Best of Tasmania's natural landmarks

With ancient trees, jagged peaks, mottled boulders and a city resting beneath a peaceful giant, there are ample natural attractions in Tasmania to fill you with awe.

Whether you’re seeking moments of calm, or the thrill of adventure in Tasmania’s natural places, you’re sure to find both in abundance here.

takayna / Tarkine rainforest

Standing tall in Tasmania’s north-west, the trees of takayna / Tarkine form the largest expanse of cool-temperate rainforest in Australia. The vast, forested wilderness of the area is filled with ancient Huon pines, one of the oldest living organisms on Earth, and old-growth myrtle beech.

Immerse in Tasmania’s nature at the Tarkine Wilderness Lodge or stake out at the former mining town of Corinna at this rustic wilderness village.

Join a Tall Timbers guided 4WD tour to continue exploring this remote region or take an enchanting walk to the multi-tiered Philosopher Falls.

Turrakana / Tasman Peninsula

Natural features in Tasmania are plain to see on Turrakana / Tasman Peninsula. The southern peninsula is lined with Australia’s tallest sea cliffs, paved with geological wonders and pierced by towering sea stacks. Stroll between the enormous Tasman Arch and cavernous Devils Kitchen, then step out onto the Tessellated Pavement to see nature in Tasmania at its designer best.

Admire Cape Pillar and Cape Hauy from below on Pennicott Wilderness Journeys’ Tasman Island Cruises. Or explore on foot with a multiday stroll along the Three Capes Track.

Stay within arm’s reach at Eaglehawk Pavilions or find a home among the gum trees at Stewarts Bay Lodge. Families will enjoy the NRMA Port Arthur Holiday Park with its cabins, glamping tents, wood-fired pizza oven and a BMX pump track.

larapuna / Bay of Fires

Don’t adjust your contrast settings – these colours are real. The coastline along larapuna / Bay of Fires is a dazzling array of azure seas, white sands and orange lichen-covered granite boulders.

Take your pick of pristine beaches on the drive between Binalong Bay and The Gardens. Or explore a different vantage from the headland surrounding Eddystone Point Lighthouse, protected for its significance to Tasmanian Aboriginal people.

Soak up your surroundings on the Tasmanian Aboriginal owned and operated wukalina Walk. Or mix up your hiking with a kayaking side trip on the Bay of Fires Signature Walk.

Accommodation in larapuna / Bay of Fires ranges from basic to bougie. Pull up at a beachfront campground, go gourmet at Bay of Fires Bush Retreat, unwind at the Japanese-inspired Sabi Stays or step into a Scottish-style hilltop tower at the Keep.

kunanyi / Mount Wellington

The spectacular mountain backdrop to Tasmania’s capital can be viewed from almost anywhere in Hobart. Drive yourself to the top or hop on the kunanyi / Mt Wellington Explorer Bus. At the summit you’ll find a sheltered lookout and a string of short walks, both with panoramic views of the city and beyond.

Part way up the mountain, the Springs was once the site of a grand mountain-side hotel. These days at the Springs you’ll find a perfectly positioned pitstop, Lost Freight Cafe, multiple walking tracks and the North South Track mountain biking trail head. For a unique photographic opportunity, take off from the Springs to visit to the Octopus Tree, a giant eucalypt with talon-like roots wrapped around a rocky outcrop.

Stay at the Islington Hotel for a room with a mountain view, or rest waterside at MACq 01 Hotel to enjoy the towering presence of the mountain from your balcony. Stop for a drink at AURA Hobart atop the Crowne Plaza for a front-row seat to the mountain’s majesty.

Wineglass Bay

Tasmania and nature have conspired in the most beautiful of ways at Wineglass Bay. The state’s most famous beach runs in a perfect white arc beneath the pink-tinged Hazards mountain range and can only be reached on foot or by boat.

