Heading south for wintertime? Here are three fantastic activities to do if you visit Tasmania this winter.

DARK MOFO

June marks the start of Tasmania’s premier art festival: Dark Mofo. Hosted by the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) in Hobart’s north, the festival brings the very best local and international artists to Tasmania.

Highlights of the event include the annual Winter Feast, where Hobart’s Princes Wharf 1 is transformed into a gothic banquet, and the Nude Solstice Swim at Long Beach in Sandy Bay, where visitors brave the freezing temperatures to swim naked in the icy waters.

OVERLAND TRACK

Every year hundreds of people pack their bags and set off on the Overland Track, one of Tasmania’s most picturesque bushwalking adventures. Pack your puffer jacket and get ready to hike through the snowfields of Cradle Mountain all the way to the serene Lake St Clair.

As you set out on this eight-day adventure through the lush Tasmanian bushland, you’ll get to experience some of the state’s best natural wonders, including Dove Lake, the Lemonthyme Valley and Cynthia Bay. But be warned, this track can be extremely hazardous.

AURORA AUSTRALIS

If you’re brave enough to leave your warm accommodation at night, you can’t go past the breathtaking aurora australis; also know as the southern lights. Just like the aurora borealis in the Northern Hemisphere, at sunset, the skies in certain parts of state come alive with a spectacular display of bright colours.

This light phenomenon is a result of periods of intense solar activity in the Earth’s atmosphere that cause vivid pink, green and yellow lights to glitter against the night sky. There are several locations around Hobart where you can see the southern lights (including Taroona, Bruny Island and Mount Wellington), as well as from Cradle Mountain in the north and Strahan in the south-west.

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