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Phil Whitehouse, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Walks and wild places

Tasmania outdoors

Walks, parks, beaches, waterfalls and practical information for being outdoors in Tasmania.

Find routes and landscapes that match your time, experience and location. Check forecasts, park alerts and access conditions with the responsible authority before leaving.

01

Walks

Heritage walks, coastal tracks, short walks and longer routes.

Historic houses and streets climbing through Battery Point in Hobart

Image credit: Phil Whitehouse, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia CommonsWalk · Hobart & South

Battery Point heritage walk

A practical walking route through Battery Point’s cottages, maritime streets, Arthur Circus and waterfront edges, with context for reading the suburb’s architecture.

Cassiterite (FOV 30mm) Locality: Blue Tier tinfield, Blue Tier district, Tasmania, Australia; Exposed in the Tasmanian Museum, specimen X6068

Image credit: Ralph Bottrill, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia CommonsWalk · Launceston & North East

Blue Tier Regional Reserve

Blue Tier Regional Reserve in north‑east Tasmania offers short accessible rainforest circuits, steep summit climbs and longer one‑way heritage walks. Match track grade to fitness and experience, follow vehicle and track rules, prepare for rapid weather change and note that camping is not permitted anywhere in the reserve.

Salamanca Place. In the 1830s as trade opened up in VDL the wharves were on Hunter Island, now Hunter Street. But the waters were more sheltered on the Salamanca side of the harbour so convicts were employed to mine the steep hill side, create a quarry, and built a new shore line so that deep sea facilities for ships could be provided near Salamanca. John Lee Archer was involved in this 1827 plan to re-shape Sullivans Cove which included building up soil in front of the Customs House. In the 1840s the dock facilities moved to Salamanca Place and the large warehouses were built. The apple industry used the sheds right on the wharves in the 20th century. By the 1970s the area was derelict so the Tas. government bought seven warehouses to create an arts centre in 1976. Soon the other warehouses were privately renovated into upmarket galleries, shops and cafes. American Rebel Memorial in Princess Park. In 1839 a number of convicts (around 160) were transported from Canada to Tasmania because they had taken part in a rebellious movement against the British Crown. They were American patriots who had crossed into Canada, but some were French prisoners from French Canada. They had an uprising, were eventually arrested and shipped to Australia but only the American rebels were offloaded in Hobart. (The French rebels were offloaded in Sydney.) They were given hard labour at Port Arthur. The society they belonged to- the Hunters Lodge - had about 20,000 members who urged the Canadians to fight the British. Seven uprisings occurred. Queen Victoria pardoned the Americans between 1844-48. Only a few stayed on in Australia. None stayed in Tasmania. Most returned to the USA. Battery Point, Arthurs Circus, and the Lena House Hotel. Originally guns guarded the harbour from the point, hence the name Battery. Wealthy merchants chose to live there by the 1850s with Alexander McGregor being a good example. He arrived in Hobart from Scotland in 1831.He built up a large whaling fleet and bought Lenna House site from a ship’s captain once he was wealthy. He built this grand house around 1860 with a roof top tower for watching his sailing ships come up the Derwent estuary. It is now a fine hotel, so you can walk in side and look around. Despite two marriages he had no children. Opposite the Lenna is a fine example of a wooden fancy gabled Tudor Gothic style house in Runnymede Street. At the top of Runnymede St is Arthur’s Circus- named after the Governor with its quaint cottages and large horse Chesnuts in the middle of the circus. Is this really Australia? Although in England by the time of its development, Arthur owned this land at Battery Point and sold it off for housing in 1847. The blocks around the circus were all narrow frontage, suitable for workers’ cottages. The cottages were all built around 1850. Battery Point was home to master mariners, shipwrights, seamen, fishermen, shipping agents shipbuilders and as wealthy merchants. St Georges Anglican Church. The story of St George’s begins in 1836 with services commencing in 1838. The church was consecrated by Bishop W. G. Broughton, the first and only Bishop of Australia. St George's was designed in the Neo-Classical style then current in London. The only other examples of this style of church left in Australia are one in Richmond and one in Sydney. The Government architect, John Lee Archer, designed the body of the building; the tower and porch were designed by convict architect, James Blackburn. The church has an unusual layout, with two side aisles instead of a single central aisle. It still has its original cedar box pews. The Government agreed to grant convict labour, stone and timber for the church tower. Lime, lead and glass had to be provided by the church members. By 1847 the tower was finally completed, but the porch and the rooms at the basement of the tower were left unfinished. St George’s porch was not added until 1888. The stone for its fine fluted Grecian columns was quarried at Bellerive. James Blackburn (1803–1854), was a civil engineer, surveyor and architect who had been transported for forgery in 1833. He was pardoned in 1841, but continued in private practice as an architect until 1849. His work included: St Mark's Anglican Church at Pontville (Romanesque), the Lady Franklin Museum (Grecian) and The Grange at Campbell Town (Tudor). Narryna House. Narryna was built as a grand Georgian style house in 1836, one of the first on the hill at Battery Point for Captain Haig. He had built a warehouse down in Salamanca Place in 1833 and lived in that with his family whilst the house was completed. He sold it in 1842 and the property then had many different owners. It is a fine box like, very symmetrical simple Georgian house of grand proportions and constructed with first class quality sandstone. One long time resident was an early mayor of Hobart and a MP. The government bought the house as a TB hospital in 1946. It was established as Australia’s first heritage house museum in 1955. St David’s Park. This was originally the first Hobart graveyard, right opposite the first hospital on the corner of Salamanca Place and Davey Street. Was this a coincidence or expeditious planning? In 1926 the graveyard was converted into this park. In the centre is a fine memorial to Lieutenant Governor Collins. Some of the old headstones are now on the wall behind the Tasmanian Supreme Court. Collins you will remember was the first Lieutenant Governor of VDL and found a new mistress among the Norfolk Islanders, 16 year old Margaret Eddington. In Sydney he had had two children with Ann Yeates in the 1790s. His wife always remained in England. He had two illegitimate children with young Margaret Eddington before he died in 1810. His morals and administration were heavily criticised by the NSW Governor William Bligh.

