Tasmania - Is it worth checking out?

Anyone been to Tasmania recently? Looks like there are some nice
treks and beaches there. Anything else I should check out if I go?

The best area of Australia imho, unfortunately I didn't realize this until I arrived & couldn't change my itinerary as I had the ferry booked that night to return for a flight to NZ the next day.

Sorry I can't help from personal experience but there were a couple treks/tours lasting around a week that looked good.

Travel up the west coast from Perth to Broome & Tasmania & you have seen the best Oz has to offer.

I spent about 4 days hiking in Tazzy. Truly excellent scenery (although NZ wins any day), and just a really nice place to be. Flights there are generally v cheap..it's def worth checking out.

Hobart is a funky little port town too. Great food, and some nice art to be scene. Very laid back atmosphere, as expected. Tazzy is highly recommended if you have the time.

Best,

Will

Thanks all for the info. Is there a ferry that goes to Tasmania? If so,
is it cheaper than flying? Did anyone visit any wildlife refuges and see the
Tasmanian Devils in action?

The Spirit of Tasmania goes from Melbourne nightly, don't need a cabin the seats are fine for sleeping.

Great news about the Spirit of Tasmania. I would rather take a boat any day over flying.
Do you think a week is enough there?

bigmaude wrote:Great news about the Spirit of Tasmania. I would rather take a boat any day over flying.
Do you think a week is enough there?

I think a week would give a good taste of Tasmania.

I just checked prices for Spirit of Tasmania. Does $127 sound about what you
paid? A bit higher than I imagined it would be.

Just checked I paid $159 return for ocean seats, not cabin, believe there was a 25th anniversary discount also but you save a nights hotel room each way so that's a bonus. Was near the end of my month in Oz so I was used to outrageous prices, like $109/night for private room in a Brisbane hostel

All in all I thought the experience was worth it,

Tazzie is great, but just as Norway is best seen during it's summer, so is Tasmania. If you can go between December and February, you're probably in for several treats. Also, during that time the Spirit of Tasmania has daytime sailings, on which you can find great deals. I paid 49 AUD one way from Melbourne and paid just slightly more for a flight back from Hobart two weeks later.

There are a couple of nice hostels fairly close to where the ferry docks in Devonport.

Excellent beaches (although the water is cold) and hikes abound on Tasmania. See if you can get a last minute cancelled space on the Overland Track. It can be checked and booked on http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/index.aspx?base=7771 . One of the best walks I've ever done, with comfy cabins with sufficient space for all hikers all along. They've just opened for bookings for the coming season, so there's a good chance you'll find dates that suit you. If not, just keep checking back, and you might get lucky.

I've got a photo journal from a trip to Tasmania at
http://www.pvv.org/~bct/taz/
covering mainly Hobart, Freycinet and the Overland Track, all of which were just splendid for me.

Happy trails!

Bjørn
http://bjornfree.com/

I was there the first week in June & the weather was nicer than I was led to believe, cattle still out feeding on green pasture & I didn't need a jacket, so it sure wasn't a Canadian type winter.

In a word...No.

Really enjoyed your pictures uspn! I'll be there in late January.

Anyone been to Maria Island?

I've been to Maria Island--we spent about 3 days hiking there. It's a beautiful spot, and definitely worth checking out. Some great memories from that place.