Everything You’re Missing if You Haven’t Done Winter in Tasmania
Australia's southernmost state puts on a show no matter what time of year you visit. But winter Lutruwita (Tasmania) is when things get really peculiar – and a little bit wild. and a little bit wild. Long nights invite revelry and snuggling up, the stars shine brighter (if you’re lucky, you might catch the Southern Lights) and off-the-beaten-path stays take luxury to the next level. If you haven’t visited in the Off Season, this is what you’re missing out on…
Image credit: Orchards Nest Tasmania
Lose yourself in the southern sights
1/35The closer you are to the South Pole in winter, the better your chances of seeing the swirling green and purple Aurora Australis (Southern Lights), which makes a Tasmanian getaway in the Off Season your best bet for catching sight of the natural phenomena. Orchards Nest cabin in Huon Valley, 30 minutes south of Nipaluna/Hobart, overlooks the Sleeping Beauty mountain range (named for its resemblance to a resting woman). It features a custom-built mineral hot tub for soaking, which is the ideal setting for watching what owner Esther Griggs calls “Lady Aurora”. “It’s just magical,” she says. “You can see dancing green, purple and pink strobe lights in the night sky.”
Image credit: Jarrad Seng/Dark Mofo
Go off at an avant-garde festival
2/35It became one of the hallmarks of Tasmania’s Off Season – and now it’s back. Created by the Museum of Old and New Art (Mona) in 2013, the wild merriment of Dark Mofo returns in June after last year’s scaled-down program. Mona’s trademark midwinter program of art and music events pack the Hobart calendar from 5 to 15 June with annual crowd favourites such as the Winter Feast, the effigy-burning Ogoh-Ogoh and the wild parties of Night Mass. But the part doesn’t end there – on 21 June, the now infamous Nude Solstice Swim will return for some old-fashioned skinny dipping en mass. Watch the website for the full program announcement.
Image credit: @westcoasttas
Wander through illuminated night markets during the year’s longest nights
3/35Celebrate the winter solstice – 21 June, the day with the shortest amount of daylight – and embrace the dark on the West Coast of Tasmania with Strahan Solstice Festival’s (20 to 23 June) markets, food events and bracing solstice swim. The following weekend (27 to 30 June), festivities will take place all over again at nearby Queenstown for Colours of Queenstown.
From off-beat events to off-grid cottages, every single corner of Tasmania embraces the Off Season in its own unique way. Plan your perfect winter holiday with qantas.com.
Image credit: Ros Wharton/Little Beach Co Resort
Re-energise with hot and cold therapy
4/35Dressing gown, check. Hot tub, check. Chilly southern winter waters… naturally. A Chill and Thrill stay at Little Beach Co Resort, near Bicheno on the East Coast, begins with a soak in a private hot tub and a stretch in the glass-sided sauna before ending – for the brave – in a rockpool plunge at the kelp-fringed rocky shore. In between, there’s complimentary sparkling wine, plus whale watching and stargazing with (fingers crossed) the Aurora Australis making an appearance.
Image credit: Krista Eppelstun/Gleneagle Tasmania
Plug into nature under Tasmania’s clear winter skies
5/35Though they’d look right at home on another planet, these futuristic domes are in fact a forest wellness retreat that’s just 30 minutes east of the ferry terminal in Devonport. Gleneagle Tasmania, near Mount Riana, offers an immersive nature fix while taking glamping to a whole new level.
Image credit: Samuel Shelley/Tourism Tasmania
Hook a winter trout in Tasmania’s pristine waterways
6/35The glassy lakes of our southernmost state harbour rainbow and wild brown trout ripe for the catch. Lack of fly-fishing experience is no deterrent at Currawong Lakes, an 800-hectare adventure playground complete with luxury lakeside cabins, set two hours north-east of Hobart. And while trout fishing season is predominantly between August and April, the private waterways of Currawong Lakes ensure you can hook a trout in the winter, too, making for a particularly unique experience. Get some expert instruction on how to navigate the lakes – or try your arm on the clay-target shooting range – then book a hamper, barbeque or degustation dinner with the property’s private chef.
Escape the city grind and embrace the slower pace of nature in Tasmania this Off Season. Plan your relaxing getaway with qantas.com.
Image credit: Adam Gibson/Bay of Fires Bush Retreat
Chill with salty hair and sandy feet
7/35Whether you’re travelling solo or with up to 30 of your favourite intrepid travellers, a winter glamping getaway at the Bay of Fires Bush Retreat near Binalong Bay is the ultimate winter escape. While you could spend the time wandering the nearby bush trails, take your retreat to the next level and join the Cold Plunge Club, where a guide will show you the ideal spots for an icy dip. Then warm up by the fire with prepared dinners and complimentary marshmallows and retire to your well-equipped bell tent or bunkhouse.
