Plan And Review Tasmania

The Neck- Bruny Island

Tasmania is Australia's stunning Island state and Oz's most sought after Travel Destinations .It has been featured as Top 10 travel destinations in all Global Travel Magazines .

WHAT BRINGS ME HERE :-
Tasmania has it all.

1)  Soaring mountains.
2) Spectacular coastlines
3) White Sand Beaches with Naturally Red Rocks
4) Deep River Gorges
5) Breath Taking Views
6) Great Food and Wine
7) Easy access by a spectacular affordable Cruise Line - "Spirit of Tasmania"

Inside Chocolate Factory- Bruny Island

BEST TIME TO VISIT TASMANIA :-
Best Time to Visit Tasmania - November end to February - which is also a Lavender season and festive season .
March is the most appropriate and cost effective month to Visit Tasmania, with Summers almost over and schools re-opened .
To Know more : http://www.discovertasmania.com/about_tasmania/faqs/what_is_the_best_time_to_visit_tasmania

Blow Hole - Bicheno

HOW MUCH TIME DOES IT TAKE :-

1) Flight from Melbourne : 1 hour 15 min.
2) Spirit of Tasmania : takes 10 hours 30 minutes from Melbourne port
Starts from Melbourne Port at 7:30 p.m. ;  Reaches Davenport at 6:00 a.m.
It does offer "Day Sailing" on few days of the month .
Checkout - http://www.spiritoftasmania.com.au/experience-the-ship/day-or-night-sailing

Port Melbourne from the eye of "Spirit of Tasmania"

HOW MUCH WOULD IT COST : A group of 4 adults for 4 days cost around 2400 AUD .
 This Includes :-
1) Spirit of Tasmania Fare for 4 from Melbourne to Davenport: 800 AUD
To book directly - http://www.spiritoftasmania.com.au/destinations/
2)  Jet Star Flight for 4 from Hobart to Melbourne "Ultramarine" Airport :approx. 300 AUD
http://www.jetstar.com/au/en/home
3) A car hire for 3 days 10 hours from Europcar : 150 AUD
Pickup : Davenport Ferry Terminal
Drop Off: Hobart Airport
http://www.europcar.com.au/
4) Double Bedroom Hotel  at Launceston/Bicheno/Port Arthur : 150/190/150 AUD  :  390 AUD
5) Petrol - 120 AUD
6) Entry Pass for Tasmanian Reserves - 60 AUD
(Include permit for a car with 4 adults to all Tasmanian Nature Reserves and Parks)
7)Food - 250 AUD
8) Entry Pass + Ghost Tour pass for 4 adults - 180 AUD .
9) Bruny Island Vehicle Ferry Transfer -30

Cruise - Spirit Of Tasmania

BEST PLANNED 4 DAY FAST TRACK TRIP :-
Day 1 : Come On Board the Spirit of Tasmania Cruise Liner @ 7:30 p.m.
Note - Check in closes 45 minutes before departure .

Cradle Mountain

Day 2 :
(a) Arrive at Davenport Ferry Terminal at 6:00 a.m.
(b) There is a very nice café shop outside the terminal which opens early in the morning .Have a nice warm breakfast .
(c)Pick Up your Pre-booked car-hire by 8:00 a.m. from Davenport Ferry Terminal.
Note - All leading car-hire companies are available, just outside Davenport arrival terminal.
(d) Arrive at Cradle Mountain Visitor Centre at 9:30- 10:00 a.m. -about 95 km from Davenport Ferry Terminal. About 2 km from Cradle Mountain Site .
Note - Collect your Park Pass. There is a limited parking space at the actual visitor site .In such a case you can park your car for free at the Information Office car park and hop on to the free shuttle .
http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/index.aspx?base=3317
(e)Based on your interest , you can follow one of the 2 options as proposed below .
option e1 : -
(i)You may spend entire day exploring Cradle Mountain .
(ii)Then Retire to your pre-booked accommodation in Launceston .
OR
Option e2 :-
(i) Leave Cradle Mountain by 12:30 p.m.
(ii) Have a pit stop for Lunch in SHEFFIELD(70 km from Cradle Mountain)  at 1:30 p.m.
(iii)Start for your Hotel in Launceston , pickup your Hotel Keys .
(iv)Visit Cataract Gorge Reserve in Launceston .
http://www.launcestoncataractgorge.com.au/gorgecliffgrounds.html
(v) Retire your day in your Hotel in Launceston
Note - Distance from Cradle Mountain to Launceston is about 160 km .A continuous run would take about 2.5 hours .

