Highlights of Tasmania

Day 1: Hobart / Central Plateau / Strahan

Welcome to Tasmania! Your adventure begins in Hobart (nipaluna in the language of the muwinina and palawa peoples, who are the traditional owners of the land on which Hobart is now located). You’ll be picked up at 8.00 am this morning, marking the start of your adventure. Traverse the island from east to west, leaving Hobart behind and venturing through the Derwent Valley, and then up onto the Central Plateau. Your first stop is Mount Field National Park – home to an abundance of wildlife, diverse fauna and stunning lush vistas. Walk in the land of the giants, the world’s tallest flowering trees, as you explore beautiful surrounds on a guided walk through tremendous fern forests to Russell Falls. Continue to Lake St Clair, Australia’s deepest freshwater lake before entering the temperate time capsule that is the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park. Along the way, stretch your legs on some great short walks including Donaghy’s Lookout and Franklin River. Pass through Queenstown with its intriguing eroded landscape of treeless hills then finish the day in Strahan at the very edge of the west coast.

Accommodation

• Motel (1 night)

Included Activities

• Lake St Clair – Lakeside Visit
• Mt Field National Park – Tall Trees & Russell Falls Hike
• Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park – Donaghy’s Lookout Hike
• Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park – Franklin River Nature Trail

Meals Included

There are no meals included on this day.

Special Information

Today’s first meeting and pick up will take place at Vibe Hotel Hobart at 8am this morning. It’s very important that you are on time today as we will be collecting insurance and emergency contact details at this time, and then head out towards Mount Field National Park right away. We recommend you arrive a day earlier. The driving distance today is approximately 350 kilometres (around 5 hours). There will be three hikes today, one will take approximately 1 hour and the other two will take around 45 minutes each.

Day 2: Tarkine Region / Strahan

Enjoy a full day of exploration in Tasmania’s West Coast, beginning with a visit to the shifting sands of Henty Dunes. Reaching heights of up to 30 metres, these vast dunes are a desert amid Tasmania’s dense rainforests. Then venture into the Tarkine region. Nestled in the largest tract of temperate rainforest in Australia, the Tarkine is alive with unique creatures and habitats not found anywhere else on earth, and home to vast forests of myrtle, leatherwood and pine trees – living links to Gondwanaland that it shared with Patagonia and New Zealand millennia ago. Take a guided walk among its pristine rainforest and discover Tasmania’s highest waterfall encased in a lush fern forest and rocky cliffs. Afterwards, return to Strahan and head to Ocean Beach to inhale some of the freshest air in the world.

 

Accommodation

• Motel (1 night)

Included Activities

• Strahan – Henty Dunes & Ocean Beach
• Tarkine – Rainforest Hike to Montezuma Falls

Meals Included

There are no meals included on this day.

Special Information

The driving distance today is approximately 150 kilometres (around 2.5 hours). Today’s hike will take approximately 3 hours. Today you have the alternative option to join a cruise along the Gordon River. Please note that if you do take advantage of this optional activity you will miss the visit to Henty Dunes and the trip to the Tarkine with the rest of the group. Your leader will be of assistance to book the cruise if you wish.

Day 3: Cradle Mountain National Park / Sheffield / Launceston

Depart from Strahan this morning and head to the magnificent wilderness of Cradle Mountain National Park. The mountain, at 1545m high, is one of the park’s iconic features and is surrounded by stands of native deciduous beech, rainforest, alpine heath lands and button grass. Icy streams cascade down the mountainsides and ancient pines are reflected in the still glacial lakes. Explore the park along a number of different guided or self-guided walking tracks. If you prefer to travel at a leisurely pace, consider taking a walk to Waldheim Chalet or wandering along the Dove Lake circuit. For those with a little more grit, or people who simply love views of gorgeous lakes with rugged mountain backdrops, the hike to Marion’s Lookout is perfect. Your leader is at hand to explain options. Later today, travel to Launceston via Sheffield, the town of murals.

 

Accommodation

• Hotel (1 night)

Included Activities

• Cradle Mountain National Park – Cradle Mountain Walks & Hikes
• Sheffield – Town Stopover

Meals Included

There are no meals included on this day.

Special Information

The driving distance today is approximately 300 kilometres (around 3.5 hours). Today’s hiking will depend on which walking path you have chosen, please ask your leader for estimates.

Day 4: Bay of Fires / Bicheno

Departing Launceston head for the peaceful north east corner of Tasmania. The Bay of Fires is remarkable for its beauty, wildlife and cultural history with long stretches of dazzling white beaches, shimmering turquoise waters, coastal heath and woodlands that abound with wildlife, and of course the orange coloured granite rocks. Explore the beach of Cosy Corner, and discover some Aboriginal middens. Continue late in the day to Bicheno where tonight you can take a guided tour for a closer look at the life of the Little Penguins as they return nightly to their rookeries to feed their young.

 

Accommodation

• Hotel (1 night)

Included Activities

• Bay of Fires – Nature Hike

Optional Activities

• Bicheno – Bicheno Penguin Tour – from – AUD66

Meals Included

There are no meals included on this day.

Special Information

The driving distance today is approximately 315 kilometres (around 4.5 hours). Today’s hike will take approximately 1.5 hours.

Day 5: Freycinet National Park / Bicheno

This morning, drive south to the beautiful Freycinet National Park, home to a wild domain of sublime beaches, whose powder-white sands are lapped by translucent waters. For those seeking a challenge, try the climb to the summit of Mt Amos or join your leader for the walk to Wineglass Bay, voted one of the world’s top 10 beaches. There are other free walking choices available, including the path up to Cape Tourville Lighthouse, where you can enjoy panoramic vistas across the coast. Afterwards, head back to Bicheno for the night and perhaps indulge in a delicious seafood dinner in this fishing town, from crayfish to abalone.

 

Accommodation

• Hotel (1 night)

Included Activities

• Freycinet National Park – Hike to Wineglass Bay

Meals Included

There are no meals included on this day.

Special Information

The driving distance today is approximately 80 kilometres (around 1.5 hours). Today’s hike will take approximately 3 hours.

Day 6: Richmond / Hobart

Head to a sanctuary for a chance to see some of Tasmania’s native wildlife up close, including the famous Tasmanian devils (they’re not as fiendish as they sound!). The sanctuary is dedicated to the rehabilitation and conservation of Tasmania’s wildlife, and quolls, bandicoots, bettongs and potoroos are also bred here before being reintroduced into the wild. The sanctuary also takes in injured animals to rehabilitate or rehome. After your visit, travel further south along the scenic Great Eastern Drive, passing through the coastal towns of Swansea and Orford, before stopping in the historic village of Richmond in time for lunch. Back in Hobart visit Mount Wellington Park to savour some magnificent views over the city and its surrounding mountains, forests and waterways. We’ll hit one of the many walking tracks for a relatively short and moderate walk within this stunning park (weather permitting) before returning to the city centre and bidding farewell to your travel companions and your incredible adventure.

Included Activities

• Hobart – Mount Wellington Hike
• Richmond – Town Stopover
• Bicheno – Tasmanian Devil Wildlife Sanctuary

Meals Included

There are no meals included on this day.

Special Information

The driving distance today is approximately 200 kilometres (around 3 hours). Today’s hike will take around 1-2 hours.