Image credit: Tourism Australia/Blue Derby Pods Ride
Ride and refuel in the forest
8/35In the mid-2010s, the hilly former mining country around Derby in the state’s North East was repurposed as a world-class mountain-biking area. Now, 125 kilometres of winding trails – including the Rusty Crusty and Upper Flickity Sticks – get bikers’ hearts racing and legs pumping an hour and a half from Launceston, where the rainforest sparkles in winter. Comfortable accommodation, guides and bikes are included on an Off Season three-day, fully catered Blue Derby Pods Ride. The reward for your effort? Dinner and a bed in an architecturally designed pod nestled in the forest.
Image credit: Oliver Ford
Eat to your heart’s content
9/35Breathe what’s said to be the cleanest air in the world and savour the rich flavours of the area’s produce at the Stanley and Tarkine Forage Festival in Tasmania’s North West. From 15 to 18 May, Stanley plays host to a street feast, foraging adventures and a Taste the Region dinner showcasing world-class beef, crayfish, oysters and abalone.
Not only will you get a warm welcome from the locals but you’ll also taste the best of the state on a plate. Plan your gourmet getaway to Tasmania now.
Image credit: Tourism Australia
Match pinot with penguins
10/35Possibly the only way to improve on a private penguin parade in Tasmania is to watch the flightless birds go about their night with a hand-delivered Penguin Pack containing a warm rug, fire-starting kit and red-light torches for safe spotting. This special experience is just one part of adults-only retreat The Cove Tasmania’s Pinot and Penguins stay this Off Season. It also includes two-or-more nights accommodation, a bottle of Devil’s Corner wine and a decadent homemade double-chocolate lava cake.
Image credit: Tourism Australia/Twamley Farm
Cook your way through the cold weather
11/35Winter is prime comfort-food time and Tasmania’s topnotch produce makes the ideal foundation for trying your hand at an Italian cooking class. Make pasta, ragu, veal marsala and tiramisu with Gert & Ted Catering at Twamley Farm in Buckland, an hour north-east of Hobart. For hearty fare of a different kind, sign up for the team’s French cooking class and learn how to prepare green peppercorn pâté and roasted pheasant.
Image credit: The Whimsy
Chase winter waterfalls and blue-green gems
12/35In winter, the waters of St Columba Falls at Pyengana, two hours east of Launceston, are in full roar. The surrounding ancient rainforest once hosted Tasmanian tigers (thylacines) and is still home to Weld River sapphires. For Off Season guests at The Whimsy, a 1900s miners cottage, sieves, spades and other equipment is supplied to fossick for these treasures (you might also uncover topaz, zircon or smoky quartz).
Whether it’s stumbling across rare jewels or rediscovering your sense of calm, an Off Season adventure is enriching. Get started on your trip planning here.
Image credit: Rosie Hastie and Beaker Street
Spend time looking up once the sun goes down
13/35Tasmania’s Off Season is the perfect time to appreciate nature’s marvels. Discover luminous flora and fauna on a guided Glow Show Tasmania tour with biologist Dr Lisa-ann Gershwin, or take to the winter wilds on a hunt for glow-worms and the elusive Aurora Australis. Curious minds come together at the quirky Beaker Street Festival over one glorious week. Based in Hobart and southern Tasmania, it’s a celebration of the dark skies above and delicious food and drinks earthside – culminating in a Dark Sky Dinner on 14 August, which offers delectable feasting amid stargazing and expert insights into the cosmos.
Gain exclusive access to heritage-listed landscapes
14/35Gain access to private nooks, heritage lands and hidden homes that are normally off-limits to the public at the Permission to Trespass event series in Tasmania’s North West this July. Dine on a clifftop overlooking Bass Strait at the Table House Long Table Lunch on 29 June, find artistic inspiration at the Wild Air Art Experience or discover stories of place via stunning visuals projected onto the Table Cape Light House on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights throughout the month of July.
Tasmania is teeming with hidden gems and you can uncover many of them during the Off Season. Plan your trip now.
Image credit: Lusy Productions
Fill the streets of Hobart with song
15/35From 27 June to 6 July in Hobart, choirs, choral groups and anyone who loves to belt out a tune will unite for the uplifting Festival of Voices. This year marks the 20 year anniversary of the festival and there are concerts, such as the festival’s flagship family-friendly event The Big Sing on 27 June, and the Classical Choral Workshop: Verdi’s Requiem, where you can sing this masterwork alongside choristers from across Australia and beyond, under the direction of internationally acclaimed conductor David Lawrence (UK). Take part in multiple workshops focusing on songwriting, musical theatre and raise your voice at dedicated sing-a-longs all over the city.
