Tasmania Wilderness Expedition Cruise

Hobart, founded at the turn of the 19^th century as a British penal colony, is known for its well-preserved colonial architecture, much of which was built during the Georgian and Victorian eras, giving the city a charmingly old-world demeanour. While here you’ll be able to choose from a wealth of exciting activities such as a city highlights tour, a hike to nearby Mount Wellington or a visit to the Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary. Salamanca Place is also a wonderful area to roam for great food and souvenirs.

Hobart is a great place from which to explore the rugged beauty of southern Tasmania. Why not head for Russell Falls, a tiered-cascade waterfall in the Central Highlands region, which is one of the most picturesque in the country. Or get an aerial view of the area surrounding the city with a 30-minute plane trip, taking in the majestic Derwent river. To see many of the island’s flora in one place, wander the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens.

Port Huon is situated on the mouth of the Huon River and is backed by the twin peaks of the Hartz Mountains. You’ll sail upriver and call at the Wooden Boat Centre at Franklin where Tasmania’s maritime heritage is sustained through the production of hand-crafted timber boats. Having worked up an appetite, you’ll later visit Grandvewe Cheeses, an organic sheep dairy farm, where you’ll learn about the cheese-making process and sample vodka made from sheep’s whey, enjoying a view that overlooks the D’Entrecasteaux Channel.

Southwest Tasmania is an untamed wilderness, where jagged mountains loom over river valleys and tannin-rich freshwater turns the ocean a light shade of sepia. With no road access, your small expedition ship is the best way to see this terrain, while the Xplorer tender vessels will get you even closer to the action. Visit the sheltered haven of Port Davey and Bathurst Harbour, part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, where you’ll spend two days (weather permitting) learning about the European explorers and Indigenous Australians, who once walked this land.

Bruney Island is known as a breeding site for various bird species and in the 19^th century was home to four whaling stations, leading to the southern right whale being hunted almost to extinction.  At Adventure Bay, walk along the dramatic coastal cliffs of Fluted Cape and look out for Bennett’s Wallabies - endemic to the island. You’ll also view nearby Penguin Island from your Xplorer vessels. This small sliver of land is home to a colony of the world’s smallest penguin.

The convict penal settlement of Darlington on Maria Island is regarded as one of the best-preserved sites of its kind and considered a place of major historical significance. Much of the island makes up the Maria Island National Park, and its fauna includes Bennett’s Wallabies, wallabies and Forester Kangaroos as well as striking cliffs stained with iron deposits that leek through the sandstone.  The concentric circles of red, purple and orange create striking natural works of art.

Blessed with pink-tinged granite mountains and acclaimed beaches like Wineglass Bay, Freycinet Peninsula is a dramatic headland that’s home to a national park – one of Tasmania’s oldest. Take a guided hike along the Isthmus Track for 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 fur seals basking on the rocks and wedge-tailed eagles overhead.

Just south of Hobart on the tip of a peninsula jutting out into the Tasman Sea lies the small town of Port Arthur. This former convict settlement was notorious within the British penal system due to its harsh conditions. These days it’s a UNESCO World Heritage-listed open-air museum surrounded by well-tended parkland. Learn how British convicts deported to Australia in the 18^th century served their sentences and wander the numerous buildings that still remain.

Today you’ll disembark Coral Discoverer in Hobart and fly home.