Tassie's Parks and Nature

Arrive in Hobart, where you'll meet your Travel Director and fellow travellers this afternoon (flights arrive prior to 3pm). You could recover from your journey or ease into the day with a leisurely walk around Constitution Dock, taking in the marina's colourful collection of yachts, motorboats and fishing trawlers. The finishing line for the annual Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, Constitution Dock's friendly, festive atmosphere is the perfect Tassie welcome. You could choose instead to take a stroll along the mighty Derwent River, before it empties into Storm Bay and the Tasman Sea. This evening, join your fellow travel companions for a Welcome Reception and dinner.

Wake up today to the sights, sounds and flavours of Hobart's Salamanca Market. Explore the colourful market stalls, potter through the historic sandstone warehouses, discovering innovative Tasmanian arts and crafts as you delight in the taste and aroma of freshly baked goods and local produce. Take a moment to sit back and relax at one of Salamanca's cafés, and watch the world pass you by with a cooling ale or locally produced cider in hand. This afternoon it's all aboard for a city sights tour of Tassie's capital. Stroll through the Botanical Gardens, then visit historic Battery Point and see the Cascade Brewery before driving up to Mt. Nelson Lookout for panoramic views over the city.

Leave the city behind for the lush rainforest and tiered falls of Russell Falls. Then, take the winding road to Lake St. Clair, where you'll 'Dive Into Culture' and see The Wall in the Wilderness, a monumental sculpture hand-carved in rare Huon pine. Continue through the rainforest, passing the eerie moonscape of Queenstown, once the world's richest mining town. Your destination today is coastal Strahan, the gateway to the UNESCO listed Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park. Here you will enjoy views of Macquarie Harbour from your hotel perched on a hillside.

Venture up the dark waters of the Gordon River, stained amber by buttongrass tannins and flanked by riverside rainforest. Continue to Sarah Island, where you'll 'Dive Into Culture' and gain chilling insights into the cruelties of convict life, starkly juxtaposed against the overwhelming beauty of the island's surrounds. See Hells Gates, the notoriously treacherous entrance to the harbour, and Heritage Landing, the site of a 2,000-year-old Huon Pine. Later, travel through the mining towns of Rosebery and Tullah as you make your way to one of Trafalgar's 'Stays With Stories' - Cradle Mountain Hotel, which offers incredible views of Tasmania's alpine wilderness.

Join a 'Local Specialist' this morning and discover the inspiring beauty of Cradle Mountain National Park in ways you could never imagine. Keep a keen eye out for wombats, quolls and currawongs as you embark on a guided walk with your Travel Director. Take your time to connect with the tranquil and ancient natural surrounds, tracing the purpose-built boardwalk around Dove Lake, through the wild ancient forests and alpine heathlands. Feeling adventurous? Consider a challenging hike to Marion's Lookout instead, returning via Wombat Pool.

After breakfast, take a walk with a 'Local Specialist' through the Hellyers Road Whisky Distillery in Burnie, home to one of Australia's best single malt distilled whiskies. You'll then make your way east to 'Connect With Locals' at Mount Gnomon Farm, hidden high in the hills overlooking the picturesque seaside village of Penguin. Enjoy an exhilarating 'Be My Guest' experience with 'Local Specialist', fifth-generation Tasmanian farmer, Guy Robertson, as he shows you around his free-range farm, cider orchard and gardens, before sitting down to a farm-to-fork lunch in his beautiful barn. Continue to quirky Sheffield, the 'Town of Murals', then call in at the award-winning Ashgrove Tasmanian Farm and join a 'Local Specialist' to try a selection of local cheeses. Soon you'll make your way through the Meander Valley to the historic city of Launceston.

Your first stop today is to the nearby wilderness of Launceston's Cataract Gorge. Continue your scenic drive to Josef Chromy Wines for lunch and indulge in delicious Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vintages, paired with exquisite vineyard views that stretch across the Tamar Valley. Your holiday comes to an end late this afternoon. Transfer to Launceston Airport for your onward flight after saying farewell to your travel companions (flights to depart after 4pm).