Please suggest tours or places to go and see while in Tasmania for the day

[Fieldofdreams]

Would like any suggestions for private tours or Crystal tours while in port February 26, 2023

[Mrs f.]

48 minutes ago, Fieldofdreams said:

Would like any suggestions for private tours or Crystal tours while in port February 26, 2023

Which port?

[GUT2407]

Which Port? and what are your interests?

 

Assuming Hobart, Salamanca Markets and the General area is interesting, Port Arthur is worth considering but from Hobart you lose a lot of time driving. Likewise from say Burnie, Cradle Mountain offers a lovely day out but again a lot of time lost driving, though it can be a lovely drive.

 

If you are interested in hiring a car a self drive trip to Ross Via Richmond is very nice, with some interesting stops on the way, then take the Midland Highway is a quicker trip back.

[GeezerCouple]

One of our favorite experiences during out NZ/Australian cruise (and a few days in Sydney afterwards) was at the Bonorong animal sanctuary:

 

https://www.bonorong.com.au

 

We took their private tour, just the two of us, and it was really special.

The sanctuary itself is rather small, which was fine for us.  Many of the animals are rescues, and have been determined to be unsafe if returned to the wild, after being rehabilitated as much as possible.

 

Anyway, while I was paying very close attention to a koala bear, DH quietly said my name. and then, "you are surrounded by kangaroos..."

So I looked around and sure enough, there were about 5 kangaroos right around me.  Our guide gave me some food so they could eat out of the palm of my hand.

[They gave us gloves when needed, and to feed one of the animals, we used a long "grabber" so none of our body parts would be anywhere near that mouth...!]

 

That was a wonderful experience, very up close and personal.

We arranged to have them pick us up at the port and return us there after.

 

After the cruise, we went to the Zoo in Sydney, and stayed at their then-new luxury hotel, right in the zoo.  DH got up early the next morning to be at the main ticket booth before it opened so we could try to get tickets to the "Meerkat Experience" (or some name like that).  We got 2 of the 4 tickets for that day!

And we now have some precious photos of us sitting inside the meerkat enclosure, with a tarp over our laps, and meerkats climbing all around.  There is one photo of a meerkat in "perfect meerkat sentinel position"... standing right on DH's lap. 😁

 

Needless to say, having as much time as possible with some of the exotic animals in the region was a big part of our trip.

 

Alas, that was our last trip since Covid.  We returned home in mid-December, 2019, and then life changed.......

 

GC

[Fieldofdreams]

7 hours ago, Mrs f. said:

Which port?

Thank you, we will be in Hobart, Dunedin, Christchurch, Wellington, Napier, Rotorua and Auckland. Any suggestions greatly appreciated. And thanks to others that have weighed in.

[Fieldofdreams]

47 minutes ago, GUT2407 said:

Which Port? and what are your interests?

 

Assuming Hobart, Salamanca Markets and the General area is interesting, Port Arthur is worth considering but from Hobart you lose a lot of time driving. Likewise from say Burnie, Cradle Mountain offers a lovely day out but again a lot of time lost driving, though it can be a lovely drive.

 

If you are interested in hiring a car a self drive trip to Ross Via Richmond is very nice, with some interesting stops on the way, then take the Midland Highway is a quicker trip back.

Thanks GUT2407

 We will be in Hobart, Dunedin, Christchurch, Wellington, Napier, Rotorua and Auckland. 1 day in each port.

[Fieldofdreams]

19 minutes ago, GeezerCouple said:

One of our favorite experiences during out NZ/Australian cruise (and a few days in Sydney afterwards) was at the Bonorong animal sanctuary:

 

https://www.bonorong.com.au

 

We took their private tour, just the two of us, and it was really special.

The sanctuary itself is rather small, which was fine for us.  Many of the animals are rescues, and have been determined to be unsafe if returned to the wild, after being rehabilitated as much as possible.

 

Anyway, while I was paying very close attention to a koala bear, DH quietly said my name. and then, "you are surrounded by kangaroos..."

So I looked around and sure enough, there were about 5 kangaroos right around me.  Our guide gave me some food so they could eat out of the palm of my hand.

[They gave us gloves when needed, and to feed one of the animals, we used a long "grabber" so none of our body parts would be anywhere near that mouth...!]

 

That was a wonderful experience, very up close and personal.

We arranged to have them pick us up at the port and return us there after.

 

After the cruise, we went to the Zoo in Sydney, and stayed at their then-new luxury hotel, right in the zoo.  DH got up early the next morning to be at the main ticket booth before it opened so we could try to get tickets to the "Meerkat Experience" (or some name like that).  We got 2 of the 4 tickets for that day!

