Hobart Return • Nov 2024 / Feb & Nov 2025
Small group tour of up to 12 mature and senior travellers visiting and learning about Tasmania’s wildlife and history. Visit Maria Island, Freycinet peninsula, Cradle Mountain, Strahan, Lake St Clair and Bruny Island over 19 days.
Tasmania is one of Australia’s last great wildlife strongholds. On this guided tour for a maximum of 12 people, Wildlife-rich destinations are found at regular intervals along our route on this 19-day tour of Tasmania for mature and senior travellers. There is an opportunity to observe a variety of endemic species, like the Eastern Quoll, the Quoll are rare or extinct on the Australian mainland, but still relatively common in many parts of Tasmania. Combine this with the dramatic scenery of places like the Gordon River, Cradle Mountain, the rugged South East coast and the South West coast and any National Park creates for a visually stunning trip. We enjoy a relatively easy walk during the tour to the stunning Shadow Lake for example, near Lake St. Clair and experience the ‘real Tasmania’. Each day of this trip reveals amazing aspects of Tasmania’s ecology. By day, Wombat, Platypus and Echidna are foraging abroad and as night falls, many other animals, like the Tasmanian Pademelon, Bennett’s Wallaby and Long-nosed Potoroo appear from their hidden daytime resting places. This particular holiday package allows our tour guide to get you to the right locations to observe the shy creatures of the night.
The aim of this tour is to provide you with access to a variety of natural Tasmanian locations where wildlife can be experienced, including visiting World Heritage areas such as the Tarkine rainforest or places such as Cape Grim in the North West Where possible, ecosystems will be analysed in relation to the animals we see. During our learning about the wildlife of Tasmania we will also examine aspects of Tasmania’s Aboriginal and Early European history, as well as a look at the conservation history of this island state.
Level 2 – Moderate
Participants must be able to carry their own luggage, climb and descend stairs, be in good health, mobile and able to participate in 3-5 hours of physical activity per day, the equivalent of walking / hiking up to 8 kilometres per day on uneven ground.
Tour Highlights
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Walk the Hazards loop track to wineglass bay on the Freycinet peninsula
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Enjoy a cruise across Macquarie Harbour from Strahan and up the Gordon River, to see the fabled Huon Pine in its natural habitat
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Hear the story of Lake Pedder, the Franklin River and other major chapters in Tasmania’s conservation history
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Visit and study Bruny Island wildlife
Gallery
Wombat at Cradle Mountain, Tasmania
Port Arthur, Tasmania
City of Hobart, Tasmania
Strahan, Tasmania
Cape Bruny's historic lighthouse, Bruny Island, Tasmania
Hobart Marina, Tasmania
Coles Bay, Freycinet National Park, Tasmania
19 Day Itinerary
Make your independent arrival to your Hobart accommodation. Tonight there is a welcome dinner where you will meet your fellow travellers and guide.
Meals Included: Dinner
Stay: Mövenpick Hotel Hobart, or similar – 1 night
This morning, our coach tours to Tasmania for seniors takes a 3 hour Wilderness Cruise from Port Arthur to experience this dramatic Tasman National Park coastline and its’ rich wildlife, with a chance to observe species like Australian and New Zealand Fur Seals, Common and Bottlenose Dolphins, migrating whales, seabird feeding frenzies, including Shearwaters, Gannets, Gulls & Little Penguins. We will travel in a 12.5 metre purpose-built Naiad vessel. In the afternoon we explore the notorious Port Arthur Prison. Potentially go night spotlighting for the little-known Long-nosed Potoroo.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Stay: Lufra Hotel, or similar – 1 night
Visit to Maria Island. After the ferry crossing we will explore and find out about elements of the natural heritage, the convict and industrial relics and some of the interesting rock features. We travel on the afternoon to Coles Bay.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Stay: Swansea Motor Inn, or similar – 2 nights
There will be an opportunity to spend some time on a comfortable walk to Wineglass Bay along the famous and scenic Hazards Track. This is a full day’s loop walk, starting & finishing at the Lodge. Walk along the beautiful Hazard Beach and view the Aboriginal middens behind the dunes.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Launceston today via Weldborough Pass, where we can take a short walk to view the wet sclerophyll fern forest that once covered much more of this region.
In the afternoon we walk to the Queen Victoria Museum, Inveresk, to view the amazing “Tasmanian Connections” exhibition, which covers Aboriginal history, colonial settlement, geology, etc., as well as Tasmania’s unique natural history.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Stay: Mercure Launceston, or similar – 1 night
Our route takes us through Tamar Island Wetland centre and Sheffield. A scenic drive through the mountains takes us to the magnificent World Heritage Marakoopa Cave where the tour is hosted by local guides. See the many limestone features that make this cave famous.