Image credit: denisbin, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia CommonsWalk · Launceston & North East

Campbell Town Heritage Walk

A compact self-guided heritage walk in Campbell Town that links the 1838 Red Bridge, the Convict Brick Trail on High Street and a concentrated colonial streetscape. The route uses town footpaths and riverbank paths, suits most walkers and can be combined with short visits to the local museum, library and river reserves.

Launceston, Tasmania, Australia

Image credit: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia CommonsWalk · Launceston & North East

Cataract Gorge, Launceston

Cataract Gorge Reserve sits on the South Esk River just west of Launceston CBD. Pick a route by surface and time: the sealed riverside Cataract Walk to First Basin is short and flat, while Duck Reach and upper trails are longer and rougher. First Basin supplies basic visitor services and seasonal pool supervision.

Dry forest and rocky river country in Douglas-Apsley National Park

Image credit: VirtualWolf from Sydney, Australia, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia CommonsWalk · East Coast

Douglas-Apsley National Park

Choose between the short Apsley Waterhole approach, the gorge circuit and the remote Leeaberra Track, with current river and access advice.

Evercreech Junction Railway Station Looking towards Bath and Highbridge. The actual junction of the two tracks lies in the middle distance.

Image credit: Tudor Williams, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia CommonsWalk · Launceston & North East

Evercreech Regional Reserve

Evercreech Regional Reserve protects tall forest at the headwaters of the South Esk River. The famous White Knights loop is closed until further notice because of storm damage. The Falls walk, picnic facilities and basic amenities remain available. Access is via unsealed roads from Fingal or Ringarooma, so check park alerts, weather and road conditions before you visit.

Federation Peak, in SW Tasmania, from a distance

Image credit: Bourgeois, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia CommonsWalk · Hobart & South

Federation Peak

Federation Peak is a steep quartzite summit in the Eastern Arthur Range, Southwest National Park. The main traverse is a Grade 5, 6 to 9 day multi‑day route that requires proven remote alpine skills. The summit itself needs technical climbing experience, strict planning, mandatory registration and adherence to park rules.

High Yellow Bluff rising from the Forestier Peninsula coast

Image credit: Peter Southwood, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia CommonsWalk · Hobart & South

Forestier Peninsula Walks

Practical guidance for walking on the Forestier Peninsula, focused on track standards, common hazards, essential kit and pre-departure checks. Explains where formed short walks are suitable, which routes need navigation skills, and what to confirm with Parks Tasmania before you go.

02

Beaches and coast

Beaches, headlands, islands and coastal landscapes.

