D

Get ready to put a spring in your step and some Spring in your soul when we visit Tasmania.

We fly into historic Hobart, the Island State’s scenic capital, to be met and welcomed by our CFT Christian Tour Leader. Get to know your fellow travellers as we come together to share our first group dinner.

Overnight: Hobart

3 NIGHTS | B | L | D

Today, we leave the city behind and travel to Southern Tasmania’s rugged interior. We will return to Hobart later in our holiday but for now one of the world’s great wildernesses beckons. This is an almost uninhabited landscape of lakes, majestic rivers, waterfalls, gorges, and 1000-year-old trees.

We travel to the Mount Field National Park, one of Tasmania’s oldest National Parks, where a short stroll will bring us to Russell Falls.

Visit beautiful Lake St Clair before we travel to Derwent Bridge for lunch. Be amazed by the Wall in the Wilderness, 100 metres of carved timber depicting the history of the highlands.

We continue westward through the moonscape scenery of Queenstown and then onto the coast where we’ll stay for three nights at Strahan.

Overnight: Strahan

B | L | D

This morning we cruise to Macquarie Harbour and Hells Gate, on the mighty Gordon River.

We will enjoy a superb buffet lunch which is included before we step back in time to our convict past with a walking tour of Sarah Island. This afternoon you will be free to relax and wander Strahan at leisure. Tonight before dinner we will enjoy a show called “The Ship that never was”, a highly entertaining performance that brings history to life as you learn the fate of Sarah Island convicts.

Overnight: Strahan

B | D

This morning’s excursion on the West Coast Wilderness Railway takes us on a relaxing steam train journey from Strahan Harbour, along the foreshore and then follows the river deep into the rainforest. From fabulous harbour views and stunning rainforest to the engineering marvel of the original iron bridge this is an experience that is sure to be enjoyed by all.

We return to Strahan on the Rack Railway after lunch at our own choice and cost in Queenstown.

Overnight: Strahan

B | L | D

We depart Strahan this morning and travel through the rugged wilderness of the West Coast to the famous Cradle Mountain. This magnificent glaciated landscape is part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. A local bus will take us to Dove Lake where we will enjoy the majestic setting. What a wonderful way to spend any day, being surrounded by the beauty of God’s Creation.

Overnight: Cradle Mountain

B | L | D

Following the beautiful craggy coastline, our route today takes us to Table Cape near Wynyard where we will visit Table Top Tulip Farm to admire the colourful blooms. Enjoy lunch at Annsleigh Garden & Café before travelling to Devonport via Penguin and Ulverstone – if we’re lucky we may spot some actual penguins along the way. The highway route affords us unparalleled views of Bass Strait. The undulating countryside near the coast is an interesting patchwork of farms. Sit back and enjoy the spectacular scenery so reminiscent of Victoria’s Great Ocean Road as we travel to Devonport.

Overnight: Devonport

✝️| BCA | 2 NIGHTS | B | D

This morning is a great time for worship and a chance to meet Josh and Naomi Skeat who minister in the parish of Deloraine and also act as the BCA Regional Officer for Tasmania.

Time for fellowship over a “cuppa” after church, and today the township of Deloraine is abuzz with the Tasmanian Craft Fair. We wouldn’t be game to leave before you had the chance to enjoy some of the displays and stalls before leaving for the amazing township of Sheffield, the town of murals.

Time to wander and take plenty of photographs of this amazing outdoor art show before travelling onto the gracious city of Launceston where we will stay for the next two nights.

Overnight: Launceston

BCA | B | L | D

Our day starts with a cruise in the breathtakingly beautiful Cataract Gorge followed by a chairlift ride over the Gorge itself.

After lunch in the Basin Café surrounded by flowering Rhododendrons, we will take a drive up the Tamar Valley passing through Beaconsfield (Remember that amazing mine rescue?) and no visit to this area would be complete without spending time at the amazing Platypus House – the world of Monotreme magic.

We then return to Launceston on the Eastern side of the Tamar River. Our dinner guests tonight will be Josh and Naomi Skeat.

