Timeless Tasmania Small Ship Cruise

Fly by scheduled indirect flight.

Arrive this morning and transfer to our central hotel for a two night stay. The remainder of the day is at leisure to relax after your journey or explore the city independently.

After breakfast in the hotel you can choose to take a morning city tour including Federation Square, the Botanical Gardens and Melbourne Museum. Alternatively join a full day tour of the Great Ocean Road. On this glorious coastal drive we will visit Bells Beach, spot koalas in the wild, enjoy a guided tour of the Otways rainforest and marvel at the amazing rock formations of the Port Campbell National Park, including the Twelve Apostles and Loch Ard Gorge. Along the way we will see pristine beaches and rugged rocky outcrops of the Great Ocean Road. Return to the hotel for an evening at leisure.

Enjoy some time at leisure this morning before we transfer to the airport for our scheduled flight to Hobart. On arrival we will transfer to the Coral Adventurer and embark before we sail in the early evening.

Arrive this morning at Maria Island National Park which is perhaps best known as the site of Tasmania’s second penal settlement which opened in 1821. By the early 1830s it was decided that the site was too expensive to be viable so the convicts were returned to the penitentiaries of the mainland and the whalers, sealers, farmers and smugglers moved in. Today the only reminder is the remains of the penal settlement in Darlington, however Maria Island is also home to diverse flora and fauna including reintroduced animals such as forester kangaroos, Bennetts wallabies, Tasmanian native hens and Cape Barren geese that had been wiped out during the European occupation. The very things that made the island a convict settlement now make it an ideal refuge for plant and animal species that are under threat elsewhere. Join a nature walk, stroll amongst the ruins and beautifully restored buildings of the Darlington convict settlement or take a walk to the striking formations of the Painted Cliffs, where rich iron deposits have stained the sandstone cliffs with coloured streaks of red, purple and orange.

This morning we will explore the Freycinet National Park. The majestic beauty of Freycinet’s granite mountains and white, sandy beaches fringed by eucalypts have long been admired by naturalists, artists and writers and the area was reserved as a National Park in 1916. From our anchorage in Promise Bay we will land at Hazards Beach from where we can see the stunning red and pink granite peaks known as The Hazards. From here we take the isthmus track across the iconic Wineglass Bay where there will be the chance to swim in the cool azure waters. Those feeling active may wish to take the hike up to the lookout.

Awake this morning off wild and rugged Flinders Island, one of the 52 islands in the Furneaux Group dotted across the Bass Strait. Here we find a combination of white sandy beaches, the pink and gray granite mountain ranges of Strzelecki National Park and a landscape of lagoons and wetlands. We will land on the picturesque Trousers Point beach, the starting point for one of ‘Tasmania’s Great Short Walks’, as we follow the coastal track to Fotheringate Beach with its fascinating granite caves and rock formations and views over to the other Bass Strait islands. Meanwhile, as we explore the island we learn of the sombre history of the Wybalenna Settlement. It was to here that Aboriginal people from the Tasmanian mainland were exiled in the 1830s and 1840s, however most died from disease on the island before being transferred back to Tasmania’s south. Also, see relics of Flinders maritime past at the Furneaux Museum and pass by the seaside villages.

One of Australia’s oldest cities, Launceston is situated at the meeting of the North and South Esk rivers, where the Tamar River begins its journey to Bass Strait, and has one of the best preserved early cityscapes in Australia with its elegant colonial and Victorian architecture and century-old parks. On a full day tour we have the morning to enjoy some sightseeing around the city taking in the architecture of the historical buildings and the gardens that lace the streets. Also see the magnificent Cataract Gorge and learn about the fascinating collection of history, fauna and people of this region. We will return to the ship via one of the vineyards of the Tamar Valley which is renowned as one of the premium cool climate wine growing regions of Tasmania and where we will enjoy a tasting. 

Continuing our journey along the north coast we arrive at Burnie. Settled as an industrial port by the Van Diemans Land company in the early 19th century it was a centre for the timber industry. Today, whilst many of the bigger firms have moved away, the town retains a number of artisans producing delicious foods, hand-made paper and single malt whiskey. Today you can choose to take a morning tour to the nearby Emu Valley Rhododendron Gardens and Fern Glade Nature Reserve before some free time to explore Burnie at your own pace, maybe visiting the Makers Workshop which honours the town’s history. Alternatively join a full day tour to Cradle Mountain National Park, part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area and one of the island’s iconic sites. Here we find rich vegetation including grasslands and rainforest with many endemic plants and trees offering a rich habitat for wildlife including Tasmanian devils and birds. We will have time to walk at Dove Lake to see the wonderful views of Cradle Mountain whilst those feeling active may wish to tackle the summit.

