Travel Guides
CONTACTCAREER OPPORTUNITIESADVERTISE WITH USPRIVACY POLICYPRIVACY PREFERENCESTERMS OF USELEGAL NOTICE
© 2024 Pride Publishing Inc.
All Rights reserved
All Rights reserved
By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use.
Wild, rugged, and remote even by Australian standards, Tasmania feels very different from the red sands of the Outback and turquoise waters of the mainland beaches. The island state is primordial with old-growth forests, wispy overcast clouds, and vertiginous cliffs. A trip along the coast of the green Eastern Drive brings a constellation of sacred sites to light, connecting the island's two major towns.
Day 1: Hobart
Cure your jet lag with a caffeinated visit to Hobart’s historic downtown (it’s Australia’s second oldest state capital after Sydney); Hobart Walking Tours specializes in coffee-themed excursions that offer compelling insight into the importance of café culture in Oz. Outside the city limits, the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) is home to David Walsh’s world-famous collection of art that’s not only contemporary, but contemplative and contentious (hello, 72 plastered vaginas; hello, robotic pooping machine!). Swing by the Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary nearby, where rescued marsupials are nursed back to health.
Back in the heart of town, feast on fresh oysters and line-caught sashimi at The Glass House, then retreat back to the city’s newest and poshest pad, MACq01. The third-floor rooms have generous AstroTurfed balconies perfect for self-guided yoga amid potted succulents.
Day 2: Tasman Peninsula
The crumbling ruins of Port Arthur Historic Site were once home to some of Britain’s most hardened criminals. In good weather, the former penal colony kinda feels like a colonial-style holiday park (gruesome stories of leg sores from bearing actual ball-and-chains notwithstanding). The area also features ethereal rock formations, birthed by torturous seismic activity and the immemorial pounding of waves born in Antarctica. A boat ride with Pennicott Wilderness Journey hugs the coastline where pillars of dolorite line the cliffs like organ pipes—if you’re lucky you’ll spot dolphins frolicking in your vessel’s wake.
Catch the sunset at Tessellated Pavement, a mini Giant’s Causeway where the purple haze of twilight glitters off of the shiny, striated ground.
Day 3: Freycinet National Park
Like the tail of a dragon, Freycinet National Park whips out into the sea—you’ll see the peninsula’s stony crest in the distance long before you arrive. Once you’ve settled into Coles Bay, the launching point for the reserve, jump into a kayak with Freycinet Adventures for a sea lion’s perspective of the fjord-like surrounds.
Day 4: Friendly Beaches
After a scramble up Mount Amos, reward yourself with oysters and uni at Freycinet Marine Farm, the best place in Tasmania for a buffet of bivalves. The extreme vastness of the talcum-white Friendly Beaches lies ahead, where you can delight in the notion that there are still places of unimaginable beauty left in the world that are unadulterated and unexplored.
Day 5: Bay of Fires
Near the township of St. Helens, you’ll reach the Bay of Fires—a mystical moniker given to the area perhaps because the ancient aboriginals would light bonfires along the shore, or maybe it’s because of the scorching red color of the pervasive lichen. Explore the village of Binalong Bay, then withdraw to the Bay of Fires Bush Retreat—a huddle of glamping tents purpose-built for a hipster’s Instagram account. Dinners prepared by the husband-and-wife owners are worthy #foodporn, too.
Day 6: Launceston
Start early the next morning at The Gardens to catch the rays of the rising sun as they bleach the rings of crimson moss on the seaside stones. Pull over at one of the tidal beaches like Cosy Corner, where pensioners park their caravans to imbibe the warm, unusual light that can only be found in “Tassie.” The drive inland towards Launceston looks like an ad for ranch salad dressing, where hidden valleys are hemmed by ridges of impenetrable forest. Wind your way down to low-lying Launceston for a winning evening in one of the art-inspired studios at friendly Hatherley Birrell Collection. Its Muse Garden and Magnolia Garden pavilions have inviting outdoor bathtubs. Just sayin’.
Day 7: Tamar Valley
It’s worth sticking around “Lonnie” to take in the throwback architecture (Victorian- and Federation-style facades) that gives the town its frontier vibe. A dinner of New Nordic-inspired mains at Geronimo Aperativo Bar & Restaurant is also a must, but spend the afternoon in the dales of the nearby Tamar Valley, which produces most of Tasmania’s world-class wine, like the award-winning bottles at Josef Chromy.
Want more breaking equality news & trending entertainment stories?
Check out our NEW 24/7 streaming service: the Advocate Channel!
Download the Advocate Channel App for your mobile phone and your favorite streaming device!
From our Sponsors
Most Popular
Ron Amato Retrospective: 75 Gorgeous Images of Queer Men
March 07 2021 12:00 AM
UPDATED: Here Are the Final 27 Surviving Lesbian Bars In the U.S.
October 12 2022 5:15 PM
Just in Time for Pride – The 15 Gayest Cities in the World in 2023
April 12 2023 6:47 PM
Turkish Oil Wrestling: Male Bonding at the Kirkpinar Festival
December 20 2022 2:20 PM
The 13 Least Visited National Parks
January 07 2023 5:00 AM
OnlyFans Star Reno Gold on His New Boyfriend and Travel Show
December 16 2022 3:10 PM
Here are the Best Gay Sex and Male Nudity Scenes in 2022
April 19 2023 5:23 PM
Get Soaked! with These 35+ Steamy Pool Pics From This Year’s White Party
May 25 2023 9:29 AM
12 Years of Intimate Photos of Same Man - Taken by His Partner
August 29 2022 4:00 AM
Slovakian Jocks With Nothing to Hide
September 28 2021 3:00 PM
Outtraveler: Featured Video
Latest Stories
Get ready for a sizzling summer at Fire Island Pines in 2024
May 03 2024 9:00 AM
Outlaw republic: Ireland's feisty moonshine village
May 02 2024 10:16 AM
Surf Synergy: Costa Rica's ultimate wellness retreat
April 29 2024 10:59 AM
Pattie Gonia storms Capitol Hill for the environment
April 22 2024 8:23 AM
The world's top 10 queer and trans-friendly cities
April 19 2024 2:52 PM
Carrie Underwood solidifies herself as a can't-miss entertainer in Las Vegas
April 17 2024 4:31 PM
Lisa Rinna calls Donald Trump a 'dictator' and begs Americans to vote for Joe Biden
April 17 2024 5:00 AM
Asia O’Hara slaps Ricky Cornish during funny bit on stage at ‘Drag Race Live’
April 16 2024 6:00 PM
Grindr simplifies global hookups
April 16 2024 10:47 AM
Brian Falduto gives Dolly Parton classic a welcome gay twist
April 16 2024 9:09 AM
These are the 10 most challenged books of 2023
April 13 2024 10:06 AM
Local itineraries to explore San Francisco on a budget
April 12 2024 1:54 PM
From job loss to chocolate triumph: Gay man's journey from U.S. to Spain
April 11 2024 11:45 AM
Uncover Dublin's hidden LGBTQ+ gems
April 10 2024 4:56 PM
Ötzi, the world's sexiest world traveler mummy, reveals a thirsty secret
April 09 2024 5:13 PM
Discover endless fun at The Pride Store: Games & electronics for all ages
April 09 2024 4:25 PM