No two Tasmania cruises with Coral Expeditions will be the same as each expedition is crafted by experienced Masters and Expedition Leaders, allowing the team to quickly respond to favourable weather conditions to offer you the very best of Tasmania’s flora, fauna and wild coastline. Below are the key destinations to visit.
D'ENTRECASTEAUX CHANNEL & HUON RIVER
The sheltered waters of the Huon River allow us to visit the Wooden Boat Centre at Franklin where Tasmania’s maritime heritage is kept alive through the production of hand-crafted timber boats. Grandvewe Cheeses is an organic sheep dairy farm there will be time to learn about the cheesemaking process as well as taste their ‘ewenique’ sheep’s whey vodka at the Cellar Door overlooking D’Entrecasteaux Channel.
PORT DAVEY & BATHURST HARBOUR
Here on the edge of the world in southwest Tasmania, the landscape is about as wild as it gets. This region has no road access, surrounded by raw, craggy-peaked mountains and drowned river valleys, where tannin-rich freshwater sits atop saltwater, tinting the ocean the colour of tea. Spend two whole days (weather permitting) enjoying the rare opportunity to hike, kayak and take in the pristine natural environment of Port Davey, part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. Explore the nooks and crannies of Bathurst Harbour and learn about intrepid explorers and Indigenous Australians who once walked this land. Enjoy the unforgettable experience of kayaking in Bramble Cove, hiking the button-grass hills, and looking for the rare Orange-bellied parrot at Melaleuca.
BRUNY ISLAND & ADVENTURE BAY
At Adventure Bay on the east coast of Bruny Island, hike along the dramatic coastal cliffs of Fluted Cape and spot the endemic Bennett’s Wallaby. Cruising the base of the near-vertical dolerite cliffs in Xplorer, take a closer look at Penguin Island, which is connected to Fluted Cape at low tide. Learn about how southern right whales were almost hunted to extinction and Adventure Bay housed four whaling stations before the industry’s decline in the mid-1840s. The ruins can be seen on a walk to Grassy Point.
MARIA ISLAND NATIONAL PARK
Maria Island can be referred to as a Noah’s Ark for native Tasmanian species. The Maria Island National Park provides an ideal sanctuary and is one of the best places in Australia to observe endemic birdlife as well as wombats, Cape Barren geese, Forester Kangaroos, Bennett’s Wallabies, and pademelons. Stroll amongst the ruins and restored buildings of the Darlington convict settlement and take a walk to the ruins of the former Probation Station or the striking formations of the Painted Cliffs, where rich iron deposits have stained the sandstone cliffs with coloured streaks of red, and purple and orange.
FREYCINET NATIONAL PARK & SCHOUTEN ISLAND
The Freycinet Peninsula is a dramatic headland dominated by a pink-hued granite mountain range called The Hazards. Much of the peninsula is designated as Freycinet National Park, and it is blessed with picturesque sweeping bays with white sand beaches like the famed Wineglass Bay. Join a guided hike along the Isthmus Track and be rewarded with magnificent views from the lookout, or swim and kayak the azure waters of Wineglass Bay. Cruising close to Ile des Phoques and Schouten Island, watch for large colonies of fur seals sunning themselves on the rocks.
TASMAN NATIONAL PARK & FORTESCUE BAY
The Tasman Peninsula is known for its fascinating geological formations like the Tessellated Pavement, Tasman Arch, and the soaring 300-metre-high dolerite sea cliffs of Cape Raoul, Cape Pillar and Cape Hauy - the tallest in the southern hemisphere. Watch fur seals hauling out on the rocks, as well as playful dolphins feeding and magnificent albatrosses soaring amongst the updrafts created by the sea cliffs. visit Fortescue Bay, hike sections of the coastal Tasman Trail and kayak in Canoe Bay.
PORT ARTHUR HISTORIC SITE
One of Australia’s most significant historic places, the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Port Arthur ruins stand sentinel on the Tasman Peninsula south of the narrow isthmus of Eaglehawk Neck. For more than 40 years, the Port Arthur penal colony housed convicts sentenced to hard labour before its heavy iron doors clanked shut for the last time in 1877. Port Arthur has over 30 ruins and restored homes set in 100 acres of landscaped grounds. Join an exclusive ‘behind-the-scenes tour’ with knowledgeable guides, including access to private collections and historic buildings not otherwise accessible to the public.
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