We are coming to Tasmania for Christmas with my sister in Beaconsfield. We have never been to Tassie before and my husband and I would like to spend 10-14 days driving ourselves around Tasmania after Christmas. We are both 51 and physically fit. I love art galleries and we both love food, wine and discovering new places. I would really appreciate it if you could give us a rough idea of what you consider "essential" places to see in this time. Also, will accommodation be at a peak due to the Christmas period - and do we need to book ahead everywhere?
Tassie is beautiful around Christmas time. It's warm enough to go swimming at the beaches but not as hot as other places in Australia during summer. I think 14 days is a good amount of time to explore most of Tasmania. The essential places to visit in my mind would include:
1. Hobart
2. Launceston and the Tamar Valley (wineries)
3. East Coast including Bay of Fires, Bicheno, Freycinet and Coles Bay
4. Port Arthur
5. Huon Valley and Bruny Island
6. Strahan
7. Cradle Mountain
... Greens Beach near Beaconsfield is also a beautiful spot that the locals go to!
These are just some of the most popular places to visit, but there are plenty more "off the beaten track" places that you will discover while driving. Hobart is a must for it's art galleries and history and probably needs a few days to fully explore. Cradle Mountain is a good base for hiking trips and the east coast is a beautiful a place to unwind by the beach. Strahan is also an essential stop to experience the wild and rugged west coast of Tasmania.
We offer a range of tours and trips (down the right-hand side) of the TasmaniaTrip.com website and I'd highly recommend doing a few of these including the Gordon River Cruise, West Coast Wilderness Railway, a hiking trip at Cradle Mountain, a kayaking trip at Freycinet and a mountain bike ride down Mt Wellington to name just a few!
Accommodation will definitely be in more demand around the Christmas break so booking ahead is good idea. There is a good range accommodation around the state on the accommodation page at www.tasmaniatrip.com/tasmania-accommodation.html
Anyway, hope this helps and you have a good Christmas with your sister. If you have any more questions please don't hesitate to ask.
Best regards,
Conor Calder-Potts
tasmaniatrip.com
Explore Tassie with Tasmania Trip
www.tasmaniatrip.com
