Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
National Park Entry Fees
A
Tassie Holiday Pass
costs A$33 (US$21) and allows entry for a car and
passengers to Tasmania's national parks for 2 months. Pedestrians, cyclists,
motorcyclists, and coach passengers pay A$14 (US$8.80) for 2 months. Occa-
sional users can buy a 24-hour pass for A$10 (US$6.50) per car, while walk-
ers, cyclists, motorcyclists, and coach passengers pay $3.50 (US$2.30) per day.
Passes are available at all major parks and Tasmanian Visitor Information
Centres. For more information, contact the
Parks and Wildlife Service
at
&
03/6233 8203.
Look up the Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service's web-
site (www.parks.tas.gov.au) for information on Tasmania's national parks.
Tips
Hobart,
the island's two main cities. I'd take in
Freycinet National Park
for its
wonderful scenery and abundant wildlife, stop in at
Port Arthur
for its beautiful
setting and disturbing convict past, and head to the central highlands for a stomp
around
Cradle Mountain.
2 Hobart
198km (123 miles) S of Launceston
Tasmania's capital (pop. 126,000), second in age only to Sydney, is an appealing
place worth visiting for a couple of days. Hobart's main features are its wonderful
harbor and the colonial cottages that line the narrow lanes of Battery Point. As with
Sydney, Hobart's harbor is the city's focal point, attracting yachts from all over the
world. Down by the waterfront, picturesque Salamanca Place bursts with galleries,
pubs, cafes, and an excellent market on Saturdays. Europeans settled in Hobart in
1804, a year after Tasmania's first colony was set up at Risdon (10km/6
1
⁄
4
miles up
the Derwent River). Hobart, the most southerly Australian state capital, is closer to
the Antarctic coast than it is to Perth in Western Australia, and has long been
regarded by navigators, whalers, and explorers as the gateway to the south.
ESSENTIALS
GETTING THERE Qantas
(
&
13 13 13
in Australia) and
Virgin Blue
(
&
13
67 89
in Australia) carry passengers from the mainland. The trip from the airport
to the city center takes about 20 minutes and costs about A$25 (US$16) by taxi.
The
Airporter Bus
(
&
0419/382 240
) meets planes and delivers passengers to
hotels in the city and farther afield.
Car- and camper-rental offices at the airport include
Hertz
(
&
03/6237 1155),
Advance
(
&
1800/030 118 in Australia; www.advancecars.com.au),
Avis
(
&
03/
6248 5424),
Budget
(
&
1300/362 848 in Australia, or 03/6248 5333), and
Thrifty
(
&
1800/030 730 in Australia, or 03/6234 1341). Cars cost around A$55
(US$36) for 1 day, A$50 (US$32) per day for 2 days, A$45 (US$29) per day for
4 days, and A$40 (US$26) per day for a week or more. You might find even bet-
ter bargains in town with lower-priced rental companies such as
Lo-Cost Auto
Rent
(
&
1800/030 023 in Australia, or 03/6231 0550) and
Range Rent-a-Bug
(
&
03/6231 0300).
VISITOR INFORMATION
Information is available from the
Tasmanian
Travel and Information Centre,
at Davey and Elizabeth streets (
&
03/6230
8233
). It's open Monday through Friday from 8:30am to 5:15pm, Saturday and
public holidays from 9am to 4pm, and Sunday from 9am to 1pm (9am-4pm
