This walking holiday includes selected walks near Launceston in the north of the State, The Ben Lomond National Park, an area called “The Western Tiers”, Cradle Mountain, West Coast, Mt. Field and Wellington Park (kunanyi/Mt. Wellington) and Hobart. It commences in Launceston and concludes in Hobart on a Sunday (You will have the opportunity to visit the locally famous Salamanca Market on the Saturday). It is graded as Easy/Medium. (see information at bottom of page).
Details & Starting Dates
This walk is available from the 15th October through to the 15th May 2024 (with the exception of any dates that include December 25th and 26th and 8th to 24th February 2024)
PRICE RANGE: Dependent on your group size, ranges from 4 participants at $5900.00 each to 8+ participants at $5200.00 each.
See “Our Walking Tours” for full details of how to book a walking tour and options available.
The Overview
Itinerary:
| Day | Activities | Sleeping |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Meet and Greet in Launceston at 1030am, briefing and morning tea/coffee followed by short City Tour. Lunch at our accommodation. Local walks during the afternoon. Evening you are free to explore the City sights. | Launceston |
| Day 2 | A full day walk in the Ben Lomond National Park – walk to the 2nd highest point in Tasmania. | Launceston |
| Day 3 | Liffy and other Walks in the Western Tiers. Wildlife Park and Cave Options. | Sheffield Area. |
| Day 4 | Cradle Mountain – short walks. | Cradle Mountain. |
| Day 5 | Cradle Mountain circuit walk or climb Cradle Mountain if conditions suitable. | Cradle Mountain. |
| Day 6 | The West Coast and Strahan area – short walks. | Strahan. |
| Day 7 | Strahan and Gordon River Wilderness Cruise, including interpreted walks. | Strahan. |
| Day 8 | Lake St Clair and Tarraleah walks. (Including “The Wall”) | Taraleah. |
| Day 9 | Mt Field National Park & Russel Falls area – short walks | Maydena area. |
| Day 10 | Mt. Field National Park and Lake Pedder/Gordon Area – walks. | Hobart. |
| Day 11 | Hobart – Salamanca Market & Wellington National Park. Selected short walks. Optional Night visit to Mt Wellington summit. | Hobart. |
| Day 12 | Hobart waterfront walks. Depart after lunch. |
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1.
We will notify you of our meeting point in Launceston, at least one month prior to your arrival, but our meeting time will be 1030am. A pick-up at the airport will be available if you are arriving up to 0930 today, otherwise you will need to find your own way to our meeting place. We will have a morning tea together and you will be briefed on the walks that you can expect over the next few days. We will check you’re your personal clothing and footwear for suitability to the conditions and walks that we will undertake. If necessary, we will have some items available to loan or hire. We will then take you on a short tour of Launceston and have lunch at our accommodation venue. During the afternoon we will take you on some short local walks prior to an early Dinner. After dinner you are free to explore the City.
Day 2.
Breakfast each day will be from 0730 to 0815. As we want to make the very best use of daylight hours to see as much as possible each day, we try to depart by 0900. Today we go to Ben Lomond National Park, where providing the weather is fine, you will get some amazing views of the North East of Tasmania. You can also climb to the top of Legges Tour the second highest point in Tasmania.
Day 3.
We depart Launceston today. We will undertake several shorter walks in an area called the Western Tiers, in addition there will visit the Caves near Mole Creek. If you are not keen on the caves then an optional walk will also be available. We will also visit a local Cheese making factory (there is no cost for this visit) but you still get to sample many different varieties of Cheese and can view the cheese making process. You will have accommodation in the Sheffield area.
Day 4.
After just one night near Sheffield we have a wonderfully scenic drive to Cradle Mountain today. On arrival at the National Park you will have a choice of several short self-guided walks. We will have two nights in your accommodation at Cradle Mountain so this evening you can relax in the comfort of you accommodation or join the rest of the group after dinner on a visit to a nearby wildlife Park to get close and personal with Tasmanian Devils.
Day 5.
A full day to explore the magnificent area that surrounds Cradle Mountain, whether it is a walk to the summit of Cradle Mountain (weather permitting), a high-level circuit walk of Dove Lake or several shorter walks in Cradle Valley we know you will thoroughly enjoy the challenge and exhilaration of exploring this beautiful area. For those that choose Cradle summit one must be realistic in your expectations as it is a steep assent and there is a need to cross a boulder field and you do need a head for heights, however, your experienced guides will accompany you on this walk. If you prefer something a little less challenging, then we will advise you about the suggested alternatives. We will take lunch, snacks and something to drink with us and as this is an alpine environment your guides will ensure you have appropriate clothing. After our dinner tonight the evening is yours to relax or perhaps take a torch and go and see the abundant wildlife close to our accommodation.