We arrive on Cradle Mountain in the afternoon.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Stay: Cradle Mountain Hotel, or similar – 2 nights
Spend the day walking the trails of Cradle Mountain, including the famous Dove Lake circuit and the beginning of the Overland Track. Visit the Waldheim settlement where Gustav Weindorfer began his famous conservation work, which resulted in this amazing national park. Here we will see Tasmania at its natural best. Weather permitting a night spotlight walk will be attempted. Wombats, Echidna, Platypus, Tiger Quolls, Bennett’s Wallabies and Pademelons all inhabit this area.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Today we explore Stanley via Waratah.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Stay: Stanley Village, or similar – 2 nights
This morning we travel to Cape Grim, suicide bay on Van Diemen land. We visit the wind farm and learn about the CSIRO monitoring station work.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
We travel through the Tarkine rainforest along the west coast highway. The road, unsealed takes us through the forest, along the coast and up into the mountains on some journey. We stop for lunch at the edge of the World! The day finishes at Corinna.
Corinna is your home in the wilderness – an oasis in the heart of the Tarkine. There are plenty of accommodation alternatives at Corinna, including the original Roadman’s cottage with double bed. The old Butcher’s shop, General store, Great Western and Mews are the permanent homes of our staff. Sixteen new wilderness retreats have been built to the original style. All have modern amenities including ensuites. The old pub which has been converted into a guest house (with single and double rooms) is also available for group accommodation.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Stay: Tulla Lakeside Lodge, or similar – 2 nights
Today we go into the Tarkine rainforest with our guide to learn about the wilderness and the history of the region.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Depart Corinna, for the short drive to Zeehan and onto Strahan. Free afternoon in Strahan.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Stay: Strahan Village, or similar – 2 nights
Take a comfortable cruise on the “Eagle” across Maquarie Harbour to the old penal settlement of Sarah Island and up the Gordon River to learn of the old Huon Pine industry and the fight for wilderness preservation.
There is an opportunity to visit a shearwater colony in the coastal dunes after dinner, subject to the time of the year.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Travel from Strahan on the west coast via Nelson falls, Donaghy’s hill the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park, Queenstown to Lake St Clair.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Stay: Tarraleah Estate, or similar – 2 nights
Take an early morning boat trip to Narcissus Bay at the northern end of the deepest lake in Australia – Lake St. Clair. We have the option of a return walk or boat ride back to the Lodge. Spend the rest of the day walking to Shadow Lake on the loop track from the Lodge.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
In the morning we visit Pencil lake before we travel south from Lake St Clair to Maydena. The tour stops along the way to explore several areas of interest.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Stay: The Giants Table, or similar – 2 nights
We take a drive through the various ecosystems from the valley floor to the top of Mount Field National Park, where we can explore the boulder streams and the alpine meadows. Enjoy the giant gums of the Styx River, the rugged World Heritage scenery and great display of heathland flora, including the Leatherwood to the backdrop of the rugged Western Arthurs Range.
We then depart via Derwent Valley, Mt Wellington & Russell Falls for Hobart.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Stay: Mövenpick Hotel Hobart, or similar – 2 nights
For our last full day, our small group tour of Tasmania leaves Hobart to visit Bruny Island. We have a guided tour of the island learning about conservation work as well as the Wildlife and fauna on the island.
Farewell dinner.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Your tour ends after breakfast.
Meals Included: Breakfast
Tour Inclusions
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18 nights accommodation
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18 Breakfasts, 9 Lunches, 12 Dinners
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Tour Leader for the duration of the tour
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All activities including entrance fees
Tour Dates & Prices
| Departure Date | Return Date | Price Per Person From | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 05/11/2024 | 23/11/2024 | $11,450 per person twin share / $13,950 per person single | |
| 05/02/2025 | 23/02/2025 | $11,900 per person twin share / $14,650 per person single | |
| 05/11/2025 | 23/11/2025 | $11,900 per person twin share / $14,650 per person single |
Terms and Conditions
All pricing is on a per person twin share basis, unless otherwise noted ie: stated as a single. All prices based on cash payment – credit & debit card fees may apply. Deposits, amendment and cancellation conditions apply. Please note that many of the prices shown on this website are not shown in real time. Whilst we endeavour to keep our pricing as up-to-date as possible, the advertised prices shown here may differ slightly from the live prices in our booking system. All pricing and offers are subject to availability at time of booking. Whilst all information is correct at the time of publication, offers are subject to change. We reserve the right to correct errors without penalty. Full Terms & Conditions of tour/cruise operators will be supplied on booking, or ask us for full Terms & Conditions at the time of enquiry.
Region
Hobart Return • Nov 2024 / Feb & Nov 2025
Operator
Operated by one of our trusted partners
Duration
19 Day Itinerary
Prices from
$11,450
Book Your Own Group
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