As such, my eyes are firmly fixed on sandy boots as we complete a three-hour walk on Schouten Island. They lift only because the person in front has come to an abrupt stop. Peering over her shoulder I see a bushwalking finale better fitting an over-orchestrated Masterchef set. Like an Abel Tasman mirage, there before us is a linen and champagne-topped dining table on our own private beach.

I know our guides on this four-day cruise from Orford to Wineglass Bay are handy, but this? With our home, the 23-metre ketch Lady Eugenie bobbing in the background, the entire spectacle is surreal. It’s so impressive one guest gallops off for a skinny dip in readiness for his lobster dip. Nothing about this bare-foot dinner is ordinary. There are Bruny Island oysters, crispy-skinned local salmon, Apogee sparkling and cool sand between our toes.

Each day of this luxury sail/walk devotes generous time to exploring Tasmania’s east coast on foot. This makes the Ashgrove cheddar and lashings of double cream all the more rewarding. We conquer the dolerite spires of Maria Island’s Bishop and Clerk on day one, following up with a six kilometre climb of Bear Hill on Schouten. Our longest walk (6-7 hours) falls on day three- a steady climb to the top of Mount Graham where The Hazards and Wineglass Bay spill gorgeously out before us. Although over 30 kilometres of walking are on offer, the choice is yours to stay aboard and enjoy a little extra wind in the sails with your feet up.

During our expedition, the wildlife also live up to off-the-itinerary antics. As we sail past the northern tip of Maria Island, admiring the peak we’ve conquered, a whale and her calf appear portside. As if nudging us to stop gloating about our on-land achievements, they silently prepare us for what the sea journey might bring. We each stand motionless as they come so close their silence is broken – billowing breaths sending saltiness skyward.

1. GO SOUTH WEST WILD
Take off from Hobart with Par Avion and find yourself in wilderness so remote that humans can only get there by boat, plane or foot. Listen to the silence. Yell and no one will hear you. Cruise across Bathurst Harbour, some six times the size of Sydney Harbour and forget the world exists.
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Par Avion

2. ADVENTURE ON BRUNY ISLAND
Head over to Bruny Island and take the Queen Elizabeth Track if you like having a beach to yourself - keep an eye out for the beautiful rock arch. Or head to Cloudy Bay and get your walk on further south. Most importantly, reward yourself with stops at Get Shucked oysters, Bruny Island Cheese, Tasmanian House of Whiskey and Australia’s southern-most vineyard. Want to make it more than a day trip, book the Bruny Island Long Weekend.
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Bruny Island Long Weekend
Get Shucked
Bruny Island Cheese
Bruny Island Premium Wines
Tasmanian House of Whiskey

3. SHARE OYSTERS, WINE & CONVICT TALES
Port Arthur Historic Site is a must for any visitor. On your way, pop into Bangor Oyster and Wine Shed if you like your cool-climate wine and Pacific oysters served within eyeshot of their source. Oh, and ask about the day Abel Tasman set foot at Bangor. Also near Port Arthur, Crescent Bay and Remarkable Cave are well, remarkable. So is the Coal Mines Historic Site and Lime Bay. Perhaps Port Arthur isn’t a day trip after all.
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Bangor Wine and Oyster Shed
Port Arthur Historic Site

4. SWING A HICKORY CLUB
Play a round on Australia’s oldest golf course – and if you’re game use a set of hickory clubs to level the playing field. At Ratho Farm, there’s also highland trout fishing and Australia’s oldest chicken shed to take a selfie in front of. Chickens aside, get friendly with the neighbour and head to Nant Distillery for lunch. Keep your ear out for Polo and gin soon to be available at nearby Shene Estate too….
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Ratho Farm
Nant Distillery
Shene Estate

5. WELCOME BLUE OCEAN YACHTSMEN
Let Mark Stranger take you on a sailing adventure in his former Sydney to Hobart yacht, Helsel IV. Hop aboard as yachts round their final corner of the Sydney to Hobart or just ask him to take you to a remote cove where you can leap off the side. Mark is happy to make you happy – he’ll even let a band play on his deck if you like your sailing served with tunes.
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Hobart Yachts

6. HEAD FOR THE VALLEY
We locals love it. Hop on the highway and head for the Huon Valley. Drop in to Willie Smiths for an organic cider and cheers to our long-standing apple history. Then venture down to Steve Cumper at Red Velvet Lounge. Australia’s former Country Chef of the Year will whip you up a delicious lunch then spend the arvo searching for fossils at Drip Beach.
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Willie Smiths
Red Velvet Lounge

7. GET HIGH AT SUNRISE
Head for Mount Wellington with a thermos of hot chocolate and a Made in Tasmania blankie in time for sunrise. Even though the pinnacle is just 30 minutes from the GPO, Mount Wellington is a day trip for those who like accessible wilds. There’s Secret Falls, and Cathedral Rock is worth the climb for those looking for the best view on the mountain.
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Mount Wellington

8. CONQUER THE WORLD’S HIGHEST COMMERCIAL ABSEIL
Want to do something brave? Something that will make you swear even though you promised you wouldn’t? Well get kitted up in abseiling gear and climb the Gordon Dam’s guard rail. Stare at that 11mm of rope as you dangle from the world’s highest commercial abseil and if you’re game open your eyes and take in the spectacular view. Reward yourself at Two Metre Tall Brewery on the way home.
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Aardvark Adventures
Two Metre Tall