Bay Of Fires

Day 3: -
(a) Prefer to start your day early by 8:00 a.m. Have your Tank Full from Launceston and set your GPS to St. Helens Information Centre.
(b)Expect to reach St. Helens Visitor Center around 10:45 a.m.
Enquire about Bay Of Fires (about 21 km from St. Helen) and Best Beaches to play around in pristine white sand .
Prefer a Brunch at St. Helens and then hit the beach .
(c)Pack-Up by 4:00 p.m. and hit the Road to Bicheno(about 115 km from Bay of Fires) .
(d)Stay Overnight at Bicheno which is a small beautiful holiday village .
Note - All Restaurant in Bicheno close early .Prefer dinner by 7:00p.m. - 7:30p.m. to avail more options .However there is only one Bar + Tabb+ Restaurant which open till late .

Wine Glass Bay

Day 4 :
(a) Again prefer to Start your Day Early by 7:00 a.m.
(b) Reach the Blow Hole in Bicheno . Should not take you more than 15 minutes to reach this place .
(c) Start by 7:30 a.m. to Wine glass bay .Its just 40 km from Bicheno and would take you about 40 minutes.
Note - If you already have Tasmania Park Pass , you need not buy it here again .
(d) Walk your way up to Wine Glass bay look out point at 8:30a.m. With my parents it took us 1 hour to reach the look out point and then 30 min to walk down .
(c)By 10:30 a.m. reach 31 Esplanade, Coles Bay, Tasmania, Australia . Snack yourself with delicious burgers and coffee .There is a bakery, bar, petrol station and nice burger shop as well at this place.
(d)Start your drive to port Arthur at 11:15 a.m. .

Port Arthur

(e)Reach Port Arthur Historic Site by 2:00 p.m. Collect your "Entry Tickets-Bronze Pass" and "Ghost Tour Tickets". Come Back from the 45 minutes cruise briefing and explore the historic remains of Port Arthur .
Note - last Cruise Ride is at 3:00 p.m. The Ghost Tour starts at 9:00 p.m.
For more details visit : https://mercury.intouch-usa.com/webpoint/wp.dll?axis/portarthur
 (f)Plan to Stay Overnight in pre-booked accommodation at Port Arthur Village .



Bruny Island

Day 5 :
(a) Start early in the morning at 6:30 a.m.
(b)Reach Kettering Ferry Terminal by 9:00 a.m., so that you can catch up 9:30 a.m. ferry .
http://www.brunyisland.com/bruny-island-ferry/

(c)Ferry Reaches Bruny Island Ferry Terminal in about 20 minutes .
(c)Head Straight to 915 Adventure Bay Road, which is starting point for Bruny Island Cruise Tour .
. Plan to reach this place by 10:45 a.m., which is approximately 35 km from Bruny Island Ferry Terminal .For more  Information - Refer : http://www.brunycruises.com.au/
(c) Enjoy 3 hour Award Winning Cruise Trip .
(d) Enjoy the Chocolate Factory Estate .
(e) Enjoy the - The Neck View Point (Must Visit).
(f) Take the ferry back to Kettering Ferry Terminal .
(g) Head Straight to Hobart Airport .
(e) Drop your Hired Car Keys .

Note :-
1) There is a Petrol pump and Car Wash about 5 km before Hobart Airport
I would recommend to wash and vacuum your car to avoid any penalties .
2) On Day 5 ,you may also choose to stay in Bruny Island .There is a penguin Spotting area near  "The Neck" .You may then fly back to Melbourne on Day 6 .
3) If you are visiting in December - January , Do plan to cover Lavender Farms on Day 2 near Launceston .
http://bridestowelavender.com.au/pub
4) If you follow the above Trip planning . Be strict on timings or else you would miss the spots .

 

A Day Tour to Ballarat Gold Mine - Sovereign Hill

Sovereign Hill

Sovereign Hill is a spectacular outdoor Museum which takes you to the Australian Township of 1850's.It can be covered as a Day Tour from Melbourne .Its a great fun packed learning experience for Kids with a lot of engaging activities .

 

WHAT BRINGS ME HERE :-
a) A chance to visit a historic actual Gold Mine site .
b) A chance to explore and relive the Australian Township of 1850's.
c) Activities and shows worth watching
d) Gold Museum

 

HOW TO REACH HERE :-
1) Self Drive from Melbourne takes about  2 hours .There is an unlimited free parking at the Sovereign Hill Site .
2) There is a special V-Line Service , which can deliver the visitors directly to the Sovereign Hill Doors .If you wish to choose a Complimentary Bus Service directly to Sovereign Hill ,you can plan according to the following schedule for a day Tour .

