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Tasmania in 10 days
DAY ONE

Land in Launceston

Whether you fly direct or drive the 100km from the ferry terminal at Devonport, Tasmania's second-largest city at the junction of the North Esk, South Esk and Tamar rivers is a convenient first stop.

Begin by exploring the "Paris" end of Charles St where you will find funky cafes. Indulge yourself at the classy boulangerie Tant Pour Tant before a 15-minute stroll to the wild beauty of the Cataract Gorge.

Enjoy a bird's-eye view of water tumbling into the South Esk on the soaring chairlift 457m above. Coming down off this high, the choice is a Gorge cruise aboard the Lady Launceston or a two-hour trip up the Tamar River with the promise of a generous afternoon tea. That seals a gorgeous day out.

DAY TWO

That brewery

If you've ever wondered who James Boag is (or was), the answer can be found at the Boag's Centre for Beer Lovers.

A one-hour tour at the historic Tamar Hotel in William St travels from brewhouse to packaging line, lubricated with Boag family folklore and crisp lagers.

Afternoon tea at Launceston Country Club's 18-hole golf course set in rural bushland provides a good walk.

And there's the Terrace restaurant's wine room, where more than 600 wines are available. We opt for a local pinot noir to accompany the restaurant's award-winning degustation menu of mouth-watering, bite-sized local produce.

DAY THREE

Relbia and the Tamar Valley

It's a short drive from Launceston to Josef Chromy's winery at Relbia, where we find a table on the veranda of the cafe. Generous gourmet platters of East Coast oysters served with lemon and lime dressing are the perfect accompaniment to Chromy's cool-climate sauvignon blanc.

Then it's back in the car and off to Pipers Brook for a stop at Jansz's to check out their splendid wine interpretation centre built of rare Tasmanian timbers.

DAY FOUR

To the mountains

Looking for some of Tasmania's famous open spaces, we drive west to Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park.

We set off on the easy 6km hike around Dove Lake, where sweeping button grass plains soften the craggy landscape.

We pass crimson waratah bushes and land carpeted in tiny alpine coral flowers.

Cascading streams run through majestic myrtles. The track threads through the ancient gnarled Ballroom Forest, where towering king billy pines resemble a scene from a Brothers Grimm fairytale.

Opposite Cradle Mountain Chateau, the Wilderness Gallery is a must-visit. Australia's largest privately owned photographic gallery, it projects images of entrancing beauty. Two hundred years ago, this land bore few signs that Aboriginal life had existed for 20,000 years.

DAY FIVE

Wild west

On Tasmania's rugged west coast, the historic fishing village of Strahan is protected by Macquarie Harbour, the second largest in Australia. This is the gateway to the mighty Gordon River.

Embark on the Lady Jane Franklin II for an adventure that reveals the beauty of the rainforests and the horrors of the infamous penal colony on the harbour's Sarah Island.

Strahan was first settled as a base for timber cutters, or piners, who were attracted to the area for its huon pine.

Even now there's the scent of freshly sliced huon pine (from already fallen logs) as Snowy Morrison talks to visitors at his family's sawmill.

Going local: More Aussie holiday ideas

DAY SIX

Rail tales

Following in the footsteps of the west coast's pioneers, Strahan's big day out is for the serious adventurer.

The Piners and Miners tour uses a hybrid 4WD/railcar and storytelling to reconstruct the region's history.

In the morning we make our way up the rail-line that once linked Strahan to Queenstown (now used as a tourist railway). Then it's on to roads and disused railway lines through the rainforest. Fascinating tales of legendary feuds, triumph, tragedy and business deals gone bad entertain us.

One of Tasmania's most spectacular short walks is through picturesque Wild Rivers National Park.

Trekking through Kelly Basin, sun filters through the canopy, casting fingers of vivid emerald light across a forest of huon and celery-top pines

It's a memorable day, especially as tales of Tasmania's wild past are finished over a gourmet barbecue lunch on the banks of Macquarie Harbour.

DAY SEVEN

Hobart

When we reach trendy Salamanca Place, Hobart's celebrated weekend market is in full swing.

You can buy anything from timber crafts, local olive oils, manuka honey, preservative-free curry pastes, mustards, jams and chutneys as people queue for free tastings at the House of Fudge.

Cobbled laneways lead to Salamanca Square and a 10-minute climb up Kelly Steps leads to historic Battery Point.

Here, charming cottages and grand homes have been transformed into galleries, cafes and boutique hotels.

DAY EIGHT

On the docks

Laid out in a neat grid of one-way streets, Hobart is an easy city to navigate.

Constitution Dock is the site of much jubilation at the end of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race.

In the 1920s, Henry Jones' waterfront jam factory on Hunter St was the largest and most modern in the world. Now the buildings are jam-packed with creative companies selling superbly crafted modern timber furniture, art and jewellery, cafes and gourmet stores. We call into the IXL Long Bar at the much-awarded Henry Jones Art Hotel.

Up in The Point Revolving Restaurant, Hobart slides past our table (77 minutes for a full rotation) as the menu dishes up some old-time flambed favourites.

DAY NINE

Lodge life

Travelling the coastal road northeast from Hobart, the mountainous Hazards range rises imperiously over Freycinet National Park's distant gold-rimmed shoreline. Lurking under the rugged Hazards Range tucked into bushland at the water's edge, Freycinet Lodge is barely discernable.

Eucalypt-green roofs hide timber chalets the colour of gums and in the late afternoon light, families play in the protective scoop of Richardsons Beach.

DAY 10

Wineglass Bay

Pristine, crescent-shaped Wineglass Bay is one of Tasmania's iconographic images. There's no better way to end our trip than with a Wineglass trek. Clambering 220m up stone steps to reach the lookout is tough, but the view is magnificent.

As Wineglass Bay's turquoise waters curve into a green and gold headland, it's hard to imagine that from 1820 this was one of Tasmania's 32 whaling stations.

Doing Tassie in 10 days only sharpens the appetite to return for seconds.
 
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