West Beach and foreshore at Burnie

Image credit: Gary Houston, CC0, via Wikimedia CommonsGuide

Beaches of Tasmania’s North West Coast

Choose north-west Tasmania beaches by weather, patrol status, access and coastal character from Devonport to the far north-west.

Japanese knotweed growing on the shore of Esopus Creek near the former hamlet of Beechford, NY, USA, just north of Boiceville .

Image credit: Daniel Case, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia CommonsPlace

Beechford (George Town / Launceston region) — locality and beach

Beechford is a small north‑facing beach locality in the George Town / Launceston region of northern Tasmania. The shoreline is characterised by shallow basalt reefs, boulder flats and a river mouth that flows across the beach. The settlement is small and backed by hummocky dunes. Local council contact details and 2021 census figures are cited; check those and local conditions before travelling.

Betsey Island viewed from Goat Bluff

Image credit: Thomas & Olivia Williams, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia CommonsPlace · Hobart & South

Betsey Island

Understand Betsey Island’s reserve status, wildlife values and how to view it responsibly from the South Arm coast.

Pale sand and blue water at Boat Harbour Beach

Image credit: Gary Houston, CC0, via Wikimedia CommonsPlace · North West & West

Boat Harbour Beach

Visit Boat Harbour Beach with current facility, patrol, parking, walking and day-use information.

Cape Portland Tasmania (right back) Swan Island and little Swan Island. Little Musselroe Bay is the beach at front left with the mouth of the Musselroe River at the right end of that beach. Lyme Regis is a named location at the river mouth at the end of route C844. Boobyalla Beach is at top left. Left of Cape Portland is the Foster Inlet with two islands: Maclean Island and Baynes Island. Tregaron Lagoons lie inland from the Foster Inlet Beach with Petal Point to the left separating the Boobyalla Beach.

Image credit: Graeme Bartlett, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia CommonsOutdoors · Launceston & North East

Boobyalla Beach

Practical guide to Boobyalla Beach on Tasmania's north coast. Covers location, surf and bar systems, extensive dunes and reserve limits, access by 4WD, lack of patrols, suitability for visitors and essential checks to make before travelling.

View along The Neck towards Adventure Bay on Bruny Island

Image credit: JJ Harrison ( https://www.jjharrison.com.au/ ), CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia CommonsPlace · Hobart & South

Bruny Island

A practical guide to lunawanna-alonnah / Bruny Island, including ferry planning, South Bruny National Park, wildlife and realistic travel times.

South Beach and Burnie’s urban shoreline

Image credit: Gary Houston, CC0, via Wikimedia CommonsAttraction · North West & West

Burnie’s Beaches and Shore

Explore Burnie’s shore as a working urban coast, with beach conditions, penguin habitat and port boundaries in mind.

Vestas V66 turbines at Woolnorth Wind Farm in Woolnorth, Tasmania, Australia

Image credit: Andrew Baker, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia CommonsAttraction

Cape Grim / Kennaook — Cape Grim Baseline Air Pollution Station and headland

Kennaook / Cape Grim is a remote headland on Tasmania’s north‑west tip that hosts the Kennaook / Cape Grim Baseline Air Pollution Station. The station provides one of the Southern Hemisphere’s longest continuous records of atmospheric composition, measuring greenhouse gases, aerosols and reactive species to support climate research and weather modelling. Visitors should expect isolation.

03

Wildlife

Wildlife places and practical guides for watching animals responsibly.

Koala ( Phascolarctos cinereus ), Bonorong Wildlife Park, Tasmania, Australia

Image credit: JJ Harrison ( https://www.jjharrison.com.au/ ), CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia CommonsAttraction

Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary

Practical visitor guide to Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary near Hobart. Includes address and transport options, opening hours, ticketing and tours, animals on site, facilities and food, rescue contacts, accessibility notes and travel checks to plan a responsible visit.

A thylacine photographed in an enclosure at Hobart Zoo in 1928

Image credit: Harry Burrell, Public domain, via Wikimedia CommonsHistory

Extinct Tasmanian species

The documented extinction of the thylacine, Tasmanian emu and smooth handfish, and what museum specimens and official listings can still tell us.

Little penguin adults and chicks at a burrow entrance

Image credit: Gary Houston, CC0, via Wikimedia CommonsTravel guide · North West & West

Little Penguins in North-West Tasmania

See little penguins through managed viewing and low-impact behaviour that protects birds, burrows and coastal residents.

