IT'S a fact - we all seem to be battling the winter chill at the moment so what better answer than heading 10,000 miles across to the other side of the world to check out life Down under.

And that's exactly what I did when I decided to venture on a nine-day road trip around the state of Tasmania which lies 150 miles south of the Australian mainland separated by the Bass Straight.

It meant enduring 27-plus hours of travelling time, but from the moment you land in the state capital Hobart and sample the delights that Tasmania has to offer those hours of flying and waiting in transit are soon forgotten.

That's because Tasmania boasts its own unique character and charm with a multitude of sights to be explored and one of the best ways this can be achieved is behind the wheel of a sturdy Land Rover - namely a mighty Discovery, which can easily take on the challenge of mountain passes, winding coastal roads, lengthy highways and anything Mother Nature should spring on us along the way.

Now 2014 has been a milestone year for the Discovery as it has been celebrating its 25 anniversary and that meant a special XXV edition of the seven-seater was supplied for the 1,200km trip.

Powered by a 3.0-litre diesel engine with 256bhp, the 4WD XXV model is based on the existing Luxury HSE specification and costs 121,540 Australian dollars with extras which equates to approximately £64,000.

It can sprint to 60mph from a standing start in just 8.8 seconds, has a top speed of 112mph and can return a fairly decent 35.3mpg on a combined run.

The interior is luxurious in design and layout with all the techno treats you could wish for, including the likes of blind spot monitoring, surround camera system, touch-screen navigation, a wade sensor, intelligent Stop-Start along with a number of driver aids that Land Rover has developed over the years.

So with a vehicle boasting such proficient capabilities you can imagine the broad smile that crept across my face when a local mentioned that we may experience some heavy snow fall in the mountain regions.

The first thing that has to be said about Tasmania's roads is how smooth they are with no potholes or ruts in sight. And it's even more impressive when you see teams of workmen actually "working" to fix any issues.

This, along with the low number of vehicles using the roads, helps to make the driving an absolute pleasure and totally effortless. Add in the luxury of the car's premium Windsor leather upholstery, a highly efficient climate control, a sat nav system that takes seconds to set, a pitch perfect audio system plus electrically-adjustable seats, then the hours behind the wheel really do seem like minutes.

The eight-speed automatic transmission proved beautifully smooth with steering wheel mounted paddles if you fancied taking more control and there was a constant supply of power on tap as and when it was required.

One factor that is noticeable when driving in Tasmania or on the mainland is the number of animals that fall victim to accidents. Of course, the situation becomes far more hazardous between dusk and dawn but you can still expect plenty of kamikaze wombats and wallabies to insist on playing ‘chicken' during daylight hours too.

Thankfully, the high seated driving position that the Discovery offers results in excellent visibility with a good view of any creatures ahead so I can say with a fair degree of relief that my days of driving had no impact on wildlife numbers in the state!

Some of the roads can be exceptionally twisting too but the Discovery proved deceptively agile for its larger-than-life size as it swept round tight hairpin bends with ease and once again the high-seated view was a notable plus-point when looking ahead for giant lorries weaving their way down mountain passes.

Despite my high hopes, there was no snow to challenge the vehicle throughout the trip, but the Discovery moved effortlessly over numerous unmade roads and gravel tracks and when the heavens opened dumping plenty of surface water on the roads, it lapped up the challenge with ease.

During the road trip, the Discovery took us to some truly magnificent areas - for example, the tranquil Strahan where the awesome Gordon River winds its way through the rainforest to its mouth at Macquarie Harbour, then on to the beautifully picturesque mountains, lakes and craters at Cradle Mountain, to the gorge and wetlands (complete with snakes) at Launceston and the postcard imagery at Freycinet National Park with its glorious coastal views particularly at Wineglass Bay.

We passed through places with brilliant titles such as Pea Soup Creek, Break-me-neck Creek and my personal favourite Wye River - coz it's bigger than a creek and we were welcomed with smiles at every stage of the journey.

Even the fearsome Tasmanian Devil - which is currently fighting a deadly disease that threatens its existence - seemed quite cute once we became accustomed to its shrilling growl!

All in all, the trip was a resounding success. The people were warm and welcoming, the landscapes were breath-taking and the Discovery did everything we asked of it.

But now it's back to reality and time to search out those winter hats, gloves and scarves - brrr!