We are 2 couples visiting Tasmania for 10 days in either first 2 weeks of February or first 2 weeks of March 2005.

Is Feb less crowded than March? How's the weather then?

We need an itinerary for our 10 days to and from Hobart, and including 1-2 nights in Cradle Mountain and Freycinet Peninsula areas.

Any hotel/unit/B&B recommendations appreciated, also cruises on rivers etc.
Many thanks!

Hi Amanda,

To answer your questions, there is never really any "crowding" in
Tasmania..so February or March won't make much of a difference. On weather, and who can predict THAT? My first trip was in April which had fabulous weather, and my next was in Nov/Dec, which was "spotty".

There are tons of places to recommend in Tassie; it's really of what a client's taste and preferences.

Hope this is helpful!

Melodie
Certified Aussie,Kiwi and Tasmania Specialist

Hello Amanda,

I have not been to Tasmania myself, and the Fodorites who usually dispense info about Tassie seem to be AWOL at the moment (I know one of them is away on a trip).

Anyway, to help you get started, here is a thread in which Malnq8 was planning her trip to Tas:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34525941

And here is the thread in which she subsequently posted her trip report:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34540728

Hope that will give you some food for thought.

I think Cradle Mountain has a 2 night minimum, and although there are cabins to rent nearby I would def. stay right at Cradle Mt. Resort. The cabins have recently been re-furbished, and are supposed to be great. 2 days is a min. for CM, there is tons to do. In Hobart, I have always stayed at B&B's near Salamanca Place. Barton Cottage was where we stayed the last time - great location & accom. If you google & type in 'B&B Hobart' you will get more hits than you can look at. Fit in a visit to Pt. Arthur, and time permitting - do the night tour. Enjoy!

Amanda,

The drive from Hobart to Strahan was absolutely stunning. We didn't have time, but I'd recommend an overnight at Lake St Clair NP.

In Strahan we went by boat out into Maquarie Harbour and then up the Gordon River into the World Heritage area ( temperate rainforest) and learned alot about the struggle that saved that area from environmental degredation.

We also enjoyed an overnight in Bicheno about 25 minutes from Freycinet NP where we were able to join a very low key encounter w/ the fairy penguins.

There are plenty of kangeroos along the hike to the Wineglass Bay overlook in the NP..

Definetly not crowded in April. We had 4 out of 5 days of glorious sunshine. Hobart is the driest state capitol down under.

Enjoy,

AndrewDavid

Amanda you probably have your itinerary worked out now but for what it is worth here is our 11 trip starting next week.We have not been before but the couple we are travelling with have been and we left the itinerary to them.We have four days in Hobart and then drive to Richmond, Bicheno,Bridport,Launceston,Cradle Valley,Strahan and Gordon River,Terraleah and back to Hobart.It will be as new to us as it will to you.Have a great time what ever you do!

Amanda -

My friend and I visited Tasmania in Nov. 2002 and loved it. It's quite south so the weather will be much cooler than Australia - which we were not prepared for. We even had a bit of snow when we were there.

You must make it to Stanley which has an extinct volcano called "the Nut". You can take a rickety ski lift to the top for fantastic views. The hidden jem with Stanley is that there is a colony of Fairy Penguins which our B&B owner took us to see at night. It was great!

Wineglass Bay is awesome with some great hikes. We saw a few wallaby's here - even some begging in the parking lot. The views from the top make the hike worth it.

We loved Hobart - very quaint but didn't like Launceton (like any city).

We only spent a day at Cradle Mtn. but it is quite scenic and the walk around Moon Lake is nice & easy with some great views.

We drove everywhere without any reservations and had no issues.

Enjoy your trip!

Although timing isn't right for Amanda, for others visiting Tasmania during the first two weeks of April there's the Ten Days on the Island cultural festival. Music, art, literary readings all over the island. Here's the link:
http://www.tendaysontheisland.org/

March is better than February, as there are less backpackers. My husband and I spent our honeymoon in July in Tasmania and our itinerary was perfect. Cradle Mountain, Freycinet, Binnalong Bay, Tamar Valley. We didn't have time to go south of Freycinet as we would have spent the whole time driving instead of enjoying the experience. We flew into Launceston, got a hire car, and ended up at Launceston. If you want accommodation ideas, please let me know. Tasmania is deceptively difficult to get around as some of the roads around Cradle Mountain are not the most direct. We did four places in 10 days, if that gives you any idea!