And we now have some precious photos of us sitting inside the meerkat enclosure, with a tarp over our laps, and meerkats climbing all around.  There is one photo of a meerkat in "perfect meerkat sentinel position"... standing right on DH's lap. 😁

 

Needless to say, having as much time as possible with some of the exotic animals in the region was a big part of our trip.

 

Alas, that was our last trip since Covid.  We returned home in mid-December, 2019, and then life changed.......

 

GC

Thank you for sharing.

[Mrs f.]

First check your roll call to see what day shore excursions people are organizing.

 

We shall be in Hobart in January and I have organized a day trip with I Wander Tasmania.  We get a tour of Hobart, go up Mt Wellington and get to visit a couple of wineries.  

[MMDown Under]

Depends on your interests what you choose to do.  Hobart wharf has the greatest location for convenience.  The Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery is a great place near the wharf. You can catch a local bus or taxi to the beautiful Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens not far from wharf. You can walk to the central business district.  Further afield there are lots of special places to visit as have been recommended.

Favourites of mine are Bruny Island, Ross, Franklin with the Wooden Boat Museum.  (The Bi Annual Aust Wooden Boat Festival is on 10-13/23)  i visit Geeveston, south of Franklin, for Masaaka's Sushi.  (He used to attract big queues to his stall at the Hobart Markets prior to opening his own shop.)

[Suziemay2]

Hobart is a stunning port to visit, they will have tour operators near the cruise terminal offering different tours to areas close by. We've just booked a Mt Wellington, Richmond and Bonorong tour with Tours around Tasmania. I also thought their Hastings Caves and Mt wellington tour looked good, as no one else seems to be going to the caves from Hobart. Salamanca is a lovely area if you want to wander, there's the Sculpture Trail self guided walk around Battery Point too. 

[rkacruiser]

On 10/4/2022 at 11:45 PM, GUT2407 said:

Likewise from say Burnie, Cradle Mountain offers a lovely day out but again a lot of time lost driving, though it can be a lovely drive.

 

When I visited Tasmania, our port was Burnie and I did that tour.  Yes, it is a long drive, but I enjoyed seeing the countryside.  At sailaway, there was a wine and cheese party on the aft pool deck with the Tasmanian cheese being served.  The cheese was delicious.  I tried to get it when I returned home and was unsuccessful.  (The cheese shop manager at my upscale grocery asked me:  "Why do you want that?"  I think he thought I was a bit odd.)  

[chocchic]

On 10/4/2022 at 11:16 PM, GeezerCouple said:

One of our favorite experiences during out NZ/Australian cruise (and a few days in Sydney afterwards) was at the Bonorong animal sanctuary:

 

https://www.bonorong.com.au

 

We took their private tour, just the two of us, and it was really special.

The sanctuary itself is rather small, which was fine for us.  Many of the animals are rescues, and have been determined to be unsafe if returned to the wild, after being rehabilitated as much as possible.

 

Anyway, while I was paying very close attention to a koala bear, DH quietly said my name. and then, "you are surrounded by kangaroos..."

So I looked around and sure enough, there were about 5 kangaroos right around me.  Our guide gave me some food so they could eat out of the palm of my hand.

[They gave us gloves when needed, and to feed one of the animals, we used a long "grabber" so none of our body parts would be anywhere near that mouth...!]

 

That was a wonderful experience, very up close and personal.

We arranged to have them pick us up at the port and return us there after.

 

After the cruise, we went to the Zoo in Sydney, and stayed at their then-new luxury hotel, right in the zoo.  DH got up early the next morning to be at the main ticket booth before it opened so we could try to get tickets to the "Meerkat Experience" (or some name like that).  We got 2 of the 4 tickets for that day!

And we now have some precious photos of us sitting inside the meerkat enclosure, with a tarp over our laps, and meerkats climbing all around.  There is one photo of a meerkat in "perfect meerkat sentinel position"... standing right on DH's lap. 😁

 

Needless to say, having as much time as possible with some of the exotic animals in the region was a big part of our trip.

 

Alas, that was our last trip since Covid.  We returned home in mid-December, 2019, and then life changed.......

