Any information on Tasmania

Old Aug 19th, 2003, 12:08 PM
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Any information on Tasmania


We are planning a trip to Australia and Tasmania the first two weeks of February, 2004.
We plan to fly from Seattle to Sydney. Spending the first week in Australia and second week in Tasmania. Planning to drive a rental car from Sydney to Melbourne. Taking a boat over to Tasmania. Rent a car there? Flying out of Melbourne.

I would love to hear from anyone regarding their Tasmania experience. How the weather might be in Feb? Driving condition? Recommendations for lodging/restaurants? good guidebook? Recomendations for our itinerary?

Thanks in advance for your feedback.

Cheers!



portobelloB is offline  
Old Aug 19th, 2003, 01:19 PM
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We're planning to visit Tasmania as well, but probably early March instead. I guess I'm trying to piggyback on your post - I'd also be interested in what people recommend, particularly in the Freycinet area, for moderately accommodation. I've already looked into the lodge and it's outside of my budget. Any recommendations for something less expensive would be appreciated.
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Old Aug 19th, 2003, 01:23 PM
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Hello......If you haven't done so already, type Tasmania in the text search box and you'll bring up quite a bit of information on the topic.
Kathygo is offline  
Old Aug 19th, 2003, 07:50 PM
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Yes, definitely rent a car in Tasmania (or bring one w/ you on the boat- which I'm assuming is the Spirit of Tasmania (or the sister boat whose name escapes me...). I'm not sure how close to the dock a rental agency would be, so it might be a good idea to have a car w/ you & then you are ready to go when you get there. Regardless, a car is necessary if you want to see the most of Tasmania in your week. Feb. is a great time of year to go, it is in the warmest part of the summer (but Tassie shouldn't be too hot) w/ the least amount of rain, historically. The roads between cities/locations are very twisty and therefore distances can be deceiving. Conditions however are fine. Check out this website: http://www.discovertasmania.com.au/home/index.cfm THey have suggested itineraries, lodging ideas, etc.
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Old Aug 20th, 2003, 10:55 PM
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We spent 2 weeks in Tasmania, mid January. We are a family of 5 with kids (14,12,9). Flew Sydney to Launceston and hired a car. Spent two nights in Launceston...nice town, did Catarac Gorge, which was worth it and then drove north through the wineries and lavender fields....it was ok. Then made the only mistake of our trip (because lodging was booked) and drove all the way to Strahan...rented a very nice cottage for one night and took the train from Strahan to Queenstown....I would recommend that if you have the time. We then drove BACK to Cradle Mountain for 3 nights, staying at Doherty's which was great...we could all stay in one room, it was new, clean, the tour director used to run tours out of Cardle Mountain Lodge and since Doherty's was fairly new and didn't have many guests at the time, we had a private tour guide for 3 days. I think Cradle was great...lots of hiking, lots of animals. Then we drove to Hobart (BACK THROUGH QUEENSTOWN!!....very long drive...roads are paved but very winding). In Hobart we stayed in town at the Old Woolstore...nice, clean apartments and central to the docks, Salamanca Markets. We then drove south and stayed at a B&B in Cygnet...again...a highlight...lots to do in that area...South Brunei Island, Airwalk. Drove to Port Arthur (not worth it in my opinion....long drive and very depressing place). From Cygnet we drove up to Freycinet Lodge for 3 nights...great place...great hiking...beautiful water. Then back to Launceston to fly home. Spent 2 weeks and drove 2500KM. If I had to do it again, I might miss Strahan...it's so far out of the way and concentrate on Cradle, Hobart and south, Freycinet (and maybe Bay of Fires, which we didn't visit but have heard good things about.
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Old Aug 21st, 2003, 10:50 AM
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I spent a week in Tasmania in October and had a wonderful time. Hobart is really quaint. I stayed at Lenna of Hobart (check out their site) for two days (good food and very accomodating staff) and spent the rest of the time trekking around the island and hiking. Salamanca Place is a great place in Hobart to enjoy a beer and do a little shopping (there are a lot of art galleries here). The Cadbury factory in Hobart will satisfy ANY sweet tooth! Enjoy!
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Old Aug 22nd, 2003, 03:03 AM
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Not being an expert on Tasmania I won't offer advice on that state. (Apart from a pedantic point - saying "Australia and Tasmania" is like saying "the United States and Washington", even if we mainland Australians have an unfortunate tendency to leave Tasmania off maps.)

