The first vineyard on the East coast of Tasmania, Freycinet remains one of the finest. Near the aptly named Wineglass Bay, this is an authentic, rustic winery that will please all the senses while you enjoy a selection of cool climate wines. 15919 Tasman Hwy, Bicheno freycinetvineyard.com.au

While cafe culture is rife in the city, a decent brew can be hard to find on a remote road trip. Coffee Away (Shop 4/37 Cecelia St, St Helens) is a hole-in-the-wall cafe making the best coffee on the east coast and is a must-stop for a refuel as you head north. If that doesn’t put a smile on your dial, then effervescent coffee doyenne Marika certainly will. While you’re in town, stock up on local produce at East Coast Village Providore (Shop 4, 55-59 Cecelia St).

Some of Australia’s best seafood comes from this pristine corner of the world, so if oysters are your thing, then Lease 65 (Shed 2, 444 Binalong Bay Rd, St Helens) will be your nirvana. These award-winning oysters can be found at high-end restaurants around the globe, but you can pick up a dozen unshucked for about $9 from the shed. Producer Craig Lockwood and his team are a fount of knowledge about cultivating these beautiful bivalves and are happy to share it.

The term ‘character-filled country pub’ is no more true than at the Pub in the paddock (250 St Columba Falls Rd, Pyengana). There’s no shortage of local characters, either, including Pinky, the ever-thirsty resident beer-swilling pig. Popular with motorbike enthusiasts and road trippers alike, the classic pub menu utilises Tassie produce, so pull up a seat and order a ‘parmi’ to go with your pint, just like the locals do.

From its sweeping, organic shape that, from above, looks for all the world like a giant stingray, to its impeccably appointed suites, each with wide-screen views of the pink-tinted The Hazards mountains, Saffire Freycinet (2352 Coles Bay Rd, Coles Bay) is the epitome of discreet luxury. Against this dramatic backdrop, guests can indulge in activities including luxe spa treatments, plane rides, produce and wine tours, boat excursions and picnics on secluded beaches, plus award-winning cuisine built on regional produce… or absolutely nothing at all.

Many mainlanders (that’s what Tasmanians call the rest of us) dream about a sea change, but few go through with it. Denis and Ann Buchanan did, though, moving from Sydney 23 years ago, and their eureka Farm (89 Upper Scamander Rd, Scamander) is a study in commitment to a slower, more considered way of life. Every conceivable stone fruit and berry is grown here and their cafe serves them up by way of award-winning ice cream, fresh berries, jams and conserves. At the height of the season, a punnet of fresh raspberries must surely be the world’s best road-trip snack.

For more than a century, the Healey family have been raising dairy cattle in the serene Pyengana valley, and making cheese in the traditional style. This year, Pyengana Dairy (St Columba Falls Rd, Pyengana) took out the From the Dairy Artisan section in our Produce Awards for its 12-month-plus aged Tasty Cheddar. Lactose lovers will feel right at home at the dairy’s Holy Cow Cafe, which offers fresh-from-the-dairy malted milkshakes, house-churned ice creams and (unsurprisingly) one helluva cheese toastie.

Winemaker Claudio Radenti may be Tasmanian born and bred, but there’s no mistaking his Italian roots. Freycinet vineyard (15919 Tasman Hwy, Bicheno) produces cool-climate wines that feature on some of Australia’s top restaurant lists, including Sydney’s Spice Temple and Melbourne’s Cutler & Co., but Claudio also produces incredible olive oil and cracking beer. Enjoy a picnic with views over The Hazards while you’re there.

“Tasmania is an eating holiday with views in between,” says Kate of Kate’s Berry Farm (12 Addison St, Swansea) and Just desserts Cafe and she may be right. Hers is an ideal destination for a road-trip pit stop – especially if sugar levels are low. There are savouries on offer, but we say go old-school with a Devonshire tea and homemade jam, or a wedge of fruit pie and cream. Or stay cool with homemade ice cream on the verandah overlooking the strawberry patch. The cafe is also a haven of handmade chocolates and jams, so stock up on gifts for the folks back home.

But man and woman cannot live by cheese, wine and ice cream alone – certainly not without a little excercise. A few tree-lined minutes down the road from Pyengana Dairy and about 10 minutes by foot, you’ll find the spectacular St Columba Falls (St Columba Falls Rd, Pyengana). Surrounded by ancient rainforest and filled with birds decked out in their finest garb, this local hideaway’s piece de resistance is a thundering 90-metre cascade of white water, spilling into eddies and rock pools that weave their way around giant boulders and prehistoric ferns.

If vineyard hopping is a priority, then make Spring Vale wines (130 Springvale Rd, Cranbrook) a stop on the vino express. Pinot noir fans will be suitably impressed with Spring Vale’s renowned expression of this cool-climate varietal, as well as its impressive pinot gris and chardonnay. In the Lyne family since 1875, this historic property’s former stables now serve as an atmospheric cellar door.

Countless locations vie for ‘most spectacular sunset’, and the Bay of Fires certainly puts up a fight for pole position. From Binalong Bay (Binalong Bay Rd, Binalong Bay) to the more secluded area known as The Gardens, The Bay of Fires’ icing-sugar sand and turquoise waters are offset by fiery red boulders (a natural phenomenon created by lichen) lining the dramatic bays and bushwalks. Stunning at any time of day, but particularly so at dawn and dusk.

If peace and privacy are high on your agenda, then Piermont (12990 Tasman Hwy, Swansea) is an ideal place to rest your weary head. The property comprises a collection of secluded self-catered stone cottages dotted around the dramatic, windswept bay. There are bicycles available to explore the property, but chances are that after a long day of adventuring, a meal of local seasonal produce impeccably prepared by chef Chad Woolford at Piermont’s restaurant, followed by a Tassie whisky by the fire back at your cosy cottage, will be just the ticket.