Family fun in Tasmania

Gather the clan for a holiday full of simple pleasures and high-energy adventure, fuelled by fish and chips, and encounters with curious creatures.

Best things to do with kids

Big trees, short walks

Make friends in high places on a stroll among some of the tallest trees in the world. Choose one of our best short walks or from the 60 Great Short Walks, with tracks for walkers of all ages.

Cute critters

Discover a range of wildlife encounters and become better acquainted with Tasmania’s cute and cuddly locals. Take tea with an alpaca, pat friendly highland cows or meet hairy Tasmanians – wombats, devils, wallabies and more.

Beach bumming

Bring buckets and spades to the east coast for long, dreamy days frolicking on beaches, spotting whales and even the occasional tourist.

Stargazing

Rug up and gather under a thick blanket of stars. Dark skies largely free of light pollution make for dazzling stargazing. Time it right for a chance to see the Southern Lights (aka the Aurora Australis), a meteor shower or a sparkling show of bioluminescence. If the weather isn't right, pick your own timing at the Launceston Planetarium.

Boat about

Paddle, punt or sail your way along rivers and tranquil bays all over the Island. Or exit your comfort zone on the high seas, with a high-octane wildlife-spotting cruise. Next stop, Antarctica.

Get spooky

Haunt some of Tasmania's most storied sites by night. Take a Port Arthur Ghost Tour, said to be the most haunted place in Australia. Get a taste of convict life while exploring underground tunnels and solitary cells – even the gallows – on a ghost tour of the Hobart Convict Penitentiary.

Trains

Kids love train rides – climb aboard in Launceston's City Park, or let them steam their way through remote rainforest on the West Coast Wilderness Railway.

Off-beat fun

Lose yourself in the mazes and magic of Tasmazia & the Village of Lower Crackpot, at Promised Land. Or engage in potty humour (and serious science) among dung, droppings and digestion exhibits at Pooseum, in Richmond.