There’s no time for winter blues in Tasmania, as there’s too much to see and do. Whether you like to trek through the state’s pristine wilderness, join the crowds at one of our spirited winter festivals, or hibernate at home in your ugg boots with a pot of tea and a good book, winter is a great time to celebrate all that’s great about living in Tasmania. Yes, it can get pretty cold at times. But it seems Tasmanians are increasingly realising the value of rugging up, getting out, and embracing winter in all its glory.

Because as the saying goes, “there’s no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing”. So dust off your puffer jacket and beanie and start planning for winter fun with the help of our mega list of activities and events across the state throughout the chilly months of June, July and August. Whether you embrace a calendar bursting with commitments, or prefer some cosy, low-key respite, our bumper list of ideas is sure to fire up your enthusiasm for winter.

FESTIVAL OF VOICES

Warm you hands – and your heart – at the Festival of Voices Big Sing Bonfire at Salamanca on Saturday, July 1.

It is just one of 54 events being held as part of the festival from June 30 to July 9. What began 18 years ago as a ­modest three-day event now spans 10 days and attracts 30,000 people, showcasing local, national and international artists in a series of free and ticketed performances, workshops and community events. Tripod, Mahalia Barnes, The Wolfe Brothers, Mark Seymour, Nancy Bates, a tribute to cultish English songstress Kate Bush by Sarah-Louise Young, and cabaret divas Dolly Diamond and Tash York (the Attention Seekers) are among this year’s drawcards. Tickets from festivalofvoices.com

RELAX IN AN OUTDOOR BATH

Be invigorated as you slide into a piping hot outdoor bath as steam rises into the crisp winter air. There are quite a few Tasmanian accommodation offerings with outdoor bathtubs or spas, so book a winter weekend away.

Check out The Roundhouses at Cygnet, King Billy Suites at Cradle Mountain Lodge, Thalia Haven on Tasmania’s East Coast, Aquila Glamping at Richmond, Bruny Island’s Hundred Acre Hideaway or Pumphouse Point. Or you can really reconnect with nature after taking a cold plunge off the pontoon into the fresh waters of Briseis Hole and then warm yourself up again in the toasty confines of a traditional Finnish wood-fired sauna at the Floating Sauna at Lake Derby.

BICHENO BEAMS

The Bicheno sky comes alive from July 1-22 with Bicheno Beams (bichenobeams.com) laser light show running nightly from 6pm at Lions Park.

Entry is free. Now in its third year, the event attracted more than 10,000 visitors in 2022.

AGRICULTURED

Tasmania’s fresh produce and sustainable farming practices will be celebrated in Launceston at agriCULTURED (agricultured.com.au) from August 3-6.

The festival which takes food lovers on a journey through Tasmania’s agricultural landscapes and throws a spotlight on why Launceston was named a UNESCO City of Gastronomy.

FARMER’S MARKETS

Winter is a great time to visit Hobart’s Farm Gate ­Market or Launceston’s Harvest Market and enjoy Tasmania’s cool-climate produce.

Winter offerings include hearty vegies like potatoes, parsnips and artichokes, and winter greens including mizuna, kale and rainbow chard, plus an abundance of apple varieties. Local meat and seafood (including oysters and scallops) can be found in abundance during winter, perfect for making slow-cooked stews, casseroles, curries and pies. Farm Gate Market (farmgatemarket.com.au) runs every Sunday ­in Bathurst St from 8.30am-1pm. Harvest Market (harvestmarket.org.au) is held every Saturday, from 8.30am-­12.30pm in Cimitiere St, Launceston. Also check out Tasmanian Produce Market at Kangaroo Bay on Saturday mornings, and Bream Creek Farmers Market on the first Sunday of every month.

WINTER BREWS

A cold beer goes down a treat ­in summer, but can be equally enjoyable in the colder months with darker, richer and more flavoursome winter brews.

