Huon Valley

Just a 30-minute drive south of Hobart, the Huon Valley unfurls as a lush, river-carved landscape of apple orchards, cool-climate vineyards, and misty forests that feel worlds away from the city. This is Tasmania’s fruit bowl and cider heartland, where the air smells of woodsmoke and fermenting apples, and the Huon River glides past tiny hamlets and historic jetties. For travellers, it’s a day-trip or a multi-day detour that combines gourmet pit stops, wilderness walks, and a palpable sense of old Tasmania.

Highlights & What to See

• Huon Valley Apple & Cider Trail: Follow the signs to orchards and cellar doors like Willie Smith’s Apple Shed – a historic cider works with tastings, a museum, and woodfired pizzas. Don’t miss the scrumpy and perry.
• Tahune AirWalk: A swaying steel walkway suspended 50 metres above the Huon River, threading through the canopy of towering swamp gums and myrtles. The views down the river are spine-tingling.
• Hartz Mountains National Park: A short, steep drive from Geeveston leads to alpine plateaus, tarns, and snow gums. The walk to Lake Esperance is a quick hit of subalpine beauty.
• Cycling the Huon Trail: The 135km Huon Valley Trail weaves through orchards, forests, and coastal villages. Rent a bike in Cygnet or Huonville and pedal past berry farms and antique shops.
• Wooden Boat Centre (Franklin): Watch master shipwrights craft and restore Huon pine boats – a living link to the valley’s maritime heritage.

Suggested Time to Spend

You can taste the valley’s highlights in a long day-trip from Hobart, but to truly soak up the pace of life, spend two nights. This lets you explore the AirWalk and Hartz Mountains one day, then linger over a cider tasting and a riverside picnic the next. If you’re self-driving, the loop from Hobart through Huonville, Cygnet, and back via the Channel Highway makes a relaxed two-day itinerary.

Nearby Areas Worth Combining

• Hobart: Start or end your Huon Valley trip in Tasmania’s capital – hit the Saturday Salamanca Market and MONA before heading south.
• Bruny Island: A short ferry from Kettering (just west of the Huon) offers rugged cliffs, white-sand beaches, and excellent cheese and oysters.
• Port Arthur & the Tasman Peninsula: An hour east, this historic convict site and the dramatic sea cliffs of the Tasman National Park make a powerful contrast to the valley’s gentle orchards.
• Cradle Mountain–Lake St Clair National Park: A longer drive north, but worthy if you have a week – pair the Huon’s gourmet stops with Cradle’s alpine wilderness.

Please check official sources for current details.