 

GC

 

[chocchic]

Loved you description of your visit to Bonorong.  But I'm having trouble (and admittedly I'm geopgraphy challenged) figuring out exactly where this is and whether we will be in a port that might allow be convenient for us to visit.

thanks

Pam

p.layton90@gmail.com

[seattleskibums]

On 10/4/2022 at 1:13 PM, Fieldofdreams said:

Would like any suggestions for private tours or Crystal tours while in port February 26, 2023

We spent three days in Hobart.  The most enjoyable experience was the ferry/MONA excursion up the River Derwent to Berriedale.  If you decide on the MONA, consider the Source restaurant there.  The food was excellent!  We also toured the Moorilla, a small-batch, premium winery, which is on the premises.

 

https://mona-umbraco.s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/Eat-and-Drink/2021-01/THE+SOURCE+MENU+15.01.21.pdf

[GeezerCouple]

2 hours ago, chocchic said:

Loved you description of your visit to Bonorong.  But I'm having trouble (and admittedly I'm geopgraphy challenged) figuring out exactly where this is and whether we will be in a port that might allow be convenient for us to visit.

thanks

Pam

p.layton90@gmail.com

 

I'm so sorry.... it is near Hobart, Tasmania.

The sanctuary is small, but our visit there was a high point of our entire trip (as was the zoo in Sydney).  DH got a terrific photo of me surrounded by those kangaroos.  They were smaller than I was expecting... and much friendlier!  (Of course, these were somewhat domesticated, once it was determined they wouldn't be safe if rehabilitated into the wild, etc.)

 

GC

[eddieg07410]

On 10/5/2022 at 12:16 AM, GeezerCouple said:

One of our favorite experiences during out NZ/Australian cruise (and a few days in Sydney afterwards) was at the Bonorong animal sanctuary:

 

https://www.bonorong.com.au

 

We took their private tour, just the two of us, and it was really special.

The sanctuary itself is rather small, which was fine for us.  Many of the animals are rescues, and have been determined to be unsafe if returned to the wild, after being rehabilitated as much as possible.

 

Anyway, while I was paying very close attention to a koala bear, DH quietly said my name. and then, "you are surrounded by kangaroos..."

So I looked around and sure enough, there were about 5 kangaroos right around me.  Our guide gave me some food so they could eat out of the palm of my hand.

[They gave us gloves when needed, and to feed one of the animals, we used a long "grabber" so none of our body parts would be anywhere near that mouth...!]

 

That was a wonderful experience, very up close and personal.

We arranged to have them pick us up at the port and return us there after.

 

After the cruise, we went to the Zoo in Sydney, and stayed at their then-new luxury hotel, right in the zoo.  DH got up early the next morning to be at the main ticket booth before it opened so we could try to get tickets to the "Meerkat Experience" (or some name like that).  We got 2 of the 4 tickets for that day!

And we now have some precious photos of us sitting inside the meerkat enclosure, with a tarp over our laps, and meerkats climbing all around.  There is one photo of a meerkat in "perfect meerkat sentinel position"... standing right on DH's lap. 😁

 

Needless to say, having as much time as possible with some of the exotic animals in the region was a big part of our trip.

 

Alas, that was our last trip since Covid.  We returned home in mid-December, 2019, and then life changed.......

 

GC

We too are very interested in the animals of Australia, but the only tour we found spends an hour at the Sanctuary. What was the cost of your private tour and how long was it? We would be going the trip as a excursion from airship.

[GeezerCouple]

1 hour ago, eddieg07410 said:

We too are very interested in the animals of Australia, but the only tour we found spends an hour at the Sanctuary. What was the cost of your private tour and how long was it? We would be going the trip as a excursion from airship.

 

I'd suggest emailing and asking them about what can be arranged.  It's a small place, but well run, and so you can really get "up close and personal".

They were very responsive about planning, and when we were there.

 

We did it just as the two of us, and they picked us up at the ship, and brought us back.

Note:  Because they are small, their tour can just sell out; there's only one each session (afternoon and evening), I *think*.  In our case, the ship took over the (I think it was something like) the "after hours feeding frenzy", which was our first choice.  But I think it was better to visit there in the daytime anyway.

 

We were able to linger and wander, with our escort at our leisure, and never felt rushed, such as when those kangaroos wandered over. 🙂 

Some of the background of the place was especially interesting. (Ask them, if they don't mention it.)

 

I forget what we paid, but it was well worth it.  (It wasn't inexpensive, but it was far from the most expensive excursion we've ever taken.)

 

That plus some time at the Zoo worked well for us.

You don't need to spend the night at the Zoo to enjoy it.  That was fun, but it was also one of the more expensive things we did.  Because of the distance - and, uh, our ages - we figured we might not get back.  And that was December, 2019, so we had no idea what was about to happen to the world, etc.  Anyway, we decided if there was something we wanted to do while we were there, we'd just "do it".  Fun!  [We did much the same during our (non-cruise) trip to Japan, for the same reason.]  Having the Meerkat Experience was a highlight, and our pictures are precious.

