Gold Stem facials, private islands and outdoor bathtubs with zillion-dollar views….these are some of the things to look forward to in Tasmania. Or perhaps you’d prefer cruising around Tasmania’s waters like a rock star (Sting was recently spotted in a luxury yacht) or fly to a winery for a languid afternoon lunch. Go on, you deserve it. Treat yourself to one or two or more of these 20 exclusive escapes in Tasmania.
1-Best luxury hotel
Photo: Tourism Tasmania & Saffire Freycinet
It’s a pretty safe bet you’ll be impressed by Saffire Freycinet. Voted as the top luxury hotel in Australia by TripAdvisor’s community of travellers and Best Overall Boutique Hotel in the World at the World Boutique Hotel Awards, this Tasmanian luxury lodge offers top nosh, a host of activities and an impressive spa. Treat yourself to a whole day of pampering starting with a Gold Stem facial, where Nano technology combines gold particles and plant stem cells. You’ll be positively radiant.
2-Luxury yacht cruise
Photo: Tourism Tasmania and The Tasmanian Walking Company
Sting has done it and it’s not hard to see why. Just imagine cruising around on a luxury yacht off Tassie’s coast, stopping to climb peaks, visit picturesque islands and explore remote sandy beaches. On Wineglass Bay Sail Walk you’ll also sample fresh Tasmanian produce, local cheeses, wines and boutique beers. The Tasmanian Walking Company (the company behind the Bay of Fires and Cradle Mountain Huts walks) has four- and six-day itineraries that allow you to explore Maria Island, Schouten Island and the east coast of Tasmania without worrying about the planning.
3-A private island
Photo: Tourism Tasmania/Mark Chew
Be the lord or lady of your own private island for a few days at Satellite Island. Never heard of it? You’d be even more amazed to learn that this 30ha island in Tasmania’s D’Entrecasteaux Channel was named second-best private island on the planet by Harper’s Bazaar UK. The renovated boathouse sleeps up to 18 people and is unique experience away from the masses.
4-Bath with a view
Photo: Tourism Tasmania/Ray Joyce
Soak in the outdoor bathtub at Thalia Haven, a luxurious getaway with views of Great Oyster Bay. You’ll have your own beach and there’s plenty of room to bring a few friends to fill up Thalia’s four stone cottages. There are open fireplaces, dining and living areas in the main building. And the living area is stocked with games, puzzles and yoga mats. There’s plenty to explore around Wineglass Bay and Freycinet National Park but you’ll probably be just as happy to luxuriate at Thalia.
5-Explore the south
Photo: Courtesy of Par Avion Wilderness Tours
Fly over over the southern wilderness into Tasmania’s Southwest National Park. You can visit as a day trip, landing at the Melaleuca airstrip where an easy walking circuit highlights the region’s endangered Orange Bellied Parrots. On the trail are the home of pioneer Deny King and an aboriginal interpretive walk telling the story of the Needwonee people. Stay two nights at Southwest Wilderness Camp for more adventures in this remote and pristine wilderness, such as cruising Bathurst Harbour and climbing Mt Milner.
6-Rock star entrance
Photo: Tourism Australia/Graham Freeman
A recent makeover has transformed Lake St Clair’s 1940s pumphouse into an industrial chic and super luxurious boutique hotel. Add to the experience by flying in like a rock star with Tasmanian Air Adventures. The flight over the Derwent Valley and New Norfolk is spectacular and you’ll also get an aerial view of the dams that powered Tasmania’s hydro scheme.
7-Hike in luxury
Photo: Great Walks of Australia
Any Tasmanian will tell you Tassie offers some of the best hiking in the Southern Hemisphere. If you love wilderness but hate the idea of roughing it there is a solution. The Great Walks of Tasmania is a group of companies (think Cradle Mountain Huts, Bay of Fires, Maria Island Walk) offering guided wilderness walking tours around the island. The tours combine Tasmanian wilderness walking with unique accommodation, local food and wine and guided experiences. You don’t have to be a hard-core hiker either as there’s a walk for all fitness levels.
8-Stay in an Omnipod
Photo: Tourism Tasmania/Brett Boardman
A spectacular place to stay in Hobart is Avalon City Retreat, a minimalist ‘Omnipod’ cantilevered off each end of a 1967 office tower. The retreat has two bedrooms with exquisite furnishings and a designer kitchen set up for entertaining. It’s equipped with everything you’ll need for a dinner party, like Royal Doulton Steelite crockery settings, champagne glasses and whiskey glasses for 12. Fans of modernist architecture will relish a stay at Avalon Coastal Retreat near Swansea and there’s also Rocky Hills Retreat near Great Oyster Bay.
9-Spa in the wilderness
Photo: Tourism Tasmania & Rob Burnett
Cradle Mountain Lodge’s Waldheim Alpine Spa is a wilderness spa with an impressive menu of face and body treatments and massage therapies. The view of the pine forest from the spa is stellar and being surrounded by nature makes the experience awesome. The Sanctuary is a tranquil sanctuary with steam room, sauna, hot tub and cool plunge pool.
