Maria Island’s Painted Cliffs are nothing short of a natural wonder: their swirling rust-coloured patterns seem as though they were drawn by a giant’s hand. As part of a moderate 4.5-kilometre return walking route, you’ll get maximum access – and impressive photo opportunities – by approaching the cliffs at low tide. Stay for sunset to see the sandstone look spectacularly ablaze – though you’ll need to sleep overnight in a bunk in the old penitentiary building. Worth it.  

On still Lake Derby, also known as Briseis Hole, you can unwind at Floating Sauna, Australia’s first Scandinavian-style wood-fired sauna. Simply lie back and feel the heat, then dive straight into the icy water. Now repeat. If you’re tackling the nearby mountain bike trails, it’s a perfect post-ride ritual.

Cradle Mountain is spectacular at any hour. But witnessing its jagged peaks and glassy lakes glowing in twilight pinks and purples makes for a seriously memorable (and Instagrammable) moment. Soak up the atmosphere as you watch the sun dip behind the mountains from a lookout just a short walk from Peppers Cradle Mountain Lodge.

Bliss is easy to come by at Pumphouse Point, the former hydro-electric power plant turned luxury retreat within the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. Take it to a whole new level with a treatment in the hotel’s sleek wellness space. Massages range from calming to deep tissue, which is extra heavenly after a day of hiking the surrounding bush.

Seeking seclusion? Reaching the private campsite where you stay on a two-day Night in the Wilderness tour with Par Avion first involves a 45-minute flight past colossal ranges and rugged coast from Hobart to the tiny settlement of Melaleuca. Then you’ll boat down the deserted waterways between Melaleuca Inlet and Bathurst Harbour. The reward at the end of the epic journey? A hearty dinner, hot eco shower and a comfortable glamping hut hidden in one of the wildest places on earth.

Is there anything better than slurping fresh award-winning oysters straight from the salty bay? Yes – doing it at a clothed table that stands submerged in the water with incredible views of The Hazards. Book this exclusive tour of a local oyster farm – complete with sparkling wine – as part of your stay at luxurious Saffire Freycinet lodge.

Bioluminescence – the glowing light produced by underwater Noctiluca scintillans organisms – was first reported to be shimmering on the shorelines of Tasmania during the 1990s. Since then, an avid community of “glow-hunters” has tracked and predicted where the surreal phenomenon (year-round but most common in warmer months) will next electrify rocky shorelines and beaches around the state. Join the Bioluminescence for All Tasmania Locations Facebook group for alerts.

Throughout the immersive four-day wukulina Walk, small moments feel big. Led by First Nations guides through the wildly beautiful Mt William National Park, you’ll connect with the culture of the local palawa people, who have been the custodians of larapuna/Bay of Fires for millennia. And you’ll have some of the best sleeps of your life under wallaby fur throws in the camp’s stunning architectural domes.

Set on a stretch of land jutting out into the Bass Strait in Tasmania’s north-west, the historic  town of Stanley offers prime penguin-spotting opportunities between September and March each year. Come dusk, head to the viewing platform at Godfreys Beach to catch little penguins waddling ashore after a day of fishing.

James Turrell’s Amarna looms above Mona’s rooftop plaza as an awe-inspiring permanent  installation. But at sunrise and sunset, a light show transforms the “space gazebo” into something extraterrestrial. You’ll need a Faro dinner booking, or to be spending the night in one of the museum’s modern pavilions, to see it happen. Either way, park yourself on a heated bench beneath the glowing canopy and take a meditative moment.

Practise the Japanese art of shinrin-yoku – translating to “forest bathing” but more akin to nature therapy – surrounded by some of the biggest trees on the planet. You’ll wonder at the world’s tallest flowering trees in the lush Styx Valley (two hours north-west of Hobart). Amidst the “skyscrapers” of the Huon Valley in the far south, augmented reality tech meets ancient forest. Geeveston’s famed 87-metre swamp gum was destroyed in the 2019 bushfires but you can download the Arve Big Tree app and scan the area to see it brought back to breathtaking life in a digital rendering.

