Top Wildlife & Nature Encounters in Tasmania

The wildlife in Tasmania is not a matter of quantity; at 10,000 years from the Australian mainland, it contains a very peculiar species list. Many species that are nothing like animals elsewhere in the world, let alone in Australia. The Tasmanian devil. The eastern quoll. The forty-spotted pardalote. The platypus slipping below the surface of a still river at dawn.

What makes it far superior to other wildlife encounters anywhere else in mainland Australia is its density and accessibility. You won't need a four-wheel drive and a three-day journey to spot anything remarkable here. A twenty-minute walk from the car park at Cradle Mountain, in the fading twilight, is likely to result in wombats feeding beside you. The short ferry from Hobart will deposit you on Bruny Island, where unique white wallabies feed in amongst the shrubs along the coast and the little penguins come ashore after dark.

Many visitors underestimate how much there is to see across the island. Following a carefully designed Tasmania 10-day itinerary allows you to experience everything from wombat spotting and birdwatching to oyster farms and award-winning wineries.

This guide will identify the animals you're likely to encounter, where they are, and how to be respectful during encounters without either the animals or yourself becoming unnecessarily irritated.

The Tasmanian Devil: What You Need to Know Before You Go

The Tasmanian devil is the one animal most visitors have on their list, and it's worth understanding the reality before you arrive.

Devils became extinct on the mainland of Australia about 3,000 years ago. Tasmania is the last place where the animal can still be found in the wild. There have been wild populations there for several decades, but since the late 1990's, Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD), a virulent and almost always fatal cancer, spread by biting, has wiped them out so effectively that the species has been brought right to the brink of threatened status. A network of sanctuaries now exists that manages an 'insurance population' of devils, which conservationists call a disease-free species that will be ready to restore wild populations, whatever else happens.

This means, in effect, that unless you go on a dedicated safari, your best chance to get to within spitting distance of one is at a sanctuary rather than in the bush. These are nocturnal, elusive animals, and any sighting in the wild is purely a stroke of luck.

Where to see the Tasmanian Devil?

Long-standing Devil conservation projects include Trowunna Wildlife Sanctuary near Mole Creek in the north. It has bred over 100 devils since 2010 and you can see them in close proximity during their feed sessions.

At the Devils @ Cradle near Cradle Mountain, encounters are scheduled at dusk to align with when the devils are most active; you'll definitely want to see them at that time! They also have spotted tailed quolls; most visitors don't realise they are there, then wish they hadn't missed them!

Just 25 minutes north of Hobart is Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary, which is a real working rescue centre (they also have a 24-hour wildlife rescue service) as much as it is an attraction and is therefore a good initial stopping off point for those basing themselves in Hobart.

The Tasmanian Devil Unzoo on the Tasman Peninsula approaches devil viewing and displays slightly differently, with little fencing, naturalistic habitats, and free-roaming native birds sharing the environment; it is successful!

Wild devil sightings are most likely in the north west Tarkine area or, after dark, in Narawntapu National Park. It's unfortunate, but roadkill is also often where you have close encounters as devils will feed at the roadsides at night-which is why speeding on Tasmanian roads at night carries real dangers of hitting a native animal.

Wombats, Wallabies and the "Open Plains" Parks

Tasmania's unfenced, grassland parks provide an experience that will truly astound first-time visitors. Have you ever heard of the Tasmanian Serengeti? Narawntapu National Park (north coast) has been dubbed "Tasmania's Serengeti" and this is a reasonable description. Large mobs of forester kangaroos, common wombats, Bennetts wallabies and Tasmanian pademelons have the habit of crossing the wide lagoon plains at dusk and their numbers might just bring your conversation to a sudden halt. This park is  little known even within Australia and has visitor numbers that are surprisingly low.

Maria Island is the other standout. No cars, no predators, and a conservation program that has introduced Tasmanian Devils onto the island as a disease-free insurance population. Wombats here are so accustomed to people that they'll graze within a few metres, apparently indifferent. Cape Barren geese stroll through the historic settlement at Darlington. Forester kangaroos move through the paddocks in the late afternoon. Maria Island is certainly one of our favourites and is a manageable day trip option from Hobart for active travellers. If you have a child who's never seen Australian wildlife, this is the place.

Our third favourite spot to view animals openly is Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park. The boardwalk through Cradle Valley, at dawn or dusk, is a very safe bet for wombats and pademelons, and the alpine surroundings make it feel truly unique.

