Tasmania

Popular Places: Hobart, Lake St Clair, Cradle Mountain, Port Arthur, Freycinet Peninsula, Maria island.

• Tasmania is Australia’s island state, separated from the mainland by Bass Strait which is 240kms across. You can either hire a motorhome there, or take one across the strait in a ferry.
• Tasmania is famous for its unpolluted air, uninterrupted wilderness, spectacular views and gourmet produce. Over one quarter of the state is protected with National Park status.
• The landscape to the west is rugged with rocky coastlines, steep mountains and dense rainforest. Lake St Clair is said to be one of the most scenic areas – the location of Cradle Mountain, and treks to rival even New Zealand’s most picturesque.
• Eastern Tasmania is less rugged, warmer, and more beachy – Wineglass bay in Freycenet National Park was once voted in the top ten beaches in the world according to an international travel magazine.
• Tasmania’s capital is Hobart, and is Australia’s second oldest city (after Sydney). It sits next to a river, a busy harbour and impressive mountains and has its own unique atmosphere.
• Tasmania was originally named Van Diemen’s Land by the Dutch explorer Abel Tasman, but its named was changed in 1856. Tasmania has a fascinating history due to its past as a British penal colony.
• Tasmania is teeming with wildlife (the most famous being the Tasmanian Devil) much of it specific to the state due to its isolation. There are varieties of kangaroos and possums, for example, that are only found in Tasmania due to its cooler and more mountainous climate.