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Tasmanian TrailsTasmania is known for its stunning natural beauty. Its green hills, fertile valleys, beautifully situated bays and secluded beaches make Australia's only island state a great place to explore. The island, lovingly known as 'Tazzie' by locals, was used as a prisoner settlement in the 17th century, and the island's rugged mountain chains and vast forests in the west are absolutely wild and untamed. Tasmania is home to one of the last truly large interconnected natural reserves in the world and approximately 40% of the island has been declared a 'World Heritage Site'. If you enjoy unusual areas of outstanding natural beauty, you should definitely include our Tasmania adventure tour in your Travel Plan. |
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7 days / 6 nights Departs daily December to February. Departs Mon, Wed, Thurs, Fri and Sun: April, October, November & March: Mon, Wed, Thurs, Fri and Sun Departs Wed and Sun: May to Sept Begins in Devonport or Launceston, ends in Devenport |
Accommodation |
Double occupancy rooms in hostels. |
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Price |
Please see our Contact us page for more details |
Includes |
Transport, accommodation, meals, experienced guide / excursions as described. |
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Transport |
Toyota Coaster |
Excludes |
Entrance fee national parks, to be paid locally |
Day 1: Launceston - BichenoIncludes: Lunch and dinner On the first morning of your Tasmania adventure tour you'll meet your fellow travellers and then head out to the near-vertical cliffs of the Cataract Gorge. Once you arrive, you'll take a short walk on one of two walking tracks through the area. You can also choose to take the chairlift across the waters for a spectacular view of the gorge (approximately AU$7). After you've seen the gorge, you'll hop back on the minibus and drive to the small town of St. Mary’s on the east coast. A little further down the road lies Bicheno, a cosy fishing town. Whilst in the area, you'll visit a nearby wildlife park and, with a little luck, meet some indigenous Tasmanian animals. You'll see the wombat, the ‘Tassie Devil’ and the ‘Pademelon’ (a small species of wallabies). After lunch, if weather permits, you'll visit remote beaches near the city for a swim in astonishingly crystal clear waters. If the weather is not so great, you'll visit the Freycinet bottling factory where the famous Freycinet wine is produced. In the evening, you can take an optional excursion to see fairy penguins on the beach (approximately AU$ 15). |
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Day 2: Bicheno - Port ArthurIncludes: Breakfast, lunch and dinner The entire second day of your Tasmania adventure tour is reserved for a visit to Freycinet National Park. This park stretches out over the Freycinet peninsula and across the Friendly Beaches on the east coast north of Coles Bay and beautiful Schouten Island. This area is known for its abundance of orchids and wildflowers, as well as rare animals such as black cockatoos, yellow wattlebirds, honeyeater's and uncommon species of wallabies. The best way to see the park is the 27km walk around the island; however there are also a few shorter walks with varying levels of difficulty. We recommend a short climb of 3 to 4 hours to the top of Amos Mountain. Once you reach the top you'll be rewarded with an incredible panoramic view of Wineglass Bay, absolutely one of the most beautiful parts of the eastern seaboard. The corresponding wine glass-shaped beach is next on the itinerary; an ideal location for a quick swim. At the end of the afternoon you'll drive a little further until you reach Port Arthur on the Tasmanian peninsula. |
Day 3: Port Arthur - HobartIncludes: Breakfast and lunch On Day Three of your Tasmania adventure tour, you'll have plenty of time to visit Port Arthur, a town that was used to confine prisoners in the 1800s. A guide will take you through the remaining buildings and ruins to give you a good idea of what it was like back then. After this guided tour, you'll take a boat trip through the harbour. As you sail along, you'll look out on the Isle of the Dead, where approximately 1100 prisoners and soldiers lie buried. After lunch, you'll get back on the bus for a ride to the Remarkable Cave. As the name indicates, this cave is indeed remarkable... you can only walk through it during low tide. There are few other unusual natural phenomena en route such as the rock formations at Tasman’s Arch and Devils Kitchen. You'll reach Hobart by early evening. Dinner is at your own expense tonight, and we recommend the restaurants at Salamanca Place. |
