The cleanest air and water on the planet, varied landscapes and four distinct seasons all contribute towards Tasmania's bountiful supply of produce. Its rich volcanic soils are perfect for growing premium fruit, the cooler climate produces elegant dry wines and the unspoiled coastline ensures the freshest seafood around.
Tasmania's fish and seafood, cheeses, wines, oils, truffles, game, smallgoods, organic fruits and vegetables are of the highest quality and flavour. No wonder Tasmania has such a highly sophisticated local food and wine culture.
Tasmania: Island of Adventure
Four Wheel Driving
Though Tasmania doesn't have outback desert areas like those on the mainland, it has plenty of unsealed roads, mountain tracks, isolated beaches and other off-road driving experiences for erveryone from the casual offroader to the die-hard 4-wheel driver to enjoy.
Surfing
Australia is very much 'The Lucky Country' when it comes to surfing. It has the largest stretch of coastline of any island in the world, and a large portion of it is surfable. The rugged headland on the Tasman Peninsula is generally accepted as being the most challenging surfing location in Australia. In recent years, the churning swell of Shipstern Bluff has attracted elite surfers from around the world, dominated the surf media and set the bar for extreme surfing in Australia.
Kayaking The Roaring 40s
Sea kayaking is an activity that pits man against nature on the open sea, and there are few places around the Australian coast where the activity is more challenging and rewarding than the south-west corner of Tasmania. Roaring 40s Wilderness Tours operates three to seven day kayaking eco-tours out of Hobart to the magnificent Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. Guests are flown across isolated coastlines and mountain ranges to land deep in Southwest Tasmania, where they explore pristine wilderness harbours and ocean coastlines, remote islands and wild rivers.
On a map, Tasmania has the appearance of a jewel hanging around the neck of mainland Australia - an appropriate image for what is Australia's most unique state, a jewel waiting to be discovered and appreciated. Whilst basically Australian in character, the Tasmanian countryside is refreshingly different from the mainland, including the southern parts of Victoria that are just 240 kilometres away across Bass Strait.
Distances from town to town in Tasmania are generally less than those of the mainland states, so no place is too far away from another, the roads are good, though often narrow and winding in mountainous areas, and the scenery differs greatly from one part of the island to another.
Taking Tasmania To The World
Tasmania 40° South is Tasmania's own national and international journal - a quarterly celebration of all that is good about Australia's island state. Richly illustrated with superb photographs, Tasmania 40 Degrees South presents the wilderness, culture, industry, wildlife, landscapes and people of Tasmania. Between the covers of every issue lie many hours of absorbing reading accompanied by stunning photographs. Topics are as diverse as wooden boats and hand-crafted shoes, food, wine, craft and wilderness to economic reports. There are profiles and quirky articles, historical tales and inspiring stories all combining in a magazine that is a feast for the eyes and intellect.