| Cost From: | $4295 |
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| Length: | 10 days |
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| Activity: | Hiking / Trekking, Wildlife & Natural History |
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| Difficulty: |
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The trip was fabulous with a great itinerary and variety. Tasmania is a truly unique area. This was my best trip yet!K. Burck—Lafayette CA
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Outside Magazine’s Trips of the Year Award for 2009
Outside Magazine picked our Larapinta trek, a bushwalk in central Australia with veteran Trip Leader James Fuss.
See more awards
Tasmania’s lavish swaths of protected wilderness preserve most of the earth’s last temperate rainforests. The western side of this Australian island is wooded and mountainous, while the eastern side holds beautiful old-fashioned farms and tranquil villages bathed in vivid “down under” light. With veteran Trip Leader James Fuss, an Aussie native, we explore this hiker’s paradise on coastal and rainforest hikes that immerse us in a variety of otherworldly landscapes, from the World Heritage Site of Cradle Mountain-Lake St. Clair National Park to the azure bays of the Freycinet Peninsula. Along the way, we soak up Tassie hospitality and enjoy fantastic food and wine. Overnights include wilderness lodges warmed by roaring fires and luxurious cabins overlooking the sea.
$4295 (9-10 members)
$4595 (7-8 members)
$4795 (6 members)
Single supplement: $875
Prices are for Fall 2009 / Winter 2010
Nov 21-30, 2010 James Fuss
Mar 6-15, 2011 James Fuss
Reading list, click here.
Launceston, we head through the celebrated wine country of the Tamar Valley for wine tasting and lunch in a lush vineyard. We explore Narawntapu National Park with a walk along Bakers Beach followed by a barbecue dinner, a good chance to view some of the local wildlife at close range, including Forester kangaroos, wallabies, wombats, pademelons (a smaller cousin of the kangaroo), and a variety of birdlife.
The wilderness of Cradle Mountain-Lake St. Clair National Park is ideal for bushwalking. With a choice of gentle or more challenging hikes, we explore this age-old temperate rainforest, a magnificent landscape of teatree thickets, buttongrass, and ancient King Billy pines. Tasmania’s highest peak, Mt. Ossa (5,300') is in this park. At night we look for Tassie’s nocturnal scavenger, the famed Tasmanian devil. Overnights are at award-winning Cradle Mountain Lodge, with its breathtaking location and spa facilities.
Crossing Tasmania’s wild west coast, a remote world of mountainous coastline and ghost towns, we arrive in the picturesque fishing port of Strahan and board a ketch for a delightful cruise across Macquarie Harbour, with lunch on board of fresh local lobster and salmon and a chance to learn the fascinating history of the area. Later we walk through the stunning ancient forests of Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park to the ruins of Pillinger, a long abandoned mining town on the shores of Macquarie Harbour.
In Mt. Field National Park, we hike through a forest of ancient towering tree ferns to beautiful Russell Falls—a two-tiered waterfall and one of the prettiest in Tasmania. Farther on we enter the “Land of the Giants,” where eucalyptus regnans trees, the tallest flowering plant in the world, tower up to 250 feet above the forest floor. In Hobart, Tasmania’s small and charming capital, we visit the vibrant Saturday Salamanca Market, with its artisans and musicians, then hike up Mt. Wellington for unsurpassed views.
In gorgeous Freycinet National Park, Tasmania’s premier coastal park, our grand hiking finale brings us past secluded bays to Mt. Amos for stunning views over Wineglass Bay. Along the way we search for wildlife including the sea eagle and black cockatoo. Overnights are in beautiful cabins on Coles Bay. Depart on Day 10.
This is the Itinerary-at-a-Glance. For the complete trip description, Download Full Trip Brochure
Days 1 to 2 (2 nights), Launceston, Australia
The Penny Royal has a great location within walking distance to Launceton’s restaurants and just around the corner from the stunning ...
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Days 3 to 4 (2 nights), Cradle Mountain, Tasmania, Australia
This is everything a wilderness lodge should be, with roaring fires, cozy cabins, excellent restaurants, a friendly staff, and a gorgeous setting ...
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Day 5 (1 night), Lake St. Clair, Tasmania, Australia
On the shores of beautiful Lake St. Clair, Australia’s deepest freshwater lake, this simple lodge has six guest cabins tucked into the ...
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Days 6 to 7 (2 nights), Hobart, Australia
One of Hobart’s most charming places to stay, the Macquarie Manor is an 18-room mansion built in 1875. The Macquarie offers welcoming ...
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Days 8 to 9 (2 nights), Coles Bay, Tasmania, Australia
What a location! Awake to the sound of lapping waves just outside your cottage door at this wonderful lodge on the edge of Coles Bay, where the ...
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Note: Listed above are our signature accommodations for this trip. Although it is highly unlikely, we may make substitutions when necessary.
