Hobart is a good place to base yourself when seeking out some of Tasmania’s best wildlife. Learn about the myth and tragedy of the Tasmanian tiger (thylacine) at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery on Hobart’s waterfront. Tasmania what to do
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What to do in Tasmania
Discover amazing wildlife in Tasmania’s parks, forests, seas and skies.
Have you ever wanted to see nocturnal activities of the Tasmanian devil? Glimpse a timid duck-billed platypus or learn the truth and tragedy of the Tasmanian tiger? . See little penguins, colonies of Australian fur seals, regal white-bellied sea eagles, shy echidnas, nocturnal quolls, devils, wallabies and wombats.
Hobart
Hobart is a good place to base yourself when seeking out some of Tasmania’s best wildlife. Learn about the myth and tragedy of the Tasmanian tiger (thylacine) at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery on Hobart’s waterfront.
As big as a medium-sized dog and found nowhere else but Tasmania, the thylacine was Australia’s largest carnivorous marsupial until its sad extinction in 1936. In addition to the Tasmanian tiger display, the museum has an extensive display of Tasmania’s unique wildlife and megafauna.
Thylacines were seen as a direct threat to the sheep European settlers introduced to the rich grazing lands of Tasmania. From 1830 the Van Diemen’s Land Company and later the Tasmanian Government offered a bounty for the scalp of each thylacine, with more than 2,180 bounties paid between 1888 and 1909.
Many of Tasmania’s endemic bird species can be seen on Mt Wellington, particularly in the area around Fern Tree. Scrubtits and pink robins are especially prolific along the Fern Glade Track, while flame robins, honeyeaters and Tasmanian scrubwrens prefer suburban gardens farther down the mountain. Swift parrots and Australian magpies can often be seen in city parks and gardens.
There are a range of wildlife parks around Hobart staffed by knowledgeable wildlife professionals. Visit a park for a safe and easy introduction to Tasmanian devils, quolls, wombats and echidnas, and to feed Forester kangaroos and Bennetts wallabies. Although koalas are not native to Tasmania, some wildlife parks host a number of these national icons.
Heading north, en route to Brighton, engage in a spot of native bird-watching from a hide in Goulds Lagoon sanctuary at Austins Ferry. While crossing the Derwent River via the causeway near Bridgewater, look for the wild black swans and pelicans that flock to these waters.
If you are heading south and it is a warm and sunny afternoon, take a scenic drive on the Huon Trail touring route along the Channel Highway (C264) to the Tinderbox Marine Reserve. Tasmania’s only underwater snorkelling trail (bring your own gear), the Marine Reserve is a safe, sheltered marine study area designed for education, research and recreation. There are few large fish, but the reserve protects a great variety of seaweeds, smaller fish and invertebrates such as urchins, sea snails, weedy sea dragons and related seahorses and pipefish. In relatively shallow water young and old can follow the interpretive underwater signs that illustrate the fascinating reef life.
For a more adventurous option, spend a day in Tasmania’s World Heritage Area (WHA) in the rugged and beautiful southwest wilderness. Take a spectacular 40-minute Par Avion Wilderness light-plane flight from Hobart to the remote outpost of Melaleuca – site of an orange-bellied parrot observation and research post. On the brink of extinction, the orange-bellied parrot is about 20 cm (9 inches) long, and a little larger than a budgerigar. This migratory bird breeds in Tasmania from mid-October until March, spending the winter months in coastal Victoria and South Australia. Its bright green and yellow plumage contrasts with a striking orange patch in the centre of its lower belly.
OVERNIGHT SUGGESTION: Hobart for two nights
Bruny Island
Bruny Island is an intriguing escape combining scenery, history and wildlife. Accessible from Kettering, about 25 minutes’ drive south of Hobart, the island is a short vehicular ferry journey across the D’Entrecasteaux Channel. Allow at least one day to tour the island, or spend a recommended half or full day cruising the stunning coastline. Enter a massive sea cave and watch the antics of hundreds of Australian fur seals in their natural habitat. View gannets, sea eagles, albatrosses, shearwaters, gulls, cormorants, dolphins and penguins hunting in these abundant waters. Southern right whales occasionally surge past on their annual spring migration path to the Antarctic.
Bruny Island is also a one-stop bird-watching destination where all 12 Tasmanian endemics are found among 138 recorded species. Highlights include the forty-spotted pardalote, ground parrot and beautiful fire tail, and fascinating, specialised bird-watching tours are available. The island also supports an unusual and healthy colony of cream-coloured Bennetts wallabies, found at the Fluted Cape entrance to South Bruny National Park.
