Colonial Tasmania Small Group Tour

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: Hobart, Hobart, Greater Hobart, Tasmania

We meet as a group late this afternoon in the hotel for a tour briefing and introductions. There is a group welcome dinner this evening.

Duration: 4 hours

Stop At: Hobart, Hobart, Greater Hobart, Tasmania

This morning we have an initial talk by a local historian on the colony’s early settlement followed by morning tea and then a walking tour through some of the older sections of the town, including visits to Narryna House, built in the 1830s, and the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery. The TMAG precinct is one of Australia’s most historically significant sites. Included in the precinct is Tasmania’s oldest surviving public buildings, the 1808-10 Commissariat Store and the Private Secretary’s Cottage, built prior to 1815.

The afternoon will be free for you to wander at will, or possibly explore some of the other historic sites suggested by your programme leader and tour guide. The Maritime Museum is particularly interesting, as is the old Hobart gaol and Markree House, built in 1926 and reflecting the style of the Arts and Crafts movement.

Duration: 5 hours

Stop At: Richmond Gaol, 37 Bathurst St, Richmond, Clarence, Tasmania 7025 Australia

This morning after breakfast we will be collected by our coach for a day trip to two early settlements relatively close to Hobart.

Our first stop and a short walk will be at Richmond, a picture-perfect town in the heart of the Coal River Valley. Richmond has more than 50 Georgian buildings. The town’s most photographed landmark is the Richmond Bridge. Built by convicts in the 1820s.

The Richmond Gaol is also the oldest gaol in Australia. Standing inside the stone cells gives an eerie insight into the hardships and brutality of convict life in early Van Diemen’s Land.

From Richmond we will continue to Pontville, rich in heritage and natural attractions. Pontville sits on a hill overlooking the Jordan River. The site was established as a garrison town in 1821.

Pontville offers plenty of history to explore on a short walk. There are many fine Georgian residences. Also keep your eye out for ‘The Row’, sometimes known as ‘The Barracks’, near the bridge over the Jordan River.



Duration: 6 hours

Stop At: Mount Nelson Lookout, Nelson Road Mount Nelson, Hobart, Tasmania 7007 Australia

This morning we drive south to the Mount Nelson Signal Station which holds a prime position in the hills above Hobart. It boasts panoramic views over Hobart city, the River Derwent and, on a clear day out over the east coast, down to Cape Bruny on Bruny Island and out to Storm Bay. Built in 1811, the Mount Nelson Signal Station was the first signal station constructed in Tasmania.

Our next stop this morning is the historic Shot Tower. The Shot Tower, built by proprietor, Joseph Moir in 1870, is one of Tasmania’s most distinctive heritage landmarks. A testament to Joseph Moir’s ingenuity, the circular sandstone tower stands 58 metres high and is still one of the tallest buildings in Tasmania. Today, the enormity of Moir’s ambitious project is not lost; the Shot Tower, built with the purpose of producing lead shot, is the only remaining circular structure of its kind in the world.

We return to Hobart, you have the afternoon free for a final walk, through Hobart.

Duration: 4 hours

Stop At: Launceston, Launceston, Tasmania

This morning we have a guided tour of historic Launceston with a local historian. There is much to see in this city first established by European settlers on the banks of the Tamar River in 1806. We will begin the tour with a visit to the Old Umbrella Shop now owned by the National Trust for Tasmania. A number of the colonial and Victorian buildings have been restored in the city and our guided walk will take us past many of the best of these.

After a stop for morning coffee we’ll visit the renowned Queen Victoria Museum & Art Gallery which was established in 1891. This is a great place to brush up on some local history and admire Australian and international art.

We will also have time to visit Cataract Gorge, on the South Esk River. This is a unique natural formation just minutes from central Launceston. The Gorge has walking tracks, a suspension bridge and panoramic lookouts with spectacular views.

The rest of the day will be yours to explore.

Duration: 5 hours

Stop At: Launceston, Launceston, Tasmania

We head north towards Launceston, we pass through a number of historic townships, with time to stop and explore.

