Travel news: spring 2025
Explore our state with the best things to do, see and taste this spring.
Cheese on tour
Go behind the scenes at the Duck River dairy in Smithton, now home to La Cantara Artisan Cheese Factory. A fully-guided Milking and Cheese Tour with owners Genaro and Rosselyn Velasquez will take you from the fields to the robot-powered milking sheds, then examine how La Cantara's Venezuelan-style cheeses are made. Tickets also include entry into the Circular Head Heritage Centre, where you can dig into the history of the region. For more information, visit duckrivermeadowsdairy.com.au
Little chef, big dining
Hobart's DoubleTree by Hilton has welcome Le Petit Chef - an animated 58mm-tall chef - to its Leatherwood Bar & Kitchen. The immersive dining experience combines culinary mastery with table-top storytelling, featuring a four-course set menu of Tassie produce.
Credit: Adam Gibson
From Yunnan with love
Tassie-based couple Mitch Alomes and Lyla Zhu have launched Food Culture, a venture that celebrates the rich culinary heritage of Yunnan through bespoke banquets, an online tea store and in-person food tours through Yunnan, China. The duo - Mitch, a chef, and Lyla, a proud representative of the Yi minority and a descendant of chefs and agriculturists from Yunnan - are also currently running long Sunday lunches out of Luke Burgess' Hobart restaurant Schole for $150 per person. Be warned: at just eight seats per sitting, they sell out very quickly.
Tasmania's first bourbon-style whiskey
Tamar Valley distillery Turner Stillhouse has released its inaugural Rosevears Tasmanian Three Grain Whiskey. Made with 100 per cent Tasmanian corn, rye and barley and matured in large-format charred and toasted new oak, the release is an American-style straight whiskey, meaning it meets the production requirements of traditional American bourbon. The new release is limited to 500 bottles.
Sauna with a view
Cooinda on the Beach is an exquisite three-bedroom, two-bathroom holiday rental just metres from the shores of Waubs Bay in Bicheno. The self-contained luxury stay features panoramic views, an entertaining deck with direct beach access and a firepit, and a traditional European Vikara sauna. Sleeping up to six guests, the property has everything you need to keep a crowd happy - from the freestanding fireplace and lounge area to a fully equipped kitchen and a dedicated office space.
Three picnic spots to try
Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens, Hobart
Enjoy plenty of shady, grassy spots and pagodas. A new restaurant, kiosk and wine-tasting room are due to open in late 2025. Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens.
Dru Point Reserve, Margate
This spot features a fenced playground (including a kid-sized bike and scooter area) and dog park, plus undercover picnic tables and barbecues. Dru Point Reserve.
Woolmers Estate, Longford
Take a self-guided tour of the gardens and convict-era buildings before picnicking on the lawns at this UNESCO World Heritage Site. Woolmers Estate.