TasVacations Blog

Family Travel In Tasmania

With so many family friendly sights, attractions and tours, Tasmania is the perfect destination to holiday with the family. Having 3 young boys, we love getting out and about and exploring all that Tasmania has to offer.

Locals parks are often where we spend our weekends with a great range around the Hobart/Southern Tasmania region. Some worth visiting include Long Beach at Sandy Bay, Princes Park in Battery Point, Bellerive Beach Park in Bellerive and our personal favourite and local park, Dru Point in Margate. Dru Point is located a 25-minute drive from the Hobart CBD and has an enclosed playground, a bike track area with traffic lights and signs, BBQ areas, a kiosk which is open during the summer months, plenty of shade and lots of free car parking.

A further 15-minute drive from Margate is Kettering, which is the gateway to Bruny Island, take your vehicle on the ‘Mirambeena’ ferry from Kettering to Bruny Island. You could take the 3-hour wilderness cruise which departs from Adventure Bay, visit the Bruny Island Berry Farm, the Bruny Island Chocolate Company, or spend some time building sandcastles on any of the pristine beaches on the island.

Below are some more great family friendly options around Tasmania, which my family have experienced or are on our bucket list!

HOBART & THE SOUTH

• Peter Rabbit Garden, located at Riversdale Estate Cottages, Cambridge – Enjoy a leisurely stroll through the Peter Rabbit Garden and see Mr McGregor and the story of Peter Rabbit unfold.
• Old Hobart Town Historical Model Village, Richmond – Australia’s only model village that depicts one of Australia’s capital cities in its infancy. Find out more.
• Heritage Horse Drawn Carriages, Hobart – A unique and memorable way to see Hobart with several tour options available. Why not add the Unicorn option as an extra, the kids will love it! Find out more.
• Pennicott Wilderness Journeys – Offering half and full day tours from Hobart and Port Arthur there is a high chance of seeing coastal wildlife including seals, dolphins, whales and seabirds. Find out more.
• Salmon Ponds Heritage Hatchery and Gardens, Plenty (45 minutes from Hobart) – A Fishing museum with the opportunity to feed fish, garden areas for the kids to run around and pancakes for lunch at the onsite café makes this a great day trip that both adults and kids will enjoy.

EAST COAST

• Bicheno Penguin Tours, Bicheno – Enjoy a one hour walk at evening time with an exciting and educational adventure for the whole family. Find out more.
• East Coast Natureworld, Bicheno – The perfect place to see Tasmania’s unique animals, birds and reptiles. The park is pram friendly with a café onsite.

LAUNCESTON & THE NORTH

• Seahorse World and Platypus House, Beauty Point – Enjoy guided tours at both attractions and enjoy seeing these unique animals up close. Find out more.
• City Park, Launceston – Centrally located this is a great place to stop for a picnic lunch. The kids will love the Monkey enclosure, playground and the train that runs rides around the park.
• Hollybank Wilderness Adventures, Underwood (20 minutes from Launceston) – With a Tree Ropes Course, Segway Tour and Zipline Tour there is something for all ages and great for those adventure seeking family days out. Find out more.

NORTH WEST COAST

• Don River Railway, Devonport – A 30 minute return train trip makes the Don River Railway a perfect break whilst driving around the North West Coast. The train departs the bank of the Don River and travels to Coles Beach junction.
• Gunns Plains Caves, Gunns Plains (40 minutes from Devonport) – Join an interpretive guided tour of the caves where the kids will love searching for glow worms.

WEST COAST & CENTRAL

• Tasmazia and the Village of Lower Crackpot, Promised Land (40 minutes from Devonport) – Includes 8 mazes along with the Village of Lower Crackpot (a model village built to 1/5th scale), gardens, self-serve café, gift shop and lavender farm, this is a day the kids will love!
• Devils @ Cradle – Visit the sanctuary during the day and enjoy a keepers tour or visit at night and see the devils feeding. Find out more.
• West Coast Wilderness Railway – Every child loves a train tour and with full day or half day options, this one is not to be missed. A favourite for the children is the panning for Gold at Lynchford Station (Rack and Gorge journey). Find out more.
• Gordon River Cruise – Enjoy a cruise on the Gordon River for 6 hours with a buffet lunch included to suit everyone’s tastes. Stop at Heritage Landing (boardwalk through the rainforest) and Sarah Island (colonial penal settlement). Find out more.

With so many options for children and adults alike for family tours / attractions, Tasmania is a must for your next family holiday.