Coastal Treks Of Tasmania

Arrive at Princes Wharf for boarding Coral Discoverer from 4:00pm, where there is time to settle into your stateroom before our 5:00pm departure. Meet fellow guests and crew at the Captain’s Welcome Drinks.

On the remote edge of southwest Tasmania, the landscape is as wild and untamed as it gets. Raw, craggy peaks rise above ancient drowned river valleys, while wild rivers and rivulets carve their way through the terrain, shaped over millennia. Here, tannin-rich freshwater flows over saltwater, creating a teacolored ocean unlike anywhere else. With no roads leading in, the best way to truly explore this untouched wilderness is aboard a small expedition ship.

Guests will have the option of:

Mount Beattie – 3 hours return 256m above sea level – The Mt Beattie track starts from a jetty at Claytons Corner where the historic Claytons Hut is located.
It travels steady uphill through native forest then opens out to button grass and open windy areas which are often muddy on the trail to the summit. It offers stunning views of the whole Port Davey area in particular Bathurst Harbour.

Walk details:
> Grade 3 walk – some bush-walking experience recommended. Tracks may have short steep hill sections, a rough surface, and many steps.

Mount Milner – 2 hours return 180m above sea level – This hike begins with getting your feet wet in the shallow bay, slowly gaining height before reaching a short but very steep section which quickly gains height before leveling off and an easy up and down section to the lookout over the Break Sea Islands.

Walk details:
> Grade 3 walk – some bush-walking experience recommended.
Tracks may have short steep hill sections, a rough surface, and many steps.

At Adventure Bay on the east coast of Bruny Island, we walk along the dramatic coastal cliffs of Fluted Cape and hope to see Bennett’s Wallabies which are endemic to Bruny Island. Learn about the rich maritime history of Adventure Bay, and explore the history of old whaling stations on the way to Grass Point. On the south western side of the island, walk the scenic Luggaboine Circuit which takes in a section of the Labillardiere peninsula coastline.

Fluted Cape Walkway – 3 hours return loop (5.5km) 240m above sea level – This is a moderately challenging track which has a very well-maintained loop track with several short steep sections, and gradual inclines. It begins at the beach and is a flat easy walk to Grass Point (1.5km) where the steep uphill section begins. It levels off at the lookout sections (1.5km) and then traverses down through the forest area, this can be slippery and muddy if rainfall has occurred.

Walk details:
> Grade 3 walk – There is one very steep section on this track that
requires good fitness but in general it is a steady climb to the
summit lookout area before it is mostly downhill to the beach.

Luggaboine Circuit – 1.5-2 hours loop (4.5 km) Enjoy this loop trail popular for birding, hiking, and walking. This is a nice easy walk taking you through dense eucalypt forest and coastal heathland and out to a secluded beach.
> Grade 3 walk – mostly flat and easy but rate grade 3 due to length

Guests will have the option of:
Cape Hauy (part of the Three Capes Walk) – 4 hours return (4.4 km one way) 180m above sea level elevation gain – It features many steps along the way over 1000 on the way down and 800 to the junction lookout – good fitness and balance required. It starts from the boat ramp and undulates through woodlands and heath; it then drops down a steep set of steps before ascending to the Cape.

Walk details:
> Grade 3 walk – Some bush-walking experience recommended. Tracks may have short steep hill sections, a rough surface, and many steps.
> Some hazardous cliffs and unprotected track edges.

Tasman Trail – 2 hours return (2km one way) From Fortescue Bay, the trail climbs gradually through eucalyptus forest and skirts the coastline from above. The trail descends and climbs between the coast and and clifftops before reaching Canoe Bay. Here we cross Walkers creek via a suspension bridge, walking amongst huge tree ferns.
> Grade 3 walk – Some bush-walking experience recommended. Tracks may have short steep hill sections

The Freycinet Peninsula is a dramatic headland dominated by a pink-hued granite mountain range called the Hazards. Blessed with picturesque sweeping bays with white sand beaches like famed Wineglass Bay, much of the peninsula is designated as Freycinet National Park. Guests will have the option of:

Wineglass Bay and Hazards Beach Circuit – 4-5 hours (12.5km) This extended challenging circuit native provides Australia to Barren gees nelons. Gues combines the Isthmus Trail and Wineglass Bay Beach and lookout with a walk along Hazards Beach on a the peninsula’s western side.
> Grade 4 walk: Bushwalking experience recommended. Tracks
may be long, rough and very steep. Directional signage may be
limited.

Isthmus Trail – 30 minutes one way (2km one way) An easy flattish walk that undulates between Hazards Beach and Wineglass Bay on a well-formed trail can be walked either way. It features both sand and dirt tracks as well as a selection of boardwalks. Walk details:
> Grade 2 walk – There are some ups and downs but mostly an
easy enjoyable walk.

Wineglass Bay Lookout – 2 hours return (3km) 204m elevation – One of Tasmania’s most celebrated walks, it is a very well-constructed walkway passing through the coastal woodland and striking granite boulders to the lookout. It is a steep uphill climb featuring many individual steps (more than 500) before reaching the lookout summit. As we cannot land onthe Coles Bay side this is a return walk from Wineglass Bay.

Walk details:
> Grade 3 walk – It is a steady and sometimes steep walk up
featuring more than 500 steps integrated into the walkway.

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.

Guests will have the option of:

Bishop and Clerk – 4 to 5 hours return (11km) 620m above sea level, this hike climbs through grasslands, open forests, tall woodland, to rocky slopes climbing the towering dolomite columns of the summit. It involves steep up and down sections, and an extensive field of boulders with a short climb to the summit.

Walk details:
> Grade 4 walk – Bush-walking experience recommended. Tracks may be long, rough, and steep. Signage may be limited. Hazardous cliffs, unprotected track edges, rock screed scramble.

Fossil Cliffs Loop – 2 to 2.5 hours loop return (4.5km) 54m elevation – This is a loop walk starting at the jetty and finishing at the Darlington Settlement. It follows gentle but uneven grass areas and well-maintained tracks it is mostly gentle ups and downs but does feature one steep hill climb. It visits the old buildings and the fossil cliffs where fossils were deposited some 300 million years ago.

Walk details:
> Grade 2 walk – Mostly on a well maintained track, plenty of places to rest and features only one steep hill climb.

Painted Cliffs – 2 to 2.5 hours loop return (4km) 56m elevation – A relaxing loop return coastal walk that features the stunning painted cliffs at Hopground Beach, best done on a low tide to allow safe access to the rock platform beneath the cliffs.

Walk details:
> Grade 2 walk – It is mostly flat with only gentle incline along the trail. The rock platform at the painted cliffs require care as it can be slippery.

The Reservoir Circuit – 1.5 – 2 hours return (4km) This easy walk is sheltered from the coastal winds and provides a glimpse of Maria Island’s wildlife and history. This walk is one of the best places to see the endangered forty-spotted pardalote. The walk takes you through open woodlands into tall eucalypt
forest, and returns via ruins from the old cement works.

Walk details:
> Grade 3 walk – mainly an easier trail but graded higher due to length.

Our Tasmania adventure concludes in Hobart this morning as we bid farewell to new-found friends, the Master and crew, disembarking at 8:00am. A complimentary transfer is provided to CBD hotels, or the airport is included.