A white crescent-shaped beach curving into the Freycinet Peninsula, Wineglass Bay is one of Tasmania’s most stunning and well-known walking sites. For the real postcard perspective, book a scenic flight above. And to explore the secret islands, rugged peaks and castaway nooks even locals don’t even know about, take a four-day Wineglass Bay Sail Walk trip with the Tasmanian Walking Company. You’ll sleep aboard a 23-metre yacht and discover spots only accessible by boat.

No trip to the Apple Isle is complete without getting up close – safely and gently – to a Tasmanian devil or two. At Tasmanian Devil Unzoo the inhabitants are wild so you won’t see cages or even a boundary fence. Instead, you’ll pop your head up right inside the Devil Den – clear perspex domes let you see everything while the wildlife barely seem to notice you.   

Walk in the clouds – literally – on the 48-kilometre Three Capes Track, where pockets of bushland can be shrouded in mist. After travelling from Port Arthur by boat, you’ll traverse capes Hauy and Pillar on a four-day journey. On Day One, you'll get a magnificent view of the dolerite columns of Cape Raoul. Marvel at the epic coastline, spotting seals, swimming in pristine coves and staying overnight in eco-conscious cabins.

The St Helens Mountain Bike Trails of Tasmania’s eastern coast have always been the drawcard for mountain bikers who want big action served with even bigger views. But now there’s competition in the state’s north-east. Just outside a historic hamlet on the Tamar River, George Town Mountain Bike Trail is a purpose-built playground for beginners and cycling enthusiasts alike. The 80-kilometre network etched into the raw bush includes Mount George (intermediate riders should check out the dolerite slabs on the Hebe Jeebies descent) and a Tippogoree Hills section. 

The Great Nature Trail is a staggeringly scenic 200-kilometre drive starting near Devonport and stretching to the wild edge of Cape Grim in Tasmania’s far north-west. Join a Woolnorth Tour to stand right on the rocky bluff and be blown away by the famous roaring forties winds. Breathe deep: this is officially the cleanest air on earth.

It’s not usual to find wild forests of giant ferns and a 90-metre waterfall right down the road from scenes of pastoral bliss but that’s how the paradise of Pyengana, in the state’s north-east, rolls. A 10-minute drive from St Columba Falls State Reserve, the old and charm-loaded The Pub In The Paddock and Pyengana Dairy’s Farmgate Café serve big green views and local produce on a plate.

Dips in a natural basin or swimming pool, picnics on the soft, sprawling lawns, lazy afternoons in vibrant gardens where peacocks parade... Launceston’s Cataract Gorge Reserve sets the scene for a perfect summer escape. You can glide above it all on one of the world’s longest chairlifts, rewarded by panoramic views of the rocky cliff faces and surging South Esk River.

With cellar doors that range from state-of-the-art to rustic, the Tamar Valley Wine Route is packed with unique cool-climate drops (don’t miss “Méthode Tasmanoise” sparkling wine at the Jansz estate). But this region doesn’t just do viticulture its own way; the Tamar beats its own quirky drum. In the midst of fantastic farmgate producers, find “turbo chooks” (native hens that run up to 50 kilometres/hour), a Swiss-style village that somehow belongs perfectly in Tasmania and, if you catch the freedom vibe around here, a nudist beach.

With cool, clear waters and a steady current, the Meander River promises excellent fly fishing from October through to April. But things really kick into gear in summer, when hatching aquatic insects bring trout to the surface to feed. Not an experienced angler? The team at RiverFly 1864 will show you the ropes.

You don’t need to be a sailor to appreciate catching cool mist on your face and riding the wind aboard a luxury 62-foot ocean racer on Hobart’s harbour. This is, after all, one of the most impressive natural harbours in the world: the views of kunanyi/Mount Wellington are insane. But if you do have sea legs (or have ever cheered at the race on TV), crossing the spot where the legendary Sydney to Hobart race is won is an undeniable thrill. A charter with Hobart Yachts makes it happen (and you can sip Tassie wine or beer while it does).