Tourism Tasmania Launches ‘Winternships’ To Challenge Perceptions Of Winter

Celia experiences the weird and wonderful side of winter in Tassie with her trademark humour and warmth, discovering what it really means to be a winter person—less hibernation, more celebration.

“We know Australians don’t love winter, with 68 per cent wishing the season away—but down here, we know how to do it differently,” said Lindene Cleary, chief marketing officer, Tourism Tasmania.

“With ‘Winternships’, we’re turning the coldest season into the most invigorating one, giving Aussies the chance to trade doona days for devil-sitting and fragrance foraging. Off the back of ‘Odd Jobs’, we’re once again showing the country that Tassie doesn’t just embrace winter—we make it something to look forward to.”

“Our goal with Winternships was to shine a light on the passionate Tasmanian operators across the state who make The Off Season such a special time of year,” said Georgina Thompson, client services director, HAVAS Red.

“Following the global success of last year’s ‘Odd Jobs’ campaign, we knew we needed to evolve the idea—and what better way to do that than by inviting Australians to become winter people through a Winternship experience that captures the variety and wonder of Tasmania in winter.”

The 10 Winternships available include:

• Sauna Skipper – Kuuma Nature Sauna: When temperatures dip, so do Tasmanians. As a Wintern, you’ll be responsible for keeping the floating sauna toasty enough to make dunking into the icy North West Bay water worth it. One minute, you’re human gazpacho. The next, you’re a sizzling slow roast. It might look a little different to the snug winter lie in you’re used to but in Tassie, not a minute of this season is missed.
• Devil Sitter – Devils@Cradle: Clock in at 4pm for the only babysitting job that doesn’t require Bluey on repeat—looking after Tasmanian devils. As a Wintern, you will be keeping a watchful eye on the wide-awake devils who’d rather stay up all night having a yarn than hibernating through their social life. Forget lullabies, tone-deaf applicants ready to communicate exclusively via screech are welcome.
• Goat Doofer – Hideaway Farmlet: Think winter is a slow season? Not for Tasmanians. As the Goat Doofer Wintern, your job will be helping put on a mini music festival. At a farmlet. In a place called Penguin. Home to a herd of vibe-seeking miniature goats. Get ready to enjoy the tiny, ridiculous and—very possibly—only Goat Doof in the world. You’ll keep the mini goats on their best behaviour as they prepare for this truly unique bush doof.
• Trail Trialler – Blue Derby Pods Ride: Blue Derby Pods Ride is seeking a Wintern without training wheels to spend two days off-road and off-grid, racking up KMs around the legendary mountain bike trails in Derby. You might leave with legs more ‘wobble’ than ‘walk’ but you’ll learn that being off-road and off grid during the Off Season is the ultimate way to grip winter by the handlebars.
• Calf Concierge – Borradale Stanley: In Tasmania, winter isn’t endured—it’s embraced. At Borradale Stanley that means waking up before dawn, pulling on your gumboots, and stepping into a paddock where the newest members of the farm are finding their feet. You’ll need 20/20 vision to standby on maternity watch in case a calf is about to make its grand entrance. Then, it’s time to help out the smallest residents of the farm and give our lambs extra care. You’ll be bottle-feeding them, keeping them warm and helping them find their footing—one tiny hoof at a time.
• Scenic Seat-Warmer – Gorge Scenic Chairlift: Tasmanians are brave people—unfazed by heights and rarely rattled by a little winter weather. While the rest of the country is curling up indoors, Launceston’s Cataract Gorge is transforming into a real-life dreamscape. As the Wintern, you’ll be responsible for making sure the historic Chairlift is running smoothly—if the views don’t take your breath away, the fresh cold air is guaranteed to!
• Tunnel to Table Taster – Tunnel Hill Mushrooms: In Tasmania, we prefer to grow winter feasts rather than get them delivered in a soggy takeaway bag. 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: As Australia’s southernmost distillery, McHenry has climates so close to Scottish conditions that you may start hearing the wee sounds of bagpipes rolling over the hills. If learning how to make the kind of whisky that’ll whack some hair on your chest sounds like your kind of thing—this is the Winternship for you.
• Fragrance Forager – Undersong Perfumery: In Tasmania, the coastal air in winter carries a sharp, tangy saltiness that feels fresher and more biting, as if the sea breeze has been intensified by the chill. Your job, as the Wintern, is to help bottle up that silent scent of the season. Candidates with a keen sense of smell will be favoured.
• Splinter Specialist – Huon Pine Shop and Creative Paper Tasmania: In Tasmania, there’s a certain respect for things that take time and winter just happens to be the most creative season for craftsmanship. At Huon Pine Shop, woodworkers whittle winter away in the best smelling workshop in Strahan and now it’s your turn to chip in, learning about everything from crafting Huon Pine apples, to making paper from twigs and offcuts. If you’re good with your hands and keen to touch some timber—apply for this woody Winternship that’ll have you beaming with productive pride.

Following strong interest from international travellers, Tasmania’s ‘Winternships’ campaign is also launching in Singapore for the first time. In partnership with Trip.com, one Singapore resident will be selected for a sponsored six-night winter escape—a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to embrace Tasmania’s cooler climate and discover what it really means to become a ‘winter person’.