10-Bay of Fires
Photo: Tasmanian Walking Co.
Luxuriating in the spa at the end of a day’s trek into wilderness is one of the experiences you’ll love while on the Bay of Fires Lodge Walk. How about an outdoor bath in local peat mud? Then sit by the fire or sink into a bean bag on the deck and count the stars. The four-day itinerary also includes a wine tasting at Andrew Pirie’s Apogee vineyard, which is not usually open to the public.
11-Fancy a tipple?
Photo: Tourism Tasmania/Lark Distillery
Feeling guilty about having too much fun? Here’s a chance to learn a new skill while holidaying in Tassie. Lark Distillery’s Ultimate Whisky Experience is a two-day workshop in Tasmania’s Central Highlands. You cut your own peat and learn to make single malt whisky, from brewing to distillation. But it’s not all hard work, part of the deal is there’s plenty of opportunities to taste whisky, wine and dine on peat smoked trout. You never know, your new-found whisky making skills might come in handy one day.
12-Seafood Seduction
Photo: Tourism Australia/Ellenor Argyropoulos
What do you get when you combine a stay in an elegant boutique hotel with a wilderness cruise and plenty of seafood? According to the folks at Islington Hotel, two days of tucking into fresh abalone, crayfish and oysters and cruising around the D’Entrecasteaux Channel with Pennicott Wilderness Journeys is the ultimate seafood lover’s dream. Check it out for yourself. See Islington Seafood Seduction.
13-Peacock Terrace
Photo: Tourism Tasmania
Check into the Peacock Terrace at Henry Jones Art Hotel in Hobart. The suite occupies a section of the hotel that was once the home of George and Margaret Peacock, who owned the jam factory. The 1823 terrace is the oldest building on ‘Old Wharf’ and later Sir Henry Jones’ residence. The double-storey suite has two bedrooms, a living room, kitchenette and Tasmania’s earliest spiral staircase. You’ll love the contemporary bathroom and Kohler SOK overflowing spa bath.
14-East Coast wonders
Photo: Great Walks of Australia
Freycinet Experience Walk’s Art of Nature combines culture and wilderness. It’s a luxury experience that offers the best of both worlds – city and nature. Staying in the sleek MONA Pavilions gives you a chance to explore MONA while a flight to the Freycinet Peninsula lands you in the midst of Tasmania’s scenic east coast. A night at Friendly Beaches Lodge allows time for a good look around stunning Wineglass Bay.
15-Southern gourmet delights
Photo: Tourism Tasmania/Ralph Alphonso
Enjoy the comforts of Villa Howden while discovering the gourmet delights of Bruny Island and the Huon Trail. With the help of Let’s See Tasmania Tours you’ll be able to explore in luxury. The Huon Trail has 86 producers and there’s a lot to taste along the way while Bruny Island is famous for cheese, oysters, berries and smoked meat.
16-The art of Launceston
Photo: Tourism Tasmania/Rob Burnett
Photo: Tourism Tasmania/Jonathan Hawley
If you have an appreciation for architecture, art and design Launceston is the place to visit. Explore Launceston’s architecture and galleries while staying in a luxury boutique art hotel. Hatherley Birrell Collection is a collection of artistic accommodation that fuses heritage structure with contemporary architecture and design, such as Hatherley House, an 1830’s grand mansion listed on the National Estate Register, and The Ballroom Spa Suite, which has charming French doors, an impressive Italianate marble fireplace and the gilt mirror that once hung in the ballroom of Hatherley House.
17-Fly fishing
Photo: Tourism Tasmania/Daniel Hackett, RiverFly
Here’s a chance to fish for your supper. Learn the art of fly casting with the help of RiverFly Tasmania and Josef Chromy Winery. The lake has a backdrop of rolling hills and is located on the grounds. Fly fishing requires some skill and can be frustrating if you don’t know what you’re doing. But under the guidance of an experience guide, learning to fish can be a lot of fun. The best part is the wine tasting followed by a two-course lunch at the winery.
18-The Wine Flight
Photo: Tourism Tasmania/Rob Burnett
Fly over amazing scenery, drink wine and dine on top nosh. Life (and Tasmania) is there to be experienced. The Tamar Valley is home to some of Tasmania’s finest wine producers. A helicopter flight along the Tamar River is a great way to get a bird’s-eye view of this lovely valley and the riverside communities of Deviot, Gravelly Beach and Rosevears. Waiting at Josef Chromy Winery is a Cellar Door experience and two-course lunch with matching wines.
19-Camping in luxury
Photo: Tourism Tasmania and Andrew Wilson
The Bruny Island Long Weekend is a camping for beginners experience, a three-day guided food, wine and walking tour through spectacular coastal scenery. The experience combines coastal walks and meeting local producers and a cruise with Pennicott Wilderness Journeys to spot dolphins, whales, albatross and a huge fur seal colony. Accommodation is in a forest camp. You sleep in tents but (don’t worry) all the tents have comfy Queen-sized beds. The best part of the day is gathering in the communal hut for dinner.
20-Lucky last
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