Tasmania with Kids: A handy holiday guide
Tasmania
Explore Tasmania with your family
Mona, the phenomenal Museum of Old and New Art in Hobart, is reason enough to visit Tasmania. Add some of Australia’s best markets, wild landscapes, historic towns and plenty of adventure and you’ve got all the makings of a perfect family holiday.
National parks, deserted beaches, vineyards and historical sites are all on the agenda when you visit the Apple Isle. Tasmania’s reputation as a tourist destination is built on its staggering wilderness and natural beauty – but it’s also a holiday hotspot for food, wine and culture.
Book your voyage on the Spirit of Tasmania and prepare to discover the best of this southern state!
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Tasmania with kids: A family travel guide
From fur seals and dolphins to cuddly koalas and those cheeky devils, kids will love meeting Tassie’s wildlife. The state is also home to five convict sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List, including the renowned Port Arthur.
Hobart
The colourful Salamanca Market, which takes place every Saturday morning in the historic district, is a must, as is a hike up kunanyi/Mount Wellington — the often snow-capped peak that rises above the city. There’s also plenty to keep young visitors entertained at Mona (the Museum of Old and New Art), from the labyrinthine-like House of Mirrors to the climbable bronze sculpture titled “Girls Rule”.
Learn about history by booking a day tour to Port Arthur Historic Site, which housed Tasmania’s most notorious convicts in the 1800s, and visit the lesser-known Cascades Female Factory Historic Site at South Hobart, which has guided tours led by costumed actors and a kids’ activity book.
You can also see one of the replica huts used by explorer Douglas Mawson and his team in Antarctica at Mawson’s Hut Museum, enjoy a horse drawn carriage ride through historic Battery Point and the Salamanca waterfront, visit the quirky science museum Pooseum in Richmond, and see wombats, echidnas, kangaroos and Tasmanian devils at Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary.
Port Arthur & the Tasman Peninsula
Clever story-telling makes it easy for kids of all ages to soak up the fascinating history of Port Arthur Historic Site. The incredible beauty of the area belies a stark reality – this was a place of much brutality for the covict population, a terrifying combination of hard labour and unremitting surveillance. It’s a fascinating step back in time.
Elsewhere on the Tasman Peninsula are sea cliffs, secretive coves and bays that rival anywhere else in Tassie for beauty. Explore the region with a boat cruise from Pirates Bay or hike the Three Capes Track.
East Coast
East Tasmania is a great destination for families who love hiking, and the trek to Wineglass Bay Lookout to see the view over the beach is repeatedly named one of the world’s best. It’s manageable with kids, but not a walk in the park, either – though the older they are, the easier it will be!). Pack a picnic lunch to have on the way and take a dip in the cool southern waters afterwards.
Kids will also love visiting Cape Tourville Lighthouse, rock hopping at Sleepy Bay, and kayaking in Freycinet National Park. There are lots of family-friendly accommodation options in the area, on the island’s east coast, including BIG4 Iluka on Freycinet Holiday Park, Freycinet Lodge and Edge of the Bay Resort.
Famous sights in Tasmania’s north-east include the fishing port of St Helens, Binalong Bay and the Bay of Fires, famous for its white sand and ochre-coloured rocks.
Cradle Mountain
Hiking through pristine wilderness is one of Tasmania’s biggest drawcards, and Cradle Mountain is a top outdoor destination for family bonding. The UNESCO World Heritage-listed Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park is one of five that make up Tasmania’s awe-inspiring wilderness area.
As well as the legendary Overland Hike, there are shorter walks ideal for families to see native flora and fauna. Be sure to visit the wildlife park to meet Tassie Devils and drop into the Tasmazia amusement park nearby. The limestone caves of the Mole Creek Karst National Park are also worth seeing, and you can take day trips to both destinations from Launceston.
West Coast
Looking for the island’s best scenic drives? Go for a road trip in West Tassie. The north-west has endless quaint towns and charming hamlets to explore, including Stanley and Westbury.
The Old Coast Road from Ulverstone to Penguin and the tulip farms (near Wynyard) are other regional highlights, as are the rich farmlands. Look out for farm-gates selling produce straight from the fields.
Take the road to Arthur River and Corinna via the Western Explorer route from Stanley for a good taste of the island’s extraordinary wilds. Some of the road is gravel but it is one of the best drives on the island, taking around five hours.
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Opening image: * A family at Cape Hauy on the Three Capes Track. © Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service