Anytime is Tassie time because there is always somewhere to go and something to do and see.
You would probably be best flying into Hobart first and starting at the bottom and winging it from there. Try and be in Hobart for the Saturday Salamanca Markets as these are really intereting and fun. Travel down to Port Arthur and see some of Australia's interesting convict history as well as some rather lovely countryside. If possible take the light plane ride from Port Arthur over the very souther part of Tassie. If you do a search an put Tasmania in the box above you will come up with many of the answers we have all given over the years and there will also be some good web sites. February at least will still have a bit of warmth to it but in March it does tend to get a bit cooler and can get cold in some parts. At any time of year it can snow at Cradle Mountain but then one expects that and should not avoid the area because of it as it is a "must see" and 'must stay" place.
When you have found some of our answers perhaps then you will have more questions.

Regarding the comment that in March the weather gets cooler, my husband and I were at Cradle Mountain in July and there it was freezing (well, it WAS winter!), but only because of the altitude, snow and wind. In Freycinet we were sweating as we walked to Wineglass Bay and I spent most of the time in a bikini top and shorts! Around the Tamar Valley, it got cool at night, but in the daytime we still wore t-shirts and jeans.

The reason I suggested March as an ideal time to go is because that was the advice all of the locals, including those working at resorts etc, gave to us. They said "March is the ONLY month in Tasmania that has predictable weather". They also said it is the warmest month of the year when there are hardly any tourists in Tasmania. They said from October to February, especially in the Freycinet area, there are so many backpackers that it makes doing the walks almost impossible (if narrow hiking tracks are congested, you have to stop every five minutes to give way to other people...and this congestion doesn't contribute to feeling the peace and harmony of the natural environment!).

So it comes down to: do you want to be in Tassie when everyone else is, or would you prefer to go in early March, to experience the best weather -- as recommended by the Tasmanians we met -- and less tourists?

We visited Tasmania in early Februrary 2004 and spent 7 days there. We had a great time!

We flew from Sydney and rented a car to drive to Eaglenecks Bay (about 2 hours drive? away) and stayed at Ospry Lodge (B&B) place that had 2 rooms in the lodge where we stayed. They also have 3 cabins nearby.
There was no one else in the lodge except the owners so it was like having the place to ourselves. The lodge is very beautiful and comfortable. The hosts Cathy and Werner are very warm and friendly. They make wonderful gourmet breakfasts and also have a wine/cheese hour.
Definitely go to Port Arthur historical site and see the rare Tasmania devils at the Tasmania Wildlife Park during feeding times. All a short drive from there. You can do this on your way to Port Arthur.

Left Eaglenecks to drive to Freycinet National Park (about 2-3 hours away?). Stopped at Freycinet Vineyards and have wine and cheese for lunch.
We stayed at the Edge of the Bay Resort near Freycinet National Park. Very modern place with suites that have great views of the Hazard mountains and water. Great restuarant at the resort. Only about 20 minutes from the Freycinet National Park. Have dinner at the Freycinet lodge. Also, very good.
Hiked to Wineglass Bay and Hazards Bay - Very beautiful. Keep your eyes where your walking on trail.

Drove to Hobart (about 3.5 hours away). Stopped at Richmond and had lunch. Cute little village that has a great bakery/deli in town.

We stayed at the Grand Chancellor Hotel in Hobart. It is right in the main part of the city and has a gorgeous view of the water.
Hobarts Cup was going on in early Feb. when we were there.
You can walk everywhere from here. Sambaluca Market on Sat is fun. Cascade Brewery is interesting and you can taste their famous beers. Also, viisit the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens.
On our last day, the Queen Mary 2 was coming into port. Amazing ship to see in the water.

Have fun! You will love it there!

Hi Amanda..I'm just back from 12 days in Tassie.This is my second attempt to give you some feedback..I wrote this for you yesterday but Fodors played up and it didn't go. Hope we have better luck this time.As for weather ..we had cold, hot,windy,rain and beautiful on different and sometimes the same day! So I'd say you can expect anything and everything.Highlights for me were the streets and lovely old houses in Battery Point , Hobart as well as the Saturday markets in Salamanca Square, the nightime penguin tour in Bicheno,the Boags beer factory tour in Launceston ( more interesting than it sounds),Port Arthur and Mount Wellington both in Hobart,the beautiful villages of Oatlands ( 83 Georgian style buildings )and Ross,the seafood,wines,cheeses and fruits everywhere and my special favourite was the boat trip up the Gordon River from Strahan (we did the Gordon River Cruise rather than the World Heritage Cruise and paid the well worth it extra price for the fully catered premier upper deck). Another great favourite was the Lavender farm at Naboula ( Bridstowe Estate)but we were lucky enough to strike it when the lavender was in bloom ( December and January)..I guess they still open it at other times which could still be interesting. Have a great time!