Tassie Getaway (2023/2024, 7 Days)

Tasmania’s second-largest city, Launceston sits pretty on the banks of the Tamar River. If you arrive early, there are near endless distractions to give you a taste for the Apple Isle. We suggest jumping on a boat to cruise the city’s might waterway, gliding through the Tamar Valley and into Cataract Gorge. This rare natural phenomenon unites bushland with neat Victorian gardens, replete with ferns and exotic plants. It’s also a sacred place for the palawa Indigenous community. You will feel your spirit soar. Get a different perspective of the green cavern on the scenic chairlift, zipping you over the water to a lofty lookout. Consider yourself a bit of a gourmand? Some of Tassie’s top wineries are within easy reach. Sip your way around the Josef Chromy estate, Swinging Gate or Jansz before meeting the adventurous souls that will keep you company over the next week. The day is yours to fill as you please.

Arriving at Bridestowe Lavender Estate, you could be forgiven for thinking you’ve been transported straight to Provence in France. This bucolic patch of purple is a feast for all the senses. Wander neat rows of flowers while engulfed by soothing aromas (did you know lavender is a great sleep aid?). Then taste the property’s wares, whether in lavender ice-cream or honey made from the 500,000 very happy bees that spend their days here, fluttering amid flowers. Moving moments await at Legerwood Carved Memorial Trees, an avenue of sculpted trees, carved in homage of fallen WWI soldiers. It’s a poignant reminder of just how privileged we are to have Tasmania’s scene-stealing landscapes to gaze over today. Be sure to end your night spotting the area’s little penguins.

Embarking on your Freycinet adventure, you may think someone has taken the glasses off your nose and cleaned them for the first time. The towering Hazards Range that backdrops your base gleams pink in the morning sunshine. Fun fact: the prized granite here was used to build the foyer of New York’s Empire State Building. Beyond, the brilliant blue ocean curves into perfect coves carpeted with golden sand. And dusty greens patchwork Cape Tourville’s virgin eucalypt forest, stretching as far as the eye can see. And you get to take it all in on a Wineglass Bay lunchtime cruise, revealing the gem-like crescent and its (albeit brisk) gin-clear water. There’s a reason this beach tops global “best of the best” lists. Dive in if you dare!