BOUTIQUE HOTELS & TEMPTING TASMANIA

Day 1 – Lyall Hotel / MELBOURNE

Arrive Melbourne – Welcome to Australia!

On clearing customs and collecting your luggage you will be met and transferred to the Lyall Hotel by private car.

The Lyall Hotel is situated in the heart of South Yarra, one of the world's most fashionable and cosmopolitan destinations. Lifestyle features include a mini art gallery on each floor featuring the original art of local French artist Thierry B and lounge with open fireplace. Just a short stroll from The Lyall, Toorak Road and Chapel Street are home to dozens of designer fashion stores and world-class restaurants. Your stay at the Lyall will be spent in a Super Deluxe Spa Suite.

The remainder of the day is at your leisure

Lyall Hotel (Accommodation only)

Day 2 – Lyall Hotel / MELBOURNE

Today, you will be met for a private tour with Australian Luxury Escapes, you may choose an itinerary such as the one suggested below:

Penguins, Koalas & Historic BBQ Experience

You leave the city late afternoon and head South East towards the Bays and Peninsulas.

Our first stop is Churchill Island. This charming island is where Victoria’s first crops were planted and combines historic buildings, fragrant heritage gardens, ancient Moonah trees and picturesque coastal views. Tour the homestead before sitting down for a sumptuous BBQ, one of the few, unspoilt, unique locations to enjoy your meal before the activities that lie ahead.

Soon after, you get the opportunity to walk amongst the treetops at the Koala Conservation Centre. This is one of the few areas in Victoria where you can see a protected koala colony. Walk with your guide in nature reserve bushland and wetlands as they interpret your surroundings and more often than not get to see wild Koalas within touching distance - this makes for once in a lifetime photographs.

Continuing on you will head to the Nobbies. From this magnificent headland, the views stretch forever. There is spectacular coastal viewing from the boardwalks and lookout points set amongst natural sea bird gardens. One and half kilometres offshore from The Nobbies are Seal Rocks, home to Australia's largest Australian Fur Seal colony. As you wander around this portion of natures paradise there is also every possibility to see swamp wallabies in the wild.

Finally you get to the Penguin Parade. Each evening at dusk “Little Penguins” arrive onshore from their ocean feeding grounds. The large penguin colony enters the beach in groups and "walk and talk" loudly as they work their way into the dunes where their burrow nests are situated. The boardwalks enable you to gain close contact with the penguins in the dune area. You have access to the “less populated” boardwalks, so that you can enjoy this spectacle without any hustle and bustle.

Lyall Hotel (B) Australian Luxury Escapes (L)

Day 3 – Lyall Hotel / MELBOURNE

You have today at Leisure, take the opportunity to explore Melbourne City or take advantage of the many shopping boutiques that Melbourne has to offer.

Lyall Hotel (B)

Day 4 – Meringa Springs / GRAMPIANS

This morning you will pick up your hire car from the nearest Depot for your drive to the Grampians for your stay at Meringa Springs.

Located three hours west of Melbourne, this exclusive establishment overlooks Wartook Valley, providing the most sophisticated accommodation in the region. Catering to the most discerning guests, your friendly host will ensure the highest standards of service and cuisine. The neighbouring Grampians National Park with its extraordinary beauty and diversity of wildlife and flora is striking, waiting to be explored by you.

Lyall (B) Meringa Springs (Accommodation only)

Day 5 – Meringa Springs / GRAMPIANS

Following a leisurely breakfast take the opportunity to explore beauty of this region.

The Grampians National Park is a treasure-trove of the Australian bush and it starts virtually as you leave Meringa Springs. The park is famous for its massive rock outcrops, deep gorges, waterfalls, wildflowers and wildlife. Naturally, walking is an age-old pastime through Victoria's most accessible wilderness and Meringa Springs is close to a network of well maintained tracks.

Meringa Springs (B)

Day 6 – Pepperbush Adventures / TASMANIA

Enjoy your final breakfast at Meringa Springs before making your way back to the Melbourne airport to return your hire car and board your flight for Launceston.