Image credit: Lusy Productions
Celebrate all things whisky at this week-long festival
16/35If you love the idea of a dram of golden goodness as the nights grow colder, winter’s Whisky Week (from 4–10 August) is a great way to sample Tasmania’s best. Join tastings, tours and hosted dinners spanning Hellyers Road Distillery in the North West and luxurious Overeem Whisky in the South.
Image credit: Adam Gibson
Dine on local cuisine at an after-dark food festival
17/35Hobart becomes a wild wonderland of creativity, chaos and delicious food at the annual ritual of Dark Mofo’s legendary Winter Feast, two long weekends of riotous revelling beneath the stars (5-8 June and 12-15 June). Expect dozens of stallholders selling the very best Tasmanian food, wine and spirits. Warm up with mulled libations as the smoky aromas from firepits and live music drift through the wintry air.
Eat and drink to your stomach's content on a winter holiday in the Apple Isle. Book your flights now.
Image credit: Rémi Chauvin, courtesy of Dark Mofo, Hobart, Tasmania
Dive into the Derwent at dawn
18/35It wouldn’t be the Off Season without a plunge into the River Derwent’s icy waters from the shores of Long Beach in Hobart’s Sandy Bay, as part of the annual Nude Solstice Swim. On 21 June, join thousands of swimmers wearing nothing more than a bright red swim cap for this invigorating and heart-racing thrill.
Image credit: Photographer, Anna Critchley
Sink your teeth into a decadent dessert
19/35Gather round a fire pit, pop a marshmallow into the toasty coals and sample The Agrarian Kitchen’s take on campfire s’mores. Biscuits, marshmallows, gooey chocolate and preserved fruits combine to become a delightful winter sweet treat, best enjoyed with hot chocolate for the kids or a whisky-laced dulce de leche for grown-ups. The restaurant’s outdoor kiosk will be serving them every weekend throughout winter.
Have a snow-filled adventure
20/35At the ski fields of Ben Lomond Alpine Resort, an hour east of Launceston, winter kicks the temperature down a notch. The drive into the resort is an adventure in itself, as guests wind along the hairpin bends of Jacob’s Ladder Road before the dramatic alpine landscape appears below. If you’re not a skier, skip straight to the après-ski offering, which includes hot chocolate, mulled wine and fire pits.
Discover your wild side on a wintry adventure in Tasmania. Find great deals on flights to Hobart at qantas.com.
Image credit: Tourism Australia
Forage for culinary treasures
21/35Black truffles are at their fragrant peak during the winter months, so the farmers at The Truffledore in the state’s North have created “A Day In The Life Of A Truffle Hunter”, an intimate and immersive two-night experience hosting just two-to-four guests at a time. You’ll bond with your own assigned truffle dog, unearth black gold in the crisp air of the truffière and learn how to make truffle pasta.
Image credit: Jillian Mundy
Trek across Tasmania’s varied landscapes
22/35Owned and operated by palawa First Nations people, wukalina Walk is a four-day, three-night physical and emotional journey through wukalina / Mount William National Park and the larapuna / Bay of Fires area, in north-east lutruwita / Tasmania. Walk, share and learn stories of Country with your palawa guides while hiking through the grey-green eucalyptus forests and orange rocks of the coastline. Each day ends with an intimate dinner, featuring native ingredients such as wallaby and mutton bird, with your guides and fellow guests.
Image credit: Tourism Australia
Join a multi-day adventure in Freycinet National Park
23/35Most walkers experience the wild waterways and empty coastlines of the all-inclusive, four-day Freycinet Experience Walk in the warmer months. For the first time, the tour company is staying open in winter to offer unmatched immersion in nature on the state’s east coast. The Off Season offer includes overnight accommodation at the sustainable Friendly Beaches Lodge, where you and your walking companions will feast on freshly harvested oysters, vintage pinot noir and more Tassie produce. There’s also the chance to encounter local wildlife, while cold, clear skies make it the perfect time for evening stargazing.
Book your spot on the Freycinet Experience Walk then head to qantas.com to start planning the rest of your trip.
Image credit: Tourism Australia
Discover another world beneath the surface
24/35Winter turns the caves at Mole Creek, on Kooparoona Niara (the Great Western Tiers) in the state’s North, into an aquatic playground teeming with fern gardens and moss. Beginners and seasoned hikers alike can uncover the caves’ craggy secrets with conservationist Deb Hunter from eco-certified Wild Cave Tours. Hunter provides all the necessary gear and helps you photograph underground waterfalls and tranquil pools like a pro.
