Luxurious, gourmet, historic, adventurous: Tassie’s new offerings have it all

Tasmania’s reputation as a hot destination keeps heating up with the opening of stylish new restaurants, cafes, bars, heritage stays and innovative contemporary accommodation. We’ve gathered some of the best, as well as new experiences not to be missed, from hot-air ballooning to a Bay of Fires hike led by Aboriginal guides.

Launceston’s fast catching up with Hobart for memorable stays, and it’s good news for diners at the city’s finest restaurant as Stillwater now has accommodation. Stillwater Seven marries modern luxury with an iconic 1830s flour mill’s rusticity. Launnie’s other notable newbies are Change Overnight, a stylish 18-room apartment-style hotel where guests choose the cause their stay contributes to, and Tasmania’s first capsule accommodation, Pod Inn. It’s all about well-priced CBD convenience for out-and-about travellers.

Nearby amid restful rural scenery and gardens, The Granary offers a super-comfy self-contained escape in an early 1800s sandstone building. In the historic Midlands town of Oatlands, Raffah House, which was built in 1855, has been reborn with Insta-worthy country comforts for family and group retreats. For maritime heritage, chart a course to Stanley’s Ship Inn, an 1849 pub converted to seven swish old-meets-new suites. Just up the road in Penguin, Novo Luxury Apartment is a century-old property given a gorgeous contemporary beach-house makeover, with epic private Bass Strait views.

In the heart of Hobart, LuXXe Waterfront Residences is 19^th century industrial red brick outside, 21^st century apartment living inside, while the boutique Moss hotel has numerous uniquely beautiful rooms in two old sandstone buildings on Salamanca Place – decisions, decisions! Close by in heritage hot spot Richmond, Prospect House’s 1830s Georgian elegance has been preserved, and enhanced with period-inspired luxuries and fine dining that’s also available for dinner-time visitors. Go south to Bruny Island and you’ll find the very different Free Spirit Pods, where eco-friendly contemporary comforts are nestled in seaside bushland.

Hosting a Sunday farmers’ market since opening in 2018, Devonport’s Providore Place development continues to grow. Southern Wild has also established its new distillery here. On the east coast, Freycinet Marine Farm now offers the more hands-on Oyster Bay Tour: head out into the water in waders and taste an oyster as fresh as they get.

At Bar Two, Launceston’s cosy new wine bar, everything from vino to cheese is local. Steps away at Tisane Tea Room, enjoy sweet treats and 30 tea varieties, including from Tassie’s own The Art of Tea. Nearby in Westbury, The Green Door Cafe Restaurant Apothecary is an instant classic thanks to yummy food and friendly service in a heritage building. The Tamar Valley Wine Centre is great for tastings and sales if you can’t conquer all of this celebrated cool-climate wine region near Launceston. They also do top tucker.

Raise a glass in Hobart, where hot little neighbourhood restaurant Templo now has a wine-bar offshoot called Sonny that has a similar keep-it-small-and-cosy attitude. MACq 01 hotel’s Evolve Spirits Bar has room to luxuriate, plus fancy drinks, moody lighting and 37 astonishing prehistoric fossils. It’s just been named Australian Hotel Bar of the Year at the prestigious Bartender Magazine awards. Not far away in Cygnet, a 2018 MasterChef contestant has come home to open South American restaurant Ilha, and Buckland’s boutique Pulchella Berry Farm has swung open its gates to the public.

A highlight of Tasmania’s latest tourist experiences is the wukalina walk. This medium-grade, four-day guided hike and cultural journey around the Bay of Fires is unique, as it’s created and managed by Tasmania’s Aboriginal community. Meander Wilderness Experiences’ river sledding on one-person inflatables is more fast-paced, but you don’t need much skill or daring to feel the rush.

Not quite ready for the world-renowned Blue Derby mountain-bike trails’ extreme adventure? Then try the newest, easiest, most accessible trail around Lake Derby. For road-cycling enthusiasts who aren’t up for Tasmanian Expeditions' eight-day self-guided East Coast Bike Tour, there’s a new six-day highlights option that includes national-park exploration by foot or kayak

Or take to the skies – Liberty Balloon Flights is now floating up, up and away in northern Tasmania, while Unique Charters recently added the Swan Island Picnic Experience to their tour options. A helicopter whisks you from Launceston to this private island for a gourmet picnic among convict ruins.

If fab food’s your thing, try Off the Table self-drive culinary tours for exclusive access to farm tours and tastings, from heirloom tomatoes to mushrooms grown in an 1890s railway tunnel.

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