Day 6.
We depart Cradle Mountain today heading for the West Coast. The mountain scenery is breathtaking, and we will make several stops for shorter walks en-route to Strahan where we will spend the next two nights. A mix of rainforest, alpine scenery and the ocean. Our comfortable accommodation in Strahan will enable you to stroll the waterfront this evening after our evening meal.
Day 7.
Today takes on a nautical theme as you will be undertaking the Gordon River Cruise. Your cruise will include lunch provided on board the vessel and two short walking tours, one of which will be on Sarah Island, once one of the remotest prisons in Australia. The total cruise duration is approximately 6 hours. Our own description really does not do this tour justice so please click on the following link for a full description and information. https://www.gordonrivercruises.com.au/en/gordon-river-cruise.html
Please note you will be a Premier upper deck passenger.
Day 8.
We continue our journey stopping briefly at Queenstown where we will pause a while to show you some of the not to miss historic sights. Then on Southwards with time to undertake several selected walks en-route to Lake St.Clair the headwater for the Derwent River. Here too we will linger a while and choose one of the shorter walks. Travelling south again in the late Afternoon we head for Tarraleah and our accommodation for the night.
Day 9.
Travelling south we pass through the small settlement of Ouse and shortly after cross the Derwent River at Lake Meadowbank following pleasant rural roads to the small township of Westerway the gateway to the Mount Field National Park. After morning tea in the pleasant car parking area we don our day packs and take a the very pleasant easy walk through rainforest and fern glades to Russel and Horseshoe Falls.
Following lunch or depending on the groups wishes we will then drive further into the National Park to Lake Dobson and choice one of several day walks to explore this beautiful area. Our Accommodation tonight will be in the Maydena area.
Day 10.
As this is our second to last day we take a scenic drive to the Lake Gordon, Lake Pedder area and weather permitting take a relatively long but easy walk to an old mining settlement where although the bush has largely reclaimed the old township there are interesting historic relics, huts and some fine mountain scenery.
Following our days activities, we have a relatively long drive to Hobart to our accommodation and a well-earned rest. The evening is yours and if still feeling energetic you are free to stroll the historic waterfront. where there will be much activity as Salamanca Place undergoes its night transformation into the locally famous Salamanca Market which we feel sure you will want to visit the next day.
Day 11.
Alas our last full day together but I am sure a memorable one. We will drop you on the waterfront so you can have about two hours to explore the market. Following this we will take you to the beautiful Royal Botanic Gardens for lunch where you will have ample time for photography, whether it be the gardens themselves, the Tasman Bridge or Government house just nearby.
Following lunch we will head for Mt.Wellington to follow one of the magnificent walking tracks with fine views or if you wish and conditions suitable, we can follow the summit track back down the mountain to emerge at the Springs.
Arriving back at our accommodation in the late afternoon we have a final evening meal together and share a bottle or two of fine Tasmanian Wine. For those that wish, if you are not too tired, you are welcome to come along on an optional drive to the summit of Mt Wellington to see the magnificent night-scape of Hobart and surrounding countryside far below.
Day 12.
After a hearty breakfast and packing our bags we head into Hobart for the last time and although our last day together we have one more walk to prior to our final lunch together in Historic Battery Point. This two hour fully guided and interpreted walk will take us back in history to the time Hobart was just a small port and we will visit several historically significant places and buildings. We start this tour at Salamanca place. Following this walk you are free to do any last minute shopping for those essential souvenirs that you can take home with you, however, we feel sure that the friends that you have made, the places you have visited and people you have met along the way will far surpass the value of any souvenirs and these memories and friendships last far longer. We hope too, that you feel fitter, more relaxed and thoroughly invigorated by your walking holiday with Walking Tours Tasmania. Following lunch our holiday concludes we can take you to the airport, drop you at your accommodation or for those that want to return to Launceston we can provide this service for a very modest extra charge.
GRADING OF HOLIDAY
Easy/Medium: Suitable for any fully mobile person with a good level of fitness and capable of walking up to a maximum of 10km on, mainly, gently undulating ground but due to the nature of the mountainous areas we will visit will, on occasion, encounter some steep inclines. Tracks whilst well marked and some with hardened surfaces will from time to time encounter rough tracks with a mixture of some mud, roots and small boulders but only in limited places. If you walk regularly each day, whether to work or for pleasure with the occasional longer hike or bush walk you should be capable of this holiday. If unsure please contact us direct.