Image credit: Tourism Australia
Be among the first to sample a new suite of vintages
25/35The Winter Wine in the Vines experience with Long Lunch Wine Tour Co is your chance to get on a first-name basis with local winemakers and try their new vintages before anyone else. You’ll explore some of the state’s best vineyards around Coles Bay and Freycinet (some will open exclusively for your group), taste new-harvest wines, and enjoy cool-climate seafood and nibbles by the fire.
Image credit: Laura Helle
Meet the local wildlife
26/35There’s no greater luxury at high-altitude than Cradle Mountain Lodge, two hours west of Launceston. Indulge in an energising hot and cold water treatment – a quick dip in an icy pool followed by a steam sauna – at The Sanctuary spa. Go beyond the retreat and check out Devils @ Cradle, the wildlife conservation in Cradle Mountain National Park, and be sure to take the chance to meet and pat joeys or join an after-dark feeding tour to see Tasmanian devils living their best lives.
Enjoy up-close animal encounters, underground adventures and top-tier wine tastings in Tasmania this winter. Book now.
Image credit: Luke Tscharke
Jump on-board the ice plunge trend
27/35Scale a mountain then plunge into the iciest of rivers on the Wild Wellness Fire and Ice Walk with Walk on kunanyi. Your trek up kunanyi / Mount Wellington, 30 minutes from Hobart, begins with stories of the local culture, history and wildlife before you learn the basics of Wim Hof breathwork and dive into the invigorating waters of the North West Bay River. Afterwards, hearty burgers and Pigeon Whole baked treats will warm you up again. If you want to explore the region at night, join the Off Season-only kunanyi After Dark tour. You’ll explore the luwari wurungkali / night sky using professional telescopes – and maybe see the nuyina / Aurora – and spot wildlife including possums, pademelons, owls and bats.
Be initiated into the world of sea salt
28/35Get salty and seasoned with a unique food experience from The Salt Sommelier. This 90-minute tour in Little Swanport, in the state’s south-east, demonstrates the unique harvesting practices used to gather Tasmanian sea salt, followed by a sample of small bites paired with a range of salts, including smoked and pepperberry flavours.
Image credit: Tourism Australia
Get into the festive spirit aboard a heritage train
29/35The wheels don’t stop turning at the West Coast Wilderness Railway in the state’s North West. The Off Season Steam Under The Stars photography workshop takes place twice in August, giving amateur snappers and engine enthusiasts the chance to take their own night-time train shots, inspired by the black-and-white work of photographer O Winston Link. If you’re in a more festive mood, board one of the specially decorated Christmas in July carriages stationed at Lynchford Station or Lower Landing for storytelling, activities and Yuletide eats.
Enjoy up-close animal encounters, underground adventures and top-tier wine tastings in Tasmania this winter. Book now.
Image credit: Photography by Andrew Strikis
Wander Tasmania’s wilderness on a guided tour
30/35Private, small group tours seeking hidden gems and untold stories are at the heart of The Derwent Experience. Embrace nature on a leisurely road trip from Hobart to Cradle Mountain that ends with a post-hike mulled wine, or feed your creative side with provocative displays at Mona (the Museum of Old and New Art) and artful fermented foods at the Agrarian Kitchen.
Image credit: Tourism Australia
Sip liquid gold in Table Cape
31/35Small batches, big hearts: that’s the philosophy behind the Distillers’ Bench tour from Alchymia Distillery at Table Cape in Tasmania’s North West. The experience will see you taste premium whisky paired with local produce in Alchymia’s Bond Store – a place usually closed to the public.
Escape to a magical stay atop a mountain
32/35Elegant, architectural and completely isolated, The Keep, perched on a rocky outcrop in the state’s rural North East, is a getaway straight out of a fairytale. Enjoy a long soak in the property’s craggy stone bath while breathing in the scent of eucalypts, then take the 10-minute stroll to find Tasmania’s largest myrtle tree. Or you could always just top up your pinot noir from nearby winery Priory Ridge beside the wood fire.
Embrace winter with an Off Season escape in Tasmania’s north. Book your flights to Launceston now.
Image credit: Jasper Da Seymour
Venture inside an abandoned railway tunnel to find edible fungi
33/35There’s something a little off-kilter, and exquisitely Tasmanian, about a crop of mushrooms growing in a 19th-century railway tunnel on Hobart’s outskirts. Join the team from Tunnel Hill Mushrooms to see how these dark-loving delicacies are grown, then cook a few on the barbeque for a feast of all things fungi, accompanied by a few drops of the farm’s own Shiitake Vodka.
Image credit: Tourism Australia
Take a guided tour through Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park
34/35Every Gordon River Cruise, departing from Strahan in the state’s west, operates in “whisper mode” – so you can hear your guide’s stories, pick up every sound in this wild and historic region and take in the river’s mirrored reflections in quiet contemplation. The tour includes a buffet lunch and optional walking tours of Heritage Landing and Sarah Island.
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