Tasmania Heritage and Harvest

Arrive at Melbourne Harbour Station Pier (berth to be advised) at 4:00pm, where there is time to settle into your stateroom before our 5:00pm departure.

Take the time to become acquainted with all the facilities onboard Coral Adventurer. Gather in the Bridge Deck lounge for a safety briefing and presentations by lecturers and expedition staff. As dusk falls, mingle with your fellow travellers, the Captain and crew for the Captain’s Welcome Drinks.

At midday we arrive to the Kent Group of Islands, Tasmania’s northernmost National Park and a marine protected area. These islands are the remains of a land bridge that once connected Tasmania with mainland Australia over 10,000 years ago, in what is now the Bass Strait. The waters of Kent Island are crystal clear, with a high diversity of fish species. On Deal Island we find the highest lighthouse in Australia, standing 305 meters above sea level, which is manned by volunteer caretakers. Enjoy several walk options, swim and kayak off the beach or enjoy a scenic tender cruise.

Visit wild and rugged Flinders Island, and marvel at the pink and gray granite mountain ranges of Strzelecki National Park. Land at beautiful Trousers Point beach, with time on the Trousers Point Walk – one of Tasmania’s Great Short Walks. Visit seaside townships, discover the sad history of Wybalenna Aboriginal Settlement, learn about the local fishing industry and see relics of Flinders maritime past at the Furneaux Museum. Later enjoy a drop at Unavale Vineyard, a boutique family vineyard where vines thrive at the foot of the Strzelecki ranges.

At Freycinet Peninsula, see the pink granite formations of the Hazard Mountains, and the sweeping bays fringed by Eucalypts. Join a guided hike to Wineglass Bay beach – one of the most photographed beaches in the world – or if up for a challenge hike to the Wineglass Bay lookout. Learn about Abel Tasman’s siting of the peninsula in 1642 – Tasman believed the peninsula to be a chain of islands but Nicolas Baudin dispelled this presumption when his expedition later visited in 1802. Of course, Freycinet’s indigenous history goes back much further – with evidence of middens found along the dunes of Hazards and Richardson’s Beaches.

The historic ruins and rugged cliffs of Maria Island National Park are home to diverse wildlife that includes Forester Kangaroos, Bennetts Wallabies, and wombats. Walk to historic Darlington Settlement, explore the ancient seabeds of the Fossil Cliffs, and marvel at the sandstone formations of the Painted Cliffs. This afternoon, cruise the rugged coastline of the Tasman Peninsula, marvelling at the 300 metre high dolerite sea cliffs of Cape Raoul, Cape Pillar and Cape Hauy, as you enjoy a wine tasting on board. Weather permitting the Coral Adventurer will circumnavigate Tasman Island, affording fantastic photographic opportunities from a unique vantage point at sea.

From Coral Adventurer’s calm anchorage at Norfolk Bay, take a scenic bus ride down the Tasman Peninsula to where the forest meets the sea at Fortescue Bay. Here there will be two walk options on offer – a section of the famed Three Capes Track in the direction of Cape Hauy, or a section of the Tasman Trail towards Bivouac Bay. Or just relax on the white sandy beach, with time to take in the scenery and spot wildlife.

After a relaxing afternoon on board, conclude your day with a memorable Signature Dinner Event at Bangor Winery, where you’ll have the pleasure of meeting Matt Dunbabin and learning about the farm’s rich history. Enjoy wine tastings and vineyard tours before indulging in dinner featuring the finest Tasmanian produce.

After a gourmet brunch on board this morning, travel by bus to Port Arthur. One of Australia’s most significant historic places, this UNESCO World Heritage-listed 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 storytellers, join a tour of this site. Explore the site’s most significant buildings including the Penitentiary, Separate Prison and Church.

Finish your afternoon McHenry’s Distillery – Australia’s southern-most whisky distillery resting at the foot of Mount Arthur. Sample a tipple as you learn about how the cool maritime environment gives maturing spirits just the right conditions for their time ageing in wooden barrels.

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. 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. Back on board, enjoy samples of Bruny Island’s finest produce showcased in canapes at the Captain’s Farewell Drinks tonight.

Our Tasmania adventure concludes in Hobart this morning as we bid farewell to new-found friends, the Master and crew, disembarking at 8:00am. Enjoy a complimentary transfer to CBD hotels or the airport.