HIGHLIGHTS:
- Port Arthur Historic Sites guided tour
- Visit the quaint town of Richmond
- Tasmanian winery visits including tastings and beautiful lunches
- A visit to the impressive ‘The Wall in the Wilderness’.
- Theatre performance of 'The Ship that Never Was', Strahan
- A highlight Gordon River Cruise, Gold Class seats including lunch and morning tea
- The premium Wilderness Carriage on board West Coast Wilderness Railway
- Relaxed touring of Strahan including a two night stay on the West Coast
- Overnight in Tasmania's high countrywilderness at Cradle Mountain
- Visit Devils @ Cradle, the conservation sanctuary for the endangered Tasmanian Devil
- A stop in Sheffield at the foothills of majestic Mount Roland
- From Launceston, a Tamar Valley day tour
PRE TOUR STAY
Consider extra time before or after the tour. Some travellers like to include extra time to visit MONA (Museum of Old and New Art). MONA is open Fridays to Mondays. This is by your own arrangement. Ask our travel team about this option, and the additional cost.
DAY 1
Arrive to Hobart
Arrival in Hobart is by your own arrangement. Your holiday will commence with a leisurely three night stay in Hobart. This evening meet your fellow travellers for a pre dinner drink at the hotel before joining the group welcome dinner.
Meals: Dinner
SNAPSHOT – WHAT’S INCLUDED:
- Group pre dinner meet up
- Group dinner
FREE TIME EXTRAS:
Arrive to Hobart in the morning to allow time to visit MONA (The Museum of Old and New Art) on the outskirts of Hobart. Reaching the museum is a ferry ride. Entry to MONA and travel back to Hobart is by your own arrangement.
SPECIAL NOTES:
Pre dinner drinks and dinner are not hosted unless the group is 14 or more travellers, and then a group escort will join. Drinks for the pre-dinner meet up and during the dinner meal are at your own expense.
DAY 02
Visit Richmond. Local Winery Lunch
Take the option of some free time at the local Salamanca Market, Hobart.
Later in the morning, we set for Richmond, a historic and charming town not far out of Hobart. The town has a number of beautiful buildings, and quaint shops and is enjoyable for leisurely walking and shopping. For lunch, enjoy a stunning setting at a local winery, starting with some Tasmanian wine tastings. On our return to Hobart we drive to the top of Mt Wellington for views across the city and surrounds.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
SNAPSHOT – WHAT’S INCLUDED:
- Drive up Mt Wellington
- Visit the quaint town of Richmond
- Visit a local winery with tastings
- Beautiful 3 course winery lunch
- Drive up Mt Wellington
SPECIAL NOTES:
Take warm clothes for the drive to Mt Wellington as it can get very chilly near the summit. This excursion will only be possible if the weather permits.
DAY 03
Hobart - Port Arthur - Hobart
Enjoy breakfast at your hotel. This morning you will travel from Hobart to the historic Port Arthur. The penal settlement at Port Arthur is a stark reminder of the harsh conditions endured by the earliest European inhabitants of this one-time island jail, where up to 12000 prisoners were kept in harsh conditions. Today, take a guided walking tour through the Penal Settlement. On the road from Hobart to the site, we make a photo stop at Tasman Arch and Devil’s Kitchen.
Port Arthur Tour Inclusions:
On this tour you will have access to more than thirty historic buildings, ruins, and gardens, as well as a guided walking tour. After the Port Arthur visit, the group is transferred back to Hobart. Tonight is at leisure.
Meals: Breakfast
SNAPSHOT – WHAT’S INCLUDED:
- Port Arthur Historic Site guided tour and free time
- Photo stop at Tasman Arch & Devil’s Kitchen
- Return transfers Hobart to Port Arthur
SPECIAL NOTES:
There is a café/restaurant at the Port Arthur site which is convenient for lunch. Take your umbrella and a warm jacket/wind sheeter for your Port Arthur visit
DAY 04
Drive to Strahan on the West Coast
After breakfast at the hotel, we depart Hobart for Strahan on the west coast, making some stops along the way. From Queenstown to Strahan, you will enjoy the spectacular scenery through the Franklin Gordon Wild Rivers National Park to arrive at our first stop near Derwent Bridge. Here you will view a fascinating attraction, The Wall in the Wilderness. The "Wall" is an art installation that is also a work in progress and will take more years to complete. However, already it’s remarkable. It comprises panels with intricate carved scenes; many with a historical background to commemorate those who helped to build Tasmania. When complete it will measure 100 metres in length.