9. CRUISE THE COAL VALLEY 
Begin your morning with a visit to Coal River Farm. Here, pick some orchard apples, watch a chocolatier sing to his tasty morsels and pick up a wheel of in-house cheese. Venture on to Frogmore (be sure to head upstairs) and Puddleduck as well as Pooley Wines for tastings and spend the afternoon wandering Richmond. Cobbled streets and the country's oldest continually operating bridge...trapped in time the charm has been well bottled in this town.
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Coal River Farm
Frogmore Creek
Pooley Wines
Puddleduck Vineyard

10. TAKE THE GREAT EASTERN DRIVE
Why the name? Because this drive is so spectacular you’ll be hitting the indicator every two minutes to take a photo. Great Oyster Bay is stunning. Kate’s Berry Farm is hideously delicious. The Bay of Fires is, well, just ask Lonely Planet why they named it one of the hottest destinations on the planet. Book in at Kiss a Fish Cooking School or go for a swim with former Olympian Shane Gould – create your own Great Eastern Drive memories.
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Great Eastern Drive
Kiss a Fish
Coffee Club Ocean Swimmers

11. TARN SHELF IT AT MOUNT FIELD
Snow or sunshine, Mount Field is spectacular. From temperate rainforest to alpine moorland, Mount Field National Park rises to 1,434 metres for those who enjoy a climb. For an unforgettable day in the wilds head to Tarn Shelf – carved eons ago by glacial scouring. As Tasmania’s oldest national park (alongside Freycinet) this one’s a goodie.
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Tasmanian Parks & Wildlife Service

12. VISIT MAGIC MARIA ISLAND
Hop aboard East Coast Cruises for a full day exploring. By sea and on land, venture into granite sea caves, lunch with the fur seals and get up close to furry locals at Darlington. Do a lap of the entire island or even kayak with the seals- entirely up to you! There's plenty of history, wilderness and wombats to keep you company along the way.
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East Coast Cruises
Maria Island Walks

13. TASTE WORLD-WINNING WHISKY AND DISCOVER A GIN LAB
He’s known as the Godfather of Australian whisky and Bill Lark just happens to call Tasmania home. With some 20 distilleries set to be in operation by next year, it is little wonder Tasmania has firmly stamped itself on the whisky world map. Hop on Brett Steel’s Whisky Tour and you’ll begin at Bill Lark’s local bar then venture out to all kinds of golden dram wonderful. Who knew Bill McHenry had a gin laboratory or a secret spring on his property – the DNA for his fine liquors.
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Lark Distillery
Tasmanian Whisky Tours
McHenry and Sons

14. PEDAL SOME ART
Hop on MONA bicycles and pedal your way into an arty, culture-filled Hobart day. Leave from the Hobart waterfront and take your time – stop at GASP and the outdoor art installations en route to MONA and no one will know you just needed a breather. Delve underground into David Walsh’s subversive wonderful and pop your head up in time for afternoon bubbles on a giant pink beanbag.
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MONA
GASP

15. WALK INTO SHIPPIES
When the swell is working at Shipsterns Bluff, this break calls surfers from across the world. Don’t take your body board, trust us. Instead, take the four hour return walk. Stand on a clifftop where next landfall is Antarctica then walk down and watch as the Southern Ocean pounds ancient Tasman Peninsula cliffs. It’s wild, raw and elemental. At low tide on a calm day, wander round to the natural rock pools. Only the whales will see you in bathers.
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Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service

16. KISS A SEAL
Who doesn’t want to pash a seal when they’re in Tassie? With Wild Ocean Tasmania you can do just that down the Tasman Peninsula (pictured - the seals playground from above). And you can wear your jeans if you like. The team will fit you out in a dry suit, take you down to a colony of NZ fur seals and from a sea viewing platform you can get nose to nose with your new underwater besties.
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Wild Ocean Tasmania

17. HEAD FOR YOUR VERY OWN BEACH
Drop into Hill Street and gather up the favourite Tassie picnic treats – fill your basket high with strawberries, cheeses, sourdough, cured meats, cool climate Pinot – and head for your own coastal patch. Popular spots include Conningham Beach alongside the boathouses, Dover, Lime Bay or the remote beaches of Bruny Island. Lay out your picnic on a Huon pine picnic plank and, presto, the perfect Tasmanian day.
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Hill St Grocer
Huon pine picnic plank

PADDOCK TO YOUR OWN PLATE AT THE AGRARIAN KITCHEN
It’s not every day that you milk a goat to make dessert. Under the watchful eye of Rodney Dunn at the Agrarian Kitchen, this extra effort is worth the delicious long table dinner. Want to go the whole hog- Rodney will show you how in his 19th Century school house where learning has gone on for many years.
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Agrarian Kitchen

BE SEDUCED BY SEAFOOD
Ever had Australia’s Tourism Legend dive for rock lobster and deliver it to your dinner plate? Back when Rob Pennicott was a young boy, he used to shuck oysters for an after school snack when other kids were eating bikkies. His Seafood Seduction tour is modeled around when Rob would do on his own day off – hop aboard and he’ll dive for shell fish, sea urchin, abalone and cook up whatever else he finds during his underwater forage.
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Seafood Seduction

MEET THE DEVIL & WINEGLASS
You can’t come to Tassie and not meet a devil or visit Wineglass Bay really. Get your boots walking in Freycinet National Park then head to Bicheno come evening. Why not meet the devils with a man who has been watching these little critters since the 1980s? On a Devils in the Dark tour you’ll get to see this iconic species up close as Simon Plowright shares his intimate stories. Find out about the Save the Tassie Devil Appeal while you’re there. If you want to do Wineglass in style, book in with the Wineglass Bay Sail Walk. Drop anchor in Wineglass and be served a three-course dinner on a remote beach? Yes please.
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Natureworld
Tassie Devil Appeal
Wineglass Bay Sail Walk