Are you travelling to Tasmania and unsure what you should bring?

The changing of the seasons is one of the things we Tasmanians love best about living on our island. Tasmania has four distinct seasons. To some Tasmanians, anything over 25 degrees Celcius is a very hot day, and while our winters are on the cold side, anyone from parts of Northern Europe or America is used to far cooler conditions.  

Whatever the season, Tasmania’s weather can change rapidly, so packing the right gear means you can visit safely and comfortably at any time of year.

Our small group Tasmanian tours explore Tasmania, including its temperate rainforests, beaches, and mountains. Our tours are active, with lots of opportunities to walk in our national parks. How much you walk depends on you, as does the difficulty of the trails as there are often a few options at each of the location we visit. 

So, to pack for our multiday or day tours in Tasmania, it’s best to cover what to bring for our day-walks (which is basically every day of tour). Let’s start with a comfortable day pack. Inside you’ll want to put sunscreen (SPF 50+), lunch or snacks, and a 1.5L refillable water bottle. Depending on the season and conditions on the day, comfortable (loose-fitting) shorts or trousers, plus a few layers for your upper body (like a t-shirt plus a thermal top and fleece jumper) will mean you can easily adjust your body temperature. On your head, sunglasses plus a broad brimmed sunhat are ideal from October-April, and you’ll value a beanie in the cooler months.

You’ll also need to bring a good quality waterproof rain jacket, and comfortable closed-toe walking shoes or boots, along with a separate pair of shoes to change into in case your walking shoes get muddy.  If you’re still not sure, contact us to discuss the walks.  Even in summer, you shouldn’t attempt any of the walks in our national parks in flip flops, and that’s simply for your safety.  

Lastly, it is perfectly acceptable to wear a puffer jacket to any occasion. The ‘Tasmanian tuxedo’ is a black puffer jacket.

What if you arrive in Tasmania but don’t have any of these things?  Once your tour of Tasmania begins, we’re off immediately to explore our wild places, so you’ll need to bring everything with you when you begin. Hobart and Launceston have the most options for buying things like jackets and shoes. We always have a first aid kit with our tour guide and on the tour vehicle, but for personal first aid supplies and medications we recommend also grabbing these before your tour starts.

Under Down Under is an advanced eco-certified tour operator. As such, we ask our guests to bring their own keep-cup for coffees, a reusable shopping bag, and refillable water bottle.  

The essential packing list:

• Day pack
• Waterproof rain jacket
• Comfortable closed-toe walking shoes or boots
• Change of shoes for after (in case your walking shoes get muddy/wet)
• Comfortable loose-fitting trousers (or shorts) and t-shirt for walking
• Layered clothing, such as a thermal and fleece top
• Puffer jacket (optional, but most Tasmanians have one)
• Swimsuit and towel
• Sunscreen (50+)
• Toiletries, personal first aid supplies, head-phones (useful for Port Arthur audio-podcast)
• Sun hat, sunglasses, beanie (winter)
• Refillable water bottle (min 1L). Keep cup (if you drink coffee), reusable shopping bag.

As always, if you have any questions, contact our office and we’ll be happy to talk to you about your question. Happy packing!