A Special Tasmanian Expedition Cruise - including the Australian Wooden Boat Festival!

Embark: Board at Hobart’s Princes Wharf  at 4:00pm for 5:00pm departure.
Disembark: Arrive and disembark at Hobart’s Princes Wharf  at 08:00am.

The Captain and Expedition Team will make daily itinerary decisions to maximise the guest experience and take advantage of opportunities opened up by weather. There will be a daily briefing onboard to advise guests on the upcoming day’s activities.  The expedition will visit Port Davey and Bathurst Harbour conditions permitting. We always aim to visit these beautiful destinations, but if we are not able to enter, an alternative destination more appropriate to the weather conditions will be chosen by the Captain. Note the summer temperature can still be very cool especially with the wind chill so warm layered clothing is essential.

Note: Throughout the expedition we may make changes to the itinerary as necessary to maximise your expeditionary experience. Allowances may be made for seasonal variations, weather, tidal conditions and any other event that may affect the operation of the vessel. Coral Expeditions suggests that you do not arrive on the day of embarkation or depart on the day of disembarkation due to any changes that may occur in scheduling. No two Tasmania cruises with Coral Expeditions will be the same as each expedition is crafted by our experienced Masters and Expedition Leaders, allowing us 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 we visit.

Expedition highlights may include:

DAY 1: DEPART HOBART - Board your Coral Expeditions small ship at  Hobart’s Princes Wharf at 4:00pm where there is time to settle into your cabin before our 5:00pm departure. Take the time to become acquainted with all the facilities onboard before meeting your fellow travellers, the Captain and crew for the Captain’s Welcome Drinks.

WOODBRIDGE & HUON RIVER - Where the mouth of the Huon River meets D’Entrecasteaux Channel lays Port Huon, a small community at the heart of the fertile Huon Valley with its Hartz Mountains backdrop. 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 - On the edge of the world in southwest Tasmania, the landscape here is about as wild as it gets. Raw, craggy-peaked mountains and drowned river valleys.  Wild rivers and rivulets carved by an eternity. Where tannin-rich freshwater sits atop saltwater, tinting the ocean the colour of tea. With no road access, the logical way to explore this wilderness is by small expedition ship.

Sheltered from Roaring Forties winds that buffet this coast is the protected haven of Port Davey and Bathurst Harbour. A marine reserve and part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, we spend two whole days (weather permitting) enjoying this rare opportunity to hike, kayak and take in this pristine natural environment. We explore by Xplorer tender vessels and learn about intrepid European explorers and Indigenous Australians, who once walked this land and keep a lookout for the rare and endangered Orange Bellied Parrot amongst other wildlife.

BRUNY ISLAND & ADVENTURE BAY - 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. Cruising the base of these near-vertical dolerite cliffs in our Xplorer tender vessels, we take a close 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 - Walk amongst the ruins and beautifully restored buildings of the convict penal settlement of Darlington. Much of Maria Island is protected as the Maria Island National Park, and you can expect to see endemic wildlife such as Forester Kangaroos, Bennett’s Wallabies and wombats.

There is time to take a walk to the ruins of the former Probation Station, which are set against a dramatic coastal backdrop whose grasslands attract wombats to feed, as well as the striking formations of the Painted Cliffs. Rich iron deposits have leeched through the soil staining the sandstone cliffs on the waters’ edge with coloured streaks of red, purple and orange, creating surreal art which is revealed at low tide.

FREYCINET NATIONAL PARK AND SCHOUTEN ISLAND - 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.

Take a guided hike along the Isthmus Track and be rewarded with magnificent views from the lookout or swim in the azure waters of Wineglass Bay. Cruising close to Ile des Phoques and Schouten Island, keep an eye out for large colonies of fur seals sunning themselves on the rocks.

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 British and Australian convicts sentenced to hard labour before its heavy iron doors clanked shut for the last time in 1877.

Today, the Historic Site has over 30 buildings, ruins and restored period homes set in 100 acres of landscaped grounds. In the company of Port Arthur’s knowledgeable guides, we join an exclusive ‘behind the scenes tour’ which includes access to private collections and historic buildings not otherwise accessible to the public.

DAY 11: ARRIVE HOBART - Disembark in Hobart at 8:00am. A post-cruise transfer from the ship to Hobart city or airport is included.

Note on fitness levels: this trip is suitable for passengers of all fitness levels, though reasonable mobility is required to enjoy all it has to offer. Our Xplorer tender vessels permit easy boarding without climbing any stairs. Hikes vary in intensity and wherever possible we split into groups to suit easy and moderate walkers.

Guests are welcome to opt-out of any excursions and relax onboard. Summer temperatures and wind chill in Tasmania can be very cool so warm layered clothing is essential.

As our Tasmanian cruises visit remote regions like Bathurst Harbour, this voyage is not suitable for passengers with serious medical conditions.

Departs Hobart 27 January | Returns to Hobart 06 February

• Bridge Deck Balcony Stateroom - From $10,990 pp twin share
• Promenade Deck (Category A) - From $9,350 pp twin share
• Promenade Deck (Category B) - From $12,975 sole use
• Main Deck (Category A) - From $7,600 pp twin share
• Main Deck (Category B)From $7,200 pp twin share

CORAL DISCOVERER

Launched in 2005, Coral Discoverer set a new benchmark standard for small ship cruising in Australia. Refurbished in November 2016, she continues to raise the bar to new levels of sophistication in expedition cruising. Coral Discoverer accommodates just 72 guests in 36 spacious staterooms.

Note on fitness levels: this trip is suitable for passengers of all fitness levels, though reasonable mobility is required to enjoy all it has to offer. Our Xplorer tender permits easy boarding without climbing any stairs. Hikes vary in intensity and where possible we split groups to suit easy and moderate walkers. Guests are welcome to opt out of any excursion and relax onboard – our top deck outdoor lounge is great on a sunny day. The ship has no elevator. As the itinerary covers remote regions, it is not suitable for passengers with serious medical conditions.

Note that each itinerary will include a mix of the above attractions, depending on prevailing conditions. The Captain and Expedition Team will make daily itinerary changes to maximise the guest experience and take advantage of opportunities opened up by weather. There will be a daily briefing onboard to advise guests on the upcoming day’s activities. Time of departure and return are guaranteed – the rest is an adventure! The expedition will visit Port Davey and Bathurst Harbour conditions permitting. We always aim to visit these beautiful destinations, but if we are not able to enter, an alternative destination more appropriate to the inclement weather conditions will be chosen by the Captain.

Note the summer temperature can still be very cool especially with the wind chill so warm layered clothing is essential.