Itinerary

Day 1 Sat. Launceston, Seahorse World,Beaconsfield, Welcome Drinks & Dinner (D)

This afternoon, take a tour of vibrant Launceston and discover where the North Esk, Tamar and South Esk rivers meet. Travel to Beauty Point, and visit Seahorse World. Afterwards visit the country town of Beaconsfield where we drop in to the Grubb Shaft Mine and Heritage Museum to learn about the local mining industry. This evening get to know everyone while enjoying Welcome Drinks and Dinner hosted by your Tour Director. Accommodation: Launceston, Sandors on the Park. Stay in guaranteed City Park View rooms.

Day 2 Sun. Freycinet National Park, East Coast Natureworld, Swansea, Crayfish Feast (BD)

area of northern Tasmania. During flowering season, visit the Bridestowe Lavender Farm (Dec. – Jan.). Proceed through the beautiful Weldborough Pass, home to some of the oldest myrtles in Australia. Next, stop at East Coast Natureworld and meet Delilah, APT Group’s sponsored Tasmanian Devil. Later, we enter the beautiful Freycinet National Park. With its granite mountains, azure bays and white sandy beaches, the Freycinet Peninsula is simply breathtaking. On arrival we are joined by a naturalist guide for a walking tour along the shores of Richardsons Beach, Coles Bay. Tonight, enjoy fresh Tasmanian crayfish at a special seafood dinner hosted in Swansea. Accommodation: Swansea, Waterloo Inn.

Day 3 Mon. Ross, Richmond, Tasman Peninsula, Eaglehawk Neck, Port Arthur (BD)

Travel inland to Campbell Town and Ross, where the famous Golden Merino Fleece, the world’s most expensive wool, originates. Travel south to charming Richmond village, with its many buildings dating back to the early 1830s. See Tasmania’s most photographed stone bridge, the famous Richmond Bridge. Visit the oldest Roman Catholic church in Australia, browse through craft and gift shops, or simply enjoy relaxing at a local café. Tour through Sorell to Eaglehawk Neck, famous for its rugged coastline which you can view from Pirates Bay Lookout. Continue to Port Arthur and check into your hotel.
Accommodation: Port Arthur, Fox and Hounds Inn.

Day 4 Tue. Port Arthur site, Harbour Cruise, Hobart, Mt Nelson, Evening Historical Play (BD)

This morning we step back in time with a visit to the Port Arthur Historic Site. Call into the Visitor Centre and take part in the ‘Lottery of Life’, a unique way to learn about the life and times of a former convict. Afterwards, join the Marana for a cruise around the Isle of the Dead, resting place for some 2,000 people who died during convict times. Travel to Hobart situated on the banks of the Derwent River and at the foot of Mt Wellington. Enjoy the scenery as we tour to the top of Mt Nelson for views of the city and harbour. After dinner tonight be entertained by 1800s historical figure, Lady Jane Franklin. Learn about her joys and woes as the wife of the Governor. Be entertained by this lady of intrigue, a significant personality in Tasmania’s history.
Accommodation: Hobart, Grand Mercure Hadleys Hotel (2 nights).

Day 5 Wed. Cadbury Chocolate Factory, Salamanca Place, Hobart Botanical Gardens (B)

Tour the sights of Hobart, Australia’s second oldest and most southerly city. Take a guided tour through the renowned Cadbury Chocolate Factory where you can treat yourself to some delicious free samples (seasonal closures occur, please enquire at time of booking). See Salamanca Place, an attractive terrace of Georgian warehouses dating back to the 1830s which today are home to craft galleries, cafés and restaurants. Visit the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens. Contained within convict-built walls these gardens are the state’s horticultural jewel. The rest of the day is free for you to browse through Hobart at your leisure. You can take a tour of the Cascade Brewery (own expense) or learn about Tasmania’s history at the Museum and Art Gallery (free afternoon tour available). Dinner has not been included this evening to allow you to explore and discover the tastes of Hobart for yourself.

Day 6 Thur. New Norfolk, Russell Falls, Mt Field National Park, Lake St Clair (BD)

This morning we follow the beautiful Derwent River to reach New Norfolk, home to colonial buildings and hop fields. See Australia’s oldest pub and Tasmania’s oldest church, St Matthews. Enter Mt Field National Park and take a short stroll through the forest of tall trees to Russell Falls. From Derwent Bridge, enter Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park. We tour deep into Tasmania’s pristine interior through stunning World Heritage wilderness and visit Lake St Clair. Travel to the mining town of Queenstown, where the vegetation diminishesand eroded hills are evident all around. Continue to the port town of Strahan on Macquarie Harbour, the gateway to Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park. Tonight, choose to watch a local pantomime ‘The Ship That Never Was’ (own expense).
Accommodation: Strahan, Strahan Village Hilltop.

Day 7 Fri. Strahan, Gordon River World Heritage Wilderness Cruise with Lunch (BLD)

Board the Lady Jane Franklin II for a cruise across Macquarie Harbour and along the Gordon River. On-board Nature Guides will provide fascinating details of the area’s native flora and fauna. Cruise to notorious Sarah Island, once one of the most feared convict penal settlements in Australia. Enter the stunning Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park. Stop at Heritage Landing and discover the region’s magnificent beauty. See a 2,000 year old Huon pine during a walk through one of the world’s oldest rainforests. Pass by Hell’s Gate at the mouth of the harbour, entrance to the great Southern Ocean. Returning to Strahan depart for Cradle Mountain National Park.
Accommodation: Cradle Mountain, Cradle Mountain Chateau – luxury in the wilderness.

Day 8 Sat. Cradle Mountain, Dove Lake, Sheffield, Stanley and The Nut (BD)

Tour the wilderness region of World Heritage-listed Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park. Stop by the Visitor Information Centre for an insight into this wilderness area before visiting Waldheim Chalet. Nestled among the myrtles and King Billy pines, the chalet is a replica of the original built in 1912 by Austrian migrant Gustav Weindorfer. View Dove Lake, with the craggy peak of Cradle Mountain as its backdrop. Travel to Sheffield, the Town of Murals, where artists have immortalised pastoral scenes on local buildings. Then journey to the charming fishing village of Stanley. A former whaling port with a rich maritime heritage, Stanley is now home to a fleet of cray and other fishing boats. See The Nut, a striking rocky outcrop that is sheer on three sides and soars 150 metres from the sea – now an extinct volcano.
Accommodation: Smithton, Tall Timbers Hotel.

Day 9 Sun. Ashgrove Cheese Factory Tour, Great Lakes, Home (B)

Visit Ashgrove Cheese Factory for a tour and tasting of some of Tasmania’s finest cheeses. Ashgrove uses traditional recipes and techniques to produce superior handmade cheeses. We then travel through Deloraine at the foot of the Great Western Tiers. Ascend to the Great Lakes Plateau and travel along the shores of the Great Lake, then pass through Poatina, where Tasmania’s first underground hydro-electric power station was built. Arrive in Launceston and transfer to the airport where your Travelmarvel tour concludes.