Evening: Depart the USA this evening on overnight flight to Australia.

In Transit: Cross International Dateline

Arrive in Melbourne / Fly to Launceston / Program Overview / Orientation to Launceston

Morning: Arrive in Melbourne. Transfer to your flight to Launceston. Upon arrival in Launceston, coach to lunch.

Lunch: Lunch at local cafe.

Afternoon: Transfer to your accommodation and check in. After time to settle in, we will have a welcome meeting and program overview followed by a lecture introducing us to Australia and Tasmania. We can then have a short walk to explore the centre of historic Launceston along the Tamar River.

Dinner: Dinner at accommodation.

Evening: After our long flights, we have an early evening.

Lodging: Mercure Hotel Launceston

Meals Included: Lunch, Dinner

Mole Creek Karst National Park / transfer to Cradle Mountain National Park

Breakfast: Breakfast at accommodation.

Morning: This morning we leave Launceston and head into Mole Creek Karst National Park. Here we will have a guided walk getting our first taste fo the pristine Tasmanian landscape.

Lunch: Lunch at accommodation.

Afternoon: This afternoon we begin our exploration of Cradle Mountain National Park with several short walks in the general vicinity of our accommodation. We can explore the Enchanted Walk, Pencil Pines Falls Walk and the Rainforest Walk.

Dinner: At accommodation.

Evening: At dusk this evening we will go on a short stroll to try and locate the elusive platypus. When samples of the platypus were first sent back to the British Museum in the 19th century, the curators believed it was an elaborate hoax and that explorers had joined the remains of a duck to a beaver.

Lodging: Cradle Mountain Lodge

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: At accommodation. At dawn, before breakfast, we can embark on another excursion to try and find the platypus if last night's efforts failed.

Morning: This morning we have a half-day guided walk around the beautiful Dove Lake. On this walk we will also explore the historic Waldheim Chalet.

Lunch: We return to our accommodation for lunch.

Afternoon: This afternoon is free for you to relax and soak up the natural beauty. You leader will be able to assist those of you wishing to walk further. There is ample opportunity to embark on additional walks along the Cradle Valley and/or along King Billy Walk.

Dinner: Dinner tonight is at our accommodation.

Lodging: Cradle Mountain Lodge

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: This morning we depart early from Cradle Mountain taking a boxed breakfast with us.

Morning: We drive through to Strahan for our cruise on the Gordon River - a World Heritage Listed area of temperate rainforest and mountain crags. The area is the site of one of Australia's longest-running and most successful environmental protests.

Lunch: We have lunch on board the cruise vessel.

Afternoon: Our cruise continues with an exploration of Tasmania's notorious convict past as we visit the ruins of a former convict gaol on Sarah Island and discover the harsh conditions endured by those sentenced there. The remainder of the afternoon is free for us to explore the delightful historic fishing village of Strahan at leisure.

Dinner: We have dinner tonight at our accommodation.

Evening: The evening is free to relax at leisure.

Lodging: Strahan Village

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Drive through the World Heritage wilderness en route to Hobart / Walk in Lake St Clair National Park

Breakfast: We have breakfast at our accommodation.

Morning: This morning we drive through the wilderness bound for Lake St Clair National Park. We will have a guided walk in the park en route.

Lunch: We will have lunch at the Lake St Clair Lodge.

Afternoon: En route to Hobart we visit the Wall in the Wilderness – an an inspirational tale carved from the mountains and rivers of the Central Highlands of Tasmania. The area is surrounded by wilderness and is full of mining heritage which highlights days gone by when Queenstown was a thriving gold and copper town. We carry on to our hotel in Hobart.

Dinner: We have dinner at our accommodation.

Lodging: Mercure Hotel Hobart

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: We have breakfast in our hotel

Morning: We have an early morning guided walk around Hobart's historic Battery Point precinct. After that, the remainder of the day is free for you to explore Tasmania's compact capital at leisure. Perhaps you will join in the fun of the Salamanca Markets in Hobart's historic quarter; perhaps you will head off and visit Hobart's newest attraction, the cutting-edge Museum of Old & New Art and finish in the winery and brewery also located on-site; perhaps you will walk up Mount Wellington for its panoramic outlook. The day is yours to do as you see fit.

Lunch: Lunch is at own arrangements.

Afternoon: This afternoon is free at leisure in Hobart.

Dinner: Dinner is at own arrangements.

Evening: This evening is free at leisure in Hobart.

Lodging: Mercure Hotel Hobart

Meals Included: Breakfast

Breakfast: We have breakfast at our hotel.

Morning: This morning we leave Hobart and travel to board the Maria Island ferry at Triabunna. We board and cruise across the bay to stunning Maria Island - a formal penal colony known for its amazing scenery and abundant wildlife. On the island are Tasmanian kangaroos, wallabies, wombats and echidnas. The unique birdlife includes the endangered forty spotted pardalote, Cape Barren geese (the world’s second rarest breed), eagles and numerous sea bird species. On the island we will have a walking tour of the old Darlington settlement.