T-Bone Brewing Co. (North Hobart and Huntingfield) serves a full-bodied imperial stout, aged in The Remnant Whisky Company casks. The limited-release brew has “complex burnt and malty-sweet flavours” which are “complemented and mellowed by toffee, marmalade and vanilla bean from the whisky barrels’’. Meanwhile, at Hobart Brewing Co (16 Evans St, Hobart) the winter offering is Tascadian, a melting pot of decadent roasted malt and resinous hops, providing warming flavours of dark chocolate and caramel. There’s also Blood and Sand, an aperitif-inspired sour brewed for winter drinking which is described as “a complex but oh-so-sessionable sour with an addictive acidity and intriguing botanical complexity’’.

ENJOY A POT OF TEA

Fill your teapot with a warming winter brew. Tasmanian tea business The Tea Equation has a Fireside Spice blend perfect for winter which features rooibos tea, echinacea and spices.

It is “rich in immune-boosting ingredients”, is hailed as “a deeply relaxing blend to warm the heart and soothe the body” and is “best enjoyed in a comfortable chair”. Also on offer is a Tasmanian Campfire Chai which is “packed with beneficial herbs and gunpowder tea to boost the immune system and replenish energy” and is “as warming as a campfire under a starry Tasmanian sky”. Go to theteaequation.com.au for more.

CHOCOLATE WINTERFEST

The wickedly delicious festival that celebrates all-things chocolate – Chocolate Winterfest (chocolatewinterfest.com.au) – returns to Latrobe this winter, with a day of chocolate celebrations on Sunday, August 13, from 10.30am-3pm.

The full program will be released on World Chocolate Day (July 7) but chocolate bingo, chocolate high tea, chocolate henna body art, chocolate massage therapy and a chocolate mousse-eating competition have been among the highlights in previous years.

HUON VALLEY MID-WINTER FESTIVAL

This lively festival of feasting, cider, music, fire and folklore will be held on Friday, July 14 (5pm-11pm); and Saturday, July 15 (10am-midnight); at Willie Smith’s Apple Shed at Grove and is guaranteed to brighten even the darkest of winter days.

Celebrate the Huon Valley’s apple-picking history and join in the age-old tradition of wassailing – scaring nasties out of the orchard’s cider trees to ensure a bumper autumn crop. Warm yourself beside towering bonfires and dress in your best pagan-inspired outfit. Visit williesmiths.com.au

WARM UP WITH WHISKY

Tasmanian Whisky Week (taswhiskyweek.com) runs from August 7-13.

Highlights include the Spirits Showcase and Meet the Maker events, along with dinners, tastings, whisky auctions and more.

DINE IN AN IGLOO

The Telegraph Hotel’s rooftop will transform into a winter wonderland, with daily snowfall and four igloos offering a dining experience with a difference.

Cosy up beneath a sky of twinkling fairy lights, soak up the view and tuck into delicious food. $69 per person, includes your own private igloo for 2.5 hours, a three-course sharing menu, a bluetooth speaker to play your own music, plus heaters and blankets. Igloos seat 2-6 people.. The igloos will also turn red during Dark Mofo. telegraphhotelhobart.com.au

TASSIE SCALLOP FIESTA

A celebration of all things maritime, fishing, seafood and wine.

The Tassie Scallop Fiesta, at Bridport’s Village Green on Sunday, July 30, coincides with the start of the commercial scallop season. tassiescallopfiesta.com.au

HAVE A LAUGH

Shake off the winter blues with a comedy show. Dave Hughes brings his show Too Good to Wrest Point (wrestpoint.com.au) on Saturday, July 22, while The Melbourne International Comedy Festival Roadshow comes to Wrest Point on Wednesday, July 5.

Randy Feltface brings Feltopia to Hobart’s Theatre Royal on Thursday, August 3, while Luke Kidgell, who has amassed more than three million fans online for his viral stand-up videos, will perform his show, Happy Hour, at the Theatre Royal on August 18-19. theatreroyal.com.au

HADLEY’S ART PRIZE

This prestigious Australian landscape prize offers $100,000 for the winning artist, and finalists include Tasmanians Joshua Andree, Raymond Arnold, Michaye Boulter, Megan Walch, Alex Wanders and Philip Wolfhagen.

