Road Trip - Thrill Seeker

DAY 1 - DEVONPORT TO CRADLE MOUNTAIN

Swap Spirit of Tasmania for a harness this morning and make your way to Cradle Mountain, about an hour and a half from Devonport. Join Cradle Mountain Canyons for an epic morning in the World Heritage listed wilderness where you’ll shoot down natural waterslides, plunge into rivers, launch off waterfalls and abseil down cliff faces.

This afternoon trek to Marion’s Lookout for an incredible view of the dolerite peaks of Cradle Mountain and down to Dove Lake.

Check in to your Cradle Mountain accommodation - book ahead for one of the lodges, huts or campsites. You can even stay inside the National Park at Waldheim Cabins, surrounded by all the walks and wildlife you can imagine.

Overnight Cradle Mountain

Cradle Mountain Canyons (Photo: Tourism Tasmania & Graham Freeman)

DAY 2 - CRADLE MOUNTAIN TO LIAWENEE

Get up early for a sunrise view of Cradle Mountain (a fave for Instagrammers), then make your way to Mole Creek and join Wild Cave Tours for some underground exploration.  Most people don’t get past the Marakoopa and King Solomon Caves (which are awesome!), but for the more adventurous out there, Wild Cave Tours have access to plenty of caves off the beaten track.

Head one hour south to Liawenee, to Thousand Lakes Lodge where you’ll spend the night. When you arrive, hire an e-bike, complete with fat 26 inch off-road tyres and a battery powered 250w/36v motor. You can pedal as much or as little as you like, while you explore the World Heritage wilderness.

Overnight Thousand Lakes Lodge

Wild Cave Tours (Photo: Copyright Wild Cave Tours)

DAY 3 - LIAWENEE TO LAKE PEDDER

After a breakfast toastie (breakfast of champions here at the lodge), you’re on the road to our beloved Mount Field National Park, for hiking and a visit to Russell Falls. Check the road conditions before you leave though as it can snow in these parts. Walk through some of our tallest trees and fern forests (detour to the Styx Valley of the Giants for the actual tallest trees in the world), or take a longer walk around Lake Dobson. You can even ski here in winter if there’s a big enough dump.

Tonight, rest your head at Lake Pedder Wilderness Lodge, a comfortable hotel overlooking the lake. Dine at Twelvetrees, feasting on Tasmanian produce, craft beer and wine by the fire.

Overnight Lake Pedder Wilderness Lodge

Russell Falls (Photo: Tourism Tasmania & Michael Walters Photography)

DAY 4 - LAKE PEDDER TO HOBART (VIA STRATHGORDON)

Holy heck, do we have an adventure for you today. Join Aardvark Adventures for a 140 metre abseil down the face of the Gordon Dam. It’s Australia’s highest commercial abseil - the wall is higher than Sydney Harbour Bridge and holding back thirty times as much water as Sydney Harbour itself. We can assure you, you won’t be looking for cracks in the dam wall on the way down; you’ll be concentrating on holding that rope!

Once you’ve calmed down a little, make your way to the pretty Derwent Valley to explore New Norfolk. For a different kind of thrill this afternoon, take a tour of the possibly haunted Willow Court. It’s the oldest, continually run asylum (although now closed as an asylum) in Tasmania, dating back to before Port Arthur. If your nerves need calming, pop in to Stefano Lubiana Wines for a late lunch and fine cool climate wines.

Overnight Hobart

Abseiling, Gordon Dam,  Aardvark Adventures (Photo: Pete Harmsen)

DAY 5 - HOBART

Good morning Hobart! Grab an early morning coffee at Brooke Street Larder before meeting for your Pennicott Wilderness Journey of Bruny Island. You’re about to witness some of our spectacularly rugged coastline down toward the Southern Ocean. The bus will drive you to Kettering, transport you across to Bruny Island then down to where your ocean-faring vessel departs. Hugging the weather-beaten coast in their awesome open-air boat, you’ll find abundant marine and bird life, enter deep-sea caves and listen to the ‘Breathing Rock’. Tonight, share your stories by the fire over a pint of local craft beer at the Hobart Brewing Company.

Overnight Hobart

Tasman Island Cruise (Photo: Tourism Tasmania & Pennicott Wilderness Journeys)

DAY 6 - HOBART

This morning join the Mount Wellington Descent for a cracking view over town - you’ll enjoy the bus up, and then board a mountain bike to hurtle down the 21 kilometre trail, stopping to learn more about the contrasting landscapes along the way.

This afternoon travel to Port Arthur, about an hour and a half from Hobart to explore one of our most famous, and historically important, sites. Explore the grounds on foot until dusk, then join a Ghost Tour to hear the bone-rattling stories of convicts and characters, some of whom you might encounter on the tour...spooky! When you get back to Hobart, calm your nerves with a stiff Tasmanian whisky at Lark Whisky Bar.

Overnight Hobart

Ghost Tour outside The Church - Port Arthur Historic Site (Photo: Tourism Tasmania & Simon Birch)

DAY 7 - HOBART

Today you’re taking to the air - choose between a flight in a beautiful old warbird, or an incredible journey over our South West wilderness.

Tasmanian Warbirds have a range of experiences to put you in the shoes (or goggles) of a WWII fighter pilot - from a 30 minute scenic flight to the whole shebang with aerobatics, WWII dog-fighting techniques and ground and ship attack tactics.

If you’re more into the scenery, try a half day Par Avion South West Wilderness Tour. Fly over the D’Entrecasteaux Channel, past the mouth of the Huon River and onto the Southwest World Heritage Area at South East Cape, Tasmania’s most southern point. The plane lands at Melaleuca, where you take a boat trip to Bathurst Harbour and enjoy the Needwonnee Walk, an award winning Aboriginal interpretive experience, before flying back to Hobart over the Huon Valley.

Federation Peak (Photo: Par Avion Wilderness Tours)

DAY 8 - HOBART TO FREYCINET PENINSULA

Just in case your heart hasn’t raced quite fast enough yet, we’ve saved a cracker for last! Make your way to the Freycinet Peninsula, home to some of our most popular climbing spots, where the sea cliffs plunge into the ocean. From beginner to experienced, Rock Climbing Tasmania will get you started at the iconic White Water Wall and after lunch, tackle 50 metre Harlequin abseil, including a free hang in the middle.

Toast the end of your thrill seeking Tasmanian journey at one of the many wineries on the East Coast, like Devil’s Corner or Spring Vale.

Depart for Devonport to board Spirit of Tasmania home

Rock Climbing (Photo: Tourism Tasmania & Brad Harris)