Book V-Line - http://www.vline.com.au/home/
Book Taxi in Ballarat - 131 008(http://www.131008.com/ballarat)
Note - V-Line service from Ballarat to Southern Cross station is at every hour till 9:00 .

V Line Train	Southern Cross station (Melbourne)	09:07 a.m	Ballarat Station	10:38 a.m	Monday -Saturday
Bus	Ballarat Station	10:48 a.m	Sovereign Hill	11:00 a.m	Monday -Saturday
V Line Train	Southern Cross station (Melbourne)	09:28 a.m	Ballarat Station	10:50 a.m	Sunday
Bus	Ballarat Station	11:00 a.m	Sovereign Hill	11:10 a.m	Sunday
Bus	Sovereign Hill	03:15 p.m	Ballarat Station	03:30 p.m	Monday - Friday
V Line Train	Ballarat Station	03:58 p.m	Southern Cross station (Melbourne)	05:33 p.m	Monday - Friday
Bus	Sovereign Hill	03:30 p.m	Ballarat Station	03:45 p.m	Saturday,Sunday
V Line Train	Ballarat Station	04:11 p.m	Southern Cross station (Melbourne)	05:30 p.m	Saturday,Sunday

 

 HOW MUCH WOULD IT COST : It approximately costs 85 AUD / person for a Day Tour to Sovereign Hills .
1) V-Line return Fare : 25 AUD .
2) You can utilize your V-Line ticket for a 10% discount on Sovereign Hill Entry Tickets - 47 AUD(Standard Entry Fee)
3) Horse Coach Ride inside Sovereign Hill - 6 AUD(free if travelled through V-Line)
4) Mine Tour - 7.5 AUD
Note - You can save around 10.7 AUD , if you are visiting Sovereign Hills through V-Line Service .

HOW WAS THE OVERALL EXPERIENCE :

We started planning for a place where I do not have to drive and is easily accessible through public transport .V-Line Special to Ballarat made our day . We left the Ballarat station ,and found the Complimentary Bus Service waiting ,just outside the station .It dropped us at the Sovereign Hill Bus Stop .
 We started exploring the town ship which started with "Black Smith Shop" and ended with the "Bowling Alley" .To my surprise ,all shops use the same old technology for producing the beautiful products. There is a scope of lot of shopping if you like Old Styled utensils, clothes, showpieces, crockery, candies etc..

After a short talk with the policemen displaying his armory. We then tried our hands in the Bowling Alley . Then took a Gold Mine Tour , which you should not miss .Then we had our lunch and set out for a coach ride .We then saw Live display of a street show and a Candy making activity.
The fresh raspberry candy was very tasty. Then we tried our hands in finding real gold flakes coming out of the mine stream .I have heard people do get these flakes quite often .Over All a Nice way to spend a day .

Gold Mine Tour

What you should not miss :-
1) If travelling by V-Line back home to Melbourne and if you 3:30 p.m. Complimentary Bus Service to Ballarat Station. Do not panic and call a Taxi. Taxi would not cost more that 11 AUD.V-Line Service from Ballarat to Melbourne is at every hour .
2) Horse Coach Ride.
3) Gold Mine Tour.
4) Search for Real Gold in the Stream . If you are lucky -you might find some
5) Gold Museum opposite side of Sovereign Hill Site.
6) Light and Sound Show .

 

Cairns - Gateway to Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef

Cairns is gateway to one of the most spectacular natural wonders of the world called "The Great Barrier Reef".Its a paradise for the divers ,snorklers ,naturists and photographers .

WHAT BRINGS ME HERE : -
1) An adventure packed holiday in a tropical region
2) Scuba Diving and Snorkelling in "The Great Barrier Reef"
3) Kuranda Sky rail Fun Ride
4) Crocodile Farms and Salt water crocodiles in their natural habitat
5) Aboriginal Cultural Parks
6) Beaches and Greenery

Scuba Diving

HOW MUCH TIME DOES IT TAKE :-

From	To	Duration  in hours and Minutes	Approximate Cost Round fare/person
Melbourne	Cairns	3 hours 25 minutes	500 AUD
Cairns	Melbourne	3 hours 25 minutes
Sydney	Cairns	3 hours	450 AUD
Cairns	Sydney	3 hours
Brisbane	Cairns	2 hours 25 minutes	350 AUD
Cairns	Brisbane	2 hours 25 minutes



Kuranda Scenic Railways

HOW MUCH WOULD IT COST :-

The total cost for 2 person on twin sharing basis for a 4 day trip would be around 3000 AUD .
Just in case you want to plan your trip yourself .Utilize the links for direct bookings.Our 4 day package Includes following :-

