Wild Tasmania

The spectacularly green island-state of Tasmania invites exploration—the WT way! We'll hike amid towering tree ferns at Mt. Field National Park, sail by private yacht to infamous Sarah Island, and look for wallaby, wombats, and Tasmanian devils on our hikes in stunning Cradle Mountain-Lake St. Clair National Park. On the Freycinet Peninsula, with its pink granite peaks and sandy beaches, we enjoy a fabulous coastal hike and sundowners on the beach. Our Trip Leaders share the secrets of Tassie's superb food, from fresh-shucked oysters to artisan cheeses, and we'll sip the finest local chardonnays and pinot noirs. Our accommodations are elegant, including lodges warmed by roaring fires and cozy cabins overlooking the deep blue Tasman Sea.

Itinerary

Days 1-3
Hobart / Mt. Field National Park 
The Saturday Salamanca Market is Australia's most famous outdoor market, and we'll stroll through it before we hike up Mt. Wellington, with its unsurpassed views of southeast Tasmania. In Mt. Field National Park, towering tree ferns shade our hike to the spectacular cascade of Russell Falls.  

Days 4-6
West Coast / Cradle Mountain / Strahan 
Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park offers trails through primeval temperate forests, and we'll be met by our friend Captain Trevor for an excursion by yacht through Macquarie Harbour to historic Sarah Island, a notorious 19th century convict settlement. Cradle Mountain-Lake St. Clair National Park is the setting for our hikes through alpine moorlands where wallaby, wombats, possums, quolls, and Tasmanian devils are often encountered, especially as night falls. 

Days 7-8
Freycinet National Park 
En route to Freycinet National Park, Tasmania's premier coastal park, with its sheltered turquoise waters, we sample the wares at a unique freshwater salmon farm and sip Tasmanian wines at a local cellar. A spectacular coastal hike brings us to Hazards Beach, then across the isthmus to Wineglass Bay for a picnic on Tasmania's most famous beach. 

Days 9-11
Tasman National Park / Port Arthur 
We feast on Tassie fish and chips and fresh oysters at a fishmonger's in Dunalley, visit the historic Port Arthur penal colony, and boat along the coast on the lookout for dolphins, humpbacks, and southern right whales. Depart on Day 11 via Hobart.