6 Day Tasmanian Devil Encounter Private

Day 1: Launceston, Hawley Beach & Narawntapu

This morning is at leisure. Meet your local guide at noon in the lobby of your accommodation or airport and start your Tasmania adventure with a scenic drive to Hawley Beach or The Tamar Wetlands. We will try to spot as much wildlife as possible and your guide will introduce you to the local fauna and flora.

Accommodation: The Verge Launceston

Day 2: Cradle Mountain National Park

After breakfast, continue to the internationally acclaimed, UNESCO World Heritage Cradle Mountain Wilderness. Travel through lush rolling farm pasture before reaching the alpine bush of the Cradle Valley.

Begin to unwind to the harmonic sounds found only in this true wilderness. Along the way you may see birdlife species such as Forest Ravens, Currawongs and Wedge-tailed Eagles. In late afternoon, visit Devils@Cradle Wildlife Sanctuary to gain insights about the world’s largest carnivorous marsupial and witness a feeding of this unique species.

Accommodation: Cradle Mountain Hotel

Day 3: Cradle Mountain National Park

On a clear day the rugged grandeur of Cradle mountain is reflected in the tranquil waters of Dove Lake, or you may experience the drama of its craggy peaks through swirling mist. This morning’s activity is a bush walk in the National Park on the Dove Lake Circuit (2.5 hrs), where you will immerse yourself in the beauty of this majestic setting (weather dependant).

Learn about native flora and fauna along the way with highlights including the ballroom forest and lakeside beaches. Enjoy an interpreted bush walk through the National Park among Tasmanian rainforest and the native Pandani, the tallest heath plant in the world.

Accommodation: Cradle Mountain Hotel

Day 4: Tasmanian Highlands

Depart from Cradle Valley and travel to the Tasmanian Arboretum, with the opportunity to spot many of Tasmania's endemic birds, possums, wallabies and the Platypus in one of the many ponds. After lunch, travel via Deloraine towards the Tasmanian Highlands and Thousand Lakes Lodge. This former Antarctic research station has been beautifully refurbished with eight rooms and provides good chances to see most of Tasmania's marsupials and often Tasmanian Devils. 

Accommodation: Thousand Lakes Lodge

Day 5: Mole Creek Karst National Park

Visit the Mole Creek Karst National Park, for a tour of Marakoopa Caves. Explore this miraculous underground world with its glow worms, large caverns, rim pools and underground streams. See the beautiful Mt Roland as a backdrop and visit Sheffield, also known as the Town of Murals before returning to the lodge. At dusk, head out for stargazing, to observe the beautiful night-sky and the nocturnal wildlife.

Accommodation: Thousand Lakes Lodge

Day 6: Mountain Valley to Launceston or Hobart

This morning, leave the leave the Mountain Valley area and travel back into civilization. The tour ends either in Launceston at around 1 pm or in Hobart at around 3 pm.

Tour details

Group Size: Maximum of 12 guests
Pick-up and Drop Off Point: Pick-up from Launceston Transit Centre, Drop off in Hobart or Launceston
Pick-up and Drop-off Time: 12pm on day one, Day 6 finishes at approximately 1pm or 3pm.
Languages: Fully guided German, French, Spanish, Portuguese private touring throughout Tasmania.
Inclusions: 6 days of private touring with a local guide, transport in a well-appointed vehicle, 5 x nights' accommodation, 5 x breakfast, 5 x lunch, 2 x dinner, Marakoopa Caves entry, Devils@ Cradle Sunset Experience tour or Joy Encounter, donation to the Tasmanian Arboretum and all National Parks passes.

How you'll be making a positive impact

Citizen Science with Premier Travel Tasmania

Premier Travel Tasmania contributes observations of flora & fauna via iNaturalist, the world’s leading global social biodiversity network. This platform allows our team to create research-quality citizen science data that enables a more detailed picture of our national biodiversity, and assists bodies such as the CSIRO, ecologists and other decision makers to deliver better outcomes for the environment and our species.

Our guides record observations with iNaturalist Australia by using the iNaturalist app on mobile phones or desktop computers. An observation records an encounter with an individual organism at a particular time and location on Kangaroo Island. We require photos to be attached to observations for them to become research grade and added to the Atlas of Living Australia.

This is where you can greatly assist us in capturing images out in the field! Although we make broader observations that we think are valuable to the local scientific community, we have identified the following species to track when we are exploring Tasmania by vehicle or on foot.

Key species we're looking out for include:

• Tasmanian Wedge-tailed Eagle
• Eastern Quoll
• Spotted-tailed Quoll
• Tasmanian Devil
• Platypus
• Common Wombat (mange-effected)
• Forty-spotted Pardalote
• Swift Parrot
• Hooded Plover

Red-filtered Flashlights for our Nocturnal Beauties

White torches or spotlights can significantly disturb our marsupials, due to the greater sensitivity of their pupils to light compared with humans. Premier Travel Tasmania use and share with guests the importance of using red-filtered spotlights.

Although spotlighting is a fantastic means of revealing some of Australia’s most endearing creatures, white torches or spotlights can significantly disturb our marsupials, due to the greater sensitivity of their pupils to light compared with humans. High-powered spotlights effect the ability for pupils to function properly for extended periods of time, leaving them blinded temporarily.

For this reason, we share with guests the importance of using red-filtered spotlights along with prohibiting flash photography. 

Wildlife Rescue Training in Tasmania

All guides at Premier Travel Tasmania undertake Wildlife Rescue Training, given the high incidence of road collisions with native wildlife across Tasmania. Bonorong Wildlife Rescue provides training for guides covering wildlife rescue and transport procedures, to provide the best chance to save injured or orphaned wildlife that may be spotted when out touring on Tasmanian roads.

Premier Travel Tasmania is also a founding partner of Friends of Bonorong, assisting in fundraising for the immediate care of wildlife in need and the ongoing protection of Tasmanian species. Guests travelling on shared wildlife departures contribute to this effort, with a portion of the tour cost going towards the Bonorong medical facility and education of guests with a behind the scenes night tour of their facility.

Developing Partnerships To Meet Sustainability Goals

Premier Travel Tasmania has developed partnerships with key environmental organisations in Tasmania, including Tasmania Parks & Wildlife Service, Friends of Bonorong, Wombat Rescue Tasmania, Devils@Cradle and Orange-bellied Parrot Recovery Program. Friends of Bonorong, Devils@Cradle and Orange-bellied Parrot Recovery Program are all supported financially via touring experiences provided by Premier Travel Tasmania.