With its natural splendour and heritage buildings, Tasmania is made for movies – or just imagining yourself in one. Whether you like adventure or romance, get ready for a close-up on this picture perfect island.
We’ve gone scouting for locations worthy of the silver screen, from wilderness where dinosaurs could roam to a heritage seaside town that’s already starred in a Hollywood film.
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Period-drama perfection
You can easily imagine actors in top hats and bonnets making a romantic movie or TV series at Corinda. Stroll through the formal garden of hedges and secluded nooks, while looking up at this 1870s Hobart home’s elegant lines and iron lacework. Walk up the front stairs, through the big door, and among Victorian-era furniture, chandeliers, rugs and antiques.
Unlike houses that are museums, you can get romantic at Corinda for real because it’s a luxury B&B – run by the original owner’s great-great-grandson no less. He’s brought the property back to its original glory, with modern comforts discreetly tucked among the antiques so you can relax after acting the part of lord or lady of the manor.
Stunning sci-fi setting
For an out-of-this-world location where actors can beam down to an alien landscape, we recommend the Tasman Peninsula coast’s Tessellated Pavement. This low, fairly flat rock formation looks like an ancient tiled terrace, but is actually a rare million-year-old geological phenomenon.
The Tessellated Pavement is especially amazing when colourful sunrises reflect on the still water that gathers in the depressions caused by erosion. Keep an eye out for crabs and other little creatures hiding between the rocks while you are there!
Step back in time
The town of Stanley has kept many of its 19th century buildings and a quiet seaside charm, which makes it easy to believe you’ve stepped back in time. That’s why this town doesn’t just have potential as a period-film location – it actually was, in 2014, when international feature The Light Between Oceans was shot here.
Follow in the footsteps of actors Alicia Vikander, Michael Fassbender and Rachel Weisz on the self-guided Stanley Heritage Walk, which takes in well preserved cottages, churches, pubs and more. Explore the Highfield Historic Site, where the Van Dieman’s Land Company was headquartered from 1826, and stay in heritage comfort at the Ship Inn – an 1849 hotel recently transformed into boutique accommodation.
Dinosaur dreaming
Tasmania’s wilderness is a timeless land of tall trees, rushing rivers, misty mountains and tree ferns. You can imagine dinosaurs roaming here, which is why the island state was among a handful of places around the world where Walking with Dinosaurs was filmed. This groundbreaking 1999 BBC natural history documentary series added computer-generated and animatronic dinosaurs to ancient landscapes.
One of our favourite spots for Jurassic Park dreaming is Mount Field National Park, about an hour’s drive from Hobart. Here you’ll find waterfalls and glacial lakes, ferns, fungi, moss, towering eucalypts and pandani plants, which only grow in Tassie. Less well known is Trowutta Arch, not far from Stanley on the Tarkine Drive. This big natural arch frames a vivid green sinkhole pond in one direction, and a mass of tree ferns in the other.
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