Located 298 km west of Hobart and 41km from Queenstown, Strahan is a Tasmanian waterfront town located on the edge of the pretty Macquarie Harbour. Before dinner, enjoy a live theatre production called The Ship That Never Was. A story about The Frederick, the last ship built at the convict settlement of Sarah Island in Macquarie Harbour, is about to sail for the new prison at Port Arthur. Ten convict shipwrights have other ideas. So begins the story of an amazing escape, an extraordinary voyage and an intriguing twist in the tale of The Ship That Never Was.
This evening the group joins for dinner at the hotel restaurant.
Meals: Breakfast, Boxed Lunch, Dinner
SNAPSHOT – WHAT’S INCLUDED:
- Travel Hobart to Strahan
- A visit to the incredible Wall in the Wilderness
- A theatre production ‘The Ship That Never Was’
- Group dinner at the hotel
SPECIAL NOTES:
Bring drinks and snacks for touring day as it’s a reasonable driver between Hobart to Strahan, with stops along the way. Lunch is a simple packed lunch provided by our Hobart hotel. The west coast can have more harsh weather than other parts of Tasmania; come prepared with appropriate clothing, and an umbrella.
DAY 05
Gordon River Cruise, Gold Class
Breakfast at the hotel before the morning cruise departure of the Gordon River with in gold class seats to the enjoy the ultimate wilderness cruise experience along the magnificent Gordon River.
On this tour you will get the chance to:
- See some of Australia’s oldest convict ruins on Sarah Island, a settlement which pre-dates Port Arthur by decades. Created to put the 'fear of God' into the convicts of Van Diemen’s Land, this tiny outpost of 18th century British penal history hides a fascinating tale of human triumph over adversity, brought vividly to life by expert guides.
- Hear the intriguing story of Macquarie Harbour and its settlement.
- Pass through Hell’s Gates, the narrow entrance to Macquarie Harbour named by the convicts on their way to Sarah Island.
- See high-tech aquaculture where hundreds of thousands of Tasmania’s famous Atlantic Salmon and Ocean Trout are farmed.
- Cruise past the majesty of the rugged mountain ranges in Tasmania’s World Heritage listed South West Wilderness National Park.
- Spend two hours in the serenity of the imposing Gordon River, complete with a stroll into the rainforest, which reclaimed the land after the last Great Ice Age.
- Enjoy a sumptuous buffet lunch freshly prepared on board which includes smoked salmon, cold meats, a selection of salads, fresh fruit, Tasmanian cheeses, and local bakery bread.
Our gold class seating includes a buffet lunch and morning tea, with beverages available for purchase.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
SNAPSHOT – WHAT’S INCLUDED:
Day 06
Westcoast Wilderness Railway. Strahan to Cradle Mountain
This morning embark on the Rack and Gorge rail heritage steam train journey with Westcoast Wilderness Railway, through remote rainforest to the incredible King River Gorge, turning at Dubbil Barril and ending in Queenstown.
As you travel through the west coast’s cool temperate rainforest, you will climb one of the Southern Hemisphere’s steepest tracks under the unique power of the Abt Rack and Pinion system. This system was designed in the seventeenth century and transformed the fortunes of the west coast during the late nineteenth century, and the only operating Abt rack and pinion railway in the Southern Hemisphere. Stop at remote train stations, traverse the deep chasm of the King River Gorge, and see the places where early west coast pioneers lived and worked to create this extraordinary railway.
During your experience, you guide will share stories of the determined and visionary people who carved out their fortunes in one of the most difficult and remote landscapes imaginable.
After the you rail journey, travel from Queenstown to Cradle Mountain for your overnight stay.
An earlier dinner then a visit to see the Tasmanian Devil up close.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
SNAPSHOT – WHAT’S INCLUDED:
- Wilderness Carriage, Westcoast Wilderness Railway including a welcoming glass or sparkling wine, light lunch and hot beverages, and access to the open balcony.
