Tasmania - Australia 2004 - page 609

Redline Coaches ( & 03/6336 1446 ) connect with each ferry and transfer pas-
sengers to Launceston, and on to Hobart.
McCafferty's ( & 13 14 99 in Australia) can organize coach travel from the
eastern mainland states, with transfers to Tasmania by ferry.
GETTING AROUND The regional airline Tasair ( & 03/6248 5088; www.
tasair.com.au) flies to some settlements in Tasmania. Par Avion ( & 03/6248
5390; www.paravion.com.au) concentrates on the southwest World Heritage areas
of the state and also operates wonderful sightseeing tours. A 2 1 ⁄ 2 -hour southwest
wilderness flight, for example, costs A$176 (US$114).
Statewide coach services are provided by Tasmanian Redline Coaches ( & 03/
6336 1446; www.redlinecoaches.com.au) and Tassielink ( & 1300/300 520 in
Australia, or 03/6272 6611; www.tigerline.com.au). Associated with Tassielink
are Tigerline Coaches (contactable by same phone and website), which offers a
series of coach tours to major places of interest. Hobart Coaches ( & 1800/030
620 in Australia, or 03/6234 4077) runs trips around the Hobart area.
The cheapest way to get around by coach is to buy a travel pass. The Tassie
Link Explorer Pass, which can be used on all Tassielink routes, comes in four
categories: A 7-day pass good for travel within 15 days is A$160 (US$104); a
10-day pass good for travel in 15 days is A$190 (US$124); a 14-day pass good
for travel within 20 days is A$220 (US$143); a 21-day pass valid for travel in 30
days is A$265 (US$172).
Driving a car from Devonport on the north coast to Hobart on the south coast
takes less than 4 hours. From Hobart to Strahan on the west coast also takes around
4 hours, while the journey from Launceston to Hobart takes about 2 hours. The
Royal Automobile Club of Tasmania (RACT), at Murray and Patrick streets in
Hobart ( & 13 27 22 in Australia), can supply you with touring maps.
TOUR OPERATORS Dozens of operators run organized hiking, horse
trekking, sailing, caving, fishing, bushwalking, diving, cycling, rafting, climbing,
kayaking, or canoeing trips in Tasmania. For a full listing, see the “Outdoor
Adventure” section of Travelways, the Tasmanian tourist board's publication (see
“Visitor Information,” above).
One of the best operators is Tasmania Adventure Tours ( & 1300/654 604 in
Australia, or 038/8309 2277; www.adventuretours.com.au). They offer a 3-day
East Coast Explorer tour from Devonport, taking in Launceston, Freycinet
National Park, and Port Arthur, before finishing in Hobart. The tour costs A$375
to $495 (US$144-US$322) depending on accommodations. Their 6-day Taste
of Tasmania Tour starts off in Devonport, takes in all the attractions in their other
two tours, and ends up in Hobart. This tour costs A$720 to $950
(US$468-US$617). Call for departure days.
Peregrine Adventures ( & 03/9662 2800; www.peregrine.net.au) runs rafting
tours of the Franklin River, which carves its way through some of the most beau-
tiful, rugged, and inaccessible wilderness in the world. Another good operator is
the Roaring 40°'s Ocean Kayaking Company ( & 1800/653 712 in Australia;
www.roaring40skayaking.com.au); both companies offer paddling expeditions
lasting from 1 to 11 days. Tasmanian Expeditions, based in Launceston
( & 1800/030 230 in Australia, or 03/6267 5000; www.tasmanianexpeditions.
com.|au), runs a whole range of cycling, trekking, and rafting trips around the
country, some starting or finishing in Hobart.
SUGGESTED ITINERARIES Planning my first trip to Tasmania, I'd pack my
walking boots, raincoat, and shorts, and head off first to either Launceston or