The Big Penguin at Penguin, TAS

Image credit: Stuart Edwards, Public domain, Wikimedia CommonsFood and drink

Penguin (town) — cafes & places to eat

Penguin on Tasmania’s Central Coast offers a small-village café scene focused on relaxed meals, local produce and seaside atmosphere. For current opening hours, menus, events and accessibility details contact the Penguin Visitor Information Centre or use the Central Coast tourism listings. Nearby natural attractions shape when and where people eat, and council services can change around peak.

Zoomable full resolution image available at davidrumsey.com . This image 14352.097 is a part of image group 14352.000 . Outer covers to Voyage de découvertes aux Terres Australes : Navigation et géographie. Contemporary boards with original pink papered edges and spine, with original paper spine label, which includes abbreviated title. Title translates to: Voyage to the Southern Territories : Navigation. Outer covers protect volume, which is bound in marbled wrappers. Volume, tucked within outer covers, is housed in a contemporary slip cover, with opening decorated in original pink papers. The rare complete official narrative and hydrography of the great French voyage of the Napoleonic period, the Baudin-Freycinet Expedition. The voyage has been characterized as the last great Enlightenment voyage, and was perhaps its purest expression, combining as it did scientific curiosity and research, territorial and geopolitical ambition, and the spirit of inquiry on the widest scale. As the first full atlas of the Australian coastline, its cartographical contribution is of extraordinary value, with a navigational section charting the coast. It is among the finest items of Australiana ever published, recounting an outstanding exploration. The six volumes were published separately over a period of ten years, commencing in 1816. In this complete form, the journals are exceedingly rare. The expedition was ordered by the French government in order to complete the cartographic survey of the Australian coast, covering the area not examined by Cook. Commanded by Nicolas Baudin, the crew was composed of twenty-two scientists, ranging from hydrographers, geographers and astronomers to zoologists, botanists and 'artiste-peintres’. The expedition left France in 1800 and sailed via Mauritius to the Western Australian coast in the region of Cape Leeuwin, arriving in May 1801. Peron sailed as naturalist on the expedition and Freycinet as cartographer. The vessels, Geographe and Naturaliste, sailed north from Cape Leeuwin, charting the mouth of the Swan River, the site of present day Perth. After three months in Timor, the two ships set out for Tasmania, continuing to make surveys and a close study of the indigenous Tasmanian people and their material culture. The expedition continued on to New South Wales, creating a fine panorama of the town of Sydney, as well as views and a town plan. They then undertook a complete survey of the southern coast and an examination of the northern coast before returning to Mauritius where, near the end of 1803, Baudin died. The voyage brought back to France a wealth of geographical information. The cartography of the voyage was of crucial interest. The French exploration coincided with the the English circumnavigation of Mathew Flinders. The two expeditions famously met up at the consequently named Encounter Bay in South Australia. With Flinders' subsequent imprisonment by the French, his captors were first into print with their mapping of Australia, the great Hydrographical Atlas appearing in 1812, two years before the publication of Flinders' narrative and charts, and thus the first full Australian atlas, a remarkable achievement for visitors rather than settlers. (See Flinders atlas in the collection under Pub List No. 10745.000.) The expedition narration was begun by Peron, and completed by Freycinet after Peron's death. A tacit agreement between Peron and Freycinet, both of whom disliked Baudin, kept the commander's name mostly absent from the present official account of the expedition. The narrative includes the first publication of a complete and fully detailed map of the Australian coastline. It is a cartographic milestone, artfully done, exemplifying the French artistry of the time. The southern coast is almost entirely named "Terre Napolean," indicating France's colonial ambitions. Highlights of the numerous plates and maps (many hand-colored) include an engraved portrait of Peron, done within days of his death; coastlines of Tasmania, South Australia, Western Australia and Queensland, as well as two folding panoramic views of Sydney and Timor. Also included are nautical charts, coastal profiles, views and plans of Sydney, as well as detailed charts of harbors and islands around Australia, Tasmania and Timor. Complete set comprised of two volumes of historical text, two volumes of plates, including portraits and views, one volume of navigation text describing the voyage, and one atlas (see further details below). Together, the six volumes contain 87 plates, comprised of 61 maps, 39 views, 13 portraits and 13 illustrations. Maps shows cities, routes, ports, topography, vegetation, drainage, coastline, shoals, anchorage and islands. Maps include latitudinal and longitudinal lines, as well as legends, bar scales, compass roses and explanatory notes. Engravings, some hand-colored. In addition to the maps, views offer further detail of specific locations, such as the tombs on Maria Island, in the Tasman Sea. Details include flora and fauna, as well as indigenous people, along with their shelters. Ethnographic portraits beautifully capture indigenous individuals of Tasmanian and New South Wales, replete with their names, dress and ornamentation. Illustrations provide close studies of indigenous accoutrements, including baskets, vases, jewelry, weapons and fishing gear. Additional illustrations show animals of the continent, such as kangaroos, platypus and wombats. Most volumes in the original pink papered boards, with gilded titles, and with some pages still uncut. Collations: Vol 1 of Historique : Paris, de l'Imprimerie Imperiale, 1807. 4to, pp [4], (i)-xv, (blank) (3), 4-496, 2pp errata. -- Vol 2 of Historique : Paris, a l'Imprimerie Royale, 1816. 4to, pp [4], frontispiece portrait, v-xxxi; (blank); (1)-471pp. -- Atlas par Mm. Lesueur et Petit : Paris. Small folio, pp [6] text; original tissue guards; with 40 leaves of plates (2 folding). -- Atlas Deuxième Partie, Rédigée par Mr. L. Freycinet : Paris, 1811. Small folio, pp [6] text; with 14 leaves of plates, (2 folding). -- Navigation et Géographie Rédigée par M. Louis Freycinet : Paris, De l'Imprimerie Royale, 1815. 4to, pp [4]; v-vxi; (1)-576, 2pp errata, the last pages of text unopened, uncut. -- Partie Navigation et Géographie Rédigée par Louis Freycinet : Atlas. Paris, 1812. Imperial folio, pp [4]; with 32 leaves of plates (25 double-page). Original red diced calf, gilt decorated spine, original red papered boards with gilt border decoration. References: Ferguson 449, 563 & 603; Wantrup 78a, 79a , 80a & 81; Hill p. 1329 (Narrative volumes only); Davidson, Book Collector's Notes, pp. 108-110; Sharp, Discovery of Australia, pp.232-39; Dunmore, French Explorers in the Pacific II, pp.9-40; Plomley, The Baudin Expedition and the Tasmanian Aborigines 1802. (Full text images of all pages can be seen at the Biodiversity Heritage Library; link in Pub Reference.) For complete scans of all text pages see https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org References: Ferguson 449, 563 & 603; Wantrup 78a, 79a , 80a & 81; Hill p. 1329 (Narrative volumes only); Davidson, Book Collector's Notes, pp. 108-110; Sharp, Discovery of Australia, pp.232-39; Dunmore, French Explorers in the Pacific II, pp.9-40; Plomley, The Baudin Expedition and the Tasmanian Aborigines 1802. (Full text images of all pages can be seen at the Biodiversity Heritage Library; link in Pub Reference.) Subjects:

