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Coastal Tasmania Cruise: Untamed Wilderness

Coastal Tasmania Cruise: Untamed Wilderness

From AUD $14,895

Description

Revel in the opportunity to tread some of Tasmania’s greatest coastal tracks while you circumnavigate this island state by sea. Land on remote pristine beaches; trek through coastal heath, buttongrass moorlands, lush temperate rainforests and tall eucalypt woodlands; and drink in the stunning vistas from towering dolerite peaks. Discover far-flung archipelagos and explore islands whose only permanent inhabitants include Bennett’s wallabies, wombats, potoroos, possums and pademelons. Cruise the wild, storm-swept coastlines and sheltered, shimmering bays. Experience a variety of trekking treasures on Bruny, Flinders and Maria Islands. Delight in the raucousness of fur seal colonies and the majesty of soaring shy albatross or gannets in the skies. Create and collate a treasured suite of memories – on foot or by sea – with extraordinary adventures on offer each day. 

Trip Name
Coastal Tasmania Cruise: Untamed Wilderness
Days
12
Overview
Vessel Type: Small Ship Expedition Passenger Capacity: 154 Lenght: 104.4 m Built: 2025 Designed for global discovery Adventure has a new name. Setting sail in 2025, our new state-of-the-art ship, the Douglas Mawson, is the last in a line of purpose-built vessels that have redefined small ship expedition cruising. Named after the legendary Australian geologist and explorer, our new small ship embodies Mawson’s pioneering spirit and is designed for global discovery. Featuring the revolutionary Ulstein X-BOW® and purpose-built with enhanced sustainability features, it takes on average 154 adventurers to the world’s wildest places in smooth, quiet comfort. It boasts our most extensive range of cabins yet, including a range of single cabins. The Douglas Mawson features a host of amenities to help you connect with like-minded travellers and elevate your time onboard our floating base camp for adventure. After a long day of exploring, head to the back deck to swim in the heated outdoor swimming pool, find a sun bed to read on, or soak in one of two Jacuzzis. Work up a sweat in the gym before unwinding in the sauna, resolve to learn something new in the Citizen Science Centre, then enjoy a delicious meal with new and old friends in one of two restaurants. Or, with multiple observation areas throughout the ship, simply relax in comfort while you keep watch for wildlife or incredible landscapes unfold before you. While enjoying the luxurious amenities onboard, you can rest assured that our aim to get you off the ship to explore the natural environment as much as possible through our unique activities program remains unchanged. Newest Ulstein X-BOW® The Douglas Mawson features the newest streamlined Ulstein X-BOW®, designed for global discovery. The revolutionary design cuts through the swell, offering unrivalled stability on ocean crossings and helping to reduce fuel consumption. It’s just one of the many sustainability features that helps us travel more responsibly. Heated Pool, Jacuzzis & Sauna In between landings, enjoy access to the onboard gym or unwind in the sauna. Or head to the back deck to swim in the heated outdoor pool, enjoy a drink at the pool bar, or soak in one of two Jacuzzis, watching the world go by. Leading Technology The Douglas Mawson is at the cutting edge of nautical technology, fitted with industry-leading technology including world-class return-to-port equipment. The ship also features a medical clinic designed for use in remote areas. Built for Adventure The Douglas Mawson features Zodiac access points and an activities platform, making boarding the Zodiacs as quick, efficient and safe as possible, minimising wait times and getting you closer to the action for longer. In our mudroom you will have access to lockers to store gear & boots and rapid drying areas for clothing. More Cabin Choices The Douglas Mawson features 11 different types of cabins, including a range of spacious single berth cabins – all adorned with elegant Nordic interior design features. Multiple Observation Areas As you explore the ship you will find indoor lounge areas with floor-to ceiling windows, and multiple open decks with expansive 270-360 degree views. The Glass Atrium Lounge inside the bow is a fantastic place to sit and watch for wildlife – with a drink in hand. There is no shortage of spaces to take in the majesty of the incredible world outside! Lecture Theatre On all expeditions you will meet naturalists and local specialists, who offer presentations on their area of expertise to enhance your appreciation of the destination you are exploring. Join the team in the lecture theatre for presentations covering a broad range of topics to suit every interest, from history and culture to biology and climate change. Regardless of the topic, they all have one thing in common: they all aim to engage, educate, entertain and turn you into an ambassador for the planet. Citizen Science Center & Lounge Learn more about the world and the unique destinations Aurora visits by visiting the onboard naturalist and Expedition Team in the world-class Citizen Science Center. You will be rewarded for your thirst for knowledge with one of the best views on the ship. Library With floor-to-ceiling windows, the library is a peaceful sanctuary where you can find non-fiction books to read up on the day’s destinations, use a public laptop to organise your photos or play board games with newfound friends. Choose from our range of informative non-fiction titles, wildlife guidebooks, travel journals, novels and a selection of children’s books and board games. Wildlife guides, books and binoculars can also be found on the observation lounge on Deck 7. Mudroom No need to take your wet expedition gear back to your cabin to dry. Keep your cabin warm and cosy by leaving your outer jackets and pants in the mudroom. The mudroom is your launchpad for all shore excursions and activities. Here, you will have access to a locker when you can hang your gear up to dry, and store your boots between excursions. Swimming Pool & Jacuzzis  There are two Jacuzzis on the top outside deck which offer amazing views of the world outside, a heated outdoor pool surrounded by sun beds you can relax on after a long day of exploring, and a pool bar. Gym & Sauna During your voyage, enjoy complimentary access to the gym or visit our sauna, which we highly recommend after the Polar Plunge! Restaurants One of the most important parts of any expedition is the food! Whatever adventures the day holds, you will be fuelled-up with hearty meals and delicious morning/afternoon teas cooked by our onboard chefs. Meals are a great time to soak up the expedition camaraderie in our open seating dining area. Share stories with your fellow travellers and ask our expedition team questions that may have come up during the day. Tea, coffee and snacks are available 24 hours a day, and our chefs offer different menu options and courses for each meal. Enjoy the range of house wine, beers and soft drinks included with dinner after a long day in the wild. We also invite you to join your captain and expedition team for informal Captain’s Farewell drinks, with complimentary beverages and cocktail appetisers, followed by a 3 course meal. Bars & Lounges Communal meeting areas have always played a major role in fostering the warm camaraderie on board our ships. They are the heart of the expedition, where people meet to share tales from the day, swap photos, keep an eye out for wildlife and watch the sun go down. The bars and lounges on board are refined yet inviting places to gather, with floor-to-ceiling windows offering stunning views, and of course friendly bartenders to shoot the breeze with.

