Housed within Hangar 17 – the oldest surviving aviation building in Tasmania, dating back to 1932 – Launceston Distillery produces hand-crafted Tasmania single malt whisky using traditional techniques. Drop in this winter to taste a dram from the distillery’s special Off Season cask, watch the working distillery in action and even fill your own bottle from the same batch – labelled, sealed and registered as yours. 

For something more intimate, head to Havilah, a cosy bar and wine shop that owner Ricky attributes to “a love of food, wine and Launceston”. The drinks list is global but local drops are repped to the hilt. It's also a cellar door for Ricky’s Two Tonne Tasmania label.

The biggest challenge at this time of year is rising before the sun but what a pay-off. Look on as your ride from Hot Air Balloon Tasmania inflates then clamber aboard and let that nippy breeze carry you over a patchwork of vineyards, green pastures and farmhouse roofs. Feel free to leave your phone at home, too – each balloon is equipped with a GoPro so you can capture the moment hands-free. Hungry? A buffet breakfast awaits earthside.

Make space on the grid: Launceston is a beauty from all angles. Book flights now at qantas.com.

Once daggy, then decrepit, now dynamic, Penny Royal – an adventure theme park drawing on the state’s history – is now thriving thanks to Tasmania’s wine and tourism king Josef Chromy, who bought the site next to Cataract Gorge in 2014. With gold prospecting, ziplining and a “haunted” island, it’s kind of for kids but grown-ups aren’t forgotten with a toasty wine bar, a pub and Alida, the site’s mod-Oz restaurant.

The mission of premium aviation outfit Unique Charters is to blend the thrill of flying with personalised food-and-wine experiences. Over five hours, you and your loved one will explore Launceston’s “Vineyard Trifecta”, from the comfort of a private chopper. Taking off from the Silos Hangar, you'll ascend to the skies for a bird's-eye views of Launceston before touching down at Josef Chromy Cellar Door for a wine tasting and optional lunch. Post-meal, soar over Tamar Island to arrive at Clover Hill Cellar door and settle into a sparkling wine appreciation class, then return to your helicopter to head to Tasmania’s northeast wine belt for an afternoon tipple (or two) at Ghost Rock Wines.

Tasmania’s north is studded with cellar doors, gouged with dramatic gorges and heaped with history. Book flights now at qantas.com.

What used to be a bleak industrial precinct is now Riverbend Park, a massive outdoor playground next to Peppers Silo Hotel. There’s a dizzying number of things to have fun with – including swings, sandpits, a water-play area, musical instruments and full-sized sports court – but the biggest drawcards are the Sky Walk and Confluence Net, two of the largest pieces of play equipment in the country.

Making the most of a region stitched with grape vines and home to dozens of cellar doors is best done with a dedicated driver in tow. Start your day with brunch and bubbles at Bellebone Wine Company, founded by winemaker Natalia Fryar – dubbed “Australia’s Sparkling Queen”. Think golden blinis paired with effervescent bis blanc and bis rosé and a fireside tasting of vintage wines served with local delicacies. After you've had your fill, head next door to Evenfall Wines for more delicious local drops (Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Cabernet – take your pick). If time permits, add a truffle hunt and vineyard pruning workshop at House of Arras to the agenda (it’s worth it just to see Diego the Kelpie put his talented sniffer to work).

Winter is truffle time in Tasmania and nobody makes better use of the delicacy than Craig Will, executive chef and co-owner of Stillwater. Whether shaved over scrambled eggs or enhancing a steak on the dinner menu, the truffle heralds winter at this fine-diner. Make an occasion of it and stay at Stillwater Seven (pictured), the well-appointed rooms upstairs.

Just across the river from the fabled Dunes golf course in Bridport, 20-hole Barnbougle Lost Farm is appearing in serious rankings around the world (it currently ranks 18th on Golf Australia magazine’s top 100 list of public-access courses in the country). Constructed on even steeper sand dunes than its sibling, Lost Farm follows the dramatic topography of the northern Tassie landscape. The latest addition? Bougle Run, a short but sweet 14-hole course on the dunes between Lost Farm’s front and back 9. 

Teeing off at Barnbougle, you might spot its most recent additions: a family of Tasmanian devils. Book flights now at qantas.com.

Nose-to-curly-tail is on the menu at Fork it Farm, 40 minutes from Launceston, where heritage Berkshire pigs are raised in open pastures. The Whole-Hog Feast – served at a long table in a paddock on 3 May, 7 June, 9 August and 4 October – showcases porky delicacies such as crispy pig’s ears with apple and cucumber jam and slow-roasted pig’s head. Reserve the on-site eco-cottage (it’s worth it for the breakfast bacon alone).

If you’re going to establish a pastry temple, a butter factory is a smart place to start – and winter is a brilliant time to visit. Every day of the week, the Tasmanian Butter Company’s on-site eatery and café, Bread + Butter slides fresh pastries and sourdough bread out of its ovens and onto the shelves, where they don’t have time to get comfy. Stop there on your way to the city's Saturday produce market, Harvest Market Launceston.

Whether it’s a flat and easy cycle around Launceston’s waterways for an hour or two, the popular and more challenging Trevallyn Reserve near Cataract Gorge or multi-day adventures for experienced mountain bikers, Mountain Bike & Rock Climbing Tasmania will deliver a bike to your hotel, shuttle you around with your own wheels or take you on guided tours so you don’t have to waste time on pesky maps. Beginners welcome.

Pedal sedately along riverfront paths or challenge yourself on a multi-day mountain-bike tour. Book flights now at qantas.com to choose your own adventure.

Thomas Pirker, executive chef of Launceston’s must-visit Grain of Silos, is a major proponent of Tasmania’s paddock-to-plate scene. This July, enjoy a taste of it at the restaurant’s exclusive Winter’s Harvest feast, a four-course dinner that shines a spotlight on calamari, beetroot and meats – among other delicious produce sourced from nearby farms. 

At Timbre Kitchen, a 16-minute drive north at Vélo Wines in Legana, chef Matt Adams changes his menu weekly based on, among other factors, what’s harvested in local backyards. We hope for your sake he’s made shepherd’s pie. It’s simple food done incredibly well.

Not the real things, obviously, but coconut- and chocolate-covered balls of marshmallow deliciousness that locals have savoured (and kept secret) for decades. As one fan puts it, “You just want to bury your face in them.” Along with acid drops, snowballs are among the best-selling items at Gourlay’s old-school confectionery shop in the city. The company has been making sweets here since 1896 and still uses the equipment and methods it began with.

Design Tasmania, a non-profit showcase of Apple Isle craftsmanship, has the silent aura of a cathedral and much within its stark white walls to worship. The wood collection (pictured) rules – with 80 pieces on permanent display – and a pop-up store has glass, ceramics, homewares (including merino throws from the local Waverley Mills) and furniture to buy instore and online.