Overnight: Launceston

B | L | D

Our first stop this morning is Bridestowe Lavender Farm, where we hope to see (and smell) the first flowers of the season.

Today is a day of delightful scenery as we drive through beautiful forested countryside towards Tasmania’s East Coast. This area is the island’s premier seaside destination as it boasts a mild, sunny climate, some of Australia’s most exquisite coastal scenery, historic sites, and a hinterland of peaks, gorges, waterfalls and forests.

What more could we ask for?

We’ll travel through lush rainforest and the Weldborough Pass en route to St Helens, then follow the coastal drive south through the delightful seaside towns of St Marys, Bicheno and Swansea, pausing at the Spiky Bridge with our overnight destination at Orford on Prosser Bay.

Overnight: Orford

5 NIGHTS | B | L | D

Natural wonders abound as we enjoy a tour to the Tasman Peninsula and Tasman Arch, seeing the Blowhole and the Devil’s Kitchen before we arrive in historic Port Arthur.

Port Arthur is Tasmania’s most popular tourist attraction, and one of Australia’s most significant historic sites.

We visit the Port Arthur historic site today and join an easy walking tour of this important penal settlement with its imposing sandstone prison buildings set in 40 hectares of spectacular landscaping.

Learn more about the real lives of those imprisoned here as we take a cruise on the harbour to the Isle of the Dead.

After lunch, it’s just a short run into Hobart via Richmond, a charming town which features Australia’s oldest bridge.

Overnight: Hobart

B | L | D

Today we head South of Hobart to the timbered region of the Huon Valley, and included in our day’s activities will be the famous Tahune Forest Airwalk. This unique walkway is an elevated walkway 30 metres above the forest floor, with the final cantilever section sitting at a height of 50 metres above the Huon River, with spectacular views to the confluence of the Huon and Picton and beyond to the peaks of the World Heritage Area.

A delightful Barbecue lunch tops off our morning, and on the return, of course, we must stop at an apple orchard as we return towards Hobart.

Overnight: Hobart

B | D

Hobart is a charming city and it features beautiful Botanic Gardens overlooking the Derwent River, Colonial Architecture and history, and is overlooked by the majestic Mount Wellington.

Our tour will be a delightful and leisurely blend of drive past sightseeing coupled with the chance to get off the coach and explore.

Lunch will be at your own choice and cost that you may like to enjoy around the famous pier that sees the end of the famous Sydney to Hobart Yacht race.

An afternoon’s run to the summit of Mount Wellington will literally “cap” off our day.

Overnight: Hobart

B | D

The famous Salamanca Markets established around the waterfront is a tradition that may appeal, or if you prefer you may elect to take the high speed Catamaran Ferry to MONA – the museum of old and new art. (Extra Cost)

Lunch again is at your own choice and cost and this afternoon we conclude our day with a guided tour in the Cascades Female Factory, and a short play called “Her Story” about a convict inmate in the Colonial era of Hobart.

Tonight a special celebratory dinner will start to bring our special experience to a close.

Overnight: Hobart

✝️ | BCA | B | D

This morning you may elect to attend a church of your choice or your Tour Leader will co-ordinate service times for the group, keeping in mind that we will be sharing with a local congregation this afternoon in the Southern Beaches.

Our coach will take us the short drive to Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary. This is a special place that offers a 24 hour wildlife rescue service, but it also will give us a chance to enjoy a guided walk through the park to see the various animals that have been rescued and are being cared for. A light lunch is available here at your own choice and cost.

This afternoon we will have the chance to meet up with Chris and Naomi Duff who have been serving with BCA since December 2017. They work in a pioneering ministry having established a new church in the Northern suburbs.

A short drive will then bring us to the Southern Beaches for a chance to worship with local people being cared for in ministry by David and Laurel Horne, and a chance to share in an early Sunday dinner with them before we return back to Hobart.

Overnight: Hobart

B

Sadly, our Tasmania in the Springtime holiday has come to an end. We fly home this morning feeling blessed. We give thanks for a holiday full of fellowship and fun, incredible sights and memorable experiences that have been shared with new friends.