Ten great reasons to travel around Tassie now

NEED an excuse to put on a jumper and hop on a plane for a trip down south? How about 10?

MONA

Need an excuse to don a jumper and hop on a plane for a holiday down south? How about ten?

1. Food and wine
Tasmania is a gourmet paradise where there is a natural flow from paddock to plate.

Foodies can kick off their epicurean odyssey at Hobart's iconic Salamanca Market or at one of the many farmers' markets scattered around the island to meet the producers and sample prime cheeses, mouth-watering berries, specialty honey and more.

The quality of Tasmania's produce means it is home to some of Australia's most acclaimed cooking schools The Agrarian Kitchen and The Red Feather Inn with classes in pastry, charcuterie and "The Whole Hog".

There are also 240 vineyards producing premium cool-climate wines to discover. Several have adjoining restaurants in beautiful settings such as Meadowbank Estate near Hobart and Josef Chromy just out of Launceston.

2. UNESCO World Heritage convict sites
There are few nations, let alone an island, that can boast as auspicious a collection of coveted World Heritage listings in such a compact area as Tasmania.

The most recent, and momentous, additions came in 2010 when five penal sites out of a total of 11 in Australia from the island state's compelling convict history, were inscribed by UNESCO: Port Arthur Historic Site and the Coal Mines Historic Site on the Tasman Peninsula; the Cascades Female Factory in South Hobart; Darlington Probation Station on Maria Island; and Woolmers and Brickendon Estate near Longford.

UNESCO states that these sites present "the best surviving examples of large-scale convict transportation and the colonial expansion of European powers through the presence and labour of convicts".

3. Walking
Tasmania's tracks and trails are world-renowned. It's an island of more than 1000 peaks, an island of vast, seemingly impenetrable wildernesses, an island where national parks and reserves cover nearly half of its land mass.

Yet, as wild and rugged as Tasmania is, its untamed natural beauty is perfect for walking, with experiences suitable for all levels of fitness and challenge. The 60 Great Short Walks offer the best of Tasmania's walking opportunities, ranging from a few minutes to all day.

Walk though rainforests, along ancient sea cliffs, beside turquoise seas and over jagged mountain peaks.

You can walk the coastal beaches of the East Coast or head deep into the southwest wilderness and feel like the only soul on Earth.

From the serene to the strenuous, Tassie's wild heart is also accessible with The Great Walks of Tasmania, which offers seven sensational guided walks over multiple days. They are: the Bay of Fires Walk in northeast Tasmania; the Freycinet Experience Walk on the east coast; the Tarkine Rainforest Track in the northwest; Wall of Jerusalem Experience and Cradle Huts Walks in central Tasmania; the South-West Walk; and the Maria Island Walk.

Each of these acclaimed, fully guided walks is accompanied by welcome creature comforts for those with a sense of adventure but who'd prefer not to rough it too much.

4. Wildlife
Tasmania is one giant animal sanctuary and on the island you can come face to face with a devil, observe abundant different species of birds or see dolphins and seals frolicking in the wild.

Tasmania's isolation from mainland Australia has ensured the survival of many animals that are rare or even extinct elsewhere in the world.

Keep an eye out and you may come upon a wombat family dining late or a shy platypus swimming in a stream.

There are also specialist operators who can take you animal spotting, and wildlife parks such as Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary near Hobart and Trowunna Wildlife Park near Cradle Mountain guarantee a sighting and provide interesting information too.

5. Cruising
Tasmania looks even more beautiful from the water and you can choose to glide along the forested banks of World Heritage rivers, passing picturesque fishing towns around one of the many offshore islands or beside fluted cliffs towering 300m above the sea.

Take an award-winning eco-cruise around Tasman Island or Bruny Island with Pennicott Wilderness Journeys and look in awe at the magnificent scenery while weaving in and out of deep sea caves.

You can also join in the search for the abundant sea and coastal wildlife seals, migrating whales, dolphins and sea birds.

Elsewhere, take a cruise along the tranquil Gordon River on the west coast and marvel at the spellbinding scenery around every bend.

6. MONA
It's the most public and provocative private art museum in the land and it's right on a commanding sandstone escarpment beside the River Derwent, a short trip by ferry or car from Hobart's CBD.

The Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) has already attracted international and national attention for not only its eclectic collection but its innovative and dynamic approach to displaying art.

The museum is a subterranean architectural and cultural showpiece worth a visit for its design excellence alone.

MONA now also has its own produce-based market MoMa Market. Held on the roof of the museum every Saturday until April 14, there's fresh produce to take home, delicious food to sample as well as foodie workshops, art installations and live music to enjoy.

7. Cycling
Tasmania offers a variety of cycle and mountain bike tours, from relaxing wine, food and heritage experiences to exhilarating mountain descents.

The island's diverse terrain offers ever-changing scenery it's easy to explore historic villages or to ride stunning wilderness and coastal routes.

Join Mount Wellington Descent in Hobart for a guided, free-wheeling ride down one of Tasmania's highest and most famous peaks.

Under Down Under operates various multi day cycling tours around the state and if you're really up for a challenge, the biannual Pure Tasmania Wildside MTB is for you ride the state's best and toughest trails over four days, starting in Cradle Mountain and finishing in Strahan.

8. Adventure
For many, a holiday in Tasmania can be an adventure in its own right. But there's also a wealth of thrilling experiences for visitors to enjoy, spread within Tasmania's extraordinarily varied landscapes.

The Dove Canyon Expedition consists of jumps, slides and abseils within a 50m-high quartzite canyon near Cradle Mountain.

Elsewhere, Aardvark Adventures offers a 140m abseil of the Gordon Dam wall that's considered the world's highest commercial abseil.

On Tasmania's extraordinary east coast, seals and dolphins are fond of the waters by the Freycinet National Park. It's there, courtesy of Freycinet Adventures, that you can obtain a perspective similar to theirs on a sea kayak during a coastal three-hour exploration.

9. Fishing
Whether it's fishing tuna on the east coast, tagging a wild brown trout in a highland lake or dangling a line along a remote beach, the lure of the island state, one of the last great fisheries of the world, is irresistible.

Game-fishing waters in Tasmania which hold several world records for southern bluefin tuna including one fish weighing in at 120kg stretch from Flinders Island in the northeast, past St Helens, where marlin proliferate, and all the way down the east coast (tag and release is encouraged by most charter boat operators).

On a more subdued, though no less enthralling front, Tasmania, with more than 3000 lakes and rivers, is also an internationally recognised trout fly-fishing destination.

Wherever you fish in Tasmania you'll likely do so in solitude amid pure air and clean skies surrounded by remarkable flora and fauna.

If all that doesn't hook you, Tasmania is also ideal for saltwater fishing, with the island's estuaries and coastal lagoons brimming with species such as bream and flathead.

No matter what your level of expertise Tasmania offers almost every conceivable fishing experience in some of the most magical, unspoilt settings on Earth.

10. Touring
Tasmania is one of the most accessible and rewarding regions in Australia to tour and explore, with unspoilt stretches of land providing countless opportunities for visitors looking to immerse themselves in nature.

The compact island has diverse scenery and interesting, uncrowded roads that lend themselves perfectly to touring, in easy stages.

Roughly 40 per cent of Tasmania is protected in national parks and there are more than 50 caravan parks scattered throughout the island, as well as many camp sites some within national parks and forest reserves.

No matter what your style of touring, there will be a site that suits your preferences ranging from fields with basic amenities and a place to pitch your tent, to relatively luxurious parks with ensuite facilities and cabin-style accommodation.