Overnight we sail the short distance to Stanley. This is a town of well-preserved colonial buildings sheltering in the shadow of ‘the Nut’, an imposing volcanic plug which rises 150 metres above the town. This old volcanic land formation created from dried magma has steep sides and a flat top and we can either take the steep walking path or a more leisurely chairlift ride to the top to enjoy the views. Afterwards we will learn more about the region’s history on a town tour including Highfield House, where European settlers first established themselves in Tasmania. Built in 1834 as a residence for Edward Curr, chief agent for the British Van Diemen’s Land Company, the estate is a rare example of residential architecture and graceful design from the Regency period. Alternatively drive to the Tarkine Wilderness a 447,000 hectare area which includes Australia’s largest patch of temperate rainforest as well as sand dunes, mountain ranges, moorland, wild rivers, caves and coastal heathland. Wildlife here includes wombats, platypus, bandicoot, giant crayfish and the Tasmanian devil as well as rare birds such as the orange bellied parrot and grey goshawk.

Located in the Bass Strait which separates Tasmania with Victoria lies King Island, a peaceful paradise with rugged coastlines, beautiful beaches and wonderful nature walks. King Island’s largest town is Currie which is home to 700 residents and set on a scenic harbour with amazing views of the vast Southern Ocean. Currie has a history of shipwreck salvage, agriculture and fishing, with a sleepy seaside village atmosphere. During our tour we will see the Currie Lighthouse which was built in the 1870s to help prevent shipwrecks in a dangerous stretch of water known as the ‘Eye of the Needle’ and still stands guard over the ocean today. Also see the calcified forest which is made up of hundreds of weirdly shaped limestone features. The structures that make up the forest were created when calcium carbonate attached to the deep roots of coastal vegetation and have since been exposed when the surrounding sand has blown away.

Spend a leisurely day at sea as we cruise along the west coast of Tasmania. Home to striking mountain ranges, ancient pines and untamed rivers, the wild west coast is the heart of Tasmania’s wilderness and a true frontier. Relax on board and take in the dramatic scenery from the deck and join one of the lectures.

Arrive this morning off the southern Tasmania coast at Adventure Bay which is on the east coast of Bruny Island. Here, those feeling active have the option to join a strenuous walk along the dramatic coastal cliffs of Fluted Cape where we hope to see Bennett’s Wallabies. If weather permits, we will cruise the base of these near-vertical dolerite cliffs using the Xplorer tender vessels or Zodiacs. We will also learn about how southern right whales were almost hunted to extinction and Adventure Bay housed four whaling stations before the industry’s decline in the mid- 1840s. We can see the ruins of these stations on a walk to Grass Point.

The Tasman Peninsula is known for its fascinating geological formations like the Tessellated Pavement, Tasman Arch, and the soaring 300 metre high dolerite sea cliffs of Cape Raoul, Cape Pillar and Cape Hauy – the tallest in the southern hemisphere. Watch fur seals hauling out on the rocks, as well as playful dolphins feeding and magnificent albatross soaring amongst the updrafts created by the sea cliffs. This afternoon we will drive to the Bangor Vineyard. After strolling through the vines we will learn about the cultivation of the wines and the history of the property before enjoying a tasting.

Named after Van Diemen’s Land Lieutenant Governor, George Arthur, Port Arthur started as a timber station in 1830, but it is best known for being a penal colony. From 1833, until 1877, it was the destination for the hardest of convicted British and Irish criminals, those who were secondary offenders having re-offended after their arrival in Australia. Today, the Historic Site has over 30 buildings, ruins and restored period homes set in 100 acres of landscaped grounds which we will discover with Port Arthur’s knowledgeable guides. Enjoy an afternoon at leisure before we make our way back to Hobart.

Tasmania’s capital was founded in 1804 as a penal colony but today Hobart is a cosmopolitan city. After we disembark this morning, you can choose to learn more about the history of the city built by the early convicts. See the cathedral, the old jail and treasury and end up in the Salamanca Wharf area, a historic docks area which was built for the whaling industry. Alternatively take a journey to the summit of Mount Wellington measuring 4000 feet with wonderful views over the city returning via the Royal Botanical Gardens built along the Derwent River. Created in 1818 they are home to an extensive collection of native flora. After lunch in a local restaurant we will transfer to our hotel for an overnight stay and the remainder of the day is at leisure.

Check out this morning and transfer to the airport for our scheduled indirect flight to London or Manchester.

Arrive this morning.

Itineraries are subject to change.