Tasmania is an island state of Australia, located at latitude 42° south. It has excellent food and wine, beautiful beaches, spectacular UNESCO listed wilderness, stunning mountains, a rich history and friendly, innovative people. Tasmania has five UNESCO listed convict sites. Getting to Tasmania necessitates the adventure of travelling by boat or plane from Melbourne, or by plane from Sydney or Brisbane.
Boat
The Spirit of Tasmania ferries passengers and cars between Melbourne (Victoria) and Devonport (Tasmania). There are day sailings in peak seasons. Night sailings operate year round on every day except Sunday. Read about my journey on the Spirit of Tasmania here.
Plane
Hobart International Airport
Hobart, Tasmania’s capital city, can be reached directly from Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. Fly via Virgin Australia, Jetstar, Qantas (Melbourne and Sydney only) and Tigerair (Melbourne only).
Launceston Airport
Launceston is Tasmania’s second largest city and can be reached directly from Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. Fly via Virgin Australia (Melbourne and Sydney only), Jetstar and Qantas. Sharp Airlines also flies from Launceston Airport to Burnie, King Island and Flinders Island.
Devonport Airport
Devonport, the northern city from which The Spirit of Tasmania sails, has a small airport. It can be reached directly from Melbourne via Qantas.
Burnie Airport
Burnie, a coastal town in the north west, has a small airport. It can be reached directly from Melbourne via Rex and Free Spirit Airlines. Sharp Airlines also files from Burnie to Launceston, King Island and Flinders Island.
There are several other small airports and airlines operating in Tasmania.
Quarantine
Tasmania has strict quarantine laws to prevent the spread of pests and diseases. You cannot bring any fresh meats, honey, fruit and vegetables or plants into Tasmania. For more detailed information, visit the Tasmanian Government’s “Traveller’s Guide to Tasmanian Biosecurity – What You Can and Can’t Bring into Tasmania“.
Enjoy your journey to Tasmania! For more ideas for your Tassie adventures, read my posts about what to do in Tassie’s north, north west, south, west coast, east coast and midlands.