Tourism Tasmania has launched “Winternships”, a tongue-in-cheek invitation for Australians to apply for a Tasmanian internship experience, designed to help them become winter people.
The campaign brings to life 10 different experience created by Tasmanian tourism operators; each designed to challenge perceptions of winter and inspire a fresh perspective on the season. Applications are open from 27 May to 17 June on the Discover Tasmania website.
In a bid to understand how Australians truly feel about the colder months, research commissioned by Tourism Tasmania revealed 68 per cent of Australians wish winter away, and only a third consider themselves ‘winter people’. With only 12 per cent feeling their best during the season. The research highlighted an opportunity to shift perceptions and encourage Australians to embrace the chill.
Tasmania’s Off season, from May through August, has become a key driver of winter visitation to the state – offering travellers an alternative to hibernation through immersive, only-in-Tasmania experiences. The campaign celebrates the colder months as a time to reset and reconnect, inviting visitors to embrace the chill with everything from fire-fuelled feasts and dark sky adventures to wild coastal plunges and rainforest walks.
With more than 550 curated winter offerings and strong industry participation from across the island, the Off Season has grown into a compelling seasonal proposition for travellers and trade alike, boosting visitation during traditional shoulder months while deepening engagement with local operators.
Following strong interest from international travellers with Odd Jobs in 2024, Tasmania’s Winternships is heading overseas for the very first time, extending into Singapore. Appealing to Singaporean travellers seeking cooler climates, wellness escapes, and slower, more meaningful journeys, the campaign positions Tasmania as the perfect winter destination – offering immersive, hands-on experiences that are both purposeful and playful.
In partnership with Trip.com, one lucky Singaporean resident and a friend will score a fully hosted six-night winter escape to Tasmania, including return flights, boutique accommodation, and a bespoke itinerary packed with Winternship highlights. From life on a working sheep and cattle farm at Curringa Farm, to a sunrise shift at the floating wood-fired Kuuma Nature Sauna, and vineyard and oyster adventures at Devil’s Corner.
“There’s something special about winter in Tasmania, from misty valleys that are home to quaint towns and ancient forests, to the snowcapped mountains, crisp clean air and clear night skies,” Tourism Tasmania CEO Sarah Clark said. “Winterships is a playful way to show travellers what a winter holiday can look like when it’s done the Tassie way.
“It not only encourages Aussies to see winter in a new light but also invites them to connect with local tourism operators who bring Tasmania’s Off Season to Life.”
To amplify the campaign across earned and social media, Tourism Tasmania recruited comedian, writer and actor, Celia Pacquola, to take on a series of Winternships to discover what it really means to become a ‘winter person’.
A 60-second video on Tourism Tasmania’s website follows Celia as she trades winter hibernation for hands-on hilarity, diving headfirst into her very own Winternship adventure. Celia is seen stoking the fire at Kuuma Nature Sauna as a Sauna Skipper, babysitting nocturnal troublemakers as a Devil Sitter at Devils@Cradle, preparing for a party in a paddock as a Goat Doofer at Hideaway Farmlet, and hitting the trails with Blue Derby Pods Ride. Celia experiences the weird and wonderful side of winter in Tassie with her trademark humour and warmth, she discovers what it really means to be a winter person – less hibernation, more celebration.
Watch the video now
Tourism Tasmania’s Winternships is now open and accepting applications. Visit the website for more information. Applicants must complete a short submission explaining in 50 words or less why they want to become a winter person with a Winternship in Tasmania. Up for the taking are one-off, uniquely Tasmanian experiences, with each successful applicant receiving travel, accommodation, a bounty of local artisanal goods for their time.
The 10 Winternships available
Sauna Skipper – Kuuma Nature Sauna: Participants will be responsible for keeping the floating sauna toasty enough to make dunking into the icy North West Bay water worth it.
Devil Sitter – Devils@Cradle: As Winterns, participants will be keeping a watchful eye on the wide-awake Tasmanian devils who’d rather stay up all night.
Goat Doofer – Hideaway Farmlet: Winterns will be helping put on a mini music festival at a farmlet. They can enjoy the tiny and – very possibly – only Goat Doof in the world.
Trail Trailler – Blue Derby Pods Ride: They are looking for Winterns to spend two days off-road and off-grid, racking up KMs around the mountain bike trails in Derby.
Calf Concierge – Borradale Stanley: At Borradale Stanley, participants get to wake up before dawn and step into a paddock where the newest members of the farm are finding their feet.
Scenic Seat-Warmer – Gorge Scenic Chairlift: As the Wintern, participants are responsible for making sure the historic Chairlift is running smoothly.
Tunnel to Table Taster – Tunnel Hill Mushrooms: At Tunnel Hill Mushrooms, a Tunnel to Table Taster Wintern is needed to grow, pick and prepare the award-winning mushrooms cultivated inside an old railway tunnel.
Barrel Butler – McHenry Distillery: Winterns can learn how to make the whiskey at Australia’s southernmost distillery, McHenry.
Fragrance Forager – Undersong Perfumery: Winterns will help bottle up perfume and candidates with a keen sense of smell will be favoured.
Splinter Specialist – Huon Pine Shop and Creative Paper Tasmania: At Huon Pine Shop, woodworkers whittle winter away in the best smelling workshop in Strahan. Winterns can take their turn to learn about everything from crafting Huon Pine apples to making paper from twigs and offcuts.