Keep a few things in mind when viewing Wombats… they are actually very heavy (a large common wombat can tip the scales at 35kg), they are surprisingly fast when startled and being put in an awkward position for a selfie really upsets them. Please allow them a good few metres of space when watching.

Platypus: The Animal Worth Getting Up Early For

The Platypus is one of only 3 known monotremes on planet Earth. A monotreme is an egg-laying mammal. With a duck bill, waterproof fur and venomous spurs on the hind legs (in males only), it is one strange creature! Tasmania is, without question, one of the best places in Australia to see them in the wild.

Timing is everything. Platypus are crepuscular, so they are at their most active at dawn and dusk, and become extremely shy if they know they've been spotted. The trick is to get to the spot where one is known to exist with as little disturbance as possible, settle down where you can see a patch of still water and keep quiet. Look for the telltale small circular ripples of a Platypus swimming against the current.

Latrobe on the north coast, between Devonport and Launceston is promoted as the "Platypus Capital of the World". Warrawee Reserve, on the Mersey River near Latrobe, is where you have a fair dinkum opportunity to see a platypus in good conditions. Fern Glade Reserve, on the north-west coast, is another good place to look. Neither has an entry fee, both are at their most rewarding in the hour around sunrise.

We include many great opportunities to spot Platypus during our touring routes. Some of our favourite regular locations are Cradle Mountain, Nelson Falls, Mt Field National Park and Geeveston in the Huon Valley. 

Little Penguins

Little Penguins (also called Fairy Penguins) spend their days at sea and come ashore after dark to return to burrows in coastal dunes and rockfaces. Watching them arrive is one of Tasmania's most entertaining and comical wildlife experiences you will ever experience.

One essential rule - red light only. White torchlight causes the Little Penguins great distress and disequilibrium. Reputable viewing sites and tour operators will supply red-filtered torches, but if you are driving to Bicheno, Bruny or Lillico, be prepared with your own or purchase one locally.

Bicheno Penguin Tours on the east coast operate guided twilight walks to a colony of around 200 penguins. Local guides know where the birds' individual burrows are located and when they typically arrive, they are also well rehearsed in ensuring appropriate space, so the Penguins are not inhibited on their nightly journeys. 

On the Bruny Island Neck, a boardwalk and viewing platform has been built specifically for watching the Penguins arrive as dusk sets. It is also positioned between the two bays with views of both, making it a worthy detour even without the little birds.

Lillico beach (on the north-west coast, not far from Devonport) has a free viewing platform and volunteers to explain things, while Low Head, near George Town (where the Tamar River meets the sea), is also an established viewing spot.

Penguins can be seen year-round, but they use their burrows throughout the year. The breeding season, September to March, is when activity is highest.

Birdwatching in Tasmania

Tasmania holds around a dozen bird species found nowhere else in Australia, and several that are critically rare globally.

The forty-spotted pardalote is one of the most sought-after. Tiny, spotted, and endangered, it's largely restricted to white gum forest on Bruny Island and Maria Island. The swift parrot breeds only in Tasmania's eucalyptus forests before migrating north each autumn, and is now critically endangered.

The orange-bellied parrot overwinters on Tasmania's southwest coast before migrating to the mainland; its total population is estimated in the dozens. Seeing one requires either a charter flight to Melaleuca in the Southwest National Park or knowing exactly where to look in Hobart's wetlands in winter.

Birds are more approachable, such as the noisy, conspicuous and big yellow-tailed black cockatoo; present in all wooded country (including the Tarkine). And the Tasmanian native hen: a flightless rail looking like a child's drawing: brown and round, and incredibly swift at running. It runs through the paddock and the campsite in bright daylight, unfazed.

Bruny Island is consistently rated among the top birdwatching locations in Australia. You can find 43 of Tasmania's 12 endemic species there, along with seabirds, shorebirds and raptors. The south end of the island, around Cape Bruny and Fluted Cape, is most productive.

Tamar Island Wetlands near Launceston is excellent for waterbirds and waders. Ralphs Bay near Hobart is reliable for shorebirds on an outgoing tide.

 

Tasmania's Forests: A hard-to-describe wonder

The forests in western Tasmania are unlike anything most visitors have seen before. They're old in a way that registers physically when you walk into them, the light changes, the sound changes, and the scale of the trees makes the path feel very small.

