There’s a lot to keep you entertained in the island state, but these Tasmania experiences will you experience with fresh eyes.

Tasmania might be our smallest state, but what it lacks in size it makes up for in the drama of its landscapes, the richness of its history, and the liveliness of its contemporary arts and food scenes. A journey here takes you from wild coast to rainforest, from ancient Indigenous sites to chic distilleries and restaurants. There are endless unforgettable Tasmania experiences, but here are seven new ways to explore that you shouldn’t miss.

1. Taste your way around Hobart

Southern Tasmania has great sights such as Port Arthur, colonial-era town Richmond and Hartz Mountains National Park. But while you explore, get your taste buds tingling in the farmers’ markets of Hobart, among the rolling hills of the lovely Huon Valley, and on Bruny Island, where you can enjoy locally produced cheese, honey and oysters.

Intrepid’s Hobart & Southern Tasmania Explorer offers plenty of opportunities to feast on local delights as you delve into the region’s colonial past and splendid landscapes. A highlight? The visit to a fourth-generation family-run orchard in the Huon Valley, where you can learn about the long history of apple farming in Tasmania, and try the cider.

2. Go wild on Maria Island

Maria Island off Tasmania’s east coast is an adventure wonderland of windblown coastlines, glorious beaches and landforms such as the startling Painted Cliffs. It’s also one of Tasmania’s top bird-watching destinations. Parrots flit among the peppermint trees, and you might spot wallabies and wombats. The former whaling and sealing outpost also has fascinating Indigenous and colonial stories that provide historical interest.

Intrepid’s Hike Tasmania’s Maria Island tour gets you into the island’s rugged landscapes on a four-day walking adventure. You’ll spend the night in World Heritage-listed accommodation at Penitentiary Dorm in Darlington, once used as a convict prison – although you can be sure comforts have been upgraded since the 1820s.

3. Meet Tasmanian devils

Tasmania has an abundance of wildlife, but none more famous than the Tassie devil. Spotting them in the wild is difficult as they’re active at night, so be sure to take the opportunity to see these voracious nocturnal carnivores at a wildlife sanctuary, where you can also learn about their behaviour and conservation.

On the Highlights of Tasmania tour with Intrepid, you’ll have an up-close encounter with Tasmanian devils at Bicheno and see them squabbling and shrieking over their food – which will show how they get their devilish name. Incidentally, Bicheno is also home to little penguins, which you can see on a guided tour as they return from the ocean to feed their young.

4. Set off to the Edge of the World

Few places offer such remoteness as Tasmania’s northwest, a region of fabulous natural beauty, ancient rainforests, and Indigenous history. The Tarkine Coast will exhilarate you with its massive surf, battered cliffs and wild beaches. If you gaze west from Edge of the World, it’s open ocean all the way to Argentina – the world’s longest stretch of open ocean anywhere.

Intrepid’s Tasmania’s Tarkine & Cradle Mountain Explorer gets you into Tasmania’s remote northwest, where you’ll hike coastal trails in Narawntapu and Rocky Cape national parks and visit Australia’s oldest temperate rainforests. But it’s not all wild: you’ll get a chance to sample whiskey and chocolate truffles along the Cradle to Coast Tasting Trail too.

5. Climb high on Bruny Island

If you want to see why this island is celebrated, then climb 279 steps to Truganini Lookout and gaze over white-sand beaches, sapphire seas and purple ridges of hills. Visit Cape Bruny Lighthouse for another fabulous view. In short, take a climb and any vantage point wows you – in fact, the scenery is lovely even at sea level from the ferry.

Set off on Intrepid’s Tasmanian Explorer journey and you’ll admire all the highlights of Bruny Island. The tour provides plenty of other outstanding scenery as well in destinations such as the Tasman Peninsula, Mt Wellington and stunning Rocky Cape National Park, which has tortured rock formations and sea caves a million years in the making.

6. Learn about Indigenous culture

Tasmania has a history 35,000 years old that began with the arrival of its Indigenous people or Palawa. Palawa middens, petroglyphs and rock art are scattered across the state. Learn more about Palawa history and culture, and the important relationship of Palawa island people with water, at the inspiring Ningina Tunapri (“knowledge and understanding") gallery in the Tasmanian Museum in Hobart.

Intrepid’s Walk the Tasman Peninsula tour begins with a visit to Ningina Tunapri for an insight into Tasmania’s traditional owners before immersing you in the awe-inspiring landscapes of the Tasman Peninsula, home to the Pydairrerme people for countless generations before the arrival of European settlers and convicts.

7. Discover unusual geological wonders

An island pounded by waves, battered by wind, scraped by glaciers and shaped over millions of years is bound to be remarkable. While big sights such as Cradle Mountain and Freycinet National Park are well known, there are plenty of hidden wonders too, such as Trowutta Arch and the Lake Chisholm sinkhole along the Tarkine Coast, the north’s spectacular Hellyer Gorge and pretty Philosopher’s Falls, and the glacial landscapes of the Hartz Mountains.

The Tasmania Explorer with Intrepid takes you from rainforests to dramatic coast, mountains to islands. Climb an ancient volcanic plug called The Nut on the north coast, kayak or hike up the Pieman River, and enjoy spectacular views over Cradle Mountain National Park from Marion’s Lookout.