Pure Tasmania
SELF DRIVE TOUR
MELBOURNE | HOBART | BRUNY ISLAND | PORT ARTHUR | COLES BAY | WINEGLASS BAY CRUISE | ST HELENS - BAY OF FIRES | LANCESTON | CRADLE MOUNTAIN | STRAHAN
Tasmania is an ideal destination for a flexible self-drive road trip where you can take your time exploring wild landscapes and coastal towns. This is after all an island of ancient rainforest and pale granite where the cleanest air on earth blows in off the Southern Ocean. Expect to find endemic wildlife and walking trails that entice you to unearth pathways that lead to vast sandy isolated bays below. This itinerary slows your journey down, ensuring you have time to stop for panoramic photos and meet the locals, where cellar doors serve gourmet lunch platters and beekeepers offer honey tasting. This really is an island that delivers an exceptional stay, until you visit for longer some of her secrets will be left hidden.
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Your Itinerary
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Day 1-2
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Day 3
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Day 4
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Day 5
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Day 6
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Day 7
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Day 8
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Day 9
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Day 10&11
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Day 12&13
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Day 14&15
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Day 16
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Day 17
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Day 18-19
Day 1-2 : UK-Melbourne
Board your overnight flight from the UK.
On arrival you will be met and transferred to your city hotel in the cosmopolitan city of Melbourne for 2 nights. You will find coffee shops on every corner and hidden alleyway, perfect for watching the locals pass by. This is also a city which proudly hosts an array of world class sporting events.
Day 3 : Melbourne
Included today is a walking foodie discovery tour, Melbourne after all is a mecca for food and eating culture. Rest assured your palette will be challenged from all corners of the globe. The rest of your day is free to explore, head for heights? Why not take a lift up the Eureka Tower for panoramic views of the city and beyond.
Day 4 : Hobart
You will be transferred this morning to the domestic airport for your 90 minutes flight to the vibrant capital of Tasmania, Hobart for 2 nights. Situated on the bay of the River Derwent and with the scenic backdrop of Mount Wellington, the city itself is filled with modern art galleries and museums, trendy cafes and markets.
Day 5 : Bruny Island
Today you will join a small group tour and discover Bruny Island by land and sea on a 3-hour eco cruise. Spot remote beaches, rugged coastlines, and native wildlife such as dolphins and fur seals as you cruise past steep cliffs and deep-sea caves. Your tour will return late afternoon to Hobart.
Day 6 : Port Arthur
This morning you will collect your vehicle and drive to Port Arthur. The major attraction being Port Arthur Historic Site, Australia's best known historical site from the convict era, and one of eleven sites making up the UNESCO World Heritage listing "Australian Convict Sites". This afternoon ensure you make a visit and learn of the history with over 30-plus buildings; entry includes a complimentary harbour cruise.
Day 7 : Coles Bay
Continue your self drive towards the East coast of Tasmania, points of interest and delicacies will slow your journey down so we recommend leaving early. Take time to stop for oysters on the farm at Dolphin Sands and a cellar door for lunch, where a bottle of wine onboard will compliment your next 2 nights stay in Freycinet National Park.
Day 8 : Wineglass Bay Cruise
Experience the exquisite beauty of Wineglass Bay and the Freycinet Peninsula aboard an eco-catamaran today. The journey is spectacular; the vessel will stop allowing you to gaze at the sheer granite cliffs and get up close to the wildlife. Wineglass Bay is beautiful and remote, a shimmering crescent of white sand fringes at the edge of a perfect turquoise sea where you will enjoy lunch at anchor in a relaxed style. The Sky Lounge offers privacy, comfort, direct access to the bridge, stunning views from the top deck, and a private guide. You will receive morning tea, snacks throughout the day, all drinks are included.
Day 9 : St Helens – Bay of Fires
St Helens is a fishing and beach resort town on Georges Bay, situated on the north-east coast of the state of Tasmania. Arrive in good time where few visitors reach, the last hour of light on the orange granite of the Bay of Fires is spectacular.
Day 10&11 : Launceston
Your drive today will showcase Tasmania’s changing landscapes beautifully. Launceston is Tasmania’s second city and one of the oldest in Australia, a vibrant, cultural and historical destination. One highlight is the Cataract Gorge, a unique river formation just outside of the city, we recommend a ride on The Gorge Scenic Chairlift, the longest of any in the world. Day 10 lends itself to your choice of wildlife tour from penguins at dusk, seahorses or platypus spotting. Nocturnal tours with campfire dining are also on offer.
Day 12&13 : Cradle Mountain
Drive this morning to one of the most recognised National Parks in Tasmania. Cradle Mountain is in the stunning Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, and is the sixth highest mountain in Tasmania as well as being part of the Wilderness World Heritage area. The national park is one of Australia’s most scenic spots, boasting a protected natural environment of mountain rivers, clear blue lakes, moss-covered alpine landscapes and a huge variety of flora and fauna. Spend your days following one of the walking trails to truly soak in the peace and quiet of one of Tasmania’s natural wonders. By dark you may wish to prebook a wildlife moment visitors mention as a highlight, where you can watch Tasmanian Devils being fed and acting like “devils”.
Day 14&15 : Strahan
Take one of the most remote drives today on a fully sealed road, very few townships enroute so be sure to pack car snacks and fill up with fuel before you set off. Your journey will take you through mining country to Strahan and a harbour six times the size of Sydney. Be sure to head out to at Hogarth Falls during your 2 nights stay where platypus play in the creek below.
Day 16 : Hobart
Your final day takes you back to Hobart where you will spend a final night on this truly immersive island. Leave with edible gifts, walking shoes that have made new memories and wildlife photos that you will only capture on Tasmania.
Day 17 : Melbourne
You will have a final morning in Hobart before returning your vehicle to Hobart airport and boarding your short mid-afternoon flight to Melbourne. Overnight at an airport hotel.
Day 18-19 : Melbourne-Arrive UK
Time to board your flight home to the UK.
