Tasmanian Wonders

The Tasmanian capital of Hobart may be small in size, but it's big in attractions, as you'll discover on a walking tour around the city. Step back in time at Battery Point, settled as a defensive outpost in the 19th century. Then explore the cobbled streets of Salamanca Place, the site of epic weekend markets. Gaze over boats at Constitution Dock - this is where yachts finish when competing in the annual Sydney to Hobart race. Put your destination into perspective from the summit of Mt. Nelson, offering endless vistas over Australia's southernmost city. (D) Stay: Best Western Hobart

Western Tasmania is like nature writ large, a place where the wilderness rules and people are few and far between. Visiting Mount Field National here is a humbling experience, not only for the fact it's part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, but also because it's home to some of the tallest eucalypts and tallest flowering plants on Earth. Wander amid these giants to reach Russell Falls - take a deep breath; your Tasmania tour has begun.

Records continue to be broken at 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. (B/D) Stay: Strahan Village

The Gordon River is your playground today, the dark waters here given their colour by amber button-grass tannins. The only thing breaking the mirror-like surface is your chariot as you cruise to Sarah Island, a former penal colony where convicts would fell Huon pines for boat building. Thankfully, they didn't get to the 2,000-year-old pine that still stands proud at Heritage Landing.

Glide past Hells Gates, the treacherous entrance to the harbour, before motoring on toward your Cradle Mountain tour. This wilderness area offers one of the best chances of spotting Tasmanian devils in their natural habitat. Opt to head out after dark to spot these elusive creatures. (B/L/D) Stay: Cradle Mountain Hotel

Today has multiple highs - quite literally. The first is 1,545-metre Cradle Mountain, your backdrop as you wander to Dove Lake. You don't need to look too hard to spot Bennett's wallabies, echidnas, and pademelons. The second high is ‘The Nut', a dramatic 152-metre plateau created by the remains of an ancient volcanic plug. It guards over Stanley, a tiny village with swagger to spare. You could spend days exploring the town's remarkably well-preserved heritage buildings. But more Tasmania holiday highlights await around the corner. (B/D) Stay: Tall Timbers

If there's a town with a cuter name than Penguin, we're yet to find it. Locals embrace its appeal - there are penguin sculptures at every turn, including one measuring 10 metres tall. Your journey along the northwest coast also passes through Burnie, Ulverstone and Sheffield, the latter delivering a surprise collection of 60 murals telling the area's history.

All this exploring builds an appetite. Refuel at Ashgrove Tasmanian Farm, where happy cows contribute to award-winning cheeses - everything from cheddar and red Leicester to creamy Tasmanian blue. (B) Stay: Best Western Plus Launceston (2 Nights)

There are few places in the world where you can leave the city behind and within minutes be amid an immense wilderness are. Launceston is one. Blink and you're at Cataract Gorge, a yawning chasm carved by ancient rivers. This rare natural phenomenon unites bushland with neat Victorian gardens, replete with ferns and exotic plants. Get a different perspective of the green cavern on the scenic chairlift, zipping you over the water to a lofty lookout.

We wouldn't blame you for lingering here, perhaps cruising the river to venture deeper into the gorge. Or sample more of Tassie's finest fare on a Tamar Valley winery tour. This afternoon, the choice is yours. (B)

You'll smell Bridestowe before you see it, this enormous lavender farm perfuming the Tasmanian countryside. 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. Real penguins come out to play in Bicheno; sign up to spot them after dark as they waddle to shore from the water. (B/D) Stay: Beachfront at Bicheno

The colours at Freycinet National Park are so vivid you'll think someone has taken the glasses off your nose and cleaned them for the first time: The patchwork of ocean blues that lap Coles and Wineglass bays. The powdery white of sand. The intense green of the forest. There's a reason why Freycinet adventures star on postcards. The other place on postcards is Richmond, its grand 1820s Georgian buildings today home to bijou boutiques, galleries and cafes that appear to be lost in time (B) Stay: Best Western Hobart (2 Nights)

The Isle of the Dead, Devil's Kitchen, Blowhole… the attractions at and around Port Arthur nod to the region's notoriously harsh history. This is the best-preserved convict site in Australia, and among the most significant convict-era destinations worldwide. The stories these walls could tell. (B/D)

It took early explorers months to circumnavigate Tasmania. You've completed your Tasmania tour in just 10 days. What a wild ride. (B)