Advantages: wilderness, friendly, relaxing, adventure, 'non-touristy', quiet
Disadvantages: distance, 'non-touristy', quiet

...Tasmania is often missed out by travellers to Australia but those who take the time to travel down to this beautiful island state find that it is well worth it. To give a general idea, Tasmania is the size of Ireland with a population of less than half a million and vast areas of National Parks and World Heritage Areas. It is a rugged, mountainous island but this is not to say it doesn't have its share of beaches - some of the most beautiful in the world. If you like your holidays to include theme-parks, nightlife, and tropical beaches then Tasmania is not for you. On the other hand if you like bushwalking, adventure sports, skiing, or simply getting away from it all and relaxing then Tasmania is the ideal location. The climate is mild with warm summers and bracing winters cold enough for skiing in the mountains but not as cold and wet... Read review

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Advantages: Stunningly Beautiful, Unspoilt, Unique
Disadvantages: Located at the very end of the world...

..., but the first European to land on the island was a French Admiral, Bruny D'Encetastreaux, after whom it was later named. Captains Bligh and Cook both anchored on the Island in the late 18th century, with Bligh rumoured to have planted the island's very first apple tree. Cook's relations with the island's natives during his 1777 visit were by all accounts amicable, and he took back the first ever Eucalyptus specimens from Bruny. However, the story of the Aboriginal people of Bruny, subsequent to European settlement, was to be a brutal and tragic one, and one that closely mirrored that of their counterparts on mainland Tasmania. It was tantamount to Genocide. Those few that escaped slaughter, or did not succumb to introduced diseases, were eventually transported to Flinders Island, where a similarly bleak fate awaited them. More than 20,000 years... Read review

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Advantages: Full of usful information, easy to use/read.
Disadvantages: None

...The Lonely Planet travel guide to Tasmania is a must for anyone thinking of visiting this beautiful state of Australia. It is filled with info on virtually everything that you require from transport to accommodation. I travelled around Tasmania for a month whilst on a year out from my studies and this guide just made my life so much easier during that period. Like the rest of the Lonely Planet series this guide was produced to a very high standard and is very easy to use, even when flustered and in a panic as to which bus you were meant to get on. Virtually very town/place featured within the book is accompanied by a map of the high street and surrounding areas, and those places which do not have a map are generally to small to get lost in. It contains lots of information on where to stay, ranging from budget hostels to B&B and beyond... Read review

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Advantages: The experience, The scenery, Meet new friends, It goes on...
Disadvantages: Need some money first, Travelling time

..., is in the monsoon belt and has just two seasons; hot and wet, and hot and dry. It is best to avoid South Australia and Tasmania from May to September. The rain will only remind you of home. -Visas- These are essential. Get visas at The Australian High Commission (Australia House, Strand, London WC2B 4LA, tel 020 7379 4334, www.australia.org.uk). Three-month tourist visas are free if you turn up in person from 9am-noon, Mon – Fri. To save queuing, some travel agents will process them on your behalf. -Car hire- Cars can be hired at major airports or in major city centres with Hertz, Thrifty and Avis etc. Average daily costs are around A$70 for a small manual. You’ll need an international licence and have to be over 21 (over 25 for a 4WD). -Phones- The east coast is nine hours ahead of GMT, the west seven. To call Oz from the UK, dial 44... Read review

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Advantages: So much to see
Disadvantages: Such a long flight away

...I have not long returned from a gap year away where I spent most of my time in Australia working. This is definitely a country, which has lots to offer. I spent 6 months here and you could definitely spend longer. Below are some of the highlights of my trip: **SYDNEY** There are lots of things to see and do here, the Opera House being the most obvious. We paid to do a tour inside here, which I would recommend as you can see inside the theatre and its running. You can climb in Harbour Bridge but it's not for the faint hearted though as it very high up. If you take the boat to Taronga Zoo you can see the Opera House from the water and the views of Sydney skyline are amazing from the zoo, plus there are lots of different animals in the zoo to keep you entertained all day. Blue Mountains is a must see, it is two hours out of Sydney... Read review

