Day 1
Get in early, pick up a rental car from the airport and head to Hobart to pop in and say hello to the team at the Tasmanian Travel and Information Centre. Let us familiarise you with the region you're about to explore by providing maps and making your last minute bookings, such as entry fees and national parks passes. Once finished, make your way down the Channel region towards Kettering. Here, you’ll be able to catch the ferry across to Bruny Island, your home for the night. Bruny Island popular destination, so be sure to book your accommodation ahead of time as it is easy to miss out. Call the Tasmanian Travel and Information Centre to book your accommodation well before your trip begins.
Once on the island, stop for a late lunch before grabbing some wine or whisky supplies from one of the local retailers or providores. You might also like to pick up some dinner fare if you prefer to eat in – you’ll dine well nonetheless, with locally made cheeses, smoked meats and seafood, oysters, chutneys, pates and pastes.
Check in to your accommodation before heading to the nearest coastline (it’s never far away) and taking a walk. Alternatively, if you’ve elected to stay nearby to the South Bruny National Park, you might like to check out the Fluted Cape Walk, a 1.5-hour one-way easy walk, or 2.5 hours, slightly more difficult circuit. Both walks feature stunning coastline and you will often spot wildlife, including unusual white wallabies and sea eagles.
Overnight: Bruny Island
Day 2
There are a couple of options today, all involving getting on the water. You can jump aboard the 3 hour Bruny Island Cruise with your pre-purchased tickets from the Visitor Centre with Pennicott Wilderness Journeys, returning to Bruny Island where you can grab a quick snack before catching the ferry back to Kettering. Secondly, you can catch an early ferry back to Kettering and then spend the day with Sail Bruny sailing the D’Entrecasteaux Channel around north Bruny Island. The sail stops at some of the special bays and inlets the Island has to offer and it’s not uncommon to spot dolphins, seals, and whales (where in season) along with the stunning scenery.
After finishing up your Bruny Island exploration in the early afternoon, head further south towards Birchs Bay and stop in at Grandvewe Cheeses to try the cheese and grab a bottle of the equally famous sheep whey vodka range. Alternatively, head inland towards Franklin on the other side of the Huon River, and chat with a volunteer guide at the Wooden Boat Centre, an active wooden boat building school.
Overnight: Anywhere between Franklin and Dover
Day 3
This morning, get out your national parks pass and head further south towards the Hastings Caves and Thermal Springs – and don’t forget your swimmers! Take a guided tour of this cathedral-like cave, one of only two in Australia that formed from dolomite rock and featuring spectacular subterranean formations. The tour is comfortable for those with average fitness, surprisingly roomy for an underground cave system and with plenty of stairs with handrails provided.
After your guided tour, take a swim in the year-round, 28-degree pool surrounded by ferns and forest, fed by naturally occurring thermal springs. Sit back and watch the clouds roll by, listen to the birds and the nearby stream and let the worries and stresses of everyday life wash away.
For a leisurely lunch, Dover by the beach is the perfect spot. You might even see a pod of dolphins having their lunch as well. Next step in your Huon Valley travels is to Huonville, taking note of the surrounding countryside, which will morph from the ancient rainforest in the Hastings Cave Reserve to pasture and farmlands. This region is the namesake to the famed ‘Apple Isle’ moniker and has been home to generations of apple farmers dating back to the convict settlement era.
Overnight: Huonville
Day 4
Hit the water again today, either at a leisurely pace on board the Yukon with Yukon Tours, a 17-metre wooden ketch for a day trip on the Huon River, or a little faster with Huon River Jet Boats. Depending on the season, you can marvel at autumn colours, feel the sting of a nice cool breeze (best fixed by a glass of Tassie pinot later on), or enjoy the cool sea breeze on a summers day.
It is highly recommended that a trip to the Huon Valley is not complete without a visit to the Willie Smith Apple Shed. Brush up on your apple identification skills, check out the apple museum, learn the story of the Smith Family and their apple growing history, with trees planted in 1888 still being maintained. This is also the perfect place to sample their ciders, partake in the locally grown produce from their restaurant or do a distillery tour.
Overnight: Huonville
Day 5
Before leaving ‘the valley’ pop into the Huonville Visitor Information Centre for any last minute gifts and supplies to take home. Once you’ve maxed out the plane’s baggage allowance, head back towards Hobart and grab an early lunch on the waterfront before heading towards the airport and home.
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Image credits: Tourism Tasmania and Andrew Wilson (Kettering), Tourism Australia & Graham Freeman (Rock Arch, Cape Queen Elizabeth - Bruny Island Long Weekend), Tourism Tasmania & Kathryn Leahy (Hastings Cave),Tourism Tasmania & Nick Osborne (Willie Smiths Organic Apple Cider), Samuel Shelley (Picnic in the Huon Valley)