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Top Picks for Culture Buffs

 

Planning your Tasmanian holiday is hard as a Culture Buff. With so much rich history, art and design to uncover, this list is sure to make it easier for you. Here are the ultimate must-do's for the culture obsessed. 

Australia's Most Ambitious Art Project

The Wall in the Wilderness, at Derwent Bridge in Tasmania's central highlands is a beautifully sculptured piece, mostly carved from rare Huon pine, depicts the history, hardship and perseverance of the people in the central highlands and pays homage to the individuals who settled and protected the area.

Explore an Evocative Convict Prison

The Port Arthur Heritage Site is the most intact convict prison in Australia with ruins and complete buildings set amidst English gardens. Stand in the darkness of solitary cells and come nightfall, follow your guide with a lantern telling chilling stories of apparitions and strange occurrences in this prison.

Uncover the Past

The Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery is a place for curious and inquisitive minds. Discover 545 million year old rocks from the island’s rugged North West, artefacts from the first merchant vessel wrecked in Australian waters and a silver Alfa Romeo sports car - one of only five in the world.

Watch History Come to Life Through Theatre

In Strahan see the The Ship That Never Was, a harrowing true account of the great convict escape from Sarah Island, brought to life in a humorous and engaging play and by day cruise the Gordon River to walk in the footsteps of convicts, on the island where they lived, worked and escaped.

Explore Antarctic Replica Huts

For two years, through two dark winters, these huts were a haven of warmth, light and companionship in the windiest place on Earth. The Mawson's Huts Replica Museum provides insight into the daily lives of the AAE expeditioners who spent two winters living and working in the windiest place on Earth – and the true 'home of the blizzard'.

Steam into the Wilderness

The West Coast Wilderness Railway brings rustic charm and an old-timey steam locomotive atmosphere to the West Coast. Enjoy rainforest views while sipping sparkling from the balcony in a luxurious wilderness carriage. Listen to tales of resilience and triumph of the original people of the region. 

Follow a Cultural Sculpture Trail

The Great Western Tiers Sculpture Trail takes you from Deloraine to the wilds of Mole Creek. The Great Western Tiers sets a dramatic backdrop for innovative art that captures the essence of the region, building on its reputation as a ‘centre for the arts’ in Tasmania.

Discover Queenstown’s Mining History

From an underground mine to a hydroelectric power station, learn about the history of Queenstown with a third generation underground miner and Queenstowner. Visit a sawmill, and abandoned underground pioneering mines in wilderness rainforests.

Visit Australia’s Second Oldest Museum

The Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery's contemporary design integrates seamlessly with the museum's heritage buildings. Known as TMAG to locals, the museum's collection includes the award-winning Tasmanian Aboriginal cultural gallery ningina tunapri meaning ‘to give knowledge and understanding’.

Images supplied by:
Tourism Tasmania Andrew Jackson Rob Burnett Jonathan Wherrett
Brian Dullaghan Geoffrey Lea Chris Crerar Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery