Look at a map of Australia, scroll past the bottom edge, and there sits Tasmania, an island off an island and a gateway to Antarctica. Just a two-hour flight from Sydney and about the size of West Virginia, it packs a remarkably diverse range of experiences within easy reach, from dramatic landscapes, distinctive wildlife, and hyper-local food and drink to renowned arts and culture.
Water is never far away here. It cuts through rainforest, fills glacial lakes, wraps around private islands, and provides the only access to some of the island’s most rewarding corners. Follow it, and you discover places the road never reaches.
Stay on the edge of Australia’s deepest lake at Pumphouse Point
A room with a lake view at the Retreats at Pumphouse Point
Courtesy of Tourism Tasmania/Adam Gibson
If you like the idea of waking up surrounded by glass-still lake water and alpine forest, Pumphouse Point is your spot. Set inside a converted 1940s hydroelectric pumphouse on Lake St. Clair, Australia’s deepest freshwater lake, it’s one of the country’s most unusual hotels.
You walk down an 800-foot timber jetty to reach the building, where floor-to-ceiling windows frame the landscape from almost every angle. From bed, watch mist roll across the surface and order as much hot sourdough as you like to your room as you like, then borrow one of the property’s complimentary rowboats to paddle into the calm bay.
Book a private retreat at Picnic Island
Beyond its private guest accommodations, the granite outcrop of Picnic Island serves as a protected breeding ground for little penguins.
Courtesy of Tourism Tasmania/Adam Gibson
On the east coast, near the popular coastal destination of Freycinet National Park, there’s a tiny rocky outcrop called Picnic Island. Following an extensive renovation, the property now accommodates just one group of up to eight guests across four dwellings, including a new primary suite and restored copper-clad cabins.
The timber lodge sits so close to the water that high tides can send waves splashing against the deck. It takes roughly 10 minutes to walk the entire shoreline.
Wineglass Bay in Tasmania’s Freycinet National Park, framed by pink granite peaks and the Tasman Sea’s clear waters
Photo courtesy of Tourism Tasmania
Guests enjoy boat transfers, a private chef, an island host and skipper, plus tailored excursions around Great Oyster Bay and Wineglass Bay. The owners intentionally limit bookings to around 100 nights a year to protect the resident little penguin colony, making it one of Tasmania’s hardest reservations to secure.
Watch the Southern Ocean from a villa at Kittawa Lodge
If your idea of water is big, moody ocean swells and raw coastal weather, take the 40-minute flight from Melbourne over to King Island for Kittawa Lodge. Set on 96 acres of sea-bitten grassland, these off-grid villas put you right against the Southern Ocean.
A bathtub with a view at Kittawa Lodge
Photo courtesy of Tourism Tasmania/Oscar Sloane
You can soak in a massive bathtub and watch wild wallabies graze in the tussock grass while giant waves slam into the rocks below. King Island is home to more wallabies than people, so it’s not unusual to have the landscape almost entirely to yourself. Between wildlife, empty beaches, and some of Australia’s best cheese from King Island Dairy, as well as local seafood, it’s easy to unplug and be in the moment.
Travel in Tasmania’s southwest with On Board Expeditions
One of the best ways to experience Tasmania’s wildest natural pockets is with On Board Expeditions’ Port Davey Escape. The southwest corner of the island has virtually no roads, so this luxury floating lodge becomes your home base for navigating an intricate maze of inlets, rivers, and bays.
You might picnic on a beach inaccessible by vehicles, climb to a viewpoint, or follow the coastline by tender to discover sea caves and wave-carved islands along Port Davey’s untamed southern edge. Ashore, local guides lead hikes through button grass plains, ancient forests, and rugged mountain terrain. Back onboard, eat freshly caught seafood on deck.
Cruise the Gordon River
Deep within Tasmania’s Wilderness World Heritage Area, the Gordon River reflects the ancient rainforest of the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park.
Photo courtesy of Tourism Australia
For a half-day journey into Tasmania’s ancient rainforests, book a trip with Gordon River Cruises. Departing from Strahan on Tasmania’s rugged west coast, the journey follows the river deep into the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Tasmania’s Wilderness World Heritage Area.
The water takes on a rich amber color from tannins released by button grass, creating reflections of Huon pines that have grown along the riverbanks for thousands of years. When the ship cuts its engines deep in the Heritage Area, the absolute silence of the forest presses in around you.
Spot whales and seals around Bruny Island
The Neck on Bruny Island
Photo courtesy of Tourism Australia/Jess Bonde
Bruny Island is an easy day out from Hobart, with a short drive and ferry crossing taking you from the city to coastline, native wildlife, and a local food scene. A narrow strip of sand known as “The Neck” connects North and South Bruny, with the calm channel on one side and surf on the other; stand on it for views across the island. Its waters attract seals, dolphins, and migrating whales, while local producers serve up oysters, small-batch cheese, and wood-fired sourdough from Bruny Island Baker’s roadside honesty fridge.
For a more relaxed way to spend a day on Bruny Island, Islander Adventure Co takes care of the ferry and driving, picking you up by private boat from Kettering or Hobart on request. The six- to seven-hour experience starts on the D’Entrecasteaux Channel, cruising toward Iron Pot, Tasmania’s oldest lighthouse, and spotting animals before landing in North Bruny for a four-course lunch. After that, there’s no prescribed itinerary: swim at Nebraska Beach, browse contemporary art at Bruny North, or simply spend the afternoon doing very little at all.
See Australia’s tallest sea cliffs at the Tasman Peninsula
The Tasman Peninsula’s coastal landscape features soaring dolerite cliffs, sea caves, and rock formations shaped by the Southern Ocean. Pennicott Wilderness Journeys’ Tasman Island Cruises follow the edge of the peninsula, traveling beneath the nearly 1,000-foot cliffs of Cape Pillar and past landmarks including the Totem Pole and the Blade. These two vertical stone pillars attract climbers from around the world. The route also passes the entrance to deep sea caves and Tasman Island’s historic lighthouse while keeping watch for dolphins, seals, and whales.
