We all know Tassie does winter differently. Its calendar of seasonal events could turn anyone into a winter person, from pagan-themed festivals and week-long whiskey tastings to a range of wonderful and wacky winter internships. Still need convincing? What if we told you dessert with a Tasmanian devil was also on the cards?
Introducing Dessert with the Devil
Hosted by Devils@Cradle in Cradle Mountain, the ‘Dessert with the Devil’ encounter is exactly what it sounds like. In small groups, guests are invited to enjoy an intimate after-dark experience where Tassie devils and dessert share the spotlight.
Devils@Cradle is inviting guests to greet its native marsupials after-dark. (Credit: Tourism Tasmania)
Your evening begins with an exclusive after-hours tour of the sanctuary. Guided by a local wildlife expert, you’ll meet some of the adorable native creatures that call this special place home, like quolls and wombats.
After farewelling your new furry friends, you’ll venture into the den to greet the resident Tassie devils and their playful joeys. Watch on as they wrestle and tumble together before tucking into dinner and winding down for bed. Cuddles aren’t allowed, but you might just be lucky enough to enjoy a gentle pat.
Tuck into a decadent spread of Tasmanian treats. (Credit: Tourism Australia)
Get cosy by the fire to toast marshmellows after your Tassie devil encounter. (Credit: Tourism Australia)
Just when you think the evening couldn’t get any sweeter, a decadent dessert spread awaits. While parting ways with the Tassie devils won’t be easy, local sweets, treats and tipples certainly soften the blow. Finish the night by an open fire, roasting marshmallows and toasting to one of the most unforgettable experiences in Cradle Mountain.
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AI Prompt
A sweet experience with a bigger purpose
Devils@Cradle is more than just a wildlife sanctuary. It’s a dedicated conservation and breeding facility for some of Australia’s most precious marsupials, including the Eastern quoll, spotted-tail quoll and Tasmanian devil.
Devils@Cradle is a conservation facility that aims to protect endangered native wildlife. (Credit: Laura Helle)
It’s also home to a wisdom of bare-nosed wombats, who face ongoing threats from disease and predation, as well as other injured, orphaned and rescued wildlife from across Tasmania.
It’s places like Devils@Cradle, and the dedicated team behind it, that are working to ensure these native creatures don’t disappear for good. While encounters like ‘Dessert with the Devil’ are fun for guests, they also play a significant role in broader conservation efforts – which means you are, too!
Feel good knowing your visit helps safeguard the future of endangered Tassie devils. (Credit: Jewels Lynch)
These experiences are designed to be both engaging and educational. It’s a symbiotic relationship that benefits both parties, proving that conservation can be just as memorable as it is meaningful.
How to book
The ‘Dessert with the Devil’ experience can be booked via the Devils@Cradle website. Tours operate daily from 7pm and run for roughly 75 minutes, available until 30 September. Reservations are essential, with tickets priced at $99 per adult and $75 per child.
While every effort is made to create memorable moments, interactions are not guaranteed. The welfare of all animals remains the top priority and participation is at the discretion of sanctuary staff. Guests are kindly asked to follow all instructions from guides and keepers at all times.
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Taylah Darnell is Australian Traveller's Writer & Producer. She has been passionate about writing since she learnt to read, spending many hours either lost in the pages of books or attempting to write her own. This life-long love of words inspired her to study a Bachelor of Communication majoring in Creative Writing at the University of Technology Sydney, where she completed two editorial internships. She began her full-time career in publishing at Ocean Media before scoring her dream job with Australian Traveller. Now as Writer & Producer, Taylah passionately works across both digital platforms and print titles. When she's not wielding a red pen over magazine proofs, you can find Taylah among the aisles of a second-hand bookshop, following a good nature trail or cheering on her EPL team at 3am. While she's keen to check out places like Scotland and North America, her favourite place to explore will always be her homeland.
Hobart has quietly become our coolest capital, but the real wonder lies just beyond the city limits.
In the cool shade of Kunyani/ Mt Wellington, Hobart has earned a reputation. Home to culture-defining Dark MOFO, the city blends rugged, raw wilderness and rule-breaking galleries. But, step beyond the thrumming capital’s border and you’ll find a new perspective: historic towns, Jurassic-era cliffs and a UNESCO City of Gastronomy. Fill your days with epicurean odysseys and wild scenery on the best day trips from Hobart.
Where to stay
Elevate your Hobart stay with sleek style at Mövenpick.
Behind every good road trip is the perfect home base. Somewhere central to review your camera roll, make the most of Hobart’s dining scene and relax before setting off again.
