Tastes of Tasmania

Welcome to Australia's island state, home to the Tassie Devil and the world's cleanest air! Meet your Travel Director before taking a walking tour of the historic foreshore. Take in the colourful collection of boats and fishing vessels down at Constitution Dock and explore Salamanca Market, its stalls brimming with Tasmanian arts, crafts and local produce. Working up a hunger,'Dive Into Culture' as you head to New Norfolk for a Welcome Reception and indulgent lunch at the Agrarian Kitchen Eatery, a unique restaurant housed within the town's old mental asylum and borne from a longing to grow and cook authentic local food, where the ingredients speak for themselves. It's now time to explore MONA, the Museum of Old and New Art, located within the grounds of stunning Moorilla Winery. Enjoy a relaxing ferry ride back to Hobart for an evening at leisure.

Explore the Huon Valley, a region renowned for its fresh produce, wine, seafood and other gourmet delicacies, as well as its natural, beauty with pristine rivers, meandering through valleys bordered by World Heritage listed national parks. Visit the Honey Pot before going behind the scenes and immersing yourself in traditional wooden boat building, lovingly crafted by hand. Stop by the side of the road to taste fresh apples, pears and berries from the local orchards before heading deep into the Australian bush to experience the Tahune Airwalk, an elevated walkway 100 feet above the forest floor offering spectacular views of the Huon River and beyond to the peaks of the World Heritage Area. Working up a thirst, sample some local ciders at Willie Smith's Apple Shed before returning to the city. Indulge in dinner on Hobart’s waterfront, with unsurpassed views of the city and Mt. Wellington.

After breakfast, you'll journey north to Triabunna where you'll board a ferry across to Maria Island. Rich in indigenous and European history, abundant in wildlife, and boasting spectacular views and remarkable geological features, this entire island is a National Park. Explore the ghostly remnants of Darlington - one-time penal colony and convict probation station - or head out on a nature walk, keeping a close eye out for wombats, pademelons, Forester kangaroos, Bennetts wallabies and Tasmanian Devils. The afternoon ferry takes us back to Triabunna and dinner on Tasmania's wildly beautiful east coast.

Today we head to Freycinet National Park - and the crystal-clear waters of the Freycinet Peninsula. Choose to hike up to the lookout for iconic, postcard-perfect views of Wineglass Bay, stroll along the boardwalk to the Cape Tourville Lighthouse, or head into the pretty seaside village of Coles Bay. Lunch is at Craigie Knowe Vineyard, where you'll join a 'Local Specialist' and taste some of the island's finest wines. Wander through the vineyard then indulge in a well-deserved Regional Meal of local cured meats and cheeses. Later we'll stop at the Bicheno Blowhole, watching in awe as this natural granite 'geyser' throws seawater high into the air in a sometimes playful, sometimes powerful display of the ocean's force. Tonight we'll 'Connect With Locals' in rustic surrounds as we join Anna and Tom at their family run bush retreat for a rustic 'Be My Guest' experience staying in stylish Bell Tents in the Bay of Fires.

Today we'll explore the Bay of Fires, a startlingly beautiful and windswept corner of Tasmania. Known for its deep blue waters and orange lichen-covered boulders, the bay was given its name in 1773 by Captain Tobias Furneaux, who saw the fires of Aboriginal people dotting its coastline. We'll visit Big Lagoon and Cosy Corner, before tasting freshly shucked oysters in Skeleton Bay and exploring the gulches (pools) at Binalong. Our morning of beachcombing at an end, we'll head inland to the Pyengana Valley for lunch - where 'Local Specialist' Jon Healy, a fourth-generation dairy farmer, hosts us for a delectable lunch at the Pyengana Dairy Farm Gate Café. This afternoon we take a leisurely drive to the small village of Legerwood, and its incredible memorial of carved trees, each honouring a soldier killed in World War I. From there we continue to Tasmania's 'northern capital' of Launceston. Enjoy an orientation tour of the city. Afterwards, the night is yours, ask your Travel Director for suggestions, head to Charles Street for alfresco dining, or simply return for an early night at your hotel, as a full day of gourmet food and wine tasting awaits!

Today the fresh flavours, scenic delights, local colour and rich heritage of Tasmania really come to life as we embark on a full-day food and wine tour of Launceston and Tassie's north. Taste delicious cool-climate wines at Sharmans Wines in Relbia and sample the island's finest sauces and jams at the Tasmanian Gourmet Sauce Company in historic Evandale, on the banks of the South Esk River. Enjoy a coffee at the home of hazelnuts at 'Hazelbrae', before moving on to the 41 Degrees South Salmon Farm, to taste what is arguably the best hot smoked salmon in Tasmania. We'll enjoy a two-course Regional Meal lunch and berries galore at the delightful Christmas Hills Raspberry Farm - as well as a cheese tasting at the award-winning Ashgrove Farm. There is one last stop on our way back to Launceston, an unforgettable visit to Bell and Gong winery, situated on an 1830s homestead near Longford in northern midlands of Tasmania. Your epic Tasmanian adventure is nearly over, but there is still time for farewell drinks and canapes at Launceston's Peppers Silo, our 'Stays With Stories' built within four original grain silos from the 1960s. Share a few laughs with your Travel Director and fellow travellers, as you gaze out at the idyllic Tamar River. Tomorrow you'll head for home.

This morning after breakfast, you'll bid farewell to your newfound friends as your holiday comes to an end. Take a private transfer to Launceston Airport for your onward flight (flights anytime).