OF all the places you could choose to holiday in winter, Tasmania is probably close to the bottom of most people’s list.
Yes, the temperatures can be challenging but the rewards are great – no crowds, stunning scenery and the accommodation is cheaper.
Having your own wheels is the best way to see Tasmania in winter. Take your car on the Spirit of Tasmania full of all the wet weather gear you can muster.
We started our week-long escape in the working port of Strahan on the rugged west coast where we cruised Macquarie Harbour and the Gordon River aboard the Lady Jane Franklin. (By the time you read this you will travel on the new 34-metre catamaran Spirit of the Wild, whose electric motors ensure a whisper quiet cruise on the Gordon River.)
With temperatures in the single digits it was a wet but exhilarating journey for those who stayed on the outdoor decks. The only compromise was that a visit to the uninhabited penal colony Sarah Island had to be abandoned due to rough seas.
From Strahan we travelled to Cradle Mountain, Tasmania’s most visited national park, right in the heart of the 1.4-million-hectare Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area.
Cold weather is no excuse for staying indoors here, for there are walks that meet any constraints – be they time, fitness or bad weather. Best of all, a shuttle bus can drop off and pick up at a range of places if you need to cut short your walk.
We had the beautiful boardwalk through an alpine landscape of rugged peaks and windswept moors all to ourselves, and the next day we awoke to a carpet of snow blanketing the ground outside our room.
Our car was barely visible under its coat of snow but it was easily brushed off and the roads were clear to travel on to Freycinet on the east coast.
We drove into brilliant sunshine.
Our accommodation at Freycinet Lodge was the new architecturally innovative Coastal Pavilions with outdoor baths on the deck. After a day of walking and cruising Wineglass Bay there was no better way to unwind than to slip into the bath. In winter you may have to trade a champagne for a hot chocolate and a sunhat for a beanie!
Each of the three places we stayed had large communal lounges with open fires where people gathered to enjoy a meal or drink. Even though there was wi-fi, children played board games by the fire or snuggled up on the roomy couches with a book.
So put Tasmania at the top of your list for next winter and prepare to be pleasantly surprised.
Sue Preston was a guest of the Royal Automotive Club of Tasmania and travelled courtesy of Spirit of Tasmania.