TOUR INCLUDES: * Free Passenger pickup & return (please refer to the booking conditions) * Luxury 5 star coach travel * name badge * All admission fees, sightseeing tours and cruises per itinerary * no hidden extras *luggage labels * Dinners * hot/cold buffet breakfasts * Crew with extensive knowledge of the Apple Isle, Tasmania * morning and afternoon teas (time and weather permitting) ( Please ask for more details if you prefer the Air Travel one or both ways – Optional Extra )
Day 1 – Friday 29th OCTOBER ’21 MELBOURNE
– HOBART (D)
Welcome aboard for an enjoyable tour of Tasmania,
with all of its spectacular Spring colour.
We make our way to Melbourne Airport where we board our flight to Hobart.
On arrival in Hobart we check into our accommodation for the next three nights
at The Henry Jones Art Hotel or similar.
DAY 2 - Saturday 30th HOBART
(B,D)
This morning, following breakfast, we take in the city
sights and visit the Botanical Gardens. We have time to explore the Salamanca
Markets before lunch with a free afternoon to explore. Maybe you
might choose to have lunch at the Markets - You will find fresh produce from
local growers, hot coffee and delicious breakfast and lunch options to enjoy,
lots of gift ideas and plenty of handmade products. Or you may like to explore
Hobart, or even take the afternoon to rest at the Hotel before dinner that evening.
DAY
3 – Sunday 31st PORT
ARTHUR (B,D)
Wake up! Time for breakfast, before heading to Port Arthur. We see Eaglehawk Neck,
Tessellated Pavement, Doo Village and more wonderful sights. We enjoy morning tea at
the Blow
Hole. The Blow Hole
and Tasman Arch are just two of many unusual geological formations found in the
Tasman National Park, a place of rugged beauty with some of the most stunning
coastal scenery found anywhere in Australia. We arrive at Port Arthur and take part in a Walking Tour, which includes access to the Port Arthur Gallery,
house museum and the gardens. After lunch we take a delightful
Port
Arthur Harbour Cruise. Time to
depart and head to the Port Arthur Lavender Farm. Nestled within seven hectares of lavender,
rainforest and lakes and overlooking the ocean at Long Bay, Port Arthur
Lavender’s Farm showcase millennia-old uses of this fragrant flower alongside
modern cuisine and a fully functioning essential oil distillery. We then head
back to our hotel for dinner.
DAY
4 – Monday 1st November ’21 NATIONAL PARKS - DERWENT (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 Overnight at Strahan Village.
DAY
5 – Tuesday 2nd GORDON RIVER CRUISE (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 travelling to our accommodation Peppers@Cradle,
Cradle Mountain for the next two nights.
DAY
6 – Wednesday 3rd DOVE LAKE – CRADE MOUNTAIN – DEVILS@CRADLE (B,L,D)
This morning is at leisure. You may choose to explore the area,
or have some rest and relaxation at your accommodation. We enjoy lunch at ‘The
Lodge’ which is a restaurant conveniently located at our accommodation. We board
the coach after lunch and travel to 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 back to our accommodation to
freshen up for dinner.
DAY 7 – Thursday 4th Burnie – Devonport - Spirit Of Tasmania (B,D)
This morning,
following a hearty breakfast,
it’s off to Burnie and a visit to
the Little Penguin Observation Centre. Friends of Burnie Penguins
provide a free interpretative guided experience to visitors to the Burnie
Little Penguin colony. You will have an opportunity for an intimate view into
the seasonal life of penguin families from courtship, through to chick rearing
and to moulting adults at the end of the breeding season. We make our way to Hellyers Distillery for a visit and
taste. Then on to House of Anvers – for the lovers of fine chocolate. Visit the chocolate
antique display of chocolate and learn how chocolate came to be in the form we
know it today. We visit the Bass
Strait Maritime Centre – a collection is a repository developed as a
resource to inspire and educate the community and visitors. A key focus of the
collection is to contribute to the interpretation and preservation of the
history and maritime heritage of the Devonport region and its connection with
the Bass Strait. We then travel along the scenic coast road to Devonport
where we board the Spirit of Tasmania
for our Overnight journey to Melbourne.
DAY
8 – Friday 5th 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.
PRICE $4470 per person, based on TwinShare.
Single Supplement $1365