Itinerary



Day 1 - Day 1 Hobart
 Having made your way to Hobart, you will be met by a representative of Aurora Expeditions and transferred to our group hotel. Upon arrival at your included hotel, please visit the Aurora Expeditions hospitality desk to collect your luggage cabin tags and to speak with our ground operations team, who may have information to share with you about pre-embarkation or to provide you with information about where to dine, withdraw cash or purchase last minute items from a local pharmacy or supermarket.   The remainder of your time is at leisure. All meals today are at your own expense. Accommodation: Hobart Hotel. 
Day 2 - Day 2 Hobart
 This morning, your luggage will be collected from the hotel and transferred directly to the port for sanitisation, clearance and delivered to your cabin ahead of your arrival on board. Please ensure that your luggage is fitted with cabin tags clearly labelled with your name and cabin number. Any valuables or personal items should be kept on you throughout the day. After breakfast, check-out and bring your luggage to the foyer. Please place any items required today in your hand luggage as your main bag will be placed in the bays of the coach. Enjoy an afternoon tour before our drive returns us to Hobart to board the Douglas Mawson in the late afternoon.    Settle into your cabin before attending important safety briefings and enjoy the thrill of departure as we ‘throw the lines’ and set sail. This evening, get to know your fellow expeditioners and our friendly Expedition Team and crew at the Welcome Dinner to celebrate the start of a thrilling adventure.  
Day 3 - Day 3 Bruny Island & Recherche Bay
 From the comfort of your floating base camp, make your first forays to the picturesque bays at South Bruny Island.  We hope to enjoy picturesque coastal walks through flowering heathlands and eucalypt forests, a more leisurely stroll on long stretches of pristine sand, or a more active tramp up the headland for sweeping views of Cloudy Bay and beyond to the Southern Ranges. Later, as we sail southwards, keep an eye out on for views of Cape Bruny’s historic lighthouse. At the extreme south-eastern corner of Tasmania, the idyll of Recherche Bay offered French explorer, Bruni D’Entrecasteaux, refuge, replenishment, and scientific discovery. Learn more about his exploits, including the well-documented, amicable encounters and mutual observation between the expedition members and the indigenous Lylequonny people. We hope to enjoy a hike towards the extreme southern tip of Tasmania or towards Fishers Point past the impressive bronze whale sculpture that commemorates the area’s early whaling history. Having rounded South East Cape, experience untamed wilderness of the south coast. Subject to change due to pending regulatory and permitting approvals. 
Day 4 - Days 4 Maatsuyker Island Group, At sea
 From the comfort of the ‘mother ship’, enjoy a ship cruise at the Maatsuyker Island Group. Spy Australia’s most southerly lighthouse at Maatsuyker Island, and delight in the majesty of soaring shy albatross in the skies above Mewstone Island before setting sail up Tassie’s wild west coast. Subject to change due to pending regulatory and permitting approvals. 
Day 5 - Day 5 Hunter Island Group
 Often described as a ‘coastal wonderland’, the impressive sea-cliffs, pristine beaches and sand dunes, sheltered lagoons and tidal inlets of the remote Hunter Island group provide an exciting backdrop to your adventures.  The islands were named after John Hunter (Governor of the Colony of New South Wales) by Flinders on the first recorded circumnavigation of Tasmania in 1798; although the islands show evidence of over 23,000 years of continuous occupation by local Aboriginal people. The islands are a major breeding ground for a range of birds, including a number of threatened species, including the orange-bellied and swift parrots, white-bellied sea eagle, shy albatross, Tasmanian wedge-tailed eagle and fairy prion.  Subject to change due to pending regulatory and permitting approvals. 
