W: http://www.huonbushretreats.com/
PH: (03) 6264 2233
E: info@huonbushretreats.com
PO BOX 168 Huonville TAS 7109

W: http://www.brunyislandberryfarm.com.au
PH: (03) 6293 1055
E: brunyberries@bigpond.com
562 Adventure Bay Road, Bruny Island TAS 7150

W: http://www.brunycruises.com.au/
PH: (03) 6293 1465
E: info@brunycruises.com.au
915 Adventure Bay Rd, Bruny Island 7150

Australia is the sixth largest country in the world but has the lowest population density in the world

Australia’s coastline stretches almost 50,000 kilometres and is linked by over 10,000 beaches, more than any other country in the world.

Queensland’s Great Barrier Reef is home to the world’s largest oyster at 3 kilograms, the largest earthworm at over 4 metres is found in country Victoria, the Bass straight near Tasmania claims the heaviest crab at 14 kilograms and Australia’s tallest mountain is Mt Kosciusko at 2,228 metres above sea level.

The worlds longest piece of straight railway track stretches 478 kilometres across South Australia’s Nullarbor Plain. The longest fence, “the dingo fence” stretches 5,531 kilometres through Queensland and South Australia

Australia teems with animals, many of which are found only here. We have more mammals than anywhere else on earth and plenty of marsupials, from carnivorous Tasmanian devils to short-legged possums, sleepy koalas to powerful kangaroos.

Gotta love Australia…check out the video below…

Bargain Car Rentals is known for well-maintained vehicles and quality service. We boast the largest hire and drive bus fleet with 12 and 25 seater mini buses. If you’re after a truck or commercial vehicle, visit www.bargaincarrentals.com.au for comprehensive details on our wide range of vehicles and locations that will suit all of your rental needs.

Our car hire fleet is constantly being updated to ensure you enjoy the best in comfort and safety. Driving is one of the best ways to see the sights of Tasmania, and Bargain offers customers the convenience of being Tasmania wide, so you are never far from a pick up point or friendly service.

Bargain always offer customers a great rate and special deals to ensure you see and do more on your visit. In fact, Bargain’s best cheap car hire rates and offers are available online. So start saving now and go online at www.bargaincarrentals.com.au and pick up a bargain today.

You can cycle through historic villages, sip on premium cool-climate wines or journey deep into the western wilderness. Naturally, it is all here for you to discover in Tasmania.

CRADLE MOUNTAIN-LAKE ST CLAIR NATIONAL PARK

Part of the Tasmanian World Heritage Wilderness Area and home to Cradle Mountain.

Cradle Mountain, the start of the 65-kilometre (40-mile) Overland Track, is the northern end of the 161,000-hectare (397,840-acre) Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. Tasmania’s highest mountain, 1,617-metre (5,305-foot) Mt Ossa, is in this park, just off the Overland Track, while another beautiful national park, the Walls of Jerusalem, abuts its eastern boundary.

Take one of the many short walks through the ever-changing vegetation of the shores and mountainside to gain a full appreciation of the magic of this area.

GORDON RIVER

Two wild rivers – the Collingwood and the Franklin – hurtle through mountainous rainforest wilderness and merge as the Gordon River, which flows into the vast Macquarie Harbour on the west coast.

Both rivers flow through deep valleys and spectacular ‘narrows’ and over rapids in deep rainforest country where few have walked.

For a gentler river experience drive to Strahan on the west coast and join a cruise up the Gordon, or board a scenic flight from Strahan that takes you deep into the Gordon River to Sir John Falls and 1,000 year old myrtle and Huon pine trees. Any of these will be an unforgettable experience.

PORT ARTHUR

Port Arthur Historic Site on the Tasman Peninsula is Australia’s most intact and evocative convict site.

The Port Arthur Historic Site has more than 30 buildings, ruins and restored period homes, dating from the prison’s establishment in 1830 until its closure in 1877. During this time about 12,500 convicts served sentences and for many it was a living hell.