Image credit: Péron, François, 1775-1810 J. J. Marcel, Public domain, Wikimedia CommonsAttraction

Platypus House

Platypus House in the Tamar Valley is a covered discovery centre where visitors can view live Tasmanian platypuses and echidnas in daylight. The operator emphasises that bookings are essential, offers guided tours and a takeaway café overlooking the Tamar River, and provides maps and local directions for access. Check current tour times, availability and any accessibility needs with the venue.

Tasmanian devil standing in native vegetation

Image credit: Steven Penton from Bakers Beach, Tasmania Australia, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia CommonsGuide

Tasmanian Wildlife

Learn where and how to watch Tasmania’s mammals, birds and freshwater wildlife while reducing disturbance and road risk.

Koala ( Phascolarctos cinereus ), Bonorong Wildlife Park, Tasmania, Australia

Image credit: JJ Harrison ( https://www.jjharrison.com.au/ ), CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia CommonsAttraction

Trowunna Wildlife Sanctuary

Trowunna Wildlife Sanctuary in Mole Creek is a 70-acre conservation reserve focused on rescue, rehabilitation and conservation breeding. Daily 45-minute interactive tours that include wombat encounters and Tasmanian devil social feeding are included with entry. The sanctuary combines grassland, shrubland, mixed eucalypt forest and wetlands and has provided wildlife care since 1979.

Hobart suburbs rising towards bushland on kunanyi / Mount Wellington

Image credit: Paris Buttfield-Addison, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia CommonsGuide

Wildlife Around Hobart

Watch wildlife around Hobart in bush reserves, waterways and coastal habitat without feeding, crowding or risky night driving.

04

National parks and reserves

Protected landscapes, access information and ways to explore them.