Day 6 - Days 6 Kent Island Group
 Marvel at the mystique of the far-flung Kent Islands – often missed on conventional maps – and experience its rich natural and human history. This cluster of three main islands and four smaller islets comprise Tassie’s northernmost national park. Discover the bountiful, nutrient-rich waters created by the convergence of three major ocean currents, which help feed Australia’s largest fur seal colony. Scan the shorelines and skies for sooty oystercatchers, short-tailed shearwaters, petrels and prions; contemplate the looming granite lighthouse; and discover stories of sealers, sailors and shipwrecks in the original lightkeeper’s cottage (the oldest in Australia, and now museum) run by the islands’ only two inhabitants. Subject to change due to pending regulatory and permitting approvals. 
Day 7 - Days 7 Flinders Island
 Flinders Island – called Great Island until it was renamed in the early 1800s after explorer Matthew Flinders – is the largest of Tasmania’s islands and home to Strzelecki National Park. The island offers sapphire waters, untouched beaches, a rich variety of flora and fauna, rocky ridges and towering peaks as a backdrop to your hiking, or kayaking. Energetic hikers may like to scale the granitic beauties of the Strzelecki Peaks to experience spectacular vistas, while strollers might enjoy a shorter meander through shaded casuarina woodlands and coastal heath to secluded bays. Subject to change due to pending regulatory and permitting approvals. 
Day 8 - Day 8 Freycinet Peninsula
 The striking scenery of Freycinet Peninsula tempts you for another day of discovery, whether you hike its towering pink granite peaks for a spectacular view, paddle its iridescent-blue waters, or beachcomb a pristine white beach peppered with orange lichen-covered boulders. The surrounding wilderness is also alive with flora and fauna. On your adventures, keep an eye out for white-breasted sea eagles soaring in the skies above, Bennett’s wallabies lazing under a she-oak, the local pod of bottle-nose dolphins, or perhaps one of the short-beaked echidnas that are sometimes seen foraging for ants in daylight hours.  Weather permitting, we may also visit the nearby Schouten Island group, where gangs of fur seals can be seen vying for their favourite rocky resting place. Subject to change due to pending regulatory and permitting approvals. 
Day 9 - Days 9 Maria Island
 Known as Tasmania’s ‘Noah’s Ark’, Maria Island is home to an abundance of native wildlife including Bennett’s wallabies, common wombats, and rufous-bellied pademelons; as well as conservation sanctuary to a number of introduced species including the Tasmanian devil. The island is also considered one of the best places for bird watching, with a variety that includes all but one of Tassie’s endemic bird species. In addition to its natural history, the island has a rich human history stretching back over 40,000 years. The Puthikwilayti people of the Oyster Bay tribe were original custodians of the land and surrounding waters, which was later visited by European explorers, and exploited by sealers and whalers. Convict settlements, failed commercial ventures, and an eventual National Park designation are also part of the island’s antiquities.  Subject to change due to pending regulatory and permitting approvals. 
Day 10 - Days 10 Port Arthur
 Nestled amid English oaks and gardens, Port Arthur stands in stark contrast to the beauty of the Tasman Peninsula. Once a site of punishment, opportunity, and leisure, it now preserves Australia’s colonial history in stone and brick. Explore the ruins and restored buildings of the Port Arthur Historic Site. Back on board and as we set sail for Hobart, toast your adventures and celebrate with friends – both new and old – at our Captain’s Farewell Dinner. Subject to change due to pending regulatory and permitting approvals. 
Day 11 - Day 11 Disembark in Hobart
 In Hobart, farewell the crew, expedition team and fellow travellers before your transfer to the airport. 
Day 12 - Please note:
Itineraries are subject to change.

