OVERVIEW

Travel to a rural wildlife sanctuary for up-close looks at Tasmanian devils, kangaroos and some of Tasmania’s remarkable native wildlife. Have a leisurely drive inland through the rolling countryside of northern Tasmania, where quiet villages, farmland and native bushland create a scenic introduction to the region. At Trowunna Wildlife Sanctuary, set within natural bushland at Mole Creek, you will have the opportunity to discover some of Tasmania’s most unique native wildlife. The sanctuary is known for its important conservation, breeding and rehabilitation work, particularly with Tasmanian devils, and is home to a range of native species including wombats, quolls, kangaroos, wallabies, birds and reptiles. During your visit, enjoy time to explore the sanctuary and learn more about the behaviours, habitats and conservation challenges of these remarkable animals. Back in Burnie, you’ll enjoy a downtown drive before returning to the pier. Founded in 1827 around an excellent natural harbor on Emu Bay and surrounded by vast eucalyptus forests, the timber industry dominated the town for the next 100 years. Today, the creative arts and culinary endeavors are what Burnie is most known for.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Travel by coach to Trowunna Wildlife Sanctuary, recognized for its conservation work and long-standing commitment to the care, rehabilitation and protection of Tasmania’s unique species.
• Spend about two hours meandering the sanctuary’s paths and encountering its residents.
• See Tasmanian devils, kangaroos, bettongs, quolls, potoroos and others in this curiosity-shop of indigenous fauna.
• Settle in for a scenic return drive across an unspoiled landscape, followed by an informative orientation spin around Burnie itself.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Flat, comfortable, closed-toe walking shoes are recommended; no heels.
• Bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen as needed

Descend into dramatically lit limestone caverns and wander a wildlife park inhabited by an impressive collection of Tasmanian fauna. Your picturesque drive from Burnie skirts a sizable forest preserve to reach the mysterious underground world of stalactites and stalagmites at Gunns Plains Caves. Inadvertently discovered in 1906 by a hunter in pursuit of a possum, the original method of entering these caves by rope descent has thankfully been replaced by a civilized 54-step stairway and a series of comfortable paths and steps in the caves. Your guide will point out the caverns’ most interesting geological features, many of them illuminated for added drama. See an underground river and bioluminescent glow worms. Many more unusual indigenous species await you above ground on a visit to Wings Wildlife Park, where you’ll have free time to meander the trails – encountering famous animals like the Tasmanian devil, and obscure ones like the bettong, tiny marsupials who hop around like mini-kangaroos. Other fascinating creatures who call the park home include wombats, koala, kangaroos, wedge tail eagles, boobook owls, quolls and long-nosed potoroos. You won’t find any of these at your local pet shop.

OVERVIEW

Discover the charms of northwest Tasmania while driving along the coast, from atop the flat-topped bluff known as the Nut and as you wander through the friendly village of Stanley. The shoreline couldn’t be more picturesque or pristine, as you will discover on the approach to the Nut, an ancient volcanic plug that rises above the outskirts of Stanley. If you think the views are spectacular while riding the chair lift to the top, wait until you reach the summit. This elevated vantage point offers the ultimate bird’s-eye perspective of Stanley. During free time in the village, you might dine on your own or simply take in the surrounding natural beauty. Following an enlightening stop at the 19th-century Highfield House, you will head to Table Cape Lookout, which sits atop the remains of another ancient volcano. On a clear day, you can see distant mountain ranges and Low Head, a suburb of George Town.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Admire the natural beauty of Tasmania’s northwest coast.
• Ride a chair lift to the top of the Nut, the remains of an ancient volcano.
• Meander through the village of Stanley as you please.
• Enjoy an elevated view of Tasmania’s pristine scenery from Table Cape Lookout.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW

Drive along an immensely scenic coastal highway in northwestern Tasmania, stopping on occasion for photos and to take in the stunning natural beauty. You will follow the Bass Highway, a meandering coastal route named for a colonial-era surgeon that sailed aboard a sloop that made the first recorded circumnavigation of Tasmania in 1798. The landscape hasn’t changed all that much over the centuries, as you will discover while pausing for photos at the most picturesque lookouts. Most of the scenery will be rocky shoreline, forested rolling hills and brilliant blue seas, all of it pristine and picture-perfect. However, on the outskirts of Burnie, you will find fertile agricultural areas. Chances are, you will pass potato farms and fields of poppies, which are grown to supply the pharmaceutical industry with raw material to manufacture medicinal products.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Drive the spectacularly scenic Bass Highway, a coastal route across northwestern Tasmania.
• Pause for photos at the most picturesque lookouts
• Gain an understanding of the region’s history through the guide’s commentary.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW