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Advantages: So much information
Disadvantages: Slightly bulky to carry

...and medical services, places of interest (plus tourist sites to avoid), walking tours, a map, transport and area's in the city. It is everything you would need to know to plan your trip. Tasmania has also been included and covered in this book which was a nice surprise as we are planning to go here as well. It gives you the same detailed information you get of Australia. + MY EXPERIENCE + I have found this an extremely useful book when planning my trip around Australia. It has helped me chose suitable accommodation and plan a budget quite accurately (as prices are included in activities and sights seeing trips). It is easy to look up and often things are cross-referenced. So if they are talking briefly about something and have covered it in detail elsewhere you can easily look it up. In my opinion it has all the information that you could... Read review

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Advantages: Wonderful, unspoilt wilderness and super friendly people
Disadvantages: A very long way away

...I'm not sure what images the island state of Tasmania conjors in people's imaginations, but I'm willing to bet that the reality surpasses anyones most optimistic expectations. Tasmania is an absolute jewel. A greater percentage of Tasmania is given over to national reserves than any other state in Australia and one visit is enough to convince you that you have indeed found the last unspoilt wilderness on earth (well, geographically it's pretty much the end of the line until you reach Antarctica!) I would recommend just about anywhere in the state for stunning views, a relaxing atmosphere and spectacularly friendly people. If I had to pick a favourite place, I'd suggest Launceston and it's surrounding region. Launceston itself is a charming town with a wonderful gorge that takes a full day to explore. Then, just an hour or two out... Read review

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Advantages: amazing unspoilt natural scenery
Disadvantages: a long way away and not easily accessible

...How often have you seen a picture of a place and thought "I'd love to go there?" How often have you actually acted on that wish? And out of that many times, how many times has the picture paled into insignificance alongside the actual experience? This, for me, was one such place. I saw the picture in October 2006, on the cover of Lonely Planet Tasmania. By late November, I was there. The island of Tasmania is a short hop by plane from mainland Australia. And halfway along the east coast of Tasmania, about three hours' drive from either of the main towns of Hobart or Launceston, is the Freycinet Peninsula, one of several national parks in Tasmania. Driving up from the south, I had a wonderfully dramatic view over the bay of pink-grey mountains that rise up straight out of the sea. Like most of Tasmania, Freycinet is a paradise... Read review

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Advantages: Perfect if you are looking for outdoor activities
Disadvantages: Not as perfect if you are looking for night life

...I went to Tasmania a couple of years ago and since I wrote a diary during my travels I decided to share my experience. I flew to Lauceston from Melbourne while a couple of friends came across with the ferry so that we could take the car with us. I do not know much about tranport in Tasmania but if you can choose , get a rental car and drive aroud yourself because the petrol is cheap in Oz and this state is so small compared to Queensland or the Northern Territory and in a week you can see quite a bit. Day 1 We drove to Swansea and from there we got to the real attractions: Freycenet Park and Coles Bay which are in the East Coast. There you can choose to do different walks, long or short, depending on what you are up for. We walked for 6 miles through the best scenery I have ever seen: rolling hills, perfectly blue sea, white beaches... Read review

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Advantages: close to city centre, beautiful little historic town, great views
Disadvantages: the prestigious suburb of Hobart so it is quite expensive to stay and eat there

...Battery point is the most historic suburb of Hobart, Australia’s second oldest city. Hobart is the capital of Tasmania, the only island state of Australia and separated from the mainland by the Bass strait. **Getting there** For visa requirements for Australia see my general review of Australia. If you are already in Australia, domestic flights into Hobart are available with Qantas, Virginblue, Jetstar or Rex airlines. Otherwise you could get an overnight boat from Melbourne to the north of Tasmania and then drive down to Hobart which is in South West Tasmania and would take about three and a half hours. The airport is about a 15 minute drive to the city centre. Battery Point is only a short walk from the centre, taking around 10 minutes from Salamanca Place and Constitution Dock, the dock famous for being the end of the annual... Read review

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