According to the Tasmania Tours website, Weldborough Hot Springs offers a “tranquil getaway” and “genuine connection with nature”.
Our secluded woodland hideaway has also been named one of Tasmania’s 7 Best Hot Springs Experiences of 2026.
According to the website, walkers will be greeted by a pool “enriched with therapeutic minerals.”
“This makes it a popular destination for those looking to immerse themselves in Tasmania’s raw beauty,” the site says.
“Our reputation as a tranquil haven makes it popular with local hiking groups, wellness retreat organizers and those looking to experience Tasmania’s most pristine hot springs.”
What tourists can really expect when they drive into Weldborough in north-east Tasmania is a local pub. (Facebook: Weldborough Hotel)
And with no directions listed on the webpage, excited travelers alighted at the Weldborough Hotel, about two hours’ drive northeast of Launceston, another famous landmark in the area, and asked how to find the idyllic pool.
The problem is that hot springs like the one pictured in the image do not exist.
Confused tax collector and confused customer
It’s a problem that public servant Christy Probert encounters on a regular basis.
“The Weld River that runs through Weldboro is freezing cold. It’s definitely not a hot spring,” she said.
”To be honest, they’re more likely to find sapphires than to find hot springs.”
Probert said she receives phone calls every day, as well as direct visitors asking about the hot springs and some wanting to book accommodations.
“We actually had a group of 24 drivers come in two days ago who were traveling from the mainland, and they actually took a detour to come to the hot springs,” Probert said.
”I said, “When you find the hot springs, come back and let me know and I’ll scream all night long drinking beer,” but they never came back.”
The sites are listed on the website, including the real Hastings Caves and Hot Springs in southern Tasmania, as well as more questionable locations such as the frozen Liaweenie and the remote Savage River.
You won’t see anything like this on the Savage River. (Tasmania Tours)
Tasmania Tours’ website featured several articles and blog posts about Apple Island’s must-see destinations, including “12 must-do things in Hobart in 2026.”
Like the hot springs article, many appear to have been written by AI and include generated photos purporting to be of locations in Tasmania.
An AI-generated image on Tasmania Tours’ website is said to show Salamanca Market. (Tasmania Tours)
The company relies on AI to “compete with big players”
Tasmania Tours is operated by Australian Tours and Cruises. Australian Tours and Cruises is a New South Wales company that operates several websites for booking tours in other states.
“Our AI has completely failed,” owner Scott Hennessy said.
The image, said to be from Cunany/Mount Wellington overlooking Hobart, appears to be a Brazilian landscape. (Tasmania Tours)
He said the company outsourced its marketing materials to a third party, and that third party used AI to create some of the content.
Hennessy said all posts are normally reviewed before posting, but some were accidentally published while overseas.
The hot spring article was published in July 2025.
“We’re trying to compete with the big players, and part of that is keeping our content fresh and new.”
Hennessy said.
The Museum of Old and New Art, also known as MONA, has a variety of rock walls, but none quite like this one. (Tasmania Tours)
“Three-legged wombat, something like a crocodile.”
Hennessy said companies need to use AI content to compete for dominance in online search and win over customers.
“We don’t have enough capacity to write enough content ourselves, so we outsource some of this functionality,” he said.
“Sometimes it’s perfect and very good and does what you expect it to do, and sometimes it’s completely wrong.
“We’ve seen this produce animals we’ve never seen before, things that resemble three-legged wombats and crocodiles.”
This image is clearly not Launceston, even though Launceston has several bridges across the River Tamar. (Tasmania Tours)
Hennessy said all AI-generated blog posts are removed and thoroughly checked.
He assured people trying to book through Tasmania Tours that it was in fact a genuine website selling genuine tours.
“We are not scammers. We are a couple trying to do right by people…We are legit, we are real people, and we employ sales staff.”
Hennessy said.
AI-powered traveler mistakes
Anne Hardy, from tourist destination Southern Tasmania, said serious caution was needed as the use of “AI hallucination” technology became more widespread.
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“What we know is that currently around 90% of itineraries generated by ChatGPT actually have at least one error, and we also know that 37% of people rely on AI to generate itineraries,” Professor Hardy said.
Common mistakes include inaccurate descriptions of opening hours, what the location offers, how long the walk will take, and what equipment is required.
She said the fake spa website was a “very good lesson in quality control”.
“That’s the problem with the internet and online sales… now businesses need to stay ahead of the curve and be easily found when people do searches and things like that,” Professor Hardy said.