For modern, Tasmanian-inspired design, book a stay at the Movenpick Hotel Hobart. Standing at the Salamanca Markets, look to the Hobart skyline, and the award-winning hotel will catch your eye. As the third-tallest building in the CBD, the views across the harbour toward Antarctica are totally unique from your room. Here, end each day at the daily free chocolate hour (plus a free Movenpick ice cream for the little ones).
For a more budget-conscious option, head to the picture book, sandstone buildings of Macquarie Street. Nestled along the buzzing, historic streetscape, you’ll find Tasmania’s biggest hotel: the Ibis Styles. Return home each day to defrost in one of the hotel’s two saunas. Make use of the proximity to MONA, or take an easy stroll to the candy-coloured cottages of Battery Point between your adventures.
1. Bruny Island
Begin your adventure with a climb and a view. (Credit: Elise Weaver)
Craggy cliffs and tropical-hued, white sand beaches signal your arrival to Bruny Island/ Lunawanna-Alonnah.
Start your day trip at the island’s most iconic spot, the Neck Game Reserve. Scale the Trunganini steps to gaze out over the teensy stretch of land that juts through the sea connecting the two ends of the island.
Catch a rare glimpse of the white-furred wallabies that call Bruny Island home at Adventure Bay. Then, for ocean-fresh oysters, pull into the drive-thru window at Get Shucked. Sample Bruny Island cheese at the cellar door before catching the ferry home with an esky full of local produce.
2. Mount Wellington
Climb through alpine forest to the summit. (Credit: Samuel Shelley)
At 1271 metres, Mount Wellington watches protectively over Hobart. Follow the winding road to climb through alpine forest and tufts of snow to reach the summit. Gaze down over Hobart and out to sea, or over your shoulder to the southwestern wilderness.
Reset your adrenaline with a mountain bike ride back down. Or, make like the locals and head into the mountain on foot. Try the hike to the Jurassic-period Organ Pipes, which slips under the mountain’s magnificent dolerite cliffs (perfect for families thanks to the trail’s minimal incline).
For a view of Mount Wellington itself, hike nearby Cathedral Rock.
2. Port Arthur
Wander through convict-built grounds and gardens. (Credit: Alastair Bett)
Constructed entirely by convicts, the manicured gardens and penal buildings of Port Arthur offer a day trip that practically hums with history.
The rugged, seagirt location was chosen for its difficult escape conditions. Now, you can cruise the coast below the towering, jagged cliffs of the Tasman National Park or wander the sloping fields of fragrant lavender.
Tickets to Port Arthur include a walking tour and harbour cruise. See the Isle of the Dead where 1000 men are buried in marked and unmarked graves. And Point Puer, Britain’s first prison for children.
3. Launceston
Walk the sunlit paths of Cataract Gorge. (Credit: Nick H Visuals)
You’ll find Launceston at the confluence of three rivers after an easy 2.5-hour drive from Hobart. Launceston is a patchwork of old and new. Here, heritage streetscapes meet modern architecture.
Visit Cataract Gorge, the green, sun-dappled heart of the town and sacred meeting point for Tasmania’s indigenous communities. Pull up at roadside produce stalls that dot the Tamar Valley, or dine out. Launceston is, after all, a UNESCO City of Gastronomy.
Should the local wine scene persuade you, simply extend your time in Launceston at Peppers Silo (but definitely at least stop by the onsite restaurant, Grain of the Silo, for a farm fresh menu) or Mercure Launceston before heading back to Hobart.
4. Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary
Snap a cuddle-worthy encounter. (Credit: Tourism Australia)
Take a 35-minute drive from your hotel and you’ll find Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary. This social enterprise is run by a team of extremely passionate Tasmanians with a mission to look after critically endangered species who have found sanctuary here after facing extinction on the mainland.
Choose to wander the sanctuary at your own pace or join a guided tour (free with your ticket) to come face to face with Tassie’s most iconic species. Tasmanian Devils, wombats and echidnas are part of the free tour. You can book up close encounters with your favourite animals, too.
5. Richmond Village & Coal River Valley
Trace the river through history and wine country. (Credit: Alastair Bett)
Richmond is a town that belongs in a snow globe. Fifty colonial-era, Georgian buildings have been painstakingly restored and turned into cafes, cosy restaurants and galleries. Visit Richmond Gaol, said to be the home of a prisoner so vile he inspired Charles Dickens to pen Oliver Twist’s Fagin.
Then, follow the Coal River as it flows past grassy, duckling-dotted knolls and under the iconic Richmond Bridge, the oldest bridge in Australia. From the crest of the bridge, see the oldest Catholic Church in Australia. The river crawls past many cellar doors, perfect for a day of wine tasting.