Snow-covered alpine plateau at Ben Lomond

Image credit: Peripitus, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia CommonsPlace · Launceston & North East

Ben Lomond National Park

Plan Ben Lomond around current road conditions, mandatory winter chains and genuine alpine weather.

Cassiterite (FOV 30mm) Locality: Blue Tier tinfield, Blue Tier district, Tasmania, Australia; Exposed in the Tasmanian Museum, specimen X6068

Image credit: Ralph Bottrill, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia CommonsWalk · Launceston & North East

Blue Tier Regional Reserve

Blue Tier Regional Reserve in north‑east Tasmania offers short accessible rainforest circuits, steep summit climbs and longer one‑way heritage walks. Match track grade to fitness and experience, follow vehicle and track rules, prepare for rapid weather change and note that camping is not permitted anywhere in the reserve.

Dry forest and rocky river country in Douglas-Apsley National Park

Image credit: VirtualWolf from Sydney, Australia, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia CommonsWalk · East Coast

Douglas-Apsley National Park

Choose between the short Apsley Waterhole approach, the gorge circuit and the remote Leeaberra Track, with current river and access advice.

Evercreech Junction Railway Station Looking towards Bath and Highbridge. The actual junction of the two tracks lies in the middle distance.

Image credit: Tudor Williams, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia CommonsWalk · Launceston & North East

Evercreech Regional Reserve

Evercreech Regional Reserve protects tall forest at the headwaters of the South Esk River. The famous White Knights loop is closed until further notice because of storm damage. The Falls walk, picnic facilities and basic amenities remain available. Access is via unsealed roads from Fingal or Ringarooma, so check park alerts, weather and road conditions before you visit.

남해 독일마을 모습

Image credit: Roadgo, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia CommonsOutdoors · East Coast

German Town Regional Reserve

Practical reference for German Town Regional Reserve on Tasmania's east coast. Explains the regional reserve classification, relevant legislative context, what the supplied evidence confirms and what it does not, and the specific checks to make before attempting a visit.

Hellyer Gorge, Tasmania

Image credit: anyaka, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia CommonsAttraction

Hellyer Gorge State Reserve (Hellyer Gorge rest area and rainforest walks)

Hellyer Gorge State Reserve is a roadside rainforest stop on the Murchison Highway, commonly included on self-drive routes between Stanley and Cradle Mountain. The reserve is legally designated as a State Reserve in Tasmanian legislation. Visitors can take forest walks from the rest area, but the reserve sits on a winding section of road and the entrance sign can be easily missed, so plan your.

View across King George sound towards Chronicle Point Conservation Area and Lime Bay State Reserve, Tasmania

Image credit: Tasmoons, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia CommonsOutdoors · Hobart & South

Lime Bay State Reserve

Practical guide to Lime Bay State Reserve on the Tasman Peninsula. Covers access on an unsealed final 6.5 km, basic campground facilities, beach walks and lagoon, shorebird habitat, campfire and biosecurity rules, accessibility notes and nearby convict heritage. Includes checks to make before you travel.

Russell Falls in Mt Field National Park, Tasmania, Australia

Image credit: JJ Harrison ( https://www.jjharrison.com.au/ ), CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia CommonsAttraction

Mount Field National Park

Mount Field National Park is a varied World Heritage park within easy driving distance of Hobart. It offers wheelchair-accessible short walks to Russell Falls, tall eucalypt forests, alpine tarns and seasonal skiing at Lake Dobson. Prepare for rapidly changing mountain weather, purchase a parks pass, check alerts and pack to the standards recommended by Parks and Wildlife Service Tasmania.

05

Waterfalls and waterways

Waterfalls, rivers, lakes and gorges across the island.

Arthur River flowing into the Southern Ocean

Image credit: Tirin, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia CommonsPlace · North West & West

Arthur River, Tasmania

Plan Arthur River with supplies, weather, reserve access and respect for Aboriginal cultural landscapes.

North-west coast and Bass Highway near Burnie

Image credit: Gary Houston, CC0, via Wikimedia CommonsPlace · North West & West

Blythe River, Tasmania

Understand the Blythe River through its estuary, gorge country, angling access, mining history and present catchment management.

Don River Railway train in the Devonport district

Image credit: Steven Penton, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia CommonsHistory

Bott Gorge and the Mersey Coalfield

Read Bott Gorge as a place in the history of north-west coal exploration, without treating an obscure former mine as a public attraction.