At the Neck Reserve, little penguins (sometimes known as fairy penguins) and shearwaters (known as mutton birds, and in season from January to April) can be seen on the beaches at dusk.
Hobart to Lake St Clair
Return to Hobart, then travel toward Mt Field National Park along the Rivers Run touring route (B61), via historic New Norfolk (A10). Several kilometres before the national park stop at the wildlife sanctuary and soft-release rehabilitation facility, for injured and orphaned wildlife.The platypus-viewing platform over the Tyenna River provides a way of discreetly observing these wonderful creatures in their natural habitat.
Keen anglers will appreciate the collection of historic fishing equipment and the history of Tasmanian angling at the Museum of Trout Fishing at Plenty, dating from the 1860s. The first brown and rainbow trout in the southern hemisphere were raised here in 1864 and visitors can view fish-breeding in all its stages, from fingerlings to full-grown brown, rainbow and brook trout and Atlantic salmon.
Mt Field was protected as Tasmania’s first nature reserve in 1885, and is one of the State’s most beloved national parks. The swamp gums of Mt Field are among the tallest trees in Australia: the Tall Trees Walk, a 30-minute circuit, provides plenty of opportunities to appreciate these massive trees. At Russell Falls, water flows over a three-tiered cliff creating a fine mist through the rainforest. Walking the wheelchair-grade track to the viewing platform is very easy and will take you around 20 minutes.
Mt Field is home to 11 of Tasmania’s endemic birds and many species of mammals, including the eastern quoll and Tasmanian pademelon, considered extinct in mainland Australia. Common brush tailed possums forage round the park at night. If staying overnight eastern barred bandicoots, echidnas and wombats are often seen, as are ringtail possums, devils and long-nosed potoroos. The last Tasmanian tiger to die in captivity was trapped in nearby Florentine Valley in 1933.
Two hours’ drive west (A10) is Lake St Clair, another wildlife haven. Near Cynthia Bay Bennetts wallabies and smaller, more timid Tasmanian pademelons are often seen. Echidnas and platypuses also inhabit this area. Echidnas are most frequently out and about in light bushland near tracks from Spring to Autumn, their presence often indicated by freshly scratched earth. Platypuses are harder to find, as they are quite sensitive to noise, but can sometimes be seen in the lake feeding near the shoreline.
Cynthia Bay sits on the boundary of dry and wet sclerophyll forests, habitats that are home to a wide variety of birds. Many, such as black currawongs, strong billed black headed honeyeaters, Tasmanian native hens and yellow wattlebirds, are found only in Tasmania. Walks in the vicinity of Lake St Clair range from leisurely strolls along boarded walks to overnight bushwalks through beautiful rainforest. Begin at the modern visitor centre just inside the park boundary and talk with the staff about the variety of wildlife, walks and weather conditions.
Lake St Clair to Marrawah
Allow about three hours’ driving time to reach Marrawah on the northwest coast. You may want to consider a detour and an overnight stop in the tiny fishing village of Strahan, on the fringes of Tasmania’s WHA and gateway to the mighty Franklin – Gordon Wild Rivers National Park. Cruises run daily on the Gordon River and cross the vast Macquarie Harbour to Hells Gates, where the harbour and Indian Ocean collide, creating a treacherous stretch of water.
Strahan offers a world-class Tasmanian tiger historical experience during the summer season. The Thylacine Interpretation Centre displays the state’s most concentrated collection of historical thylacine artefacts, including a unique 19th century thylacine-skin rug.
From either Queenstown or Strahan (B27) head north to Zeehan then detour west to Trial Harbour (C248) – a spectacular spot in summer to camp or fish – before heading north again to Corinna (C249) and crossing the Pieman River on the evocatively named Fatman barge. The scenic but mostly unsealed Western Explorer road will take you the rest of the way to the remote North-West and the beginning of the Great Nature Trail touring route.
Arrive at Arthur River mid-afternoon and cruise up this deep, mysterious river into unspoilt wilderness. Birds are abundant and it’s not unusual to catch sight of white-bellied sea-eagles perched high above the banks in trees with commanding views of the river. Platypuses surface and dive in the opaque waters of their natural habitat. At nearby Couta Rocks, fresh local crayfish (rock lobsters) are often available in season.
Continue north along the Great Nature Trail touring route (C214) to Marrawah, occasionally the location of whale strandings. Tasmanian tiger sightings have been reported over past years - but none have been verified.
Behind the coastal heath is buttongrass, a perfect environment for native marsupials such as wombats and quolls, and birds such as grey goshawks, striated pardalotes and blue winged parrots. Beyond is the rainforest of the Arthur-Pieman Protected Area, also known as the Tarkine.
