Top 10 Family Friendly Activities in Tasmania

Is your family about to embark on a road trip adventure around Australia’s island state? Are you wondering where to entertain the kids? We’ve compiled a list of Top 10 Family-Friendly Activities in Tasmania for you to consider participating in while here, to create a lifetime of fun-filled travel memories!

ZOO DOO

Unlike ordinary zoos where you’ll mainly find animals fenced in, Zoo Doo is an extraordinary hands-on safari and native animal park where you can get up close and personal with most of the wildlife! Exciting and unique animal encounters enable you to join one of Zoo Doo’s friendly keepers as they feed the animals within their enclosures. Meet meerkats, cuddle koalas and hop right alongside wallabies and kangaroos – just watch out for baby Joey tucked up inside Mama’s pocket!

Other attractions include safari bus tours that take visitors to hand-feed Camels, Ostriches, Zebras and more! Daily presentations begin at 11am & 2pm if you fancy watching Tassie Devils feast on dead animal carcasses. Here’s a fun fact: did you know that the biting power of their jaws is meant to be about 4 times stronger than those of American Pitbull Terriers?

Open 7 days.

Location: 622 Middle Tea Tree Road, Richmond

Contact: (03) 6260 2444

For more info: www.zoodoo.com.au

BONORONG WILDLIFE SANTUARY

Not only does Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary have a huge range of Australian marsupials to meet and greet in their natural habitats during the day, but this reserve also provides thrilling 2.5 hour night tours where you can spy nocturnal creatures in the wild with your naked eye! Use your torch to spot sugar gliders, eastern quolls, tawny frogmouths and of course, Tassie Devils hunting their game!

Parents can enjoy a glass of Tasmanian sparkling wine or fruit juice while kids get curious on one of Bonorong’s 3 hour private, premium feeding frenzies with one of their most experienced keepers!

Bonorong also boasts a Wildlife Rescue Program which can educate you and your kids on what to do if you encounter any injured or orphaned animals while Cruisin’ in your motorhome around Tasmania!

Open 7 days.

Location: 593 Briggs Road, Brighton

Contact: (03) 6268 1184

For more info: www.bonorong.com.au

HOLLYBANK WILDERNESS ADVENTURES

From zipline and segway tours to tree ropes and mountain biking, action-packed adventure awaits your entire family at Hollybank – Australia’s forest destination housing all four standard outdoor activities under one tall tree canopy! Located within Hollybank Forest Reserve, just 20 minutes north of Launceston, you can drive yourself in your Cruisin’ Motorhome rental or keep it parked and catch a private bus service.

Take a stroll down ‘The Avenue’ or ‘Walk of Change’ paths that wind their way through thick forest and plantations, and unpack a picnic at one of several shady sites. Alternatively there is a café where an appetising array of gourmet pies, sandwiches, slices and cakes can be enjoyed!

Open 7 days.

Location: 66 Hollybank Road, Underwood

Contact: (03) 6395 1390

For more info: www.hollybankadventures.com.au

HASTINGS CAVES AND THERMAL SPRINGS

Just a 90-minute campervan drive south of Hobart in your Cruisin’ is Huon Valley’s Hastings Caves and Thermal Springs, where your family can swim in a lukewarm 28 degrees Celcius pool, fed by thermal spring water. Discover remarkable subterranean formations formed millions of years ago, including columns, flowstones, straws, stalagtites, and rare helictites. There are no narrow passageways so you won’t find yourself claustrophobic!

Opening hours and cave times vary throughout the year. Checking times before arrival is recommended.

Location: 754 Hastings Caves Road, Hastings

Contact: (03) 6298 3209

For more info: www.parks.tas.gov.au

SEAHORSE WORLD

Specialising in education, breeding and conservation, Seahorse World is a working farm where your family can learn about the fascinating life cycle of a seahorse from expert guides. Education will also be provided on the impacts of habitat destruction and wild harvesting for traditional Chinese medicine devastating seahorse numbers. Search their soulful eyes behind the scenes and gently touch these elegant sea creatures! Seahorse World is one  of the few farms in the world that are registered to export seahorses so you can even opt to adopt and take one home as a pet if interested!

Location: Shed 1A, Inspection Head Wharf, 200 Flinders Street, Beauty Point

Contact: (03) 6383 4111

For more info: www.seahorseworld.com.au 

BRUNY ISLAND AND TASMAN ISLAND CRUISES

Pennicott Wilderness Journeys offer two award-winning cruises showcasing Tasmania’s southern coastal wilderness: Bruny Island and Tasman Island.

