16 • THE TRAVEL TIMES • 16-18 MARCH 2012
Wineglass Bay Lookout, Freycinet National Park
Tasmania
I
magine an island, with the world’s cleanest air, fresh ocean seafood and friendly harbourside cities only a short drive from tall forests, rugged mountains and crystal clear lakes teaming with wild trout. Tasmania is the perfect size for a self-drive holiday – distances are short, roads are good, and everywhere you go you have spectacular coastal or mountain views.
CAPITAL CITY Hobart is the capital of Tasmania, and being Australia’s second oldest city its new buildings blend in with the heritage ones that line the shores of the Derwent River.
Salamanca Market, Hobart
There is much to do to delight your senses: stroll around the old docks; watch fishing trawlers unload their catch for the seafood restaurants located here; nurse a coffee under the striped sun umbrellas of Salamanca; spend Saturday soaking up the fun of Salamanca Market (open 8.30am-3pm) as you browse through more than 250 stalls specialising in Tasmanian produce, design, music and natural products. Enjoy the fresh, cool and clean environment while taking in the city’s panorama from the summit of Mount Wellington. For avid foodies, taste freshly shucked oysters at Barilla Bay, pick own fruit at Sorell Fruit Farm or explore the southern wine region. Head out to historic town of Richmond and the Tasman Peninsula, the heart of Tasmania’s convict experience at Port Arthur. For eco adventures, try jet-boating on the Huon River, seal-
watching on Bruny Island, the Tahune Forest ‘Airwalk’ or walking through Tasmania’s oldest National Park – Mount Field and Russell Falls.
EAST COAST A two-and-a-half hours’ drive up to the East coast of Tasmania brings you to the town of Coles Bay, the gateway to Freycinet National Park. Climb to the lookout at Wineglass Bay and discover beaches fringed by lush forests where wildlife abounds. Kayak on Coles Bay, abseil or quad bike to remote beaches in the area. Further north, discover why Lonely Planet chose the Bay of Fires as one of the best destinations in the world for 2009. Nothing in the world rivals Tasmanian seafood, with villages like St. Helens, Bicheno and Swansea being the places to devour plump oysters, lobster and fish.
Port Arthur Historic Site