Day 1 – Thursday 15th April 21 SPIRIT OF TASMANIA – DEVONPORT (D)
Welcome aboard our luxury coach for an
enjoyable tour of Tasmania, with all of its spectacular autumn
colour. We make our way to Melbourne where
we board the Spirit of Tasmania at Station Pier Terminal for our 7.30pm
departure. Dinner will be served onboard during the cruise. We recommend taking a small overnight bag
on board as all other luggage will stay on the coach.
OVERNIGHT: SPIRIT OF TASMANIA - Port
Hole Cabins on a Twin Share Basis, all with private facilities.
DAY 2 -Friday 16th WOOLMERS ESTATE – HISTORIC ROSS - Hobart (B,D)
The Spirit of Tasmania arrives into Devonport at 6.00am. We enjoy breakfast here before we make our
way through the tiny town of Spreyton and onto Sheffield, a small village renowned for the
beautiful murals displayed throughout the town. We make our way to Woolmers
Estate, circa 1817, a time capsule of Australian colonial history. Travel to Historic Ross, see one of
the oldest and most beautiful bridges in Australia and time to discover some of
the National Trust buildings. We then visit the township of Oatlands which has the largest
collection of sandstone buildings in Australia, making our way to Tasmania’s
capital – Hobart taking in some
superb views of the city before settling in for the Next Three Nights at
the Wrest Point Casino.
DAY
3 – Saturday 17th CITY
SIGHTS SALAMANCA MARKET (B,D)
This morning we travel to Richmond where we see the historic Richmond Bridge, the oldest in
Australia. We return to Hobart and enjoy a town tour taking in the Old World Charm of Hobart, the City sights including Constitution Dock, Battery Point and
the Botanical Gardens with time to explore the World Famous Salamanca Markets, set in the beautiful and historic surrounds. This afternoon is free for you to relax or meet
with friends. Tonights dinner is at the
Motel.
DAY
4 - Sunday 18th PORT ARTHUR (B,D)
An early start this
morning as we make our way to Eaglehawk
Neck where we visit the Tessellated
Pavement, Doo Town, Blowhole, Devil’s Kitchen and Tasman's Arch. Then it’s
back to the days of our convict past as we visit the Port Arthur historic
settlement. Enjoy a guided walking tour
and a cruise with time to
explore. On our return journey we visit
the Port Arthur Lavender Farm for
afternoon tea before returning to Hobart after a memorable day of
sightseeing.
DAY
5 – Monday 19th WILDERNESS REGION –
QUEENSTOWN (B,D)
This morning we
farewell Hobart and follow the Derwent River, New Norfolk then onto the impressive Russell Falls located in the Mt
Field National Park. We continue
our journey passing the giant Hydro
Power Station at Tarraleah and Derwent Bridge on our way to Lake
St. Clare National Park. Here we enjoy lunch and a chance to explore “The Wall”, which features lifelike sculptures carved from Huon Pine. We
travel into the World Heritage Wilderness
Region with its raw beauty to arouse us as we cross the Franklin River and onto Queenstown for a total contrast as
vegetation suddenly diminishes. We
explore the town before we settle in for the Next Two Nights at the Chancellor
Inn, Queenstown.
DAY
6 – Tuesday 20th GORDON
RIVER CRUISE - STRAHAN (B,L,D)
An exciting day
awaits as we join World Heritage Cruises
at Strahan for a spectacular cruise
across the Macquarie Harbour with lunch
included. We cruise towards Hell's
Gates - the mouth of the harbour. We
go ashore Sarah Island, where Marcus
Clark's well-known story "For the term of his Natural
Life" originated, and then continue along the placid Gordon River. The cruiser makes a brief stop at Heritage Landing for a chance to take a
wilderness walk. We see the natural
beauty of dense rainforest and the 2000 Year Old Huon Pine. Enjoy some free time in Strahan to
explore the shops before returning to Queenstown.
DAY 7 - Wednesday 21st CRADLE
MOUNTAIN - STANLEY (B,D)
We depart Queenstown and step back into time as we visit the
Zeehan Pioneer Museum. We make our way to the beautiful World Heritage Area of Cradle Mountain - Lake St Clair National Park. We visit
the incredible Information Centre
that will open your eyes to this wild and beautiful part of our country. It boasts a series of impressive displays of
the geography, flora and fauna. We also
visit Dove Lake, with Cradle Mountain as its backdrop, which
is equally impressive and a perfect shot for the keen photographer. Learn about
Austrian born Gustav Weindorfer’s vision for Cradle Mountain “This must be a National Park for the people
for all time. It is magnificent and people must know about it and enjoy it”. We
also make time to visit Devils @ Cradle and
both view, and learn, about the Tasmanian Devil, once found all over Australia
but can now only be found in Tasmania. Leaving this wilderness region we make
our way to Stanley to relax for the Night at the Seaview Inn Motel.
DAY 8 - Thursday 22nd Burnie
– Devonport - Spirit Of Tasmania (B,D)
This morning after
breakfast we visit The Nut’ also
discovering Highfield House. Enjoy a
chairlift ride to the top of the ‘Nut’ (at
own expense) to capture the superb coastal sights. Then its off to Burnie and visit the informative
information centre. We make our way to Hellyers
Distillery for a visit and taste. We then travel along the scenic coast
road via Penguin to Devonport for
dinner before we board the Spirit of
Tasmania for our Overnight journey
to Melbourne.
DAY
9 – Friday 23rd SPIRIT OF TASMANIA - MELBOURNE – HOME (B)
A chance to enjoy
the views across Port Phillip Bay
this morning as the Spirit of Tasmania berths
at Station Pier, Port Melbourne. We rejoin our coach and head for home with a
breakfast stop en-route. Time for morning tea, farewells and to reflect on all
the magnificent Highlights of Tasmania.