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Day 4: HobartDay Four of your Tasmania adventure tour is free for you to expore this laid-back town and view the beautiful homes dating back to the colonial days - Macquarie, Murray and Davey Street. These homes, along with the age-old trees in St. Davids Park, give this city a very European atmosphere. Today, you can choose from one of the following activities (included in the price). You can rent a bicycle for half a day for a trip to Mount Wellington, take a visit to the Antartic Adventure exhibition, the Cascade Brewery, or Cadbury Chocolate Factory, or you can set off on a Derwent River Cruise on the historic sailing ship Lady Nelson. The selection of options depends on availability, as the factories are closed over the weekend and the ship does not sail on Mondays. However, there's also plenty to do on your own, such as scavenging for unique souvenirs at the Salamanca Market (Saturdays). All meals on Day Four of your Tasmania adventure tour are at your own expense. |
Day 5: Hobart - TullahIncludes: Lunch and dinner On Day Five of your Tasmania adventure tour, you'll make an early start with a trip to Mount Field National Park and it will take about an hour to reach the magnificent Russell Falls. During the 'Tall Trees Walk' you'll walk amidst the largest blooming plants in the world: the Swamp Gum Trees. Afterwards you'll take a boat trip to the beautiful clearwater St. Clair Lake, the deepest lake in Australia. After lunch, you'll take a 2 to 3 hour trek through the extraordinary nature surrounding the lake. Afterwards, you'll travel from the mining town of Queenstown to Tullah, a historic gold mining town surrounded by mountains and lakes. Along the way, you'll find several places where you can make a pit-stop and stretch your legs. You'll spend the night at the charming Tullah Lakeside Chalets, alongside Lake Rosebery. |
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Day 6: TullahIncludes: Breakfast, lunch and dinner You'll make an early start on Day Six of your Tasmania adventure tour for a short drive to Strahan, the only town on this rugged stretch of coastline. You can visit the Henty sand dunes from here (optional: sand boarding, approximately AU$15) and if the weather is fair, unwind and relax on the broad sandy Ocean Beach. In the afternoon, you'll go on a 2 hour walk to Montezuma’s Falls, the highest waterfall on Tasmania. Part of the 5km hike to the falls passes through dense rainforest. After the hike you can choose from take part in one of several outdoors activities. You can go canoeing on Lake Rosebery (included), take a mountain biking trip through the area (included) or go horseback riding in the hills (costs approximately AU$20 per hour). At the end of the day, you'll spend another night at the Lakeside Chalets in Tullah. |
Day 7: Tullah - DevonportIncludes: Breakfast and lunch On Day Seven of your Tasmania adventure tour you'll visit the expansive Cradle Mountain National Park, another World Heritage Site. You can choose from 2 to 5 hour walks through the park, depending on your level of physical fitness and what you feel up to. Naturally a trek is the best way to uncover all the hidden secrets of this park. One of the loveliest lakes of the area is Dove Lake; it's especially beautiful when the sun mirrors Cradle Mountain on the lake's surface. After a trek through the park you'll stop off at Sheffield. This town is actually one big gallery in itself. Everywhere you look you'll find murals, modern paintings depicting the area's history. After you've had time to see the town you'll drive on to Devonport where this trip will come to an end (Saturdays at around 15:30, Tuesdays and Thursdays at around 17:00). You'll arrive just in time to catch the ferry back to the mainland. |
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TipsThe distances during this Tasmania adventure tour are relatively small in comparison to travel in the rest of Australia. The trip will cover a total of approximately 1200km, which means you'll travel an average of approximately 200km per day. This leaves more time available for walks and other outdoor activities. Keep in mind that weather conditions in Tasmania can change by the minute.... don't forget to bring along warm, waterproof clothes, even in the summer. Please note that the route for this Tasmania adventure tour is dependent on the weather conditions during your stay. |