Travel guide Tasmania for Cruising

Best Aussie Adventures Where do you think is the best adventure holiday destination in Australia? The 2009 votes are still being counted to find the best place to take yourself and your friends, partner or family on an adventure holiday. Where are the best places to go, things to do and things to see? TakeABreak.com.au, Australia’s only independent holiday rental website, has initiated a first time ‘Best Places to Stay’ award for Australian destinations, which recognises towns and cities that have outstanding facilities in specialist segment categories. Winners will be voted on by the public with 8 categories presenting finalists across each state. Just some of the TakeABreak Adventure Destination finalists… Freycinet P... Read more

Luxury holiday accommodation: Walton House Huonville, Tasmania Walton House is an historic, AAA rated, 4 1/2 star bed and breakfast in Huonville in southern Tasmania and certainly lives up to its promise of luxury. With a record of 5 out of 5 for every guest review it has received on TakeABreak, Walton House is most definitely a loved and celebrated property and a deserving winner of the 2008 TakeABreak National Award for Best Luxury Holiday Accommodation. Huonville, just 35 minutes south of Hobart, is a small town known as the fruit bowl of Tasmania and produces more than 50% of Tasmania’s apples. The town (population 1,700) sits on the banks of the tranquil Huon River, surrounded by the colourful orchards. The famous slow-growing Huon pine tree can be spotted throughout the l... Read more

Those of us who live in Australia grow up understanding the joys, dangers and safety rules that make it such a great place.  However, many visitors to our country find Australia an alien, but starkly beautiful country, and they have little or no understanding of the best way to stay safe and enjoy their time here. A few very simple rules can help to make a visit to Australia a safe and pleasurable experience, and Tourism Australia has a brochure available for download that lists safety tips in a variety of languages. Driving tips One of the first things to remember is that speed limits are strictly enforced in Australia, more so than in many countries overseas.  Generally, when driving in urban and suburban areas, the speed limit is between 50 and 60 kilometres per hour. When ... Read more

We know that our teenage children can be delightful, exasperating, funny, sullen, adventurous, shy, talkative, slothful and manic – and sometimes that is just in the space of an hour!  All these moods are magnified when it comes to travelling, be it in Australia or overseas, as teens and parents are forced into one another’s company without a ‘get out of jail free’ card, such as time with friends. Travelling overseas with teenagers tends to be a better experience for a number of reasons, such as the brilliant entertainment systems now available on most flights, menus that let them eat things they like, resorts that have activities that cater for most age groups and the “wow” factor.  So let’s concentrate on surviving travelling in Austra... Read more

If you want to see Tasmanian wilderness, but see it in comfort, then the West Coast is the place.  Strahan, tucked inside Macquarie Harbour, is in many ways the tourist capital of Tasmania, and with good reason.  Your first stop there should be the Tourist Information Centre on the harbour-front which has plenty of useful information and there is a theatrical play ‘The Ship That Never Was’, on there every day.  The Ship that Never Was tells the amazing story of the last convicts on Sarah Island who escaped on the ship they built, sailing it out “Hell’s Gates” and all the way to Chile.  If you’re disabled however, you might find the rustic planks surrounding the centre rather hard to negotiate.  The entrance isn’t that e... Read more

Have you ever watched a movie – probably a period romance or nostalgic film – and thought to yourself, “Places like this don’t really exist!”? You know – where everything seems utterly perfect…lovely rolling hills, calm waters, flowers and trees everywhere, and a sense that the locals are truly content. It’s not possible, right? A place where there is no hustle or bustle, where people take the time to laugh together, to savour good food and wine, and locals practise fly fishing, not caring too much if the fish choose to bite. The good news is – such a place really does still exist, and it’s in the southern part of Tasmania.   When you arrive in the region, which is home to the Huon Valley and the famous d’Entrecast... Read more

Rising 1545 metres above sea level, and towering over Dove Lake, Lake Wilks and Crater Lake, Cradle Mountain was aptly named in 1827 by surveyor Joseph Fossey. Formed by millennia of glacial sculpting, this unique peak is part of the Cradle Mountain – Lake St Clair National Park, within the vast Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. Despite its popularity among outdoor enthusiasts, artists, athletes, families, couples and tour groups, it is easy to find your own space to explore, reflect, and rejuvenate.  Things To Do The most important items you’ll need to pack in your bag are good walking boots and a camera, because Cradle Mountain is all about the scenery and enjoying life in the Tasmanian wilderness. With that in mind, make sure you stop into the Cradle Mountain... Read more

This delightful Tasmanian city nestled in the Tamar Valley is often nicknamed The Valley of the Senses. Some believe the reason for this nickname is the aromatic and colourful flowers of Cataract Gorge. Others consider the city’s reputation for fine wines and gourmet food to be the main reason. But in reality, it is due to all of these, as well as the caress of gentle breezes and lush moss, the sounds of rushing water in the Gorge during floods, and the songs of regional birds in the abundant bushland. Founded in 1805, this historic city is actually the third oldest in Australia (with Sydney and Hobart being the first and second respectively). It was originally called Patersonia, after Lieutenant Colonel Paterson (coincidentally, one of my distant relatives) but he later changed it ... Read more

Tasmania’s Effervescent East Discover Launceston and the many roads to Hobart. There are many things to do in Tasmania at any time of the year. If it’s not the famous Sydney to Hobart yacht race, it's the cool-climate wine regions, gourmet produce and Hobart’s Cascade beer. Tasmania is usually remembered as being the ‘Apple Isle’, or for Hobart and the convict settlements that were housed nearby. We’re going to start in the North East with Launceston, home of Boag’s. Brewery tours are one of Launceston’s most popular attractions. Launceston is Australia’s third oldest city, behind Sydney and Hobart, quite a claim to fame really, but probably one on the whole overlooked. It is the second largest city in Tasmania, the main city ... Read more

Tasmania's ancient beauty includes vast tracts of World Heritage wilderness without peer in Australia. These wilds host both soft and extreme adventures. Now in Tasmania, swapping the lounge room for wilderness has never been easier. An eco-cruise is one way to pierce Tasmania's outermost regions.  Witness migrating wildlife on the great Southern Ocean and towering coastal cliffs, amongst the tallest in Australia, from a custom-built, ocean-going cruiser. Or stir the mind while negotiating the temperate wilderness crowding the Gordon River. Meandering through the World Heritage Area the majestic and mysterious Gordon River moves through some of Tasmania's most inaccessible rainforest.  Spoil yourself on a luxury cruise or fly in on a seaplane. For those who prefer to get clos... Read more