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ONE OF the world's last living Edens is within reach of virtually every visitor to Australia.
Tasmania's rugged mountain landscapes, dense forest, open plains and welcoming sandy beaches await your discovery the moment you arrive at the Devonport docks on one of the ships.
There are two superfast vessels from Melbourne to Devonport, the Spirit of Tasmania I and II while the Spirit of Tasmania III starts services from Sydney on January 15. One of the most enticing aspects of touring Tasmania is the ability to virtually pull over on a desire and spend the night at a pristine beach or under giant manferns.
You'll drive from the Georgian grandeur of the capital Hobart through towns and villages like Richmond, steeped in colonial architecture.
Tasmania's deserved reputation as the clean and green Australian State (what more do you need to know than that Tasmania has the cleanest air in the world) has provided fertile soil, literally, for boutique food and wine producers.
And the waters around Tasmania are home to sonic of the best fish in the world. Nothing beats a plate of Tasmanian oysters or salmon.
It's well known that Tasmania is Australia's most protected state with more than 30 per cent of the island set aside for nature lovers to discover.
But Tasmania's wilderness doesn't mean wild and inaccessible. For no matter where you travel in this compact and beautiful state you will find a haven in the wildness just right for you.
Cradle Mountain, Lake St Clair, Frecinet Peninsula and the west coast, are sonic of Australia's most important symbols of pristine alpine beauty for all the world to treasure.
Tasmania's alpine areas and magnificent glacial lakes were formed thousands of years ago and in and around each are walking tracks lasting for a little as 20 minutes or as long as six days like the Overland Track.