Pepper Bush Adventures based in Northern Tasmania has much pleasure in offering “Exclusive - all Inclusive” nature based wildlife experiences. Pepperbush Adventures is very much a tour of your senses and an interactive encounter with Nature Naturally. Gourmet bush foods and award winning wines, combined with a laid back lifestyle, provide the ingredients for an unforgettable Tasmanian nature experience.

Be met on arrival at Launceston Airport by your guide Craig Williams. Launceston, the 3rd oldest city in Australia, has many attractions and places of interest for a brief visit and lunch before heading to the North-East Highlands to your accommodation destination (and base for the next two nights) overlooking the pristine South Esk River.

You will have time to settle in and relax, in the late afternoon recommence your exploration of Tasmania and its unique wildlife species with an afternoon/evening Gourmet Game Food dinner & Nocturnal Wildlife Tour. But not before a close encounter with one of nature’s mixed-up marsupials, the platypus, as it forages for food in its aquatic wonderland.

Dinner will consist of original mouth-watering bush recipes and native spices. Pepper Bush Adventures will do more than just tempt your taste buds; they tantalize and challenge them with Tasmanian gourmet cuisine. A combination of exotic Tasmanian game meats, fish and other dishes prepared, cooked and served with nature, and the opportunity to sample some of the “Bush Chefs” own creations, such as Char Grilled Wallaby Tenderloins glazed with Whiskey Honey & whole seed mustard, all consumed with nature and accompanying world-renowned Tasmanian cool climate wine and cheeses. After dinner, it’s time for the Quoll Patrol wildlife tour. Your focus and objective is to view the bandit of the bush, the Eastern Quoll, in its natural habitat. This tour will be conducted exclusively on private land that provides the perfect environment for Tasmanian little spotted friends - a mixture of farmland and saggy river flats, surrounded by a diverse mixture of native forest vegetation. The Quoll is an acrobatic, elusive, and agile little creature that takes great pleasure in eluding the spot light. Possums, Wombats, Wallabies, Bettongs, Pademelons, Eastern Barred Bandicoots & Tasmanian devils are just some of Tasmania’s weird and wonderful wildlife species that dwell and blossom in the vale of darkness.

Returning back to camp approx 10.30pm.

Meringa Springs (B) Pepperbush Adventures - Bush Cabin (L,D)

Day 7 – Pepperbush Adventures / TASMANIA

Enjoy a Cooked breakfast then depart base camp at 9.30 am to make your way to the far North East tip of Tasmania, to the Cape Portland (Ringaroom Estuary Coastal Reserve) area, a complete contrast of landscape, home of the Eastern grey (Forester) kangaroo and also refuge to a very healthy population of wombats. You will visit a landscape of sand-dunes, boobyalla and inland coastal lagoons that plays host to a large and varied range of wildlife species. There is a great deal to see and discover in this remote and vastly unoccupied area.

Departing Mathinna, make your way in a North East direction climbing up over the Mathinna Plains and Plateau passing Mt. Victoria, Mt. Saddle Back and also Mt Ben Nevis, and down into the Ringarooma, before climbing again to visit the unique Ralph Falls. A gentle 20-minute stroll through beautiful untouched rain forest will take you to a viewing platform overlooking the stunning Ringarooma and Nu-River Basin.

Superb views and photographic opportunities are on offer with the unusual geographical structure of this unique single drop waterfall, the tallest in Tasmania.

