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Tasmania for fun and games
See nature at her best

IF YOU have a thirst for adventure head for Tasmania where you can get your thrills abseiling down a cliff face hundreds of metres above a wild beach, or by getting close and personal with a Tasmanian devil dining out.

The knock-out beauty of the State's rainforests, shimmering lakes, dark rivers and dramatic coastline invites visitors to fill their senses and throw off the constraints of day-to-day life.

The adrenaline junkie and those more laid-back can choose from wild to mild adventures - paddle furious rapids while whitewater rafting on the Franklin River, unwind gently with the world's best two-hour walk at Dove Lake, or a dusk vigil at penguin rookeries on the east coast.

Plunge into the haunting world of giant underwater kelp forests at Eaglehawk Neck, on the Tasman Peninsula, or dive with dolphins, seals and sea horses in temperate waters that provide visibility up to 40 metres.

At King Island, dive the many eerie shipwrecks that dot the coastline and swim with marine life that can include southern rock lobsters weighing in up to a hefty six kilograms.

Above the water, paddle a sea kayak past massive granite peaks, flaming red in the glow of the setting sun at Freycinet National Park. Or head upriver on the west coast, past prehistoric rainforest along the Gordon River and stopping at Sarah Island to find out why the convicts once imprisoned there went mad.

Challenge the elements off-road on a four-wheel motorbike, through giant sand dunes on the rugged and wild west coast.

Or head out on foot - more than a third of Tasmania is World Heritage Area, national park or forest reserve, so bushwalking can be relaxed and easy or challenging.

Some walks combine hiking with the creature comforts, such as the guided four-day walk exploring the isolated north-east coastline, including the Bay of Fires. The day's effort can end in spirited debate over a gourmet dinner about the number of wildlife sightings.

Wildlife is just one of the surprises around almost every headland at Bruny Island, where the get-away experience connects you with the rhythm of nature. Cruise far from the madding crowd and, if you get lucky, travel with the southern right whales as they migrate from the Southern Ocean. Then catch your own seafood for a lunch platter, with the help of a professional fisherman.

There's no shortage of islands to explore - or ways to do it. Speed up the pace with a Heli-adventure to remote Tasman Island and fly in over heart-stopping 350 metre cliffs, where lighthouse keepers once risked lives and boats on the dangerous rocky shores.

Then wind back with a spot of trout fishing in Tasmania's highlands, at a specialist fly-fishing estate where the good life includes 2000 hectares of wildlife habitat, with all the comforts - champagne and gourmet meals.

For fishing with attitude, there's always the thrill of sport fishing at St Helens, on the east coast.

Tasmania's diversity provides a barrage of images, smells and sensations for cyclists, whether it's the relaxed pace of a trip through the history of Battery Point, near the centre of Hobart, or the thrilling winding descent from the summit of Mt Wellington. Cyclists who want it all can combine a bike trip with wildlife and a wine-tasting at the Moorilla Estate winery, overlooking the Derwent River.

And when only the big picture will do, take in the power and immensity of the ancient Tasmanian landscape with a wilderness flight over the famed south west. Here, undisturbed eco-systems are a treasure trove of natural history and a place of ultimate discovery.