- Transfer from Queenstown to Cradle Mountain
- Visit Devils @ Cradle conservation sanctuary for the Tasmanian Devil
- Dinner
DAY 07
Cradle Mountain to Launceston
After breakfast, join the Park Explorer tour of Cradle Mountain National Park for a guided tour. There is time after for an extended walk of Dove Lake, or enjoy other easy paced walks near the Visitor’s Centre or relax at the bistro nearby that’s our lunch spot.
The Park Explorer Tour is a fully guided tour, discovering the unique flora, fauna and geographical features of the World Heritage listed Cradle Mountain National Park. It is a 2‑hour guided tour amongst the wilderness and offers awesome views across Dove Lake to the jagged dolerite peaks of Cradle Mountain and enjoy the wander through the ancient King Billy Pine Forest at Waldheim Chalet. There is also time this morning to enjoy the Interpretation Centre at your leisure, and for those not setting off on the Dove Lake Circuit Walk you can enjoy other easy paced walks near the Interpretation Centre or the Lodge where our group enjoys lunch.
Walking Enthusiasts-Dove Lake Walk
There’s time to set off on the Dove Lake Circuit Walk. One of Tasmania's premier nature walk, the trail circles Dove Lake while taking you beneath the craggy spires of the indomitable Cradle Mountain. This two-hour circuit is boardwalk for much of the way and is suitable for most levels of walking fitness.
Length: 5.7-kilometre loop trail
Grade: 2 (suitable for most on a flat, compact surface with one short moderate hill)
Gear
walking shoe/boot (sneakers not suitable), walking pants (not jeans), warm jacket, and rain resistant jacket.
More: visit Tasmania website for more walk information
After exploring this morning, there is time for lunch at the nearby Lodge. In the afternoon set off for the easy-paced drive to Launceston. Along the way we stop at the township of Sheffield which sits in the shadows of Mount Roland. The town is unique as there are many murals depicting the history of the area. Before reaching Launceston we make a visit at Ashgrove Cheese. We arrive to Launceston by end of day. The evening is at your leisure.
Meals: Breakfast
SNAPSHOT – WHAT’S INCLUDED:
- Cradle Mountain National Park 2 hour park explorer tour
- Sheffield stop
- Ashgrove Cheese
- Travel Cradle Mountain to Launceston
- Dinner
FREE TIME EXTRAS:
SPECIAL NOTES:
Bring suitable walking shoes for your visit to Dove Lake and surrounds at Cradle Mountain and be prepared with wet weather gear such as a rain jacket. The weather at Cradle Mountain can change quite rapidly from sun to cloud, to rain. Have warm clothes for the evening tour of the Tasmanian Devils Sanctuary
DAY 8
Launceston
Today we discover the beautiful Tamar Valley, home to Tasmania’s principal wine producing area where wineries snuggle side by side with picturesque orchards, forests and fertile pastures. The Tamar River is distinguished as Australia’s longest tidal navigable river. Its long, lazy bends wind 65 kilometres inland, around hills and plains, beaches and bush. At the river’s head is the pretty city of Launceston. At its mouth – wide sandy beaches.
Our first stop is Platypus House in the northern region of the Tamar valley for the unique opportunity to see Tasmanian platypuses and echidnas. As the Tamar region is well known for its boutique wineries, we visit a lovely winery for tastings. Then, onto nearby Beaconsfield Mine and Heritage Centre which includes the mine rescue exhibition that tells the incredible story of the 2006 underground mine rescue, before enjoying lunch together in the valley. On our way back to Launceston, we visit a local boutique craft gin distillery, showcasing their award-winning gin including gin tastings. The is evening is at your leisure.
Meals: Breakfast, Farewell dinner
SNAPSHOT – WHAT’S INCLUDED:
- Platypus House
- Beaconsfield Mine & Heritage Centre
- Tamar Valley winery visit and tastings
- Visit a local craft gin distillery for a tour & tastings
SNAPSHOT – WHAT’S INCLUDED:
- Tamar Valley touring
- Group lunch
- Farewell dinner at a local restaurant
DAY 9
Launceston
Enjoy a leisurely breakfast at the group hotel. Transfer to the airport today is by your own arrangement.
Meals: Breakfast
Itineraries may be subject to change, due to circumstances outside of our control. If there is any itinerary change prior to departure of significance, we aim to inform you prior to travel. Itinerary changes while on tour will be informed by your tour leader/guide while on tour.