To see by sea, jump on board with Wineglass Bay Cruises. If you’re a landlubber, climb through a low pass in the Hazards for 1.3km to reach Wineglass Bay Lookout poised like a balcony above the beach, or sink your toes in the sand by continuing for a further 3km beyond the lookout and down to the bay’s blue seas.

Venture along the wheelchair-accessible boardwalk at Cape Tourville for an alternative view of the bay and its surrounds. You can also explore under paddle on a Freycinet Adventures kayak tour around the sheltered waters of nearby Honeymoon Bay, or soar over the Hazards and Wineglass Bay on a scenic helicopter flight with Freycinet Air Tasmania.

Set up base at this beachfront campground, one of the most popular in the state, or one of the many self-contained holiday homes in the area. For a more luxurious stay, rest your head at Freycinet Lodge or view the drama of the Hazards from across the water at all-inclusive resort, Saffire Freycinet.

Bruny Island

Known for its exceptional produce, Bruny Island has scenery that is equally delicious. The island is ringed with high cliffs and long beaches, split by a thread-thin isthmus known as the Neck. Here you can climb the steps to Truganini Lookout for panoramic views north and south, or step onto the viewing platform at dusk to see the resident Little Penguin colony clambering onto the dunes.

The south end of the island is framed by the rugged South Bruny National Park. Explore two of Tasmania’s 60 Great Short Walks with a climb to the top of Fluted Cape or a stroll on the Labillardiere Peninsula.

Pack your camera to capture Mars Bluff Arch rising from the sand along the Cape Queen Elizabeth Track or shoot from the water on a cliff-hugging Bruny Island Cruises boat-trip.

Then cosy up at Adventure Bay Retreat in one of three luxury cabins, or settle into the solar-powered Hundred Acre Hideaway, home to private walking trails and an outdoor tub.

Cradle Mountain

Rising out of the dark waters of the glacially carved Dove Lake, Cradle Mountain is Tasmania’s most recognised peak. Anchoring the northern end of Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, the remarkable, bow shaped mountain is a mecca for outdoor adventure.

The 6km Dove Lake circuit provides an accessible introduction to the mountain. Lap around the lake until you reach the well-photographed Dove Lake boatshed. Take things up a notch with a climb to Marions Lookout and come eyeball to eyeball with the mountain’s craggy escarpment.

The climb to Marion Lookout also marks the start of Australia’s premier alpine walk, the Overland Track; a multiday, 65km traverse to Lake St Clair at the park’s southern end.

If you have a head for heights and hands for scrambling, the summit of Cradle Mountain can be reached on a challenging day-long hike. Be sure to check the weather at the visitor centre before setting out.

For a different perspective, paddle under the mountain’s shadow on a guided Dove Lake Kayak tour or pay a visit to Devils@Cradle where you can spy one of Tasmania’s most curious creatures, the Tasmanian devil.

To access the park, take a shuttle bus from the Cradle Mountain Visitor Information Centre. Nearby you’ll find inviting base camps such as Cradle Mountain Lodge, alpine spa at the ready, and Tiny Escapes Cradle Valley with five tiny homes dotted through bushland.

Maria Island

This island national park located off Tasmania’s east coast is a wonderland of natural things. Once a convict penitentiary, now a wildlife paradise roamed by wombats, wallabies, kangaroos, Tasmanian devils and Cape Barren geese.

Take an Encounter Maria Island ferry from Triabunna to arrive at the old convict settlement of Darlington. Walking and bike trails diverge from here on this car-free island. Follow the well-marked trails to explore the Painted Cliffs and Fossil Cliffs or take a longer journey to the craggy top of Bishop and Clerk for expansive views of the island and Tasmania’s east coast.

Mount Maria, the island’s toughest hike, is a 16km walk from Darlington. Explore the Long Point Probation Station at Point Lesueur on an overnight walk from Frenchs Farm or Encampment Cove.

At Darlington you’ll find bunkhouse-style accommodation in the former penitentiary and camping on the surrounding, wildlife-rich lawns. Or for a touch of luxury, stay off island at Triabunna Barracks beside the ferry terminal.