Leave Mt Victoria and make your way down to Ringarooma, travelling through sections of dry stacked stone walls, constructed by hand around 1920 to 1923, depicting the hardships and determination of our fore fathers, and continuing on through the undulating rich and productive farm lands towards your afternoon destination, the Cape Portland & Mt. William area that has an amazing diversity of animals. An important sanctuary for the Forester (or Eastern grey) kangaroo that lives in harmony with one of Tasmania’s most endearing creatures the Wombat, affectionately known as the “Ground Bear”. Bennett’s wallabies, pademelons & echidna are also common and can be found, particularly in the summer months, foraging for ants. Bird life is also rich and varied, with nearly 100 species occurring there. A highlight of the afternoon will be a very close encounter with wombats in the wild conducted on private land before you depart Mt. William in the late afternoon and return to your accommodation destination. Followed by a Baked Dinner in the camp oven with all the trimmings, and cooked over the open fire.

Pepperbush Adventures - Bush Cabin. (B,L,D)

Day 8 – Pepperbush Adventures / TASMANIA

Enjoy a cooked breakfast with the Platypus and then it is time to discover the hidden treasures of Mathinna, a gold rush town of days gone by. Then onto the magical Mathinna Falls which cascade down off Mt. Black Boy at the edge of the Mt Victoria Plateau, a six tier waterfall set against a back-drop of native dry eucalyptus forest - a refreshing pool at the bottom is certainly a treat on a hot day.

Continuing on from the Mathinna Falls make your way to the Evercreech Forest Reserve, here you will have the opportunity to stand beneath the tallest White Gum trees in the world, 91.3 meters in height, as well as taking a gentle stroll through untouched wet sclerophyll forest before lunch.

After lunch you will make your way over Rosies Tier through untouched virgin Old growth forest, down through Blessington and continuing on to Evandale. It’s a step back in time in a quaint little country village steeped in history, plenty of time to stroll around at your leisure to sample the local produce and visit the many galleries and craft shops. Evandale also becomes a hype of activity for one weekend a year when it plays host to the annual Penny Farthing Championships.

Departing Evandale, continue on with a short 10 minute drive to Launceston in the late afternoon to your accommodation at Peppers Seaport apartments overlooking the Tamar River.

Tonight a farewell dinner with your tour guide Craig at Peppers Seaport before your departure the following day.

Peppers Seaport Apartments, Launceston. – (B,L,D)

Day 9 – Islington Hotel / HOBART

Enjoy breakfast before your transfer to Hobart for your onward arrangements. Stop in Ross for morning tea, travel through the sheep producing regions of Tasmania and colonial towns of the midland route.

On arrival collect your Hire Car for use of the next couple of days.

The Islington is a very special, small, luxury hotel with a long history and a large and delightful garden, affording quite special views of Mount Wellington. Decorated with fine artworks and furnished with antiques, Islington appeals to those who want the very best in life, surrounded by great service, presented in an atmosphere of serenity, luxury and tranquility.

The rest of the afternoon/evening is at your leisure.

Peppers Seaport Apartments, Launceston (B) Islington (Accommodation only)

Day 10 – Islington Hotel / HOBART

Today you have the opportunity to explore by self drive.

Greater Hobart and its surrounding towns of Richmond to the north-east and Kettering to the south are an intriguing blend of heritage and lifestyle, scenery and vibrant culture. The city is defined by the river and sea. Take a harbour cruise or drive to the summit of Mount Nelson or Mount Wellington and you'll understand the maritime focus - suburbs hug the Derwent River, city buildings cluster around the docks and the estuary broadens into Storm Bay and the distant sea.

Twenty-five kilometres and 100 years from the busy city is the historic town of Richmond. In the narrow cells of the old Richmond Gaol, Tasmania's convict past seems just a clink of chains away. Close by are the neat vineyards and wineries of the Coal River Valley, home of superb cool-climate wines.

Hobart is an ideal base for your southern Tasmanian journeys - explore farther afield, then return to relax, unwind and rejuvenate.

The Islington (B)

Day 11 – Conclusion / HOBART

This morning is at your own Leisure. Use the morning to explore Hobart or just relax before you make your own way to the Hobart airport and conclude your arrangements with Outback Encounter.

The Islington (B)

END OF ARRANGEMENTS

PRICE ON APPLICATION

Inclusions/ Exclusions:

Download full inclusions / exclusions