For a thrilling, 3-hour wilderness ride past Cape Pillar’s towering vertical sea cliffs along the striking coastline between Port Arthur and Eaglehawk Neck, book Tasman Island Cruises. Your children will squeal with delight when surprised by pods of playful dolphins diving right in front of their eyes sure to widen with awe!

Or explore more rugged coastline underneath rising crags while searching for seals sunbathing outside sea caves on Bruny Island Cruises. Interpretive guides are passionate and well trained to provide your family with an informative but fun experience on your custom-built, big yellow boat, ideal for expertly speeding through the narrow passage between ‘The Monument’ and the mainland of Bruny, where the Tasman Sea meets the Southern Ocean. Next stop, Antarctica! Anyone want to visit some penguins?

The Cuisin’ Motorhomes Hobart branch is conveniently located within 20 minutes drive to the launchpoint of both cruises from Hobart’s Brooke Street Pier.

Location: 6961 Arthur Highway, Port Arthur

Contact: (03) 6250 2200

For more info: www.tasmancruises.com.au

TASMAZIA AND THE VILLAGE OF LOWER CRACKPOT

Located in the rural heart of Tasmania’s Cradle Mountain and Lakes District called the Promised Land, is a bright and colourful, crazy complex called the Village of Lower Crackpot, featuring a whimsical model hamlet and 8 mazes to get lost and found in! Gaze out to majestic Mount Roland from the lovely Lavendar Farm while your kids wind their way through The Great Maze and have a fun day out for the whole family! Plenty of parking space available nearby for your campervan!

Location: 500 Staverton Road, Promised Land

Contact: (03) 6491 1934

For more info: www.tasmazia.com.au

DON RIVER RAILWAY

Take a relaxing, 30-minute, vintage train ride on the Melrose Line, with picturesque views of the Don village along the Western Bank of the picturesque Don River ending at Coles Beach. Run entirely by volunteers who are passionate about keeping kids interested in historic aspects of this railway, they go out of their way to make the travel experience entertaining for families. On your return, visit the museum. From the mezzanine platform, view workshop activities, locomotives and carriages including the recently and beautifully restored Royal Carriage.

Museum is open 7 days but trains only operate Wednesday to Sunday.

Location: Forth Road, Don

Contact: (03) 6424 6335

For more info: www.donriverrailway.com.au

CATARACT GORGE RESERVE

Carving its way through rocky terrain, Cataract Gorge is one of the most well-known tourist attractions of the Launceston area, surrounded by parklands with walking trails and a swinging bridge across the South Esk River. Over the years, the Gorge has been redeveloped to cater to families so that stunning scenery is expertly blended into environmentally friendly activities for families to participate in.

Abundant in in diverse native and exotic wildlife roaming around the reserve, you’re bound to spot proud peacocks and friendly wallabies while exploring the Pipeline Track or having a picnic in the grasslands or gardens. An open-air swimming pool is popular for use in the hotter months, with a well-maintained kid's playground, and BBQ area.

Perhaps the biggest draw for tourists is the massive, single-span chairlift that takes passengers on a thrilling excursion directly over the spectacular gorge itself, rushing with white-water rapids after a big rainstorm. This exciting experience is only for the brave-hearted, with a single metal bar as the only safety precaution.

Location: 74-90 Basin Road, Launceston

Contact: (03) 6331 5915

For more info: www.launcestoncataractgorge.com.au

LAUNCESTON LEISURE AND AQUATIC CENTRE 

A huge variety of swimming pools are on offer at Launceston’s Aquatic Centre,  a water-based facility in the state’s north, where there is something fun to offer every visitor.

Always a hit with children, an interactive water play area is the highlight, which features loads of equipment including slides and a large water-dumping bucket to make a splash in! A shallow kid’s pool is also available for toddlers to wade in.

Older children can take a ride on a larger, 65-metre water slide that includes more thrilling twists and turns before splash-landing in the pool below.  And every weekend a Super Splash Zone features inflatable animals for everyone to enjoy.

There are plenty of paid parking spaces available if you choose to self-drive, or you can opt to take a 10-minute bus ride from the city centre, which runs every hour.

Location: 18A High Street, Launceston

Contact: (03) 6323 3636

For more info: www.launceston.tas.gov.au

If you’re looking for more fun things to do with your family on your motorhome trip in Tasmania, or elsewhere in Australia, we have a list of related blogs you might be interested in, and can read below!


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