The winner will be announced on July 21, with an exhibition of finalists held at Hadley’s Orient Hotel in Hobart from July 22-August 20. There will also be tours, art talks and a family day. hadleysartprize.com.au

HUNT FOR WATERFALLS

We’re lucky to live in such a beautiful place, so why not walk some of the scenic trails around Hobart and enjoy the magic of a cascading winter waterfall.

In the foothills of kunanyi/Mt Wellington you can find several waterfalls within a few kilometres of each other, including Strickland Falls, Myrtle Gully Falls, Secret Falls and O’Grady’s Falls. You can walk to Silver Falls from Fern Tree or head to Snug Falls, a great child and dog-friendly adventure. Russell Falls at Mt Field looks spectacular in winter, too. Find inspiration on the Waterfalls of Tasmania Facebook page.

JAZZ IT UP

Get your groove on at Devonport Jazz Festival, with events held at various venues around Devonport from July 27-30. devonportjazz.com.au

LEARN TO CROCHET

Crochet some winter woollies with classes for beginners run by Lily & Dot on Saturday, July 15, or Saturday, August 5, from 3pm-5pm. Follow Lily & Dot on Facebook for details.

A POP OF COLOUR

Freshen up your home and your winter wardrobe with a pop of colour. Pantone’s colour of the year for 2023 is Viva Magenta (also known as Carmine Red), and mixes deep red and purples to create a regal, dramatic hue that is “a shade rooted in nature” and is described by colour forecasters as “brave” and “fearless”, promoting “a joyous and optimistic celebration”.’

At The Spotted Quoll Studio in Hobart and Launceston, the Wild Forager winter collection features jackets, boots, scarfs, throw cushions, lamps and coasters in earthy hues like pinot, honey mustard, forest, moss green, bronze earth and slate, with prints inspired by Tassie landscapes including the Bay of Fires, Tessellated Pavement and Tasmania’s native flora and fauna. Winter is also a great time to add a pop of greenery to your home, with house plants proven to help banish winter blues by improving air quality, boosting wellbeing and promoting a sense of calm.

PLAY IN THE SNOW

Snowfalls transform Tasmania into a winter wonderland.

Cradle Mountain, Mt Field, Ben Lomond and Hartz Mountains National Park are just some of the places you can enjoy a dump of snow, provided the forecast is favourable and you’re adequately prepared and suitably dressed. Hobart City Council (hobartcity.com.au) offers information on short walks in light snow conditions – including Springs to the Chalet, Silver Falls, and Sphinx Rock and Junction Cabin – as well as tips for keeping safe.

SWIM IN THE OCEAN

Cold water immersion is said to have many health benefits – enthusiasts say it can improve circulation, deepen sleep, reduce stress and boost energy levels.

Find an ocean swimming group in your local area via the Tassie Cold Water Swimming group on Facebook – there are regular gatherings at many Tasmanian beaches, including Kingston, Taroona and Sandy Bay.

READ SOMETHING TASMANIAN

Winter is the perfect time to curl up with a good book, and there are plenty of worthy Tasmanian titles to add to your reading pile.

Consider Maggie MacKellar’s new book, Graft, a “gorgeously written reflection” which details the trials and tribulations of a year on a merino wool farm on Tasmania’s East Coast, or Launceston farmer Stephanie Trethewey’s Motherland, which shares stories of rural mothers across Australia, including Tasmanians.

The Collected Regrets of Clover is a “warm-hearted, tender story of love, life-lessons and letting go” and is the debut novel of Mikki Brammer, an Australian journalist based in New York who grew up in Tasmania. Meanwhile, Danielle Maistry’s Port Arthur is a fictional tale set in 1830 during the convict transportation era, while Adam Ouston’s debut novel Waypoints, long-listed for the prestigious Miles Franklin Literary Award, is a “wild ride through a storm of grief, ambition, integrity, remembrance and love”. Other new Tassie releases include Yvonne Fogarty’s Opening Doors: The Enormity of Us; Real Tassie Legends: Chronicles of an earlier Tasmania by octogenarian Geoff Harwood; On a Bright Hillside in Paradise by Annette Higgs; The Escapades of Tribulation Johnson by Karen Brooks; and Chocolatier by Igor van Gerwen of Anvers Tasmania, whose illustrated hardback takes readers through a journey of van Gerwen’s cacao hunting adventures in remote areas of Peru and Mexico, explores the history of chocolate and presents modern-day recipes for cooking at home.