Lunch: We will take a packed lunch with us to eat on the Island.

Afternoon: This afternoon, depending on the conditions, we will walk to the Fossil Cliffs or Mount Bishop. After gaining an insight in to the Island's spectacular vistas, we take the ferry back to the mainland. We carry on to Swansea, on the edge of the Freycinet National Park, and check in to our accommodation.

Dinner: We will have an early dinner at our accommodation.

Evening: This evening we will travel through to Bicheno and visit the local penguin rookeries so we can get up and close to these delightful little creatures.

Lodging: Swansea Waterloo Inn

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Walking in Freycinet National Park / Wineglass Bay Lookout / Marine Farming

Breakfast: We have breakfast at our accommodation.

Morning: We take our coach through to Freycinet National Park and walk up to the lookout overlooking Wineglass Bay, one of Tasmania’s iconic destinations and most memorable vistas.

Lunch: We have a BBQ lunch as we take in the scenery at Freycinet Lodge.

Afternoon: This afternoon we take a walk to Cape Tourville lighthouse for another spectacular scenic spot. We then have a field trip at the Freycinet Marine Farm where we learn about the local aquaculture industry.

Dinner: We return to Swansea for dinner and an evening to relax.

Lodging: Swansea Waterloo Inn

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: We have breakfast at our hotel.

Morning: This morning we dash to Hobart Domestic Airport for our flight to Melbourne.

Lunch: We will have lunch at a local cafe en route to the Great Ocean Road.

Afternoon: This afternoon we travel to the Great Ocean Road via Torquay and Bell's Beach, famous for the world surfing titles held there each Easter. We will pause and stand under the Memorial Arch on the Great Ocean Road where we will learn about the history of the Great Ocean Road - built mainly with picks and shovels by returned soldiers from WWI and dedicated to all those who died in battle. We will pause to view koalas in the gum trees by the ocean at Kennett River. We will have a short orientation walk in Apollo Bay on arrival.

Dinner: We will have dinner at our accommodation.

Lodging: Comfort Inn, The International

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Walking Exploration of Cape Otway - history, native fauna & indigenous archaeology

Breakfast: We have breakfast at our accommodation.

Morning: This morning we begin our exploration of the Great Ocean Road with a guided tour of Australia's oldest mainland lighthouse. En route to the lighthouse we will gain another opportunity to hopefully view the koala in their natural habitat. We will have a walk to the scenic lookout and the historic Signal Station.

Lunch: We will have a packed lunch or pause at a local cafe.

Afternoon: We will have a guided visit to the Cape Otway Centre for Conservation Ecology where we will see koalas and wallabies being rehabilitated and also learn of the vulnerability of the tiger quoll (often called the Australian native cat). We will then have a lecture and guided walk on Indigenous archaeology along a section of the Great Ocean Walk.

Dinner: Dinner tonight is at own arrangements in Apollo Bay with an evening to explore independently.

Lodging: Comfort Inn, The International

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Breakfast: We will have breakfast at our accommodation.

Morning: Today we will have a half-day guided walk along the Great Ocean Walk experiencing spectacular coastal views in a pristine environment.

Lunch: We will have a BBQ lunch today at Bimbi Park nestled within unique coastal manna gums abounding in koalas.

Afternoon: We return along the Great Ocean Road to Apollo Bay and have some time at leisure.

Dinner: Dinner this evening is at own arrangements.

Lodging: Comfort Inn, The International

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Breakfast: We will have breakfast at our accommodation before departing Apollo Bay.

Morning: This morning we have a guided walk in magnificent rainforest at Melba Gully in the Great Otway National Park. We will have another field trip to the Gables Lookout from where we gain spectacular views of the Southern Ocean and Shipwreck Coast.

Lunch: We will have a packed lunch en route to Port Campbell.

Afternoon: Upon arriving in Port Campbell we will explore the magnificent Port Campbell National Park with guided walks to Loch Ard Gorge and the historic Gibson Steps.

Dinner: We will have dinner tonight at a local restaurant.

Evening: This evening we will return to have a sunset viewing of the 12 Apostles.

Lodging: Great Ocean Road Motor Inn

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: We will have breakfast at our accommodation.

Morning: Today we travel to Warnambool and the historic fishing village of Port Fairy. We will explore Griffith Island, home to over 10,000 short-tailed shearwaters (muttonbirds).

Lunch: We will have lunch at a local cafe.

Afternoon: This afternoon we explore the spectacular Bay of Islands Coastal Park. We will walk with emus and kangaroos at the Tower Hill State Game Reserve. We return to Warrnambool for our final night of the program.

Dinner: We will have a farewell dinner at a local restaurant.

Evening: This evening we will say our farewells and do our final pack before our early morning transfer through to Melbourne Airport.

Lodging: Comfort Inn Western Warrnambool

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: We have a very early start with our breakfast packs as we race to get to Melbourne Airport for our flight home.

Meals Included: Breakfast