DAY 1/ Sunday
HOBART ARRIVAL – BONORONG NIGHT TOUR
Upon arrival at Hobart airport no later than 3 pm, be transferred to your accommodation in the CBD, where you have time for a quick refreshment stop. At 04.30 pm, we will take you to the first highlight of this tour. Arrive at Bonorong sanctuary, where we invite you to a 2.5-hour behind-the-scenes night tour where you have the opportunity to get close to many of Tasmania’s endemic animals and get a lot of information first-hand.
Accommodation: Old Woolstore Hotel Hobart, Studio apartment (or similar)
Meals: –
DAY 2/ Monday
HOBART – MARIA ISLAND – BICHENO
This morning, travel to the seaside village of Triabunna and board a ferry to cross the Mercury Passage to Maria Island. This unique island national park sits just off Tasmania’s east coast. Enjoy a day of peaceful walking amongst historic ruins across sweeping bays, rugged fossil cliffs and imposing mountains. This island sanctuary provides an opportunity to view its resident wildlife, including Wombats, Cape Barren Geese, Tasmanian Pademelons, Forester Kangaroos and even the Tasmanian Devil in their natural environment. Later this afternoon, continue your journey along Tasmania’s sunny east coast to Bicheno in the Freycinet area.
Accommodation: Beachfront at Bicheno Hotel or Bicheno by the Bay (or similar)
Meals: Breakfast and picnic lunch
DAY 3/ Tuesday
Freycinet Peninsula – Penguins
After breakfast, travel to Coles Bay and embark on the award-winning 4-hour Wineglass Bay cruise. Cruise the spectacular coastline of Freycinet National Park from Coles Bay to Wineglass Bay. Be enthralled by the stunning granite coastline, including the dramatic pink peaks of the Hazards range. Discover a coast dotted with sparkling white sand beaches, including Cooks and Bryans Beaches, only accessible by water or a full day bushwalk. Explore the inner passage of remote Schouten Island, home to little penguins and short-tailed shearwaters, before heading into the Tasman Sea towards Wineglass Bay. Look out for hidden sea caves, blowholes and waterfalls amongst the sheer granite cliffs. Disembark the vessel in the early afternoon and visit the Friendly Beaches before your guide takes you to your accommodation. The rest of this afternoon is at leisure. At dusk, we invite you to an informative tour on private property to get close to the local colony of fairy penguins nesting and breeding in the dunes.
Accommodation: Beachfront at Bicheno Hotel or Bicheno by the Bay (or similar)
Meals: Breakfast and lunch (ploughman-style)
DAY 4/ Wednesday
BICHENO – BAY OF FIRES – LAUNCESTON
Today, continue your journey along the East Coast and visit the stunning orange-lichen-covered granite rocks of the Bay of Fires conservation area. Take the opportunity to wander around and explore the whitest sandy beaches and turquoise waters. We travel on to St. Columba Falls, one of the highest waterfalls in Tasmania and through lush and green valleys before we arrive in Launceston, the second-largest city in Tasmania.
Accommodation: The Verge Hotel, Launceston, King or Twin room (or similar)
Meals: Breakfast
DAY 5/ Thursday
LAUNCESTON – DEPARTURE
Enjoy a city introduction to Launceston this morning and visit the stunning Cataract Gorge, where the South Esk River forces its way through sheer granite rocks, before your journey ends at approximately 11:30 am at the Launceston transit centre or the airport.
Meals: Breakfast
