Adventure in Tasmania
There’s something special about Tasmania; you can feel it the second you touch down at Hobart Airport. A fresh breeze, a warm welcome, an adventure waiting to be had.
Landing in Tassie
I first arrived in Tasmania in December 2024. Freshly out of my MBA in New York City, I immediately felt drawn to this place, introduced by a local family to the scene. I visited Tasmania several times – for weeks at a time – throughout the following seasons, falling in love with the island state until eventually moving over on a working holiday visa in mid-2025.
Landing at Drive Car Hire
A friend of a friend of a friend introduced me to Anna Donovan, GM of Drive Car Hire, within a month of moving here. And – would you believe it – they needed an in-house marketer. Coming from a Swedish-American background, I immediately found a kindred spirit in Danish-Australian Anna… who also shared my name. A match made in heaven!
For the past few months, I have led our marketing charge, learning about the Tasmanian tourism industry and what makes it special, both on the clock and off. You might have already read some of my blogs! As I prepare to blast off to the next adventure, I’m excited to share some of my highlights. Working here has been one of them.
A foreigner’s highlights
I’ll cover a few of my favourite treats, a couple awesome road trip destinations, and some tips – from the lens of someone who’s spent most of their life on the other side of the road. Literally. So, if you’re travelling Tassie as a European or North American, you might just relate. Welcome along!
Tasmania: a foodie’s paradise
One of my favourite parts about living in and visiting Tasmania is all the local produce. Creative chefs, beautiful presentations, and great wines make any culinary experience among the top in the world. Here are a few of my Hobart City standouts:
Omotenashi
Standout. Exceptional. Gorgeous. Hidden in the Lexus dealership and with limited seating, this is one of Hobart’s least known jewels. Omotenashi is the Japanese philosophy of wholehearted hospitality — and it’s rarely felt more genuinely than here. The kitchen anticipates what you need before you ask, the pacing is instinctive, and every detail feels considered without ever feeling fussy. Surrender to being looked after. Kanpai!
Fico
Upscale Italian. Insane tasting menu. Handmade pasta, wood-fired flavours, and a wine list that knows what it’s doing. Cosy, unpretentious, and always worth booking ahead.
Who’s your designated driver?
Schole
Outstanding. Blink and you might miss it. Scholē is one of Hobart’s most quietly impressive dining rooms — unhurried, considered, and deeply seasonal. The menu leans into Tasmanian produce with real intention, and the atmosphere lives up to its namesake: this is food worth slowing down for. Elegant without being stiff, and the kind of place that makes you feel like you’ve discovered something.
Destinations – on and off the beaten tack:
Northwest
That’s me! Don’t tell anyone, but the Northwest is one of Tasmania’s best kept secrets. Rewarding the curious traveller, there are wild coastlines, rolling farmland, and almost no crowds. Beware the wind!
East Coast beaches
Yoga and art in Meander Valley
Meander Valley sits in Tasmania’s northern heartland — a patchwork of dairy farms, lavender fields, and forested ranges that feels genuinely unhurried. This is perhaps my most hidden gem: visit Atma Darshan if you can. Your yoga practice on and off the mat will thank you. And look at these sheep friends I made!
The town of Deloraine is the charming hub, known for its art scene and the spectacular Mole Creek Karst caves just up the road. In spring, the valley turns spectacular. It’s the kind of place you pass through once and start quietly planning to come back to.
Hobart and the south
You’ve already seen some of the foodie spots. But, Hobart also has some natural beauty. Kunanyi (“The Mountain”) is such a highlight; I can never get enough of this view. And we can’t forget Dark Mofo!
DARK MOFO!
Derwent Valley
The underrated Derwent Valley unfolds between Hobart and the Central Highlands like Tasmania’s quieter, greener alter ego — orchards, hop fields, and historic villages strung along a river that’s been the backbone of the island’s agriculture for centuries.
Stop at New Norfolk for its antique shops and gothic asylum history, or keep driving toward Mount Field National Park where Russell Falls will stop you in your tracks. It’s a perfect half-day escape that most visitors skip entirely — their loss.
Southwest
Built in the 1970s and standing over 140 metres tall, it’s the centrepiece of the hydro system that powers much of the state. The surrounding Lake Pedder and Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park add a layer of wilderness grandeur that makes the drive out worthwhile. Standing on the wall with nothing but ancient rainforest in every direction is quietly humbling.
Luckily, I was accompanied by a wombat friend. You might see another one below…
Have you visited the Gordon River Dam? One of Australia’s great feats of engineering, it arches dramatically across a wilderness gorge in Tasmania’s remote southwest.
The cutest creatures:
Wallabies!
Is there anything cuter? You’ll meet lots of animals hopping around Tasmania: from wallabies to pademelons to potoroos. Can you tell who I’m feeding here?
Want to feed some animals? Head over to Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary, one of Tasmania’s most beloved conservation experiences, just 25 minutes north of Hobart. Home to rescued and rehabilitated native wildlife — wombats, quolls, Tasmanian devils, and more — Bonorong offers up-close encounters that feel personal rather than performative. Every animal here has a story, and the passionate guides make sure you know it. We’re rooting hard for the devil population to bounce back.
To new adventures
A piece of my heart will always live here. Thank you Tasmania, thank you Drive Car Hire team, and thank you Tamar Valley Resort Grindelwald for putting us up… so that I could take this selfie!
In gratitude,
Anna-Maria
PS – if you can get on a boat while you’re here, do it. Because, like, come on.