Wombats, Whisky & Wineglass Bay – James’ adventure in Tasmania

Tasmania wastes no time getting to the point. We landed in Hobart mid-morning and within the hour were seated among the vines at Frogmore Creek Winery Cellar Door & Restaurant, fork in hand, glass poised. If there is a more persuasive welcome than cool climate wine paired with beautifully plated local produce, I have yet to encounter it. A Chargrilled local octopus followed by pepperberry-rubbed wallaby served with an elegant pinot noir; consider me converted!

From there it was on to Piermont Retreat, our home for the next two nights, perched on the edge of Great Oyster Bay. Several accommodation options, including stone cottages with sea views, in a location that leans wholeheartedly into its surroundings. Picture wallabies running free in the grounds.

Dinner at Flora’s Restaurant in Craigie Knowe Vineyard was a masterclass in East Coast produce. Quail skewers and aged duck-breast served with vegetables grown in soil you can practically see from your table. Every dish carried that quiet Tasmanian confidence. No theatrics, just exceptional ingredients handled with care. We were regaled with stories from the owner, Glen, well into the night.

An east coast sunrise is a must! Morning light over the bay sharpened appetites again. A continental breakfast at Piermont, with the best crumpets I’ve ever tasted, set the tone for a day exploring the East Coast, where nature provides the backdrop and local producers do the rest.

We were privileged to be the first Travel Agents to visit the luxury of Picnic Island, Tasmania’s newest all-inclusive luxury retreat and exclusive private Island, only 800 metres off the shore of Coles Bay. For the foodies, it has its own private chef, and amazing views from your bed of the Hazards granite peaks.

A cruise with Freycinet Aqua Express in Freycinet National Park delivered more than dramatic granite peaks and aquamarine water. It delivered context. When you see the purity of the landscape, the flavours on your plate start to make perfect sense.

After a 30 min walk across the peninsula, we enjoyed a packed lunch from Alimento on a windy Wineglass Bay, with a wallaby for company, this was followed by a refreshing swim at Hazards Beach, while we waited for the return ferry ride. After a detour to Honeymoon Bay, a site inspection at Freycinet Lodge revealed a property that understands its audience. Immersed in bushland, it offers refined dining at The Bay Restaurant where local seafood and seasonal produce once again take centre stage, framed by sweeping coastal views.

The ideal combination of nature and history rewards those who seek to explore Maria Island, off Tasmania’s East Coast. Our Circumnavigation cruise around Maria Island was like theatre on the water, a totally immersive and educational experience!  The east coast of Maria Island showcases world class geology, mountain fed waterfalls, secluded bays, sea caves and beaches of pure white sand.  Enjoy expert commentary from our professional scientific crew as you cruise to the renowned Riedle Bay and Shoal Bay at Maria Island’s isthmus for a lunch stop on anchor.

 

 

 

En route around Maria Island, we stop to showcase many famous landmarks, including the Fossil Cliffs and Painted Cliffs, one of Maria Island’s more memorable spectacles, showcasing the power of nature in their weathered contours, where the combination of wind and waves has eroded the sandstone to reveal a striking façade. We were lucky enough to see dolphins, seals & albatross working together in a feeding frenzy! In the afternoon, we docked at Darlington Probation Station – a World Heritage Australian Convict Site. The perfect way to complement our cruise was to stretch our legs and enjoy a stroll through Darlington’s fascinating collection of preserved convict buildings, learn about the town’s remarkable history and come face to face with Maria Island’s resident wombats.

By late afternoon we were back in Hobart, checking into Hotel Grand Chancellor Hobart before dinner at Suzie Luck’s Canteen & Cocktail Bar. Think bold Asian inspired flavours, punchy sauces, perfectly balanced cocktails. Tasmania may be famed for its provenance, but it also embraces creativity with enthusiasm.

Wildlife encounters at Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary were followed by one of my most satisfying pairings of the trip: lunch and a distillery tour at Old Kempton Distillery. Rich whiskies, carefully crafted spirits and hearty fare served in a heritage setting. There is something deeply pleasing about sipping a spirit made just metres from where you are standing. Talking of spirits – over the winter months, they do a Ghost Tour of the 1840’s colonial inn where the distillery is housed. If they exist, this is where you’ll find them!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

History followed at Cascades Female Factory Historic Site, a confronting and important chapter of Tasmania’s convict story. The World Heritage-listed Cascades Female Factory tells the story of the displacement, mistreatment and forced migration of convict women and girls, and their contribution to colonisation throughout the history of colonial Australia to the present day. The experience is powerful, thoughtfully presented and deeply moving.

Our final morning included breakfast at MONA, where art and gastronomy comfortably share the spotlight. Like much of Tasmania, it is bold, distinctive and unafraid to challenge expectations.

Across five days, another layer revealed itself beneath the food and wine. Tasmania’s colonial history is never far from the surface. Georgian sandstone buildings, former penal settlements and estates carved from bushland now house cellar doors, restaurants and distilleries. The same fertile valleys that once sustained early European settlers now produce cool climate wines, berries and grains for whisky. Seafood remains pristine, drawn from waters that shaped the island’s earliest trade routes. The distances are short, but the stories run deep, and every meal feels quietly tied to centuries of survival, hardship and reinvention.

Tasmania does not gloss over its past. It wears it in its architecture, its place names and its historic sites. What was once a remote outpost of empire is now a confident culinary destination, transforming colonial foundations into something vibrant and distinctly its own. You come for the dramatic scenery and layered history, but it is the taste of the island, shaped by land and legacy alike, that lingers long after departure.