Marrawah to Stanley
Travel from Marrawah to Stanley (A2), a delightful seaside township established in the 1830s. Walk or travel by cable car to the summit of The Nut, a spectacular rocky promontory overlooking the ocean. See mysterious short tailed shearwaters, more commonly known as mutton birds. In season from December to April shearwaters return to their burrows by the thousands after a days fishing in the ocean.
Visit a nearby seal colony, view secretive and endearing little penguins, or see the fascinating Tasmanian devil in its natural habitat.
Stanley to Cradle Mountain
Continue to Burnie (A2). Mornings and evenings are the best times to visit nearby Fern Glade – one of the most reliable locations in Tasmania for spotting platypuses in the wild. There’s also an Observation Centre where you can see little penguins any time of year.
Travel back onto the Cradle Country touring route through to the northern end of the Cradle Mountain – Lake St Clair National Park. Part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, this national park is Tasmania’s most widely recognised area of wilderness. Popular short walks in the area include the Dove Lake Circuit and the Enchanted Forest Walk, suitable for all ages and featuring a cascading river, wombat burrows and magical old-growth rainforest. Stop by the visitor centre for further information.
Bennetts wallabies and pademelons are often seen during the day around the visitor centre, while wombats are often visible on the buttongrass plain at twilight. After dark you may see Tasmanian devils, possums and quolls or the many smaller ringtail possums, dusky antechinuses, long-tailed mice and eastern pygmy possums. Highlights among the 80 species of birds recorded in the area are the ground parrot, black currawong, southern emu wren and yellow wattlebird.
For a more structured wildlife experience, take a guided tour operated by one of the larger accommodation providers or tour operators in the area.
Before you leave, be sure to visit The Wilderness Gallery – the only one of its kind in Australia. The gallery focuses on the world’s wild places, featuring the work of Australian and international photographers in eight different spaces. With so much to explore and discover in and around Cradle Mountain, consider spending an extra night in this beautiful part of the world.
OVERNIGHT SUGGESTION: Cradle Mountain
Cradle Mountain to North-West Coast
Next day, travel the Great Western Tiers touring route to the richly decorated caves of Mole Creek. The Mole Creek Karst National Park contains more than 200 caves that began to form around 300 millions years ago. Take a guided tour and see wildlife that dwell in the dark, stalagmites that soar to lofty roofs, underground streams and thousands of glow-worms.
Continue along the B12 to see Tasmanian Devils and the Devil Education Research Centre , a project completed in partnership with the Parks and Wildlife Service and the University of Tasmania. The park is committed to the philosophy of recreational education in wildlife conservation.
Farther on, near Latrobe (B13), book ahead for a guided tour at the Warrawee Forest Reserve, where Latrobe Landcare has created a platypus paradise among native vegetation. Complementing this are the engaging interactive exhibitions of Platypus Experience at the town’s Lucas Hotel.
Narawntapu National Park, north of Latrobe (C740) on the Bass Strait coast, is a wonderful spot for daylight and twilight wildlife spotting. Bennetts wallabies, Forester kangaroos and wombats can usually be seen close to the entrance, and the park is home to some 80 species of birds, including the impressive yellow-tailed black cockatoo. Stay overnight at picturesque Hawley Beach, which has a variety of excellent accommodation close to nature reserves and secluded beaches.
North-West to Launceston
Travel to Beauty Point (C741) and on to the Tamar Valley touring route. Visit Seahorse World, where potbellied seahorses are farmed in an attempt to reduce the number of specimens taken from the wild for aquariums, medicinal purposes and food. View sea dragons, pipe fish, leafy sea dragons and freshwater lobsters in the aquarium, feed and touch farmed species in the touch pool and hear of plans to breed sea dragons in captivity for the first time.
Also at Beauty Point is Platypus House, the only venue where visitors can watch Tasmanian platypuses in an indoor environment. You will also enjoy seeing the highly specialised water rat, which lives on fish, crayfish, mussels and even birds and lizards.
On the opposite bank of the Tamar River (B73) is George Town, where you can view a colony of up to 600 seal
s on Tenth Island. Perhaps don a wetsuit and snorkel to join the seals in their own environment wearing a Shark Shield device.
Approximately 10 minutes from George Town is Low Head, from where you can see little penguins up close. Each evening as it gets dark, the penguins surf in from their day at sea and waddle up the beach to their burrows. Tours start about an hour before sunset.
Back on the western bank of the Tamar River and only 10 minutes north of Launceston are the Tamar Island Wetlands and visitors centre. A boardwalk connects the enchanting Tamar Island with the riverbank; visit early in the morning or late in the afternoon, a hide enables viewing native water birds when they are feeding.
