A real map of Tasmania reveals Australia's smallest state to be a mass of hills, mountains and national parks, linked by crinkled lines representing the roads that lead a tourist from one town, park, lake or beach to the next.

Appearances, as always, are deceptive. The state is not as small as it looks. The roads are not so straight - challenging is the word that springs to mind. Corners can be marked with advisory speeds of ten kilometres per hour, and it is good advice. Travelling in Tasmania is travelling inside a kaleidoscope - every twist and turn of the road reveals a new and unexpected configuration of dappled light, greenery, rock and water. Some configurations are so compelling that an unwary driver could become a victim - death via scenery is an ever-present risk. Despite these dangers, Tasmania is the perfect state in which to enjoy a self-driving holiday.

Tasmania offers different pleasures to different people. It can be charming, sleepy and slow, with well-trodden gourmet trails leading the gourmand to wine, cheeses, seafood and desserts with barely a pause between delicacies. Those with an interest in architecture or history can enjoy Launceston, with buildings representative of several architectural styles, while Hobart's predominantly Georgian architecture against the backdrop of Mount Wellington lends it a touch of old-world solidity. Over 90 buildings are classified by the National Trust and many penal settlements have been preserved throughout the state - most notably Port Arthur, Richmond, Ross and Sarah Island.

Tasmania also has a large artistic and literary community and local artists display and sell their works in the many galleries and markets that can be found statewide. Nightclubs are located predominantly in Hobart and Launceston while live music is featured at many pubs across the state - and there are many pubs across the state.

Despite Tasmania's reputation as a state with a slower lifestyle, the adventurous tourist has an abundance of activities to choose from. Water-based pursuits include fishing, sailing, scuba-diving, white-water rafting, sea-kayaking and even surfing. Other popular activities include cycling, caving, abseiling and rock-climbing and, of course, bush-walking. Visitors who come to experience the Tasmanian wilderness often choose to complete one of the longer walks, such as the famous six day Overland Track, the Tasmanian Trail or the South Coast Track, but visiting any of the eighteen National Parks will provide access to shorter (and longer) walks of varying difficulty. Each of the national parks offers the tourist a unique experience.

Tasmania's wilderness is probably its primary draw card and it is spectacular in all seasons. Spring and Summer bring the majority of tourists and if planning to travel during the summer months it is essential to book accommodation well ahead of time. Autumn and winter are cooler, but if the prospect of endless white beaches without another footprint on them appeals, the cold months can be a paradise. Hobart is beautiful when snow coats Mount Wellington.

Peter Dombrovskis' photographs of Tasmanian scenery are justly famous, and touring Tasmania is like walking through those photographs - the light is softer and the landscape feels both ancient and untouched. Roll after roll of film falls victim to the beauty of Cradle Mountain, Freycinet or the Tasman Peninsula.

Like so much of its recent history, Tasmania is dark - dark with forest and granite that calls rumours of Gondwanaland irresistibly to mind, as do the tessellated rock and river beds that are permanent scars of long ago geological partings. There are beech forests in Tasmania that are found in New Zealand and Patagonia and are thought to be remnants of forests that once covered Antarctica. The forests of the West and South are so thick and silent that the imagination calls ancient worlds to life.

The coasts, by contrast, are bright with white sand and aqua seas. The sunsets are studies in blue and pink pastels - but as one looks seaward at the rest of the world, clothed in its fresh, modern colours, always behind is the darkness of forests, mountains and the past. These are moments caught between the long ago and today - the pointed roofs and smoking chimneys against the mist-covered hills and mountains create a fairytale atmosphere even as the streetlights flicker to life. In Tasmania, forgotten worlds seem not yet forgotten.

For more information about Tasmania and travelling to Tasmania with your own car, visit the following websites: