Tasmania Adventure

Welcome to Tasmania! Your adventure begins in Hobart or Nipaluna in the language of the Muwinina and Palawa peoples, who are the Traditional Custodians of the land on which Hobart is now located. You’ll have a welcome meeting at 9:30 am to meet your fellow travellers, then head out for a bush tucker experience with NITA Education – a local First Nations organisation working to inspire connection to their 50,000-year-old culture. Watch a Welcome to Country ceremony, then try some bush tucker and listen to their stories. Depart Hobart for a stopover in the historic town of Richmond – home to some of Australia’s oldest institutions. Enjoy some time to wander its streets, then head to a family-owned and -operated winery for a tasting session. You’ll spend the night in Bicheno – just ask your leader for the best spots for dinner.

From your base in Bicheno, drive south to the beautiful Freycinet National Park, home to a wild domain of beaches, whose powder-white sands are lapped by translucent waters. Join your leader for the walk to Wineglass Bay Lookout or continue to the beach for a swim. The trail is a gradual, uphill walk with some steep sections. The beach was voted one of the world’s top 10 beaches, so it’s worth tackling the extra steps if you feel called to the water! After lunch, follow the path up to Cape Tourville Lighthouse. Pose for a picture (or two) in front of the panoramic views and then head back to Bicheno. This evening, there’s the option to join a guided tour for a closer look at the Little Penguins as they return to their rookeries to feed their young after dark.

This morning, you’ll depart Bicheno and follow the Great Eastern Drive until you arrive in the northeast corner of Tasmania, home to the Bay of Fires. This popular conservation area features Tasmania’s signature white-sand beaches, coastal heaths and woodlands filled with protected wildlife, as well as its unique, orange-coloured granite rocks. Set off on a leader-led beach walk along one of the many bays before heading to your accommodation in Sheffield. The former hydroelectric hub has reinvented itself as an arts community with more than 140 murals on its streets that depict local stories and characters. You’ll have a free evening tonight to explore the town and see some of its street art.

This morning, drive to the magnificent wilderness of Cradle Mountain National Park. The mountain sits at 1545 m (5068 ft) high and is one of the park’s iconic features, 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. You’ll have the chance to explore the park along several different walking tracks, including Dove Lake Circuit. Your leader will be at hand to explain the options depending on the group’s ability. End the day at your accommodation in Strahan.

From Strahan, enjoy a full day exploring Tasmania’s West Coast, including the Takayna/Tarkine, which is not only Australia’s largest temperate rainforest, but the second largest in the world. This cool-temperate rainforest has largely been left untouched and still homes wildlife not found anywhere else on earth – including the endangered Tasmanian Devil! These lands even retain their biological history from when it was still connected to Patagonia and New Zealand, known collectively as Gondwanaland. After your time in the forest, you’ll return to Strahan for a free evening.

Start the final day of your adventure on the Apple Isle, passing through Queenstown’s eroded landscape of treeless hills. Then, stretch your legs on some great (moderately easy) short walks along the Franklin River trail to the Nelson Falls Boardwalk. Your next stop is Lake St Clair, Australia’s deepest freshwater lake, then it’s over to the Central Plateau and Derwent Valley. Head back to Hobart, where your adventure will come to an end. If you’d like to extend your time in Tasmania, please speak to your booking agent ahead of time.