The Tarkine (takayna), in the north-west, is the biggest temperate rainforest in Australia, and the second biggest in the world after the Pacific north-west of north America. Myrtles, sassafras and giant tree ferns create an almost constant canopy while Huon pines line the rivers of the Gordon and Arthur systems and are some 2000+ years old. Small groups of yellow-tailed black cockatoos move through the canopy. Dense, wet understorey, the whole system glows with an eerie green light on overcast days that doesn't quite transfer to photographs.

Access is the Tarkine Drive, on the north-west of Tasmania, via the town of Corinna and a ferry across the Pieman river or via guided four-wheel drive tours from Smithton or Strahan. It's far enough away to want a plan or a guide.

Much more accessible, an hour or so from Hobart, is Mt Field National Park. While the spectacular Russell Falls is the main draw, the swamp gums (Eucalyptus regnans) at the base of the park grow to be among the world's tallest flowering trees. In autumn the area above the snow line glows with gold, and a visitor timed in April can witness the vibrant colour of Tasmania's only native deciduous tree, the myrtle or fagus beech. It's an easy walk to see the best part of it and it is worth timing your visit around.

Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park combines the high, barren moorland and buttongrass plains with rainforest pockets. The region is connected by the six-day long overland track, one of Australia's classic, and only day visitors need have no special preparation to visit Crater Lake, Dove Lake or to do the Pencil Pine Creek boardwalk.

Practical Advice for Wildlife Watching in Tasmania

1. Dawn and dusk matter more than anything else. Most of Tasmania's marsupials are crepuscular or nocturnal. If you're planning a wildlife walk, schedule it for the first or last hour of daylight. A midday stroll through Cradle Valley will show you far less than the same walk at 6am.
2. Drive carefully after dark. Wallabies, possums, pademelons and devils feed along roadsides at night and road collisions are common. If you must drive after sunset, reduce your speed and watch the verges. Many itineraries are designed specifically to avoid night driving, it's worth following that lead.
3. Don't feed wild animals. It's illegal in national parks and causes real harm. Animals that learn to associate humans with food become aggressive or dependent, and often end up needing to be euthanised. This applies to the cute wallaby at the campsite as much as anything else.
4. Keep distance and keep quiet. Zoom lenses exist for a reason. Most wildlife encounters that go wrong start with someone moving too close for a photo. Stay at least two to three metres from marsupials, more for nesting birds. Move slowly, talk quietly if at all, and the animals will often come to you.
5. Leeches are common in rainforest after rain. Tuck socks over trouser cuffs or wear gaiters, carry insect repellent and a small container of salt. They're harmless, but removing one mid-walk is distracting. The forests are worth it.
6. Snakes are present but rarely encountered. Tasmania has three venomous species, the tiger snake, copperhead and white-lipped snake,  all of which avoid contact with humans. Wear boots on bush tracks, watch where you put your hands, and carry a compression bandage on remote hikes. Bites are extremely rare.

Get ready for your wild adventure with Fun Tassie Tours

Many of Tasmania's best wildlife encounters are spread across the state's different regions. If you're planning to visit locations such as Cradle Mountain, Freycinet, and the Tarkine in one trip, this Tasmania itinerary for 10 days follows a route that covers many of the island's most rewarding natural areas.

Here at Fun Tassie Tours, our guides dedicate hundreds of days each year to exploring Tasmania's national parks, beaches, and wildlife-viewing spots. If it is finding wombat grazing around Narawntapu, finding platypus in quiet water reserves or ensuring that you are present at the right time when the little penguins are coming ashore, a bit of insider's knowledge may just help you out.

All our tours are conducted in the latest executive mini-buses, allowing you to travel in comfort throughout Tasmania. Almost all of our tours use our executive mini buses, which include leather seats, overhead storage spaces and accommodate no more than 12 people despite having a license of 17 passengers. For private tours, family tours, or individuals wanting something more personalised, we use our Mercedes Valente, which accommodates no more than 5 passengers.

For any queries regarding our Tasmania tours regarding inclusions, hotels, baggage, pick up point and group sizes, please refer to our frequently asked questions section.

Tours to enjoy wildlife encounters

1. Our 13-day Premium Tour will take you to the most popular spots to encounter unique animals.
2. The 10-day tour around Tasmania for those who want to enjoy the uniqueness of Tasmania's wildlife.
3. The 8-day tour package around Tasmania for those who want to see the premier attractions in less time.