Taroona foreshore and the River Derwent

Image credit: Mairremena, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsHeritage · Hobart & South

Brown's River Probation Station, Taroona

Understand the 1840s probation station and follow the public Brickfields Track through part of its working landscape.

Steep forested walls of Leven Canyon above the river

Image credit: Steven Penton from Bakers Beach, Tasmania Australia, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia CommonsGuide

Canyons and Gorges of Tasmania

Explore Tasmanian canyons and gorges through safe public lookouts and walks, with geological context and track planning.

Launceston, Tasmania, Australia

Image credit: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia CommonsWalk · Launceston & North East

Cataract Gorge, Launceston

Cataract Gorge Reserve sits on the South Esk River just west of Launceston CBD. Pick a route by surface and time: the sealed riverside Cataract Walk to First Basin is short and flat, while Duck Reach and upper trails are longer and rougher. First Basin supplies basic visitor services and seasonal pool supervision.

Lake Burbury surrounded by West Coast mountains

Image credit: MorrisWinston at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia CommonsHistory · North West & West

Crotty Dam and Lake Burbury

Understand the King River Power Scheme and plan safe recreation around Lake Burbury and Crotty Dam.

Yellow-throated Honeyeater ( Lichenostomus flavicollis ) - Detention River, NW Tasmania.

Image credit: James Melville, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia CommonsPlace

Detention River (incl. Detention Falls) — North‑west Tasmania

Detention River runs in north‑west Tasmania and reaches Bass Strait at the township of Hellyer. Access is from the A2 and from spurs off Montumana Road. The Inland Fisheries Service lists fishing rules for the river (minimum size 220 mm, bag limit 5, all methods permitted) and a defined season. The catchment has been mapped by the EPA and a parliamentary report has examined the Detention River.

06

Outdoor activities

Cycling, fishing, surfing and other ways to spend time outside.

Open rural road and farmland near Scottsdale

Image credit: gekko, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia CommonsOutdoors

Cycling in Tasmania

Choose a cycling experience that matches your skills, transport and Tasmania’s changing road and weather conditions.

Angler fishing for trout in a Tasmanian inland water

Image credit: Cardesson, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsOutdoors

Recreational Fishing in Tasmania

Understand Tasmania’s separate inland and sea-fishing rules, then check the current official limits for the water and species you plan to fish.

Sea kayakers paddling near Coles Bay on Tasmania’s east coast

Image credit: Sea_kayaking_from_Coles_Bay.jpg : Tirin aka Takver - www.takver.com derivative work: — kallerna ™, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia CommonsGuide

Sea Kayaking in Tasmania

Plan Tasmanian sea kayaking around skill, marine forecasts, cold-water immersion, launch access and conservative turnarounds.

Former Van Diemen's Land Company grain store building, restored in 2002. Chudleigh, Tasmania, Australia

Image credit: Peripitus, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia CommonsTravel guide

store‑accessories.html (Our Tasmania — accessories / travel kit)

Practical packing guidance for walking and visiting Tasmania’s parks. Covers minimum day‑walk kit, alpine and multi‑day additions, navigation and emergency signalling, biosecurity checks and pre‑trip conditions to verify. Highlights track grades, variable weather, limited mobile coverage and PLB hire options so visitors can choose suitable gear and checks before they go.

Large Southern Ocean swell approaching the cliffs at Shipstern Bluff

Image credit: LBM1948, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsGuide

Surfing in Tasmania

Plan a Tasmanian surf trip around swell, wind, water temperature, remote access and respect for coast, community and cultural heritage.

Former railway tunnel near Lilydale

Image credit: Steven Penton from Bakers Beach, Tasmania Australia, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia CommonsWalk · Tasmania

Tasmania’s Rail Trails

Find Tasmania rail trails by checking present land management, surface, gradients and open sections rather than relying on historic railway maps.

Tahune Forest AirWalk, Tasmania, Australia

Image credit: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia CommonsWalk · North West & West

Walking and Cycling in Devonport

Practical guide to Devonport’s council-listed walking and cycling routes along the Mersey River, Bass Strait foreshore and Don River bushland. Notes on surfaces, route examples, facilities, Tiagarra cultural centre and visitor services, plus pre-trip checks and suitability guidance.

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Outdoor guides by region

Browse walks, parks and natural places close to the region where you are staying.

Hobart and South

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North West and West Coast

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Central Tasmania