Hello.<BR><BR>Has anybody been to Tassie of late? I have just begun planning a trip there and am wondering if anybody has any itineraries to share? Or perhaps just some ideas of activities you found really fun, adventurous, exciting, or chilling out.<BR><BR>I myself am particularly fond of hiking, and exploring nature types of things. Sorry this is a very general message and call for help but I'm just looking for a good starting point.<BR>

There's lots to do - it depends on your time availability and adventurousness. If you are a good hiker, I would recommend the Overland Track, from Cradle Mtn to Lake St. Clair. Its about 80km total (one way) and really beautiful wilderness. At the very least, you should do a day hike from either end of the Overland Track (i.e. one day in Cradle Mtn, one day at Lake St. Clair). Both these spots have nice campgrounds - I particularly like the Cradle Mtn campground, which is more rustic and wooded than the typical Ozzie campground.<BR><BR>Some rugged hiking can be had around the Walls of Jerusalem, a spectacular set of rock tiers near Launceston.<BR><BR>There is a fine boat trip that you can take out of Strahan (pronounced 'strawn'), which goes across Macquarie Harbor, past the notorious convict landmark of Hell's Gate, then on up the Gordon River. This is a World Heritage Site, with incredibly dense Huon Pine forests and there are some wonderful short boardwalk hikes to take upriver.<BR><BR>Of course, you should visit Hobart and the famous Salamanca Market on the weekend. We really enjoyed the nearby very well-appointed Antarctic Experience museum. I think a visit to the Cadbury Chocolate Factory is fun too - you will need to call at least a week ahead to make a reservation, as they don't allow many folks on each tour.<BR><BR>I don't think a visit to Tassie is complete without heading out to the Tasman Peninsula and visiting the Port Arthur Historic Site. This was the largest convict transport location, and while much of it lies in ruins, you still get a feel for what it must have been like. Nearby lies the Bush Mill, a reconstruction of a pioneer settlement. While there, I'd also recommend visiting Eagle Neck, which has some spectacular coastal wave erosion features, such as Tasman Arch, the Devil's Kitchen, and the Tesselated Pavement.<BR><BR>There are a couple of wildlife zoos too - the Tasmanian Devil Park, and the Bonorong Wildlife Center.

Some excellent recommendations, I'd add Freycinet National Park, on the east coast. There is a great walk to Wineglass Bay which you may have seen on travel brochures, it's a beautiful sight. We had a friendly wallaby trying to join our picnic on the beach.<BR><BR>The distances are not that great in Tassie, try the Map Maker section on<BR>www.travelmate.com.au for distances, so you should be able to cover quite a bit of area. If you are in the Launceston area, Cataract Gorge is worth a visit.<BR>Kay

Hi, xyz. I'm an Aussie who hasn't yet had the pleasure of going to Tassie; but I am also in the throes of planning a holiday there (probably next year). There are a couple of sites I've discovered which may also help you.<BR><BR>First is the website for the Tasmanian State Government's Department of Primary Industries, Water and Environment. It has information about all of the National Parks in the state. You can click on the map and it will give you every bit of info on that national park. I second the message about the Freycinet National Park. I have friends who went there and they loved it. So have a read through the site which is www.dpiwe.tas.gov.au <BR><BR>A number of my friends have found a company styling itself "Tassie Temptations" good with info for any sort of Tasmanian holiday. This may look like advertising, and I can assure you it's not. I got their brochure and found it really helpful. Their website is www.tastemptations.com.au <BR><BR>This will give you a start in the right direction. When are you planning to go?

<BR>Hi,<BR><BR>I was in Tassie in April (with other travel agents)and liked it so much that I'm planning on taking my husband at the end of the year. I love the fact that it's compact and you can cover a great deal of ground (and the lack of traffic is a plus too)in a short amount of time.<BR><BR>Melodie

Hello everybody!<BR><BR>Thanks for the suggestions so far. Just to answer and clarify a few...<BR><BR>1. I'm going in October so i'm hoping it will be a nice time of the year.<BR><BR>2. I'm not really an experienced hike but more of an immature, casual hiker. So, do you have any suggestions for one like myself? The most for me is about 5-8 miles. <BR><BR>3. I am pondering over whether to do this trip on tour or by car. Any suggestions of pros and cons? The only thing is that I have been on quite a few tours in the past on holiday and have never really enjoyed them. So, I am hoping to go solo and drive around but don't want to miss out.<BR><BR>Thanks again for the tips.<BR>Cheers,<BR><BR>xyz

P.S. I am planning to spend 7 days in Tassie.

I would hire a car. You can reserve one to be ready for you when you get off the ferry. The island is not that big, so its easy enough to get around. Also, its not like it is hard to reach anyplace, so a tour is not really needed. <BR><BR>If you go to the Cradle Mtn and Lake St. Clair visitor centres, they can show you some good day hikes.

xyz, when I searched on the DIPWE site re national parks, I noticed each park has a great variety of walks, from 10 minute strolls, on through half hour walks and so on up to long ones; so you can choose just what you want to do. October should be nice, but still make sure to take warm clothes and a waterproof jacket. If I were you, I'd hire a car and then occasionally you may get to a place and see a half day or day tour that will take you to places you couldn't get to yourself, like ALF's description of Hells Gates and the Gordon River. Have a great time!