 

There was also something unusual in a mall in Sydney that I learned about by accident (!)... a Boeing 737 simulator.  Full cockpit, but stationery.   I surprised DH with a full session there.  If we had access, he'd do it again!  Even though nothing "moved", and we were obviously safe no matter what, some of it was surprisingly realistic and a bit stressful.  That was a surprise.

 

It was a terrific trip. 

Enjoy!

 

GC

[little britain]

We are in Hobart overnight, thinking of hiring a car day one and driving out to countryside (Ross?) and the next day staying in town.

Wineries and photography are our interests. Sadly the art gallery is closed the day we are there.

Recommendations welcomed - esp for what car hire company is best to use closest to port?

thanks 

[GUT2407]

On 12/13/2022 at 10:32 PM, little britain said:

We are in Hobart overnight, thinking of hiring a car day one and driving out to countryside (Ross?) and the next day staying in town.

Wineries and photography are our interests. Sadly the art gallery is closed the day we are there.

Recommendations welcomed - esp for what car hire company is best to use closest to port?

thanks 

If you head to Ross via Richmond the Coal River area has some lovely wineries and chocolate makers, tons of historic buildings around Ross and Richmond, but for my $ the best photography is up Mt Wellington or heading more South

[Janet&Carl]

10 hours ago, GUT2407 said:

If you head to Ross via Richmond the Coal River area has some lovely wineries and chocolate makers, tons of historic buildings around Ross and Richmond, but for my $ the best photography is up Mt Wellington or heading more South

 

 

 I agree whenever i have visitors I take them to the Channel area after the obligatory stop up the mountain.  The roads are not too busy and the scenery fabulous.  I do a loop - down the Channel hwy as far as Woodbridge then up over the hill with a stop on the way out to look out at the Channel/ Bruny Island. then over to Cygnet and up through Huonville back to town. 

 

[MMDown Under]

On 12/17/2022 at 4:28 PM, Janet&Carl said:

 

 

 I agree whenever i have visitors I take them to the Channel area after the obligatory stop up the mountain.  The roads are not too busy and the scenery fabulous.  I do a loop - down the Channel hwy as far as Woodbridge then up over the hill with a stop on the way out to look out at the Channel/ Bruny Island. then over to Cygnet and up through Huonville back to town. 

 

I'll have to get my map out.  I love scenic driving south of Hobart.  I stay at Frankston, so am familiar with Huonville and Cygnet.  I attend the bi-annual Wooden Boat Festival, which is back on this year.  

[Janet&Carl]

2 hours ago, MMDown Under said:

I'll have to get my map out.  I love scenic driving south of Hobart.  I stay at Frankston, so am familiar with Huonville and Cygnet.  I attend the bi-annual Wooden Boat Festival, which is back on this year.  

 

 

You will probably know my next door neighbour who was heavily involved in organising the Wooden Boat Festival for many years. 🙂 Do you stay in Franklin ?

 

Edited December 20, 2022 by Janet&Carl

[MMDown Under]

Yes, I stay at Whispering Spirit Holiday Cottages and Farm at Franklin. 

[Torquer]

Tours of Port Arthur from Hobart

Our ship will be in Hobart from 8AM-11PM and would like to visit Port Arthur along with other places on the way over there.  Can someone suggest a tour company you have used that does this tour?  We are interested in relatively small tours, 16 max people.  Alternatively is there a car rental company near the port in Hobart to rent a car and do it totally on our own?

[possum52]

2 hours ago, Torquer said:

Tours of Port Arthur from Hobart

Our ship will be in Hobart from 8AM-11PM and would like to visit Port Arthur along with other places on the way over there.  Can someone suggest a tour company you have used that does this tour?  We are interested in relatively small tours, 16 max people.  Alternatively is there a car rental company near the port in Hobart to rent a car and do it totally on our own?

What ship and when will you be in Hobart? You may be best to hire a car if you are happy to drive on the opposite side of the road that you are used to as many tours to Port Arthur will leave Hobart either before or around the time your ship is due to arrive in port. Perhaps check out Viator or Tripadvisor for some information. This link may help - Port Arthur Tours

 

The Avis rental office is about a 10 minute or so walk from the cruise terminal. The one problem I can see with renting a car is the time the office closes to return the vehicle.

 

If it was me I would be looking at a ship's excursion if available.