However, I would suggest breaking your Sydney-Melbourne drive, as the trip is long, the most direct route (the Hume Highway) isn't all that interesting, and who likes arriving in an unfamiliar city in the dark? Canberra, the national capital, would be convenient - it's not far off the highway and is worth a visit (try the Australian War Memorial). It's a 300 km, 3-hour drive from Sydney, and from there 650 km to Melbourne, a comfortable 8-hour drive. Whatever you decide, enjoy your visit.
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Old Aug 30th, 2003, 06:42 PM
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Thanks to all that gave feedback. I will be keeping your information in mind as I plan our trip.

P.S. Also thanks to those who responded directly to my email address.
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Old Sep 10th, 2003, 04:08 PM
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Portobello,

Taking the ferry is a great experience, and you'll find the rental car companies right there at the pier. Pick up your rental car and start the adventure! An important note...due to the bombing in Bali, they've taken the lockers out of the pier terminal in Melbourne, so if you arrive early for the ferry you'll be forced to either stay in the terminal or take your luggage with you.

And yes, driving times ARE deceiving..lots of twisty roads with lovely scenery and not always an opportunity to pass slower drivers. Plus, as we all know, there's the tendancy to get sidetracked by a wonderful experience along the way. There are places for great walks everywhere in Tasmania. Always allow more time than you think it really will take.

SusaninToronto....Freycinet is a stunning area, and the Lodge is worth every penny (conserve elsewhere) Have a treat...how often are you going to be in Tasmania?!

Hope this is helpful!

Regards,

Melodie
Certified Aussie & Tasmania Specialist
wlzmatilida is offline  
Old Sep 11th, 2003, 05:02 AM
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When we were planning our trip to Tassie last October we discovered that you couldn't take a rental car from the mainland to Tasmania. Perhaps things have changed in a year but I would look into that before making plans. You may need to drop off 1 rental car and then pick up another once you get off the ferry.

BUT I definitely think DRIVING around Tassie is the way to go!

AND I didn't find Port Arthur depressing at all.

We did the night time ghost tour as well. Found it to be fascinating and a bit scary at times but that is why we chose the night tour!

I love learning about the past GOOD and BAD ....we can't forget the history. We spent a few hours at Dauchau on our trip to Germany in June. Was it FUN??NO!!! BUT it is something I will NEVER ever forget and I don't regret going.

Besides---Australia wouldn't be what is today without those first penal colonies! It was amazing to find out some of the crimes that people were shipped to Oz for and how petty they were. Just the drive to Port Arthur is great too! Give yourself a couple of hours to stop at Tasman Arch/Devil's Kitchen to hike and enjoy the view(if I remember the names correctly).
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Old Sep 13th, 2003, 07:49 PM
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I spent a couple of weeks in Tassie a couple of years ago in January. The weather was great most of the time although colder than in mainland Australia. We flew from Melbourne to Hobart and hired a car there which was no problem. If you hire a car in Melbourne and take it over on the ferry (assuming you're allowed by the hire company) you'd incur the extra cost of transporting it which seem unnecessary. Driving conditions where good although roads were very windy in places.

Hightlights of the trip was
1. Cradle Mountain and where we stayed at Cradle Mountain Lodge. Ecofriendly accommodation (not cheap but huts were very cosy with logfires) and a great place to start walks around the National Park. We went in January which is the hight of summer in Australia and even so we had four seasons in a matter of hours up there. Rain, sunshine,hail and snow!!! We were told the snow bit was a bit unusual for the time of year.
2. Freycinet Peninsula and Wineglass Bay. Fantastic walk and scenery. This is a very popular spot and we found it hard to get accommodation and had to drive back 1/2 hr to a town we passed to find somewhere to stay for the night.You may not be travelling during school holidays so maybe not booking ahead may not be an issue.
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