There’s something special and galvanising about living on an island off an island. But what about going one step further and travelling to another island? It turns out Tassie is made up of over 330 islands – here’s our wrap up of some of the best smaller land masses to visit off the Tasmanian coast for something different this Off Season.

Maria Island
Our love of wombats is real, and there’s no better place to see them in the wild than on Maria Island, where they are familiar with humans and have no natural predators so are free to roam during daylight hours. Maria, on our east coast, is of course dotted with stunning pristine beaches where you’re unlikely to have to tussle for towel space – particularly in winter. You might want to join the Brass Monkey Swim Club – buy a Plunge Permit with Encounter Maria Island(encountermaria.com.au) and submerge into the bitterly cold winter waters that surround the National Park island.

Picnic Island
If you really want to escape from the crowds, you could hire an entire private island. Picnic Island (picnicisland.com.au) offers a secluded, copper-clad lodge and the chance to be marooned with inquisitive resident penguins. Activities can include fishing for flathead or squid, walking, swimming, or just settling in for a day of reading by the fire. Plan your mutiny from May to June and you might even see migrating whales.

Bruny Island
We all think we know Bruny Island, yet everytime we visit we discover something new, like Hundred Acre Hideaway’s (hundredacrehideaway.com.au) hot tub retreat. Escape your responsibilities at one of their two adults-only hideaways set in 100 acres of rainforest, bush and meadows overlooking Cloudy Bay on South Bruny. Lean in to the wintery indulgence with a bottle of Tasmanian Pinot Noir and Bruny Botanic gift hamper for each two-night stay. Also on south Bruny, the family-friendly Mandala (mandalabrunyisland.com.au) is a beautifully restored historic timber home in private bushland by the water, great for couples but also big enough for families or groups. Rug up and head outdoors to explore the trails that start right across the road then settle back in to reconnect around the fire with their craft supplies and games, or cook together with items from the complimentary local produce hamper.

King Island
Heading to the north west, King Island beckons with its promise of cheese, milk, yoghurt…yes, all the dairy. It also has three challenging golf courses, an abundance of fresh air (sometimes blowing non-stop in your face, but still…fresh!) and incredible seafood. Play a round in the middle of the Great Southern Ocean at Ocean Dunes Golf Club (oceandunes.com.au) ranked fourth in Australia. Enjoy a different kind of beach time here, with three nights for the price of two, at Buttons by the Beach (kingisland.org.au/operator/buttons-by-the-beach) in winter. The off-grid retreat is right on the beach – easy access for cold water plunges and sunset views.

Flinders Island
To really get away from it all, head far, far away, to Faraway on Flinders Island (farawayonflindersisland.com.au). Rugged and beautiful, Flinders is one of the 52 islands in the Furneaux Group dotted across the Bass Strait and the perfect place to embrace the elements this winter with a transformative wellness experience. Dive into cold water immersion therapy, eat local island cuisine and stargaze from your boutique retreat. Designed as an art house and a space for entertaining, the three bedroom Faraway, and the land it is on, will be exclusively yours to explore and relax amongst. With views across Adelaide Bay to the Furneaux Outer Islands (more islands!), you could see Vansittart, Big and Little Dog, Green and Cape Barren Islands.