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The Hazards in dusk light above a rocky shore, Freycinet Peninsula, Tasmania

Sample journey · 12–15 days

Tasmania and Kangaroo Island, the cool south

Hobart, the Freycinet Peninsula, Cradle Mountain & Kangaroo Island

Photo: Tim Lippis / Unsplash

Illustrative journey ideas — not bookable packages. No prices, dates or accommodation are implied.

Not all of Australia is desert and tropics. In the south, where the wind comes up off the Southern Ocean, wildlife and empty coastline often begin just beyond your door. In a week in Tasmania you can take in Hobart's art and food scene, the granite Hazards above Wineglass Bay and the high country around Cradle Mountain, where wombats come out onto the grasslands in the evening.

Kangaroo Island in South Australia is different again: wind-carved granite, a sea lion colony on the beach and kangaroos grazing at dusk. This sample route is for travellers who want a slower pace, nature close at hand and stays where the setting is part of the experience. The lodges and guides would be chosen around how much you'd like to be out and about, and how much simply to be there.

The route

The journey

  1. Melbourne
  2. Hobart
  3. Freycinet
  4. Cradle Mountain
  5. Kangaroo Island
  6. Adelaide
  1. Sunrise from kunanyi/Mount Wellington: golden light on alpine plants, with the Tasmanian coast beyond

    01Days 1–3 · Melbourne & Hobart

    A harbour town beneath a mountain

    From Melbourne, a short flight to Hobart, a small harbour city beneath kunanyi/Mount Wellington. On Saturday morning, Salamanca Market; later, the sandstone warehouses along the waterfront and a ferry up the river to MONA, a museum that surprises most visitors. If the morning is clear, it's worth driving to the summit for sunrise, with the city, the Derwent estuary and distant coastlines below.

  2. Wooded hills and a bay seen from the Hazards circuit on the Freycinet Peninsula

    02Days 4–6 · The Freycinet Peninsula

    Granite, a white bay and oysters

    About two and a half hours up the east coast to Freycinet National Park. A walk of half an hour to an hour leads to the Wineglass Bay lookout, while the longer Hazards circuit drops down to the bay itself and returns by another beach. In the afternoon, kayaks on the calm water off Coles Bay; in the evening, oysters straight from the water and local wine. Stays here often sit among the bush with views of the granite.

  3. A wombat in the grass among ferns at Cradle Mountain, Tasmania

    03Days 7–9 · Cradle Mountain

    High country, and wombats at dusk

    Through the Tamar Valley vineyards or Launceston to the north-west highlands; it's a longer drive, so we break the day with stops. In Cradle Mountain–Lake St Clair National Park the Dove Lake circuit (about two hours) passes an old boatshed and ancient pine forest. In the evening, as the light fades, wombats often graze on the grasslands, and a guided night walk sometimes reveals other animals too. Mountain weather changes fast; it can even snow in summer.

  4. The Remarkable Rocks above the ocean in Flinders Chase National Park, Kangaroo Island

    04Days 10–12 · Kangaroo Island: Flinders Chase

    Wind-carved rocks in the island's west

    A flight to Adelaide, then a short hop to Kangaroo Island (or the ferry from Cape Jervis). In the island's west, in Flinders Chase National Park, the granite Remarkable Rocks stand on a headland above the ocean, and nearby at Admirals Arch fur seals often rest on the rocks. The bush here is still recovering from the 2019–2020 fires, which is part of the place's story too. At dusk kangaroos graze in the fields, and stays on the island's edges often let you see them from your own terrace.

  5. Sea lions resting on the sand on Kangaroo Island

    05Days 13–14 · Seal Bay & Adelaide

    A beach where sea lions rest

    On the south coast, in Seal Bay Conservation Park, you can walk onto the beach with a ranger to where Australian sea lions, one of the rarer sea lion species, rest between fishing trips at sea. Along the way: honey farms, gin distilleries and island produce. On the last day you fly to Adelaide to connect home; with time, a night in the Adelaide Hills or the Barossa Valley is well worth adding.

Experience highlights

  1. 01

    Wineglass Bay

    A white crescent of sand between granite peaks, from the lookout or down at the water's edge.

  2. 02

    Wombats at Cradle Mountain

    An evening walk on the high grasslands as the animals come out to graze, often close to the path.

  3. 03

    The Remarkable Rocks

    Granite boulders streaked with orange lichen on a headland above the Southern Ocean.

  4. 04

    Seal Bay with a ranger

    A walk on the beach among resting sea lions, quietly and at a respectful distance.

First, we listen. Then, we explore what's possible.

Make it your own

  • Exceptional stays

    At each stop, a stay that is a reason to come in itself: among the granite, on the high grasslands or on a clifftop above the ocean, with guides and dinners on site.

  • More active

    A four-day guided walk in Tasmania, the Cradle Mountain summit or the Overland Track in place of some of the driving.

  • With Maria Island

    On the way from Hobart to Freycinet, a day or a night on car-free Maria Island, home to wombats, kangaroos and Cape Barren geese.

  • In another season

    In summer (December–February) days are long and warmer, and autumn is often calm and clear. In winter it snows in the highlands and Kangaroo Island is often windy: a quieter but brisker time.

Practical considerations

  • Direct flights from Tasmania to Adelaide are few, so the route often connects via Melbourne; we keep that day light.
  • Southern weather is changeable in any season: a warm layer and a waterproof jacket are worth packing even in summer.
  • In Tasmania and on Kangaroo Island there's a lot of wildlife on the roads in the evening and at night, so we'd advise against driving after dark.
  • Wildlife sightings are frequent here, but nothing in nature is guaranteed; well-placed stays and guided outings improve the chances.

General guidance only. Seasons, weather and wildlife are never guaranteed, and travel requirements are always worth checking before you go.

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