Tasmania is like everyone’s second favourite sporting team – for most travellers anyway. Whenever you ask someone “have you been to Tassie?”, a lot of responses are “no not yet, I would love to, I hear its beautiful. It is like a well rehearsed response. Well stop right there! If you want a place to relax, unwind, be treated nicely and totally in awe or if its adventure and the wilderness you are after, it’s time you headed south to the Apple Isle.

Tassie is better by road and sea – take the time to see it properly. Take the caravan, motorhome or car and jump onboard the Spirit of Tasmania. I was very impressed with the Spirit, it’s like a cruiseliner! Amazing restaurants, great food, heaps of entertainment for the kids, a movie theatre and the rooms are great! It’s definitely a great experience especially if you haven’t been on a cruise ship before it is a great entry level introduction.

A lot of Tassie is still untouched and very natural so don’t expect to arrive by boat scoot around and be out within a few days. While Tassie is relatively small in size, it makes up for it with attractions and adventure. Only a few hours after leaving the ferry terminal in Devonport we have stopped off, brought home made goats cheese, had a little wine tasting, stocked up with a few bottles for the trip and then walked the coast line of sand beaches, rugged rock formations and collected a few pieces of Tassie drift wood, all in Ulverstone – an old town right on the oceanfront.

When it was time to start the Everitts up again we were off down narrow windy roads to Strahan via of course Cradle Mountain. Situated in the world heritage listed Lake St Clair National Park. Cradle Mountain is 90 minutes from Devonport or Ulveston and is situated at the northern end of the national park. Cradle Mountain is rich with Aboriginal history dating back thousands of years. The golden rule is to remember your camera and be on the look out! The wildlife is plentiful and the scenery is second to none. Cradle Mountain is one of those places you will never want to leave.

After saying a reluctant farewell to Cradle Mountain, we then head down to Strahan. Strahan is an amazing little village, nestled on the banks of the Macquarie Harbour. I didn’t know where to look first! The old buildings, surrounding mountains, clear clean waters or the size of some of the fishing boats!

The two biggest ‘must do’s’ in Strahan are the day cruise with World Heritage Cruises and take a scenic water plane flight.

The cruise will take you to Sarah Island, where the convicts were cut off from the outside world with plenty of remnants still in tact today, then to The Landing, Gordon River and the intriguing Hells Gate. Not to mention the great buffet lunch on board and those famous Huon Pines!

If you have time, also take in a scenic flight, it gives you a totally different perspective of the area. There is nothing like a birds eye view.

Unfortunately with time not on our side any longer – while filming a television show we are on the go quick smart every day! We continue our drive cutting straight across to the east coast, which was hard to do, passing so many places and not stopping, but I’m not retired yet and have little time restraint on how long I can stay on the road so I will stop into all the towns we had to forfeit on this trip, the next time we come to Tasmania.

We go east until we can go no further, were arrive at the coast line in a town called Coles Bay the hub of the Freycinet National Park. You could seriously throw a blanket over the whole town but that’s what we love about it, it’s a short drive then a nice semi solid walk to the top lookout to see over the world famous Wine Glass Bay, this in my books is a highly recommended walk. The terrain is fairly easy and the views you are rewarded with at the end are remarkable.   Like many of the fabulous wineries you pass while driving in Tasmania ensure you make the time to stop and explore and taste a few – always make sure you have plenty of time up your sleeve as you just never know what is around each corner.

Coles Bay is breath taking, with crystal clear water, untouched wilderness and you feel as if you have it to yourself, you truly feel spoilt. The number one activity after hiking to the lookout to Wine Glass Bay, is to take a kayak out for a paddle in the glassy waters, it’s just the peaceful serenity you endure or maybe a couple of wild dolphins. It’s a relaxing paddle looking at the national park and magnificent surroundings from a different angle. Further north up the coast is St Helens a place I’ve heard a lot about. It’s now time I saw it for myself. St Helens itself is the perfect place for me, a fishing village with more seafood than you can poke your fishing rod at. The boats and trawlers bring bird life and pictures can only say so much.

St Helens is full of surprises too. If you love food, love seafood, love good people then you have to go to the Blue Shed Restaurant. It’s the Blue Shed down on the main wharf in town. You will love it, I guarantee you. I have it in my top 5 restaurants around Australia. Add in quaint coffee shops, beautiful walking tracks, stunning beaches, plentiful ocean and a great caravan park. But saving the best for last, is Bay of Fires. Voted the best beach in the world! Just a short drive from St Helens brings you to the most picture perfect beach you will ever see. It’s definitely time to start organising that trip to Tassie!

TRAVEL TIP:

• Plan to stay a while, don’t cut yourself short
• Take the Spirit of Tasmania across to Tassie.

FAST FACTS:

* Tasmania has a higher proportion of its land area (22.6 per cent) reserved for recreation and conservation purposes than any other State.

* Western Tasmania’s World Heritage Area is one of the last great unspoilt wilderness areas in the world.

* A Huon pine tree in the south-west wilderness is estimated to be 4,000 years old, making it the oldest living thing on earth.

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