Huon Valley
Tasmania's Fruit Bowl South of Hobart
On the lands of the Melukerdee people.
schedule 1 min read / Updated Jun 2026
A deep river valley 40 kilometres south of Hobart that has grown Tasmania's apples for 150 years and is now the state's most interesting cool-climate food region. The Huon is also the starting point for the Huon Pine forests of the south-west wilderness.
The Huon Valley sits on Melukerdee country around the Huon River, which winds from the south-west wilderness down to the D'Entrecasteaux Channel. European settlers planted apples here in the 1850s and at its peak the valley was producing most of Tasmania's apples and supplying a third of the British market. The apple industry collapsed in the 1970s when the UK joined the EU, and the old orchards have gradually been replaced by boutique cideries, mushroom farms, salmon farms and cool-climate vineyards.
Willie Smith's cider, Pagan Cider, and Frank's Cider are the best known of the new-wave producers. The Huon Valley Mid-Winter Festival in July is a cult event that includes a 'wassailing' ceremony blessing the apple trees for the next season. The Tahune Airwalk, further up the valley, is an elevated walkway 45 metres above the Huon and Picton river junction, with a cantilevered section that extends out over open space.
The Hartz Mountains National Park south-west of the valley is the closest piece of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area to Hobart and is a good introduction to the alpine plateaus of the south-west.
Tourist locations
Places to visit in Huon Valley.
6 locations to explore
Grandvewe Cheeses
Sheep cheese on the Channel coast
$20 per person (Tasting Teaser); extended experiences from $80
Full guide arrow_forwardHastings Caves State Reserve
Ancient dolomite caverns underground
$26 adult, $13 child (4-17), $65 family (cave tour)
Full guide arrow_forwardPelverata Falls Track
Wild gorge walk near Huonville
Free
Full guide arrow_forwardTahune Adventures AirWalk
Treetop walk above the Huon
$35 adult, $17.50 child (5-16), $87.50 family
Full guide arrow_forwardThe Wooden Boat Centre
Living heritage of Huon timber craft
$16 adult, $6 child (under 17), $38 family
Full guide arrow_forwardWillie Smith's Apple Shed
Cider, history and fresh produce
Free (museum and grounds)
Full guide arrow_forwardScenic views
Lookouts near Huon Valley.
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Attribution
Sources & credits
Content (1)
Images (2)
- Stringybark canopy.jpg · Miythical · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Tree fern bridge, Huon Bush Retreats, Mount Misery, Huon Val... · PDinTassie · CC BY-SA 4.0
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