Tasmania Discovery

Day 1: Hobart, Australia
On arrival at Hobart Airport, you are met by your private driver and vehicle and transferred to your accommodation. This city is the most southern of Australia’s capitals, and home to almost half of all Tasmanians. It is the least populated Australian state capital city and second smallest territory after Darwin, Northern Territory. The city sits on the southeast estuary of the River Derwent. Its skyline is dominated by Mount Wellington, at 1,271-meters/4,170 feet. Its harbor forms the second-deepest natural port in the world. Founded in 1804 as a British penal colony, Hobart is Australia’s second oldest capital city after Sydney, New South Wales.

Hobart offers a wealth of recreational activities ranging from a walking tour of the historic waterfront to explore on a guided kayak tour of Hobart’s Constitution Dock with everything from fishing boats to superyachts. Browse shops and galleries and, on Saturdays, the colorful street markets of Salamanca, its laneways and squares lined with beautiful Georgian sandstone warehouses. Climb historic Kelly’s Steps to wander the streets of Battery Point. Take in the views from the summit of Mt Wellington or enjoy dozens of beautiful walks and excellent mountain bike trails. Join a foodie’s tour to sample delicious local cheeses, charcuterie and cool climate wines. Savor a scenic flight over the remote South West Wilderness to see ancient rainforests and rugged mountains. Cruise Tasman Island’s spectacular coastline past towering sea cliffs and explore giant sea caves to spot seals, dolphins and sea birds. MACq 01 Hotel – King Superior Waterfront Room 

Day 2: Hobart – Mt Field National Park – Hobart
This morning you are met at your accommodation by your private guide and vehicle for your full day discovery of Mt Field National Park, Tasmania’s World Heritage Wilderness area. Begin with a visit to Bonorong Sanctuary to see young Tasmanian Devils fed by hand, and encounter wombats, koalas, kangaroos and dozens of other Australian species. Stop for morning tea and a stroll one of Tasmania’s most historic regional towns. The quaint streets of New Norfolk are lined with old pubs, charming stores and impressive colonial buildings. Continue to Mt. Field, Tasmania’s first and most diverse national park with stunning vistas, great walks and abundant wildlife. See one of planets tallest trees, Mountain Ash, towering at nearly 100 meters/328 feet.

Enjoy a picnic lunch before visiting Russell Falls, one of Tasmania’s most notable natural attractions, and possibly spot platypus in streams or a wedge-tailed eagle soaring high on mountain thermals. It is not uncommon to see native wildlife on short walks in the including echidnas, wallabies and pademelons. MACq 01 Hotel – King Superior Waterfront Room (B,L) 

Day 3: Hobart
Today explore the Museum of Old and New Art, MONA, Australia’s largest privately-owned gallery and museum. Showcasing the diverse collection of its owner, Tasmanian gambler and math nerd David Walsh, exhibits range from ancient Egyptian funerary objects and modernist masterpieces to a word waterfall and a machine that mimics the human digestive system. The museum is perched on the banks of the River Derwent, near Hobart, and is also home to the Moorilla Winery and vineyard as well as luxury accommodation, restaurants and more. Sail from Hobart to MONA on the high-speed ferry, complete with onboard bars and sheep to sit on. Travel in style in the ferry’s Posh Pit, which includes complimentary Moorilla wine, Moo Brew beer, canapés and a private deck. Once you land, begin a self-guided exploration of the subterranean galleries. Late morning, a wine expert helps you explore the vineyard and delve into the story of Moorilla, David Walsh and Claudio Alcorso, who planted the first vines. The tour includes an exclusive tasting of the wines from Moorilla/Domaine A, and includes a complimentary bottle of wine. Savor a delicious lunch of seasonal local produce, with matched wines from Moorilla’s Cloth Label and Muse Series. The rest of the afternoon is free to explore the museum before returning to Hobart by ferry later this afternoon. MACq 01 Hotel – King Superior Waterfront Room (B,L) 

Day 4: Hobart / Mari Island
This morning you are met at your accommodation by a representative of the Maria Island Walk for your four-day small group walking tour.

Please note: This experience caters to clients who can walk 8-15 kilometers/5-9 miles a day. Participants over 70 years of age require a medical certificate. Guests carry a light backpack, supplied along with waterproof jackets, silk sleeping sheets and head torches.