Don’t forget bestsellers including Meg Bignell’s Angry Women’s Choir and Heather Rose’s memoir Nothing Bad Ever Happens Here. Winter is also a perfect time to admire finely detailed watercolours of late artist Susan Lester in Birds of Tasmania, which is described by Fullers as a “truly special” book that “draws gasps from every person who flips through its pages’’.

TASMANIAN MADE WINTER MARKET

Shop wares from more than 140 makers from across Tasmania at MAC 02, Hunter St, Hobart, on July 1-2 from 9am-4pm. Find out more at Tasmanian Made Markets on Facebook.

VISIT TMAG

The Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery’s major winter exhibition, Twist, is launching on June 9 as part of Dark Mofo, along with a vibrant public program of late-night openings, contemporary performances, artist talks and guided gallery tours between June 9-22. Charles Dickens enchanted readers with irrepressible characters while exploring issues such as crime and punishment, the dire impact of poverty on women and children, and the grim conditions in orphanages, prisons and workhouses.

He was as fascinated by the people and social interactions in far-flung colonies as he was in those of the dirty streets of London, and many of his characters were transported or immigrated to Australia. The exhibition brings together artwork by exceptional Australian and Irish artists to engage with Dickensian themes – with a contemporary and quirky twist. Exhibition runs until October 22. tmag.tas.gov.au

SEE A MOVIE

Plenty of Hollywood blockbusters are being released for winter.

So visit your nearest cinema to see films including Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse; Barbie; Transformers: Rise of the Beasts; The Flash; Extraction 2; Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem; Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One; Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny; Gran Turismo; No Hard Feelings; Haunted Mansion; and Disney Pixar animation Elemental.

MOUNTAIN BIKING

The popularity of mountain biking continues to soar in Tasmania and winter is the perfect time to get your heart pumping with downhill adrenaline.

Check out Derby in Tasmania’s North East, Maydena Bike Park, Wild Mersey near Latrobe, Launceston’s Hollybank Mountain Bike Park, Penguin Mountain Bike Park/Dial Range, Glenorchy Mountain Bike Park or Clarence Mountain Bike Park (Meehan Range).

GET INTO SCIENCE

The Beaker Street Festival is an annual celebration of science and art in Tasmania and runs from August 4-13.

Check out the free pop-up science bar at TMAG on August 4 and 5, with more than 150 roving scientists available for a chat, as well as art and science installations, live music and the annual Beaker Street Science Photography Prize. beakerstreet.com.au

HERITAGE & BULLOCK FESTIVAL

This two-day celebration on August 12 and 13 showcases the unique culture and history of Oatlands.

Step back in time and celebrate heritage skills, trades and artisans with traditional bullock teams, vintage machinery and car displays, leather workers, spinners and weavers, market stalls, live music and food from 10am to 4pm at Callington Park. Visit Heritage & Bullock Festival Oatlands on Facebook for more.

GAZE AT THE STARS

Take a stargazing tour on kunanyi/Mt Wellington and learn more about the night sky and Tasmania’s Aboriginal heritage.

Walk on kunanyi (walkonkunanyi.com.au) runs 90-minute family-friendly tours on Friday nights, at 8pm, at The Springs, in conjunction with the Astronomical Society of Tasmania and palawa community members. Tours cost $50 for adults and $10 for kids. You can also learn more about the night sky at Launceston QVMAG planetarium. Planetarium shows are viewed from cinema-style seats and include a live description of the night sky over Tasmania. Tickets are $8 for adults, $6 for kids and $22 per family. Open from Tuesday to Sunday (and Mondays during school holidays). Shows run daily at 11.30am, 1.30pm and 3pm. qvmag.tas.gov.au •