views of the Pencil Pines Forest.

Weather permitting, take a short scenic helicopter ride around Cradle Mountain to get real perspective on the jagged dolerite peak formations. From the air, you can also see more of the Overland Trail, including the optional Lake Will side trip. From here, you may opt to go to Strahan and take a Gordon River cruise, or head straight to Lake St Clair National Park to prepare for more spectacular hiking.

Road trip to Lake St Clair, Australia’s deepest freshwater lake, which was carved by glaciers. If the weather is fine, pack a picnic and head for the Frankland Beaches walk to take in views across the lake of Mount Rufus, Mount Hugel, Little Hugel and Mount Olympus. Another great way to spend the day is to book the ferry from Cynthia Bay to Narcissus (the last hut along the Overland Track) and hike back. If cruising is more your style, buy a return ticket.

On your way back to Hobart, you may want to stop for a look at The Wall in the Wilderness, a stunning and impressive history of the Tasmanian Highlands sculpted into 100 meters of wood. Afterwards, plan to stop for lunch at The Shed at Derwent Estate Vineyard.

It’s your last day in Tasmania (sniff). Carpe diem and jump on a Pennicott Wilderness Journey. From Hobart, there are many tour options to visit beautiful and wild Bruny Island and/or Port Arthur. The high-speed boats are perfectly designed for touring the rugged coastlines, which include the highest cliffs in Australia. Wildlife abounds, and you may spot gannets, albatross, sea eagles, dolphins and seals.

Hobart

Stock Market
Aloft
Peppina

Launceston

Stillwater Restaurant
Stelo at Pierre’s
Black Cow Bistro