Our first stop will be Kempton, a small, early colonial, settlement with a rich collection of historic buildings.
Oatlands, with 150 sandstone buildings, is our next stop on this day tour. From Oatlands we continue to the small township of Ross. The Ross Bridge, is possibly the most beautiful of its kind left in the world.
Our final stop along the road to Launceston will be at Campbell Town. Unlike the other towns we visit on our journey, Campbell Town is notable for its wide main street, its elegant English village green in front of The Grange, its handsome convict-built Red Bridge, and the impressive coaching inn, The Foxhunters Return.

In the late afternoon we will arrive at our Launceston hotel where we will stay for the next five nights. Dinner tonight will be in a local restaurant.

Duration: 7 hours

Stop At: Launceston, Launceston, Tasmania

Today, we rejoin our coach and drive north to George Town, stopping to visit the historic St Matthias Anglican Church at Windermere on the way. On our return journey we’ll cross to the western bank of the Tamar River and drive back to our hotel via the “Swiss Village” of Grindelwald and the Tamar valley Island Wetlands.

Duration: 8 hours

Stop At: New Norfolk, New Norfolk, Tasmania

This morning our day trip is a drive west to New Norfolk, the third oldest settlement in Tasmania. New Norfolk and Plenty, which we also visit on today’s day tour, are genuinely fascinating. The richness and variety of their historic buildings, the superb Salmon Ponds at Plenty, the old Oast Houses and the gentle undulations of the countryside on either side of the Derwent River.

Time permitting, we will continue west to Bushy Park which prides itself on being the capital of Tasmania’s hop growing region. The most impressive building in the district is Ebenezer Shoobridge’s justifiably famous Text Kiln.

Duration: 6 hours

Stop At: Launceston, Launceston, Tasmania

Today we visit two National Trust properties in the Launceston region. Franklin House is a 1838 convict-built home and gardens that became one of the Colony’s leading private schools. Built for successful businessman, Britton Jones, himself an ex-convict, this rare colonial building went on to accommodate one of the Colony’s leading private schools which operated from 1842 until 1866.

In the afternoon we visit Clarendon, our second historic house for the day. Set in 7 hectares of parklands on the banks of the South Esk River, this magnificent three-storey Georgian house has servants’ quarters, a heritage walled garden.

It was built in 1838 as an extraordinary statement of achievement for wealthy wool grower and merchant, James Cox, who was born in Wiltshire, England. Although Clarendon was built with convict labour, Mr Cox was known to treat his convicts well and he later played a major role in the abolition of transportation and convict labour.

Duration: 6 hours

Stop At: Launceston, Launceston, Tasmania

Today we spend in Longford, a country town, close to Launceston, full of colonial charm, lovely convict-built buildings and grand estates that relive the past. Longford is a classified historic town with many fine houses and estates built by convicts in the early 1800s.

While in Longford we’ll take time to visit Woolmers, a World Heritage listed site, just 7 kilometres from the township.

Woolmers Estate is one of Australia’s finest examples of a pioneer farm from the early 1800s and one of Tasmania’s World Heritage Convict Sites. Woolmers was continuously occupied by the Archer family from around 1817 to 1994 and is acknowledged as one of the most outstanding examples of 19th century rural settlements in Australia.

In the afternoon we return to Launceston for our final night in the city.


Duration: 6 hours

Stop At: Deloraine, Deloraine, Tasmania

This morning we leave the city and head west into a wilder part of the island, an area renowned for its landscape and pristine wilderness and scenery. Before leaving the more settled regions we have a final colonial estate to visit. Entally House is a historic homestead with various outbuildings, including Australia’s oldest conservatory. The property encompasses grand, parklike surroundings with magnificent gardens and a vineyard.

After visiting Entally House we’ll continue to the Thousand Lakes region where, availability permitting, we’ll spend the night in accommodation designed originally, but now upgraded, for Antarctic exploration training! This is an area of stunning natural beauty.

Dinner tonight will be provided in the Lodge.

Duration: 6 hours

Stop At: Stanley, Stanley, Tasmania

This morning we head north again through Deloraine to Stanley, where we spend the next two nights.

