Geek. Tree Hugger. Adventurer.

There is pleasure in the pathless woods, there is rapture on the lonely shore, there is society where none intrudes, By the deep sea and the music in its roar; I love not man the less, but Nature more.

This coming Christmas and New Year holiday, I get a full 2 weeks off from work so I thought I’d head off to some of the more iconic Tasmanian sights — Cradle Mountain, Bay of Fires, Wine Glass Bay and all the other spectacular spots in-between these three sites.

I’m so looking forward to a full dose of Tasmania’s renowned Wilderness Experience. …

[24-Dec to 26-Dec] London Lakes / Queenstown / Cradle Mountain

Stop 1 – London Lakes

Comprising 4,200 acres of unique high country, London Lakes is the ultimate fly fishing experience. The two shallow lakes, Big Jim and Samuel, are easily waded. Both abound with big brown trout and Samuel also has huge rainbows. According to the World Champion French fly fishing team, “you have the best tailing fishing and mayfly hatches on the planet” .

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Stop 2: Queenstown

Queenstown is the Largest town on Tasmania’s West Coast, and is the home of  the West Coast Wilderness Railway, and has several Wilderness walks in the area as well as great Trout Fishing in several surounding Lakes.

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Stop 3 : Cradle Mountain National Park

Camping here from 24-Dec to 26-Dec at:
Discovery Holiday Parks

Part of theTasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. Tasmania’s highest mountain, 1,617-metre (5,305-foot) Mt Ossa, is in this park, just off the Overland Track, while another beautiful national park, the Walls of Jerusalem, abuts its eastern boundary.

The sheer magnificence of Cradle Mountain inspired Austrian-born Gustav Weindorfer to build a chalet of King Billy pine here in 1912 and work tirelessly for a decade to have the area declared a national park “for the people for all time”. His dream was realised in 1922, and today a quarter of all visitors to the state travel here to share his vision.

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[27-Dec to 28-Dec] Beauty Point / Grindelwald / Launceston

Stop 1: Beauty Point

Beauty Point is a tiny township originally established as the first deepwater port on the Tamar River and today the site of the Australian Maritime College and is the only place on the planet with a seahorse farm. Nearby is the Beaconsfield Gold Mine and Museum.

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Stop 2: Grindelwald

The village of Grindelwald was established in the 1980s as a unique residential development. All houses in Grindelwald have been built in Swiss style, with wide eaves, flowerboxes, window shutters and balconies. The settlement is fringed with glassy lakes and views of the Tamar Valley.

Tamar River Cruises and Shopping are one of the top things to do here.

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Stop 3: Launceston

Staying here overnight on 27-Dec at:
A friend’s place.

Launceston is Tasmania’s second largest city and has redefined itself as a cultural hub with vibrant cafes, museums and open parkland.

This small compact city is easy to explore. You can walk the elegant streetscapes and through century-old parks, which sit beside revitalised areas such as Launceston Seaport, with its waterfront eateries. A boardwalk links the Seaport to Inveresk, where you can visit one of Australia’s best regional galleries, the Queen Victoria Museum at Inveresk.

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[29-Dec to 31-Dec] Bridestowe Lavender Farm / Scottsdale / Bay of Fires

Stop 1: Bridestowe Lavender Farm

One of the world’s largest lavender farms. The farm consists of 48 hectares (120 acres) of rolling lavender fields and is considered one of Tasmania’s most spectacular sights during flowering in December and January. A tasting area allows you to experience the unique use of Bridestowe lavender as a subtle flavouring in superb quality foods. Sit and enjoy a coffee in the Bridestowe café or picnic under the century-old oak trees and stroll through the fields.

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Stop 2: Scottsdale

Scottsdale is the administrative centre for the north-east with rich agricultural and forestry history. Enjoy a picnic in North East Park then challenge yourself to a half-day return walk to the summit of Mount Stronach for panoramic views of the forests and farms. You will see crops growing in surrounding fields and contented dairy cows grazing.

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Stop 3: Bay Of Fires
Camping here from 29-Dec to 31-Dec at:
Cosy Corner (Backups: Grants Lagoon, Swimcart Beach)

A region of white beaches, blue water and orange hued granite. Voted one of the two most beautiful beaches in the world, by prestigious UK travel magazine ‘Conde Nast Traveller’. The waters along the Bay of Fires coast offer some of the most exciting and diverse temperate water diving in Australia.

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[1-Jan to 3-Jan] Wineglass Bay and the Freycinet Peninsula

Wineglass Bay, TAS

Camping here from 1-Jan to 3-Jan at:
Friendly Beaches (Backup: Lake Leake)

Sticking out into the sea on Tasmania’s mild east coast is the rugged and beautiful Freycinet Peninsula.

Freycinet National Park consists of knuckles of granite mountains all but surrounded by azure bays and white sand beaches. The dramatic peaks of the Hazards welcome you as you enter the park. Freycinet is effectively two eroded blocks of granite -  the Hazards and the Mt Graham/Mt Freycinet sections of the peninsula – joined by a sand isthmus.

Freycinet is a great place to go bird watching. You may be lucky enough to see a white-bellied sea-eagle gliding overhead or large Australasian gannet diving for food in the ocean.