1) Round Trip Flights : 980 AUD
http://www.jetstar.com/au/en/home
2) Airport Trasfers: 112 AUD
http://www.tnqshuttle.com/
3) Hotel for 3 days : 1062 AUD
http://www.southerncrossapartments.com/
4) Kuranda Train + Return Skyrail + Hartley Crocodile Adventure Tour with Transfers: 376 AUD
http://www.skyrail.com.au/
5) Silver Swift Introductory Dive with Transfers : 526 AUD
http://www.silverseries.com.au/swift.htm
6) Green Island Eco Adventure with Transfers : 192 AUD
7) Digital Underwater camera Hire for 2 days with Chip : 60 AUD
http://cairnsdiveadventures.com/reef-info/cairns-underwater-camera-hire/
8) Food and Drinks on our own  - 40 AUD approximately  per meal

We had our trip organized with Student Flights - www.studentflights.com.au

BEST PLANNED 4 DAY TRIP :-
Since All Trips Starts at 7:30 a.m in the morning . I woud recommend to plan 4 days for Cairns .

Hartley Crocodile Park

DAY 1 : 1) Take Early morning Flight .2) Checkin at Hotel near CBD
 3) Hire a Car from airport or use taxi facility to reach Hartley Crocodile Adventure Tours.You should reach the Crocodile park atleast by 1:30 p.m PST ,if you want to cover all shows .
or
3) If your flights schedule is such that you couldnot reach Hartley crocodile park by 2:00 p.m ,
I would suggest you to explore Cairns CBD market area,esplanade on Day 1 .

Kuranda Sky Rail

DAY 2 : Take a Day Trip to Kuranda scenic railway and Return by Sky Rail .
Sky Rail is a Unique and an exciting experience. After Reaching Kuranda ,explore the village ,river,market ,butterfly park ,aboriginal cultural park .
Note - The starting point of Kuranda Scenic Railway Station (Fresh Water Station)is very far from the skyrail Terminal (Caravonica Terminal).Do plan for a Return Transfers before hand for this tour.

Diving @ The Great Bareer Reef

 

DAY 3 :Take a Cruise Trip to "The Great Ocean Drive" .I can bet this would be the most memorable experiences of your life time . Do try Scuba Diving and snorkelling .Usually the groups are devided into 3 batches .The Cruise is docked at 3 reefs . One batch gets to dive in one of the 3 reefs .Lunch is served on the second reef .

2) There is a professional underwater photographer with each trip . Each photograph would cost around 10-15 AUD .

Green Island

DAY 4 : 1)Green Island Eco Adventure Tours :-
Relax on the pristine white sand beach of Green Island Resort .
Usually the tour include a ride on the glass bottom boat or snorkeling equipment .
I would prefer to explore both options if you have taken a full day tour .
Do try the exotic mock tails and cocktails from the Island bar counter .
2)Checkout from Hotel .Take Evening Flight .



Some Facts and Interesting Places:-
1) Places you should not miss :-
1.a Hartley Crocodile Sanctuary - Hartley’s Lagoon is a very special Experience that you should not miss. Lagoon Tour Timings can be viewed from the following Link.
http://www.crocodileadventures.com/lagoon.html
1.b) 7.5 km Sky Rail is a unique Experience .
1.c) Scuba Diving in "The Great Barrier Reef".
1.d) Green Island Glass Bottom Boat .
1.e) Shopping at Night Market in Cairns CBD .
1.f) Daintree River Wildlife Cruise .

2)Best Time of the Year for Reef Activities - November to March. It also coincide with the Poisonous Jelly Fish Season .The Lycra suits are available at most of the places during the jelly fish season.
3)  IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR 1st TIME DIVERS .If you are a introductory diver and wish to dive only once . Don't hire the underwater digital camera in advance . Introductory Divers are not allowed to carry the digital underwater camera on the first dive . However you can pay 50 AUD and opt to dive a second time .You would be allowed to carry your camera equipment on the second dive of the day .
4) Hiring Underwater Digital camera's are far better than Use and throw roll camera's in all aspects .Not only in terms of overall Cost involved in developing the role ,picture quality and number of pics .Canon Ixus 220 HS is good enough for Introductory Divers and easily available .

5) Fruit Bats can be found on trees on Shields Street .
6) A tip to cut down Transfer Cost  would be to choose an accommodation in Cairns CBD.
Select a hotel which is very close to Reef Fleet terminal .Since All Cruise Trips starts from "Cairns Wharf- called as Cairns Marlin Marina". You can just walk down to the Wharf. Do locate the distance of "your hotel" and "Cairns Wharf- called as Cairns Marlin Marina" and then decide based on your stamina .