Tourism Tasmania is promoting the state’s spring wildlife calendar as a shoulder-season drawcard, pointing to increased platypus, whale and wombat joey activity as a point of difference against the traditional summer peak.
Domestic demand supports shoulder-season push
The push comes as new research cited by the campaign finds approximately 55 per cent of Australians are planning a domestic spring trip, with 20 per cent intending to travel interstate. For Tasmanian tour operators and accommodation providers, the data supports positioning spring as a genuine alternative to summer, with quieter trails and more active wildlife as the key selling points rather than price alone.
Operators highlighted in the campaign include Secret World of Hobart Rivulet Platypus, offering small-group guided walks from the C3 Convention Centre to Cascade Gardens, and a free evening platypus-spotting walk departing from The Empire Hotel in Deloraine. East Coast Natureworld and Trowunna Wildlife Sanctuary are promoting wombat joey sightings and Tasmanian devil encounters, including after-dark viewing experiences, with Trowunna also running a junior ranger program for younger visitors.
Whale season and Tarkine access add product depth
Pennicott Wilderness Journeys’ Tasman Island Cruises run from September to December, coinciding with the humpback and southern right whale migration along the state’s east coast, with dolphin and occasional orca sightings also reported.
In the state’s north-west, the Tarkine Rainforest Experience offers a four-day guided walk through the Takayna/Tarkine, timed to the season’s first native orchid blooms, while the self-drive Tarkine Drive gives independent travellers a shorter alternative covering the Arthur River settlement and Edge of the World lookout.
For agents building Tasmanian itineraries, the range of operators spans guided small-group tours, wildlife sanctuaries and self-drive touring, giving advisors options across different traveller budgets and time frames within the same shoulder-season sell.
