Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Share Australia

Tasmania is amazing, we can be on the beach in the morning and in a couple of hours we can be playing in the snow, hiking some of the oldest forests in the world, sailing with friends, fishing for trout, exploring some beautiful falls or eating some of the freshest ingredients from world class restaurants. The possibilities really are endless.

Today I'm sharing my top three family friendly places to visit in Tasmania.


First on my list is The Bay Of Fires on the East Coast of Tasmania.

With it's white sand, crystal blue water and orange-hued granite rocks it's not hard to see why.

I grew up around these beaches and there were plenty of summer days spent camping, boating, snorkeling, shell collecting, bird watching, hiking, surfing, and fishing around this beautiful area.

We now enjoy taking our children to this stunning part of the world and I love seeing the beauty through their eyes, helping them rock climb, explore rock pools and enjoy an ice cream from the near by Binalong Bay shop like I once did, many years ago.


The Bay Of Fires is a two and a half hour drive from Launceston and when looking for accommodation in the area I couldn't recommend Belle Vue at Binalong Bay highly enough.

Any time of the year would be perfect for visiting, but you can't beat a swim in the crystal blue waters on a hot Summers day.


Secondly I love taking my family to The Great Lakes in the central highlands of Tasmania. 

The conditions from Summer to Winter are hugely different, and our favorite time to go is Winter, when there is snow.

To get to The Great Lake it is an hour and a half drive from Launceston, when taking the family we pack our portable gas BBQ, a huge thermos with hot chocolate, toboggans, carrots for our snow mans noses, and lots of warm wet weather gear as well as a change of dry clothes, as you will get wet.


We head up in the morning, find a good spot to play in the snow, try our hand at walking on the frozen lakes, light a fire, enjoy a BBQ lunch, have toboggan races and always end with a good old snow ball fight. The conditions up here aren't good enough for skiing or snowboarding, but are perfect for a play in the snow with little ones. If you're looking for some slopes, the closest place to head would be Ben Lomand.


We then drive over the mountain and head home via the small town of Deloraine, for a bit of a scenic change.

I'm not sure who enjoys these days more, the little kids experiencing snow for maybe the first time, or the adults who have been year after year but still get plenty of joy from this gorgeous day out.

If you're looking to stay a night or two, The Great Lake Hotel has accommodation, as well as a lovely bar and restaurant with a large menu to suit the whole family and a huge open fire to warm little hands after a day in the snow.






My third place in Tasmania for a family day out would be 'The Gorge' in Launceston. 

It's easy to spend a full day here with plenty of walks and hikes, the longest single span chairlift in the world, free BBQ facilities, a pool, the ever present wild life including colorful peacocks, suspension bridge, beautiful gardens, play equipment, award winning restaurant and cafe, and panoramic lookouts with spectacular views.


We often go for walks around the The Gorge, and always spot kangaroos, wallabys, peacocks and more. It's a popular spot in Summer with the free swimming pool and the large lawns are spotted with picnic blankets and families.

On New Years Day, The Gorge comes alive with the annual 'Basin Concert' being held in this natural velodrome and acts from all over the world come and play to this family friendly crowd. 


With this natural beauty being only a 15 minute walk from the center of Launceston, it's easy to see why it's a local favorite. 


As you can see, I love our little corner of Australia and have only scrapped the surface with my three favorite family days out. 


8 comments:

I love that you have stopped by, and love reading your thoughts and opions, thanks for sharing. xx