OVERNIGHT SUGGESTION: Launceston
– Launceston to St Helens
En route from Launceston to the East Coast (B81), take time out in Scottsdale to view quolls, echidnas, bettongs, platypuses, kangaroos and wallabies in the wild on a four-wheel-drive tour of the north-east. The seaside town of St Helens (A3) is the gateway to Mt William National Park, a remote and exquisitely beautiful region in the far northeast of the State. Large Forester kangaroos feed in the grasslands. This national park now protects the largest surviving population of Foresters, savagely culled by European settlers in the 19th century when clearing land for pasture. Joeys are in the pouch from late summer until early October.
Mt William is also a great place for dusk wombat-viewing, is home to approximately 100 bird species, and is a landfall for many Bass Strait migratory birds. Yellow-tailed black cockatoos and introduced kookaburras are sure to catch your attention with their noisy calls.
OVERNIGHT SUGGESTION: St Helens
St Helens to Bicheno
Bicheno, an attractive seaside town on the East Coast Escape touring route (A3), with lots of opportunities to get close to nature.
Near Bicheno you can see Tasmanian devils, wombats and kangaroos and other fascinating mammals, birds and reptiles – some native, some not.
See dainty little penguins on a one-hour sunset tour. Alternatively, marvel at the wonderful marine life beneath the transparent hull of your vessel as it glides through the clear, sheltered waters of Bicheno’s marine park and gulch. The trip lasts 45 minutes. Scuba-diving in the close-by marine reserve is also an option, to see seahorses and weedy dragons.
Bicheno or Coles Bay are both great bases for visiting the dazzling beaches and pink granite mountains of Freycinet National Park. The walk to Wineglass Bay is one of Tasmania’s most scenic, but a marine wildlife cruise gives you an entirely different perspective on the beauty of this area. Dolphins may follow in your wake, Australian fur seals may perform for you, and if you are especially lucky, humpback and southern right whales may cross your path on their annual spring migration.
OVERNIGHT SUGGESTION: Bicheno or Coles Bay
Bicheno to Port Arthur
An optional day trip to Maria Island National Park is always memorable. Set aside a full day, as this is an excellent place for snorkelling, scuba diving (bring your own equipment), bird watching, rock-pool rambling and walking amid stunning scenery. Daily passenger ferries to the island depart from Triabunna and the Eastcoaster Resort at Louisville.
Maria Island is a haven for migratory birds and wildlife. Tasmanian native hens, Cape Barren geese, Forester kangaroos and Bennetts wallabies browse throughout the day on the plains surrounding the historic convict settlement of Darlington. Tasmanian pademelons abound, and eastern barred bandicoots can often be seen in the moonlight if you choose to camp on the island overnight. In the evocative words of Lonely Planet’s Watching Wildlife Australia, ‘Ponds around the old convict settlement reverberate with the plunk of eastern banjo frogs and the distinctive call (ree-ree-ree-ree) of the brown tree frog.’
Back on mainland Tasmania, follow the coastline south (C320) to the Tasman Peninsula along to the Convict Trail touring route (A9). Sweeping beaches, grand, wave-sculptured rock formations such as the Blowhole and Remarkable Cave and the curious fractured charm of the Tessellated Pavement are among the Peninsula’s many natural attractions. Both wedge-tailed eagles and white-bellied sea eagles are regularly seen. The grim history of convict life at Port Arthur Historic Site, Australia’s pre-eminent historic penal settlement, draws visitors from around the world to this stunning part of Tasmania.
Visibility in these temperate diving waters is so high that National Geographic magazine’s top dive photographer, David Doubilet, has described Tasmania as having the most ‘accessible underwater wilderness in the world’. Cliffs that tower above the surface descend dramatically to the ocean floor, creating canyons and caves amid huge forests of giant kelp up to 30 metres (100 feet) high, home to sea dragons, handfish and seals. Take one of the options offered by local dive tour operators who have an intimate knowledge of the area and all the equipment you need.
Cruise the waters of the Tasman Peninsula and around Tasman Island, and view Australia’s highest sea cliffs, majestic sea eagles and other varieties of sea birds. See hundreds of Australian fur seals and occasionally leopard and elephant seals. Perhaps be shadowed by a wandering albatross, the world’s largest flying bird.
OVERNIGHT SUGGESTION: Port Arthur
Port Arthur
Today choose between bird-watching or viewing devils, golden possums, white-bellied sea eagles and a host of other fascinating wildlife the local wildlife park at Taranna. Consider spending an extra night on the Tasman Peninsula to experience all its history and beauty.
Port Arthur to Hobart, Launceston or Devonport
Return to Hobart, Launceston or Devonport to catch your flight or the Spirit of Tasmania back to mainland Australia.