Journey into Tasmania’s unique natural world as you tour an indigenous wildlife park full of indigenous animals and a tranquil garden full of rhododendrons. The experience begins with a leisurely drive inland toward Mount Dial Nature Recreation Area, traversing idyllic terrain and scattered villages where life has changed little over the centuries. Once at Wings Wildlife Park, you’ll have free time to ramble the trails as you encounter famous animals like the Tasmanian devil, and obscure ones like the bettong – tiny marsupials who hop around like mini-kangaroos. Other unfamiliar creatures who call the park home include boobook owls, crab-eating macaques, quolls and long-nosed potoroos. Even American bison and Japanese quail are on the resident list. In contrast, the feature attraction at Emu Valley Rhododendron Garden is the flora, not the fauna, although here too you might run across South Pacific oddities like platypus and echidna joining the more conventional garden dwellers such as wild ducks and grebes. It’s a beautiful setting of meandering paths dotted with water features and gazebos – and some 22,000 rhododendrons. Plenty of other flowering shrubs and bedding plants ensure a colorful visit, no matter the time of year.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Travel by coach through unspoiled Tasmanian terrain to the Mount Dial Nature Recreation Area.
• Spend an hour among the many curious inhabitants who call Wings Wildlife Park home.
• See Tasmanian devils, bettongs, quolls, potoroos and others in this curiosity-shop of indigenous fauna.
• Experience the pastoral tranquility of Emu Valley Rhododendron Garden, colorful in any season
• Wander garden paths in a landscape dotted with lakes, waterfalls, bridges and gazebos.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Flat, comfortable, closed-toe walking shoes are recommended.
• Bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen as needed.

OVERVIEW

Experience true indulgence on a tour that seeks out fine epicurean delicacies produced around Burnie, including intensely flavored cheeses, creamy chocolates and robust wines. A century ago, this town was all about timber and papermaking, today it’s evolved into a thriving arts center. And though times change, certain tastes don’t. Like the taste of the exquisite cheeses made in the dairy country surrounding Burnie. The area’s climate, salt-laden atmosphere and lush pasturelands are simply ideal for cheese making. The exact varieties available for tasting at the visited venue change daily – but you’ll likely find sharp cheddar, creamy camembert and distinctly flavored parmesan among them. A visit to the chocolate factory of a Belgian chocolatier will stimulate a different part of your palate. Besides learning about their techniques, you’ll sample treats produced using their signature Anvers couverture chocolate, all made extra-delicious thanks to Tasmania’s extraordinary cream and butter. And what more perfect accompaniment to these delights than a tasting of locally produced wines? Depending on which boutique winery is visited this day, you may sample a deep-garnet Shiraz, a light Pinot Grigio or a fruity rosé. Turns out grapes, too, appreciate the local growing conditions.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Treat your taste buds to a delight-filled survey of the Burnie area’s top culinary indulgences.
• Visit a local cheese producer for a sampling session of what’s on the tasting roster today.
• Call on a local chocolatier with Belgian credentials who combines Tasmanian cream and butter with other artisanal ingredients to create…nirvana.
• Toast your gastronomic good fortune to have found this tour by sampling the wines of a local boutique vineyard.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Flat, comfortable walking shoes are recommended.
• Bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen as needed.

OVERVIEW

Admire the raw natural beauty of Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, take a walk in the woods, see shimmering Dove Lake, and learn about Tasmania’s curious flora and fauna. Even the coach drive from Burnie is an epic experience, traversing some of the wildest, most undisturbed terrain in Tasmania – including primeval rainforests. The natural wonders keep coming as you arrive at the park, part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. Upon arrival in the National Park, board a minivan with a local expert guide for a drive to Dove Lake. You time here is at your leisure; consider a walk and you may be able to view dramatic Cradle Mountain reflected in the still waters of Dove Lake (weather permitting). You will then take a short drive to Waldheim Chalet, the first accommodation in the area and home to Gustav and Kate Weindorfer. The original chalet was built by them in 1912 and used for accommodation until 1974. It has unfortunately been demolished by fire in 1976 and what stands today is an accurate replica of the chalet, built in the 1970’s, as it had appeared at the time of Gustav's death in 1932. Its reconstruction followed traditional bush carpentry techniques, using local King Billy pine. Then, take on a short walk through a cool temperate rain forest and be amazed by stories of the King Billy Pines in Weindorfers Forest. Your guides will highlight all the different tree and plant species and you may even see some of the local wildlife. Then, head to nearby Cradle Mountain Lodge for lunch.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Enjoy a leisurely coach drive inland, passing emerald forests.
• Arrive at Cradle Mountain-Lake St. Clair National Park and get oriented at the visitors’ center.
• Take a meandering walk in the woods, where an icy-clear creek cascades down through several falls.
• Travel to remote Dove Lake and revel in this iconic landscape with Cradle Mountain as its backdrop.
• Relax over lunch served at Cradle Mountain Lodge before the return drive to Burnie pier.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.