On day 5, cross Eaglehawk Neck to the Tasman Peninsula for a powerful encounter with the past. Begin with a short cruise to the Isle of the Dead, final resting place for convicts and free settlers, before a guided tour of the Port Arthur Historic Site — the Penitentiary, Separate Prison and Convict Church set amid lawns and ruins.

Your Local Specialist threads vivid stories through these buildings: hardship and reform, shipbuilding skills, and lives marked by discipline and hope. The scale of the site and its preserved fabric make Australia’s convict history immediate and human, inviting contemplation as you explore.

Choose, on day 6, to join a thrilling wilderness cruise along Bruny Island’s coast (additional cost, bookable on tour). Skim beneath towering dolerite cliffs, past sea stacks like the Monument, and into sculpted caves where swells boom at Breathing Rock. Your crew interpret the meeting place of the Tasman Sea and Southern Ocean and the wildlife that thrives here.

Keep watch for Australian fur seals, pods of dolphins and seasonal whale migrations, while seabirds wheel overhead. Warm spray, wind in your hair and the engine’s thrum make this an elemental counterpoint to Hobart’s urban charms — a raw, salt-edged chapter of Tasmania’s story.

Returning from Port Arthur on day 5, stop at a trio of dramatic lookouts to pause for photos and reflection. Watch waves surge through the Blowhole, gaze up at the towering dolerite of Tasman Arch, and feel the Southern Ocean heave at Devil’s Kitchen, where the sea gnaws at a collapsed cavern.

Here geology performs in real time — sea, stone and wind carving the peninsula’s edges into bridges, clefts and pools. Interpretive signs and your Travel Director’s commentary illuminate how these features formed, while the roar of surf and salt on the air complete the sensory theatre.

Bring your journey full circle on day 6 with a hosted farewell dinner at Mures Upper Deck, overlooking the fishing fleet at Constitution Dock. Settle in with views of the River Derwent as plates of Tasmanian bounty arrive — think oysters, scallops and blue-eye trevalla — paired with cool-climate wines.

Your Travel Director invites you to share highlights and toast the week’s adventures, from lavender fields to convict heritage and misty headlands. The mood is warm and celebratory, a final taste of Hobart’s maritime character before you enjoy a free evening stroll along the waterfront lights.

Continue on day 2 to the Legerwood Carved Memorial Trees, where sculpted trunks honour local soldiers lost in the First World War. Walk the avenue, read the plaques, and reflect on the ANZAC legacy captured in each chainsaw-carved figure — a small Tasmanian town’s moving testament to service and sacrifice.

From here the road unfurls to St Helens for lunch before a scenic run down the East Coast. Expect sea-glinting views, fishing villages, and dunes edging the Tasman Sea as you journey toward Bicheno. It’s a classic Tasmanian drive — farm paddocks giving way to surf, with chances to pause for photos and reflection along the way.

As dusk falls on day 2, follow your Travel Director to a shoreline vantage point to view Little Penguins returning to their burrows. In the hush of evening, listen for their calls and watch as these blue-feathered seabirds waddle from the surf, shaking off salt spray under a sky pricked with southern stars.

Learn simple wildlife etiquette — keeping low light and quiet voices — that helps protect this colony of Eudyptula minor. The moment is intimate and elemental: briny air, the rhythm of waves, and the soft shuffle of penguin feet over granite sand, an endearing glimpse of Tasmania’s coastal life.

On day 3, board a catamaran at Coles Bay to cruise the Freycinet Peninsula, tracing pink granite cliffs, sea caves and waterfalls beneath the Hazards Range. Skirt remote Schouten Island, scan for white-bellied sea-eagles, dolphins, cormorants and lazing fur seals, and learn how this MAKE TRAVEL MATTER experience supports conservation through wildlife monitoring.

Glide into the iconic curve of Wineglass Bay, its white sand meeting turquoise water, and drop anchor for a hearty ploughman’s lunch on board. It’s a spectacular vantage on Tasmania’s east coast — rugged dolerite, fragrant coastal heath, and the hush of broad water under high sky — before returning across glittering Oyster Bay.

Later on day 3, stretch your legs on the gentle boardwalk to Cape Tourville Lookout, where a lighthouse crowns the headland above cobalt seas. The short circuit serves up constant drama: golden beaches curving below, offshore islets fretted by surf, and the pink shoulders of the Hazards glowing in afternoon light.

Your Travel Director points out seabird roosts and geological features as you pause to soak in the lakeside atmosphere of sheltered coves and the open sweep of the Tasman Sea. This easy stroll invites time to pause for photos and reflection, capturing the textures and tones that define Freycinet’s wild beauty.

Traveling south on day 4, be greeted by a local palawa host for a meaningful welcome to Country on the banks of the Derwent River. Hear stories that connect people, place and seasons, and taste native bush foods — pepperberry warmth, lemon myrtle brightness, honeyed acacia notes — that speak to Country and deep time.

Through language, craft and foodways, gain insight into enduring culture and custodianship on lutruwita/Tasmania. The sharing of knowledge and flavours offers a thoughtful counterpoint to the landscapes you’ve been traversing, grounding the journey in respect for living traditions and the resilience of First Peoples.

Midway through day 4, step into the Georgian charm of Richmond. Cross the convict-built Richmond Bridge spanning the Coal River, peek into the Richmond Gaol, and browse boutiques along sandstone-lined streets. The town’s neat terraces and kitchen gardens hint at Van Diemen’s Land’s early days.

Continue to Old Hobart Town, a meticulous outdoor model village depicting the 1820s port — wharves, cottages, colonial officials and convicts captured in miniature. This accessible snapshot of the past enriches your understanding of how a penal outpost grew into a capital, adding texture to what you’ll encounter in Hobart and beyond.

Settle in on day 4 at Iron Creek Bay Farm near Sorell, your Stays with Stories experience amid rows of cherries, apples and grapes. Join a relaxed farm walk to hear about heritage on Flinty Point and today’s sustainable practices, then, in season, pick fruit straight from the trees and breathe the clean estuarine air.

As evening falls, sit down to a seasonal dinner showcasing orchard produce and regional flavours — from just-picked stone fruit to cool-climate wines. The setting is unhurried and distinctly Tasmanian, a chance to connect with growers, ingredients and the rhythms that shape life on the island.

On day 2, breathe in the perfume of purple fields during a guided visit to Bridestowe Lavender Estate, established in 1922. With a Local Specialist, stroll neat rows of Lavandula angustifolia, learn how the oil extraction process has evolved since the 1920s, and discover how Bridestowe’s provenance echoes the lavender traditions of southern France.

Pop into the Old Tractor Shed to browse vintage equipment, then, when in season, sample lavender ice cream or single-flower honeys produced from the farm surrounds. Set amid rolling hills near Nabowla, the estate’s calm, bee-buzzed atmosphere and stories of migration, experimentation, and craftsmanship offer a fragrant introduction to Tasmania’s farming heritage.

Arriving in Tasmania’s northern city, gather this evening on day 1 to meet your Travel Director and fellow travellers at your Launceston hotel. Your host will outline the journey ahead, share local tips, and help you settle in. Time permitting, you may enjoy a short orientation of the historic heart — elegant Victorian streetscapes, leafy squares, and landmarks that speak to Launceston’s mercantile past.

Launceston is one of Australia’s oldest cities, framed by the Tamar Valley’s vineyards and 19th-century architecture. This relaxed briefing sets the tone for the week, with practical details and a chance to ask questions before you enjoy a free evening to dine as you wish and soak up the cool-climate ambiance.