Bruny b a plate

The ferry trip across the d’Entrecasteaux Channel from Kettering in Tasmania’s south to Bruny Island may only take 20 minutes, but it delivers visitors to an experience light years removed from the workaday world. The island (Bruny) off the island (Tasmania) off the island (Australia) has it all: dramatic scenery, artisan food and wine, wildlife at every turn and some hidden accommodation gems. The locals, who are mostly farmers and business owners, rarely need to think about heading to the mainland, when Bruny pretty much answers all their needs.

You can see Bruny Island from Hobart and get an even better view from the top of Mount Wellington. It’s a 40-minute drive from the city to jump on the ferry, where there may be a short queue, as you can’t pre-book. There’s no public transport on the island either, so tourists and the 700-something residents need a car or a tour bus to travel its 100-kilometre length. In fact, Bruny is two smaller islands connected by a long, thin sandbank called The Neck.