Discover Tasmania: Tours by Water
Posted by Dan on December 12, 2009 in TravelsphereI’ve neglected Australia and my home state of Tasmania on this blog a little bit so in the lead up to my Cambodia, Thailand and possibly Laos trip in just a couple of weeks I’m going to feature them a little more.
One of the best ways to see Tasmania is on its waterways and there are plenty of options to explore them, two of my favorite areas of Tasmania would have to be Freycinet and the Franklin/Gordon Wild Rivers, if you are heading this way I recommend both of them.
River Cruise
Gordon River Cruise
There are a few options for river cruising in Tasmania and more than a couple are on Hobart’s River Derwent, but the best in the state has to be the Gordon River Cruise which will take you through beautiful Macquarie Harbour to the Gordon River and includes a guided walk in the UNESCO listed World Heritage rainforest and a tour of Sarah Island, the site of a colonial prison where some prisoners became famous for their escapes that turned into cannibalistic bloodbaths.
Go with Gordon River Cruises.
Sea Kayaking
Freycinet Sea Kayaking
Freycinet National Park with its pink granite mountains is a long peninsula jutting out into the Tasman Sea on Tasmania’s east coast. The park is famous for Wineglass Bay, just one of its white sandy beaches and the pure clear turquoise waters that are perfect for sea kayaking.
Try Freycinet Adventures.
Jet Boat
The Huon River is your best bet for Jet Boating, there are a few outfits operating on the river. Always good to get the adrenelin pumping.
Rafting
Rafting on the Franklin River
If anyone comes to Tasmania for rafting Franklin River will be their goal, the river was saved from damming in the early 80s and is the rafting mecca of Tasmania. More world heritage rainforest is on the meny and possibly the best wild scenery Tasmania has to offer.
See World Expeditions 11 day rafting expedition.
Tall Ship
Tasmania is the perfect place for a tall ship adventure to take you back to the days when Tasmania was first discovered. Unfortunately there are not a lot of options but Windeward Bound certainly balances out fun with history on their voyages which follow the path of one of Tasmania’s greatest explorers, Matthew Flinders.
You’ve to do one of these while you are in Tasmania, they’ll give you an awesome look at some of the best this part of the country has to offer.
Tiny URL for this post: http://tinyurl.com/23pfkru
The photo of Freycinet is stunning.
It’s easy to forget how much beauty you have right where you are – I’m so guilty of taking it for granted. I grew up in Northeast Pennsylvania, in the Northeastern part of the U.S…and the area is full of mountains and trees and rivers and lakes…and never did I appreciate it until traveling around for an extended period and then returning after a few years during the fall. I couldn’t believe I had neglected to see all that was around me for so long!
Awesome pics. Awesome site. Awesome you. Rock on!