Discover the world in Tasmania

Swap France for the Tamar Valley, Switzerland for Grindelwald and find Scandinavian relaxation in one of Tassie’s most picturesque settings. Come with us on an international tour of Tasmania: the world awaits just across Bass Strait!

Enjoy bubbly bliss in a bottle minutes from Launceston when you follow the acclaimed Tamar Valley Wine Route. Stop along the way to visit the many cellar doors open for tasting and discover why the region’s sparkling wine is increasingly considered second only to France’s Champagne.

Top Tamar Valley wineries include Jansz, Clover Hill and Josef Chromy – whose Art of Sparkling experience lets you go backstage and learn about the traditional ‘méthode champenoise’. You’ll even get to make and take home a bottle exactly to your taste.

During summer, nearby Bridestowe estate’s purple lavender fields will make you feel like you just landed in Provence, without the jet-lag.

The Tamar Valley offers another slice of Europe in Grindelwald. This lakeside village is inspired by Switzerland’s traditional architecture, including wide eaves and carved wooden details.

It’s here you’ll find the Tamar Valley Resort, which follows the same picturesque style from chalet accommodation to wedding chapel. Even a short visit for schnitzel and beer, or hot chocolate and Continental pastries, might make you feel like yodelling – especially when this very southern Swiss village is blanketed in snow.

Did you know Hobart has a replica of the wooden huts that Australia’s early Antarctic explorers lived and worked in? Metres from where they departed in 1911, the recreated Mawson’s Huts are filled with everyday period objects and scientific equipment including cameras, tobacco tins and a piano. Evocative details like the bunk beds’ carved initials and the recorded sound of fierce winds will transport you to the real deal at Antarctica’s icy Cape Denison – the windiest place on Earth.

At night, look up and see if the Southern Lights are on show. Tassie’s one of the few places beyond Antarctica where you can see our hemisphere’s equivalent of the Northern Lights.

Saunas are hugely popular in Scandinavian countries. They’re considered especially healthy when combined with a cold plunge – ideally in an adjoining lake. Discover why millions of Swedes, Finns, Norwegians and Danes love this hot-cold therapy at Lake Derby’s Floating Sauna.

Constructed with a wood-fired stove and cedar from Finland, it otherwise breaks with tradition. The fact this hot box floats is unusual. It’s limited to six occupants, there’s an entire wall of glass, and you’re immersed in Tasmanian wilderness. In other words, the best of both worlds.

Imagine yourself in the Old Country while savouring a wee dram of whisky at Old Kempton Distillery. Drop in for tastings of their three single malts amid the golden sandstone and polished wood panelling of a 200-year-old coaching inn. Or linger for distillery tours, whisky flights and meals.

Just up the road is Ratho Farm golf course, which was inspired by the Scottish originals. Established in the early 19^th century, and recently restored to 18 holes, Australia’s oldest golf course still has old fashioned hazards like grazing sheep and a tree in the middle of a tee.

There’s post-golf tipples and accommodation at the heritage stone homestead ... or drive onward to The Keep. Built atop a rocky peak, this luxe mini modern take on Scottish fortified towers is surrounded by Tasmanian wilderness, but when mist rolls in you could well be in the Highlands – just a bit closer to home.

Information included in this blog is correct at the time of publishing. Please contact individual operators for further information.