Tasmanian adventure
 

I am planning a 4 day stopover in Tasmania in early September and looking for advice as to what to see/do there. We'll hve a car. Cradle Mountain looks awesome and we want to experience Port Arthur, too. From road planner info, it looks like some roads may be especially winding and time consuming to drive. Any advice as to sites, routes, accommodations? I understand we're on the seasonal cusp - any thoughts as to realistic weather expectations there in the beginning of September? Thanks!

<BR>In Hobart, we stayed at the Customs House Hotel, which was perfect. It's in a great location & upstairs from a good locals pub. We paid a little extra & got a room with a kitchenette. <BR> <BR>Have fun!

Hi Nancy - I was in Tasmania for 5 days last Nov. and might be able to answer soem of your questions. We flew into Launceston and drove to Cradle Mt. That drive took about 3+ hours (the roads are very twisty and distances do take longer than they look). It was a great place, we stayed there for 2 nights in one of the deluxe cabins. They were very cosy & tasteful. You will be glad for the fireplace in the room - I imagine at night in Sept. it can still get cold up there. Highly recommend this place - tons of activities and the scenery is awesome. From there we took a detour before heading to Hobart, but I would think the drive to Hobart from Cradle Mt. direct would take probably another 3-4 hours. (If anyone gets carsick, this could be a tough journey - bring your ginger tablets). In Hobart we stayed at Barton Cottage - a gorgeous old B&B in Battery Point. This is a great place to stay - easy walking distance to Salamanca Pl. At a Tasmanian tourism website (found via jeeves or google) there were many places to stay listed. Pt. Arthur takes over an hour to get to, but worth a visit. There are some interesting natural phenom.'s to see along the way (tasselated pavement, etc.) which are all well marked. W/ only 4 days, I would recommend flying in & out of different cities (ex. into Launceston & out of Hobart) to maximize sightseeing & minimize driving. Tasmania is a wonderful place.

Leslie, <BR> <BR>Thanks so much for your thoughts! Most helpful. I have a a few more questions, though, if you're willing. We're flying into Launceston and out of Hobart and have booked only one night at Cradle Mountain, which I'm sure will feel inadequate, but we want to travel around a bit and have too little time. I played with a Tassie travel planner page and learned that CM to Hobart takes about 5 hours going back north and then east and south vs. 10 hours heading west (towards Strahan), then south east; I've been trying to find out if that is an error or a really bad road and perhaps it just isn't worth it to go that long route -- which direction did you take? Any recommendations? So, I guess I have two real questions at this point: 1) would you think 2 nights in CM makes more sense because it is so superior to other stuff to see/do (we'd likely keep a day for Port Arthur (does it need a day?) and a day for Mt. Field and Bonorong Wildlife Park and be giving up the Botanical Garden in Hobart, cruising the Derwent River in Hobart, any possibility of the Cadbury Chocolate factory tour - rec by a young family we know); and 2) is the driving at night difficult - with wildlife in the way or slippery roads? We're thinking of doing the night tour of Port Arthur, but staying in Hobart and don't know if it is risky to be doing that drive after dark. Two very full questions, amd thanks for whatever thoughts you share on my inquiry. Nancy <BR> <BR>

Hi Nancy - I'm not sure about the directions on the Tassie travel planner - but 5 hrs. might be correct (going direct). We drove from CM to Strahan (I think that took us maybe 3 hrs??) and then spent the day & night there. The next day we drove to Hobart from Strahan, and the roads were the most twisty, winding roads imaginable. We had to stop a couple of times for the people in the back seat to swap w/ those in the front to avoid car-sickness. Anyway, we left Strahan at about 8:00am, and drove straight to Hobart w/o stops (other than to swap seats) and got there by 1:00. Ick, it makes me nauseous just thinking about that drive. Make sure no one in the car has a hangover. So, 10 hrs. might be a good est. for going that route. I wouldn't recommend that route unless you wanted to stay in Strahan. As for CM, we arrived in the afternoon(landed in Launces. about 11:00 & had lunch, then drove to CM), checked in, did the wine & cheese tasting (Tasmania makes both very well), had a nice dinner in the pub (much less expensive and more casual than the restaurant), and then called it a day. The next a.m. my husband & I did a hike thru the park on our own (the lodge will pack you a lunch & supply a backpack if you need it) - but my parents took a guided tour in a mini-van. That afternoon we went horseback riding, & they took a tour of the lodge & surrounding grounds, & after dinner we all took the night time wildlife tour thru the park. That was good fun. Time spent at CM depends on when you actually arrive there - the day & 1/2 we had was sufficient - one full day is bare minimun (IMO). If you get on the road early the day you leave, you can be in Hobart by lunch time. You might want to consider checking in, and then heading to Pt. Arthur. You could see the sites in the afternoon, and then take the night tour - which I hear is fantastic. I don't think it warrants a whole day (it is a quite depressing place on many levels) but worth seeing. I wouldn't worry about the drive in the dark. The roads are well marked. Just go slow. There are no full sized kangaroos in Tassie, but enough other animals to keep a watch out for. If you are really worried, they might have buses/tours from Hobart. Can't comment on Mt. Field or Bonorong Wildlife Park. But, assuming your 4 day stopover includes 4 nights (??), that still leaves you a day in Hobart to take a tour of the river, Botanical gardens, etc. Something I always wanted to do is the bike ride down Mt. Wellington. This obviously depends on the weather, but you get a ride up & then you are supplied w/ a bike & a helmet, and you cruise straight down back to Hobart. It looks like a lot of fun (beats riding up). One other thing - as for weather, Sept. will probably still be a bit cool in all of Tasmania, esp. at CM. Nights will definately be cool to cold. I'm assuming you are visiting from overseas, so keep in mind that we won't be on daylight savings until late Oct. - it will start getting dark about 5:30-6:00ish. Tasmania is one of my favorite places in Australia - it has the freshest air I've ever breathed. You will have a great time.

Leslie, <BR> <BR>Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts. I now understand the Stahan to Hobart timing, and think I will avoid that route. I appreciate all your advice and comments - most helpful. <BR>I look forward to the air! <BR> <BR>Nancy