After a drive of about an hour and a half to Triabunna, and board a private catamaran that takes you into the remote southern end of Maria Island. Arrive in time to enjoy stunning views and take a walk of about 4- 8 kilometers/2.5-5 miles through beautiful forests with abundant wildlife. Then, enjoy fresh Tasmanian produce and fine wines in Casuarina Camp before heading to your accommodation for two nights in a twin cabin. Located behind beautiful white sand beaches. Two camps with the same set-up of eco cabins sensitively dot the landscape and are connected by raised boardwalks. Wilderness Camps Maria Island (B,L,D)

Day 5: Maria Island
Today, walk from Riedle Bay across the unusual land formation of the isthmus to Shoal Bay where your guides share fascinating stories of human occupation on the island. Maria Island is a remote island experience, there are no shops or cafes on the island. Explore some of the convict cells at Point Lesueur, 10 kilometers/six miles south of Maria Island’s Darlington Township.

Maria Island is a remote island experience with no shops or cafes on the island. Rich in indigenous and European history, abundant in wildlife, with spectacular views and geological features, the entire island is a national park.

Explore the convict cells at Point Lesueur and visit an ochre pit at Bloodstone Point – one of the original ochre sources for the Tasmanian Aborigines, who used it as the main coloring agent used by Maori to paint the large waka taua – war canoes. Ochre prevented the drying of wood used in canoes and the carvings of meeting houses. This evening catch the sunset over the stunning Four Mile Beach, then relax at White Gums Camp, where you can enjoy a glass of wine on the deck before dinner. Today you walk about 14 kilometers/8.7 miles. White Gums Camp (B,L,D)

Day 6: Maria Island
Today, you have the option to head inland to Hopgrounds Beach and the Painted Cliffs. From Darlington head south via the gently inclined gravel road and follow the road as it meanders along the coast. Explore the beautiful, patterned sandstone marked by ground water percolating through rock. The Painted Cliffs offers an easy four-kilometer/about a two-mile return walk.  When returning to Darlington continue inland via the signposted Oast House Track. The Oast House, originally built in 1844 to dry hops, is one of the oldest convict ruins in Australia.

Exclusively used by Maria Island Walk guests, Bernacchi House is a welcome sight on the third day of the  walk. The heritage-listed property dates to 1880 and is located within the World Heritage Listed convict settlement of Darlington. You enjoy comfortable beds, hot showers and dinner with Tasmanian wines at a grand communal table by the roaring fire. After dinner, a stroll on the veranda offers a chance to stargaze and spot wombats wandering through the garden. Bernacchi House (B,L,D)

Day 7: Maria Island / Coles Bay
Today you are met at your accommodation by your private driver and vehicle and transferred to your accommodation in Coles Bay, a journey of about two and  a half hours. On arrival, you are welcomed by a representative of the lodge. During your stay at Saffire Freycinet, you enjoy a variety of the amazing activities and touring options that encompass discovering an oyster marine farm, learning about the world of the Tasmanian devil, canoeing Pelican Bay, bird watching, cooking demonstrations, kite flying and more.  Saffire Freycinet – King Luxury Suite (B,L,D)

Day 8: Coles Bay
Explore the area on some of the variety of activities available that include archery, mountain biking, kayaking, fishing off the shoreline, star gazing, quad biking, golf, cruising local waters, scenic flights and more. Saffire Freycinet is situated in an area of East Coast Tasmania that an enviable reputation for premium aquaculture and agriculture. The Mediterranean-like climate contributes to the production of excellent, award-winning boutique wines. Local fishing villages supply a daily parade of crayfish, scallops and deep-sea fish lifted dripping off the local boats, salty-sweet and fresh from the water. Plump oysters and mussels are farmed in the pristine waters of Great Oyster Bay. The best of Tasmania’s succulent grass-fed beef and lamb, game meats, fresh herbs and spices and seasonal fruit and vegetables are chosen daily to craft cuisine that accentuates the best of premium local produce. Nestled within the heart of property,  the spa sanctuary draws on natural elements to relax and restore you after a personal consultation, where you select treatments and therapies to that reflect your personal needs and preferences. Saffire Freycinet – King Luxury Suite (B,L,D)

Day 9: Coles Bay / Depart
Today you are met at your accommodation by your private driver and vehicle and transferred to Launceston Airport, about two and  a half hours, to catch your onward flight. (B)