Torn: Freycinet or Cradle Mountain
 

Hi all,
Thank you for answering all my questions on this board - it seems like I am always posting another one!

We have a limited amount of time in Tasmania (4.5 days) and at first I wanted to try and hit Cradle Mountain and Freycinet (we'll be either flying in and out of Hobart with a couple days there, or one way into Hobart and out of Launceston). After receiving feedback about this, I have determined that it would make sense to hit one or the other of these major visitor sites.

I am completely torn as to which route we should go - Cradle or Freycinet. Any pros and cons are appreciated. To give you an idea of the rest of our trip in case that makes one option stand out, we'll be in Syndey for 2.5 days before Tasmania and Far North Queensland: Silky Oaks (3 nights)/Cairns (1 night) after Tasmania.

Thank you all!

Cmack, my first question is - "The limited time in Tasmania, is that 4 and half days, or 4-5 days. Also does that allocated time include flying time to and from the island?"
Boy, you seem to be a limited schedule for your Australian holiday. I could easily spend 4 days walking in either National Park. They are both great places to visit, and each is special in various ways. Freycinet is a coastal National Park, with pristine beaches & bays, and island offshore. Whilst Cradle Mtn. is World Heritage. It has an overland walking track through to Lake St.Clair, also mountains, lakes, etc.
Seeing both places are roughly half way between Hobart & Launceston (on different routes), I think you idea of flying into Hobart, and departing from Launceston, is an excellent idea, cuts out backtracking.
Its a hard decision, but I think if I had 4-5 days touring Tassie, I would opt to do the following:
* Day 1: Depart Hobart on the Lyell Highway, via New Norfolk, then short detour to Mt.Field National Park & Russell Falls, then back onto the Highway and enroute to Queenstown, drive through Franklin Lower-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park, then to Queenstown, and onto Strahan (overnight)
* Day 2: Take the Gordon River Cruise (a real must see), but take the early cruise, which allows you, to depart Strahan in the afternoon, and drive via Zeehan, to Cradle Mtn. Lodge (overnight) - great food, lots of Bennett Wallabies, good accommodation, and a nice wine cellar.
* Day 3: Spend a whole day walking around Cradle Mtn. National Park. There are heaps of walking trails.
* Day 4: Leave Cradle Mtn. via Murchison Highway (going north), then later turn-off to take in the towns of Mole Creek, Sheffield (mural town), Deloraine (historic), then Westbury, and then into Launceston (overnight)
* Day 5 - either depart Tassie, or spend a day exploring this wonderful city, and nearby attractions. (Most people only look around Launceston, but there is a lot to see outside of Launceston, if you have a car)
Hope this helps.

Thank you, Tropo. To clarify...we will have 4 and a half days (almost 5 full days). We will by arriving in the morning on a Thursday, and will have the better part of that day. We will need to leave early in the morning the following Tuesday, so it give us 4 full days in between.

I appreciate your advice!

Cmack, glad to be of assistance. You will see a lot in 4 days. Have a great Tassie trip.