Things to do in Tasmania in Summer
There’s nothing worse than getting to the end of the summer season and realising that you missed out on ocean swims, adventuring and time outdoors soaking up the sun simply due to poor planning. Whilst Netflix and Uber Eats have been pivotal to getting through our pandemic driven 2020 it may be time to put down the TV remote and head outside to explore our beautiful state.
If you’ve hit your quota of Mona, Salamanca or Cataract Gorge visits already you may need a few extra ideas on what to do this summer in Tasmania. To help you with your holiday planning a few of our team members have shared their favourite spots around the state so we can give you the local insight. Here are our top four adventures worth putting on your bucket list to tick off this festive season.
Take a long drive stopping at a beach, or two
East Coast Tasmania
The Great Eastern Drive is one of the best driving holidays you can encounter on the Apple Isle. Rated in the top five of Australian Traveller Magazine's list of Australia’s 100 greatest holidays it is well worth hiring a caravan or packing the camping gear to meander along this 220km drive. With quaint seaside towns, beautiful wilds, inland valleys and Instagrammable beaches aplenty, you’ll be talking of this road trip for years to come. Just add a 90’s Spotify playlist for good measure: “Siri play Surfin’ USA by the Beach Boys”.
Hang Glide across the Huon
Geeveston
Tahune adventure park is famed for their Tahune Airwalk where you walk 50m above the river bank taking in stunning tree canopies and forest views but, what many don’t know is that you can also feel the wind beneath your wings as you glide smoothly through tall forests and across the Huon River by embarking on their eagle hang gliding attraction.
Hang gliders whisk you from the forest floor on a 400 metres return journey across the Huon River, 50 metres in the air at some points. You’ll then glide back solo to make a gentle landing (promise).
Check out all the fun activities at Tahune Adventure Park.
Go Back In Time At Port Arthur
Port Arthur
Growing up in Tasmania usually consists of a school excursion to the Port Arthur Historic Site, located about 90 minutes away from Hobart. One of eleven Australian Convict Sites World Heritage Properties and inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List on 31 July 2010, it’s the best place to learn about Australia’s origin as a merry English prison island.
Port Arthur became a punishment station for repeat offenders in 1833, basically the thought of the time was to ship off the worst of the worst to a mysterious island offshore - that’ll show them. Nowadays you can expect lush lawn and amazing views while you take in a tour of the British Empire’s first juvenile prison or the horror-inducing silent prison (where a man could be locked in total darkness and silence for between several hours and 30 days on bread and water!) You could even stay in the area overnight and return to the site to take part in a chilling ghost tour as the sun sets. That’s right, grab your lantern friends we’re off on a hunt for things that go bump in the night - in a 184-year-old prison system and asylum, no biggie. If you ever needed to justify a khaki jumpsuit and ghost-sucking vacuum pack now’s your time.
Head out West to climb “the Nut”
Stanley
Sitting pretty on a sliver of land darting out into the Bass Strait on Tasmania’s Northwest Coast is Stanley. A quaint and beautiful town full of heritage cottages and luminary eateries it is most known for the massive volcanic plug aptly named “The Nut”. This dormant plug rises 150 metres out of the water like a mountain dominating the skyline of Stanley - a drawcard for locals and tourists alike.
Perfect for a romantic getaway, there’s plenty of beaches you’ll likely have all to yourself, so pack your picnic, climb the nut (or take the chairlift) and fall in love with the many gems in and around the township.