Trip Dates

StartEndPrice FromRoom Type
01-12-202512-12-2025AUD $14,895Aurora Stateroom Triple
01-12-202512-12-2025AUD $15,395Aurora Stateroom Twin
01-12-202512-12-2025AUD $30,695Captain's Suite
01-12-202512-12-2025AUD $16,295Aurora Stateroom Superior
01-12-202512-12-2025AUD $16,695Balcony Stateroom Category C
01-12-202512-12-2025AUD $17,595Balcony Stateroom Category B
01-12-202512-12-2025AUD $17,995Aurora Stateroom Single
01-12-202512-12-2025AUD $18,895Balcony Stateroom Category A
01-12-202512-12-2025AUD $19,795Aurora Stateroom Superior Single
01-12-202512-12-2025AUD $20,595Balcony Stateroom Superior
01-12-202512-12-2025AUD $25,895Junior Suite

Inclusions

    • Head off the ‘mother ship’ each day for a range of adventures and explorations, that may include hiking options, wildlife watching, Zodiac cruises, or kayaking.
    • Access some of the best (and least-known) walks in Tasmania, including those on Bruny, Flinders and Maria Island.
    • At the remote Maatsuyker Islands, spy the most southerly lighthouse in Australia, and the scores of seabirds that call them home.
    • On Maria Island – nicknamed Tasmania’s “Noah’s Ark” – enjoy an abundance of native wildlife, keeping an eye out for all but one of Tassie’s 12 endemic bird species.
    • Learn about Tasmania’s long human history, fascinating geology, and unique biota from our onboard experts.
    • Learn how the waters of Tasmania fit into the vast and unique ecosystem known as the ‘Great Southern Reef’ – part of a “Hope Spot” designated by Sylvia Earle’s Mission Blue team.

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