The National Trust has classified Deloraine for its historic buildings. We’ll have time to stroll past the historic buildings, grab a morning coffee, and visit the Deloraine Museum. The museum is housed in a building dating from 1856. Originally a family cottage, the building was extended and became the Family and Commercial Inn in 1863. It operated as such until 1894.

From Deloraine we drive north and then take a scenic tour along the coast road through some of Tasmania’s most spectacular coastal scenery, including Table Cape near Wynyard, and the famous Nut at Stanley. Some of Tasmania’s prettiest towns sit right on the water’s edge.

We take time to stop at Rocky Cape National Park which contains many significant Tasmanian Aboriginal sites dating back thousands of years.

On arrival in Stanley we will check into our hotel.

Dinner tonight will be at a local restaurant.

Duration: 7 hours

Stop At: Stanley, Stanley, Tasmania

Today we can relax in Stanley, a small town with a long history of European settlement.
This morning we’ll visit the Highfield Historic Site which offers a historically accurate vision of a gentleman’s home and farm of the 1830s. It sits on a hillside overlooking the lands the manager would have once controlled, with views across to Stanley, The Nut and Bass Strait beyond.

The rest of the day will be yours to rest, or perhaps climb The Nut for panoramic views. Those less physically inclined might prefer to take the chairlift!

Duration: 4 hours

Stop At: Cradle Mountain-Lake St. Clair National Park, Cradle Mountain-Lake St. Clair National Park, Tasmania

This morning we leave Stanley and drive to Cradle Mountain National park where we’ll spend just one night.

On reaching the northern end of the Cradle Mountain–Lake St Clair National Park, we will be able to check into our accommodation and spend the afternoon exploring the area. The scenery is spectacular and it is possible to do a two-three hour walk around Dove Lake, or much shorter walks along the boardwalks and designated trails.

This evening dinner will be at our accommodation.

Duration: 8 hours

Stop At: Queenstown TAS 7467, Australia

This morning we head south to Queenstown via Zeehan and Strahan. We’ll spend the next two nights in Queenstown.
Zeehan was established in the late 1800s after tin, silver and lead discoveries sparked the largest mining boom in the west of the island. Nicknamed ‘Silver City’, it quickly grew into Tasmania’s third largest town and social hub for the entire West Coast region. Today the town attracts geologists from around the world due to the unique geological structures of the region.
Strahan, an outlying post of civilisation, was a regular shipping port in the 19th and early 20th centuries, servicing the mining and timber industries in the area. Strahan now has the feel of a small, isolated fishing village and seaside getaway with Edwardian terrace architecture. We’ll have time for a short walk to explore the town before continuing to Queenstown.

Dinner tonight will be in a local restaurant.

Duration: 7 hours

Stop At: Queenstown, Queenstown, Tasmania

Queenstown, the largest town in Tasmania’s west, is surrounded by dramatic hills and rugged mountains and was once the world’s richest mining town.
This morning we’ll take a scenic tour including a ride on the steam train, the west coast wilderness railway, through wilderness to Dubbil Barril and the King River Gorge. In the afternoon we return to Queenstown for a short guided tour of the historic township. After this you will have time to explore on your own.

Duration: 6 hours

Stop At: Hobart, Hobart, Greater Hobart, Tasmania

This morning we take the long drive back to Hobart, via the sculpture wall at Derwent Bridge, and in the National park complex at Lake Saint Clair.

The Wall In The Wilderness sculpture is situated at Derwent Bridge. It is Australia’s most ambitious art project undertaken in recent years. Creator/designer, Greg Duncan plans to carve the history of the highlands in 100 metres of timber, most of which will be in rare Huon Pine.

We’ll stop for lunch at Lake Saint Clair with time for a walking tour around the shores of the lake before continuing on our return trip to Hobart.

Tonight we have a farewell dinner at a local restaurant.

Duration: 8 hours

Stop At: Hobart, Hobart, Greater Hobart, Tasmania

Tour concludes after breakfast this morning

Duration: 2 hours