Frommer's Australia from $50 a Day 13th Edition - To Parent Directory

TASMANIA 605
Tips 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$13.50 (US$8.80) for 2 months.
Occasional users can buy a 24-hour pass for A$10 (US$6.50) per car, while
walkers, 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 website
(www.parks.tas.gov.au) for information on Tasmania’s national parks.
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 (& 03/6272 6611, or
1300/300 520 in Australia; 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. Rental cars cost around A$70 (US$46) a day in summer, and around
A$50 a day (for multi-day hire) at other times. 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
between A$375 and A$495 (US$144–US$322) depending on accommodation.
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
A$950 (US$468–US$617). Call for departure days.