Today, the Site sits in 40 hectares (90 acres) of landscaped grounds, and you need to allow plenty of time to fully experience all that the Site has to offer.

SALAMANCA

Salamanca Place, in Sullivans Cove, is Hobart’s favourite hang out. It’s where the hip meets the homespun and everything in between.

Salamanca is lined with a long row of simple Georgian sandstone warehouses built in the 1830s. These mellow north-facing buildings once stored grain, wool, whale oil, apples and imported goods from around the world. Nowadays, you can wander under the heavy stone arches to find craft and design shops, jewellers, coffee shops, restaurants, the Peacock Theatre, subterranean bookshops, outdoor gear, and fashion boutiques

Don’t forget to enjoy the sights, sounds, flavours, action and colour of Australia’s best outdoor market every Saturday from 8:30am to 3:00pm at Hobart’s Salamanca Place.

DIVING IN TASMANIA

Come and see why National Geographic magazine underwater photographer David Doubilet describes diving in Tasmania as ‘an exquisite combination of lyrical beauty and the wistfully bizarre.’

Home to some of the best temperate diving in the world, diverse and easily accessible underwater wilderness, and explore magnificent kelp forests of the Southern Ocean.

The spectacular coastline and clear, cool-temperate waters are superb for diving in Tasmania. The visibility ranges from 12 metres (13 yards) in the summer to 40 metres (43.5 yards) or more in the winter.

SURFING

Head out to the southern-most beaches in Australia to surf the fattest waves.

Surf Shipstern Bluff – Australia’s heaviest wave.

Our beaches are never crowded.

One of the best things about surfing in Tasmania is that, as long as you’re willing to travel, you will always find a great ride.

Close to Hobart, Park and Clifton Beaches are the favourite spots. Eaglehawk Neck on the Tasman Peninsula usually has a wave, and all up the east coast from Orford to Bicheno there’ll be somewhere breaking.

Further south, Bruny Island’s Cloudy Bay faces the Southern Ocean – it gets really big breaks. So does South Cape Bay (accessible from Cockle Creek). Surfers carry their boards on a seven-kilometre (4.5-mile) bushwalk through the World Heritage Area to reach this south coast beach.

FOOD AND WINE

Tasmania is a gourmet paradise, where people live close to the land and sea and there is a natural flow from paddock to plate. Four distinct seasons make it perfect for producing prime cheeses, mouth-watering berries, wide-ranging vegetables, stone fruits, herbs, premium beef, specialty honey, mushrooms, cool-climate wines and some of Australia’s leading boutique and production beers.

Enjoy regional fare, friendly encounters with growers, makers and chefs, and celebrate the delights that come with the changing of our seasons.

WILDERNESS AREAS

About 40 per cent of Tasmania is protected within national parks and reserves, and you’ll be surprised how easy it is to experience the wilderness – on a Dove Lake or Russell Falls walking track, from a cruise boat off Bruny Island’s south coast or by light plane to Melaleuca, deep in the south-west.

You can explore the dramatic landscapes of the world’s last great temperate wilderness – in the rugged mountain ranges, dense rainforests, wild rivers and glaciated peaks of the west coast and Central Highlands you’ll discover wildlife, scenery and vegetation unlike anywhere else on earth.

Local restaurants and markets offer a variety of cuisines and atmospheres, but make sure that you tuck into some authentic Territory fare like mud crabs, Barramundi, buffalo, kangaroo and crocodile.

Take time to indulge in the open air Asian-style markets at Parap, Nightcliff and Mindil Beach. Relish the flavour of five continents, browse locally made arts and crafts, and watch local entertainers perform.

Darwin Harbour plays host to an array of world-class fishing experiences with anglers hooking Barramundi and other tropical fish, or the more relaxed option of a sunset cruise.

Litchfield National Park is an easy 90 minute drive from Darwin, making it the ideal choice for an adventurous day trip or extended visit.

Ask any local and they’ll say Litchfield is their favourite. Visitors and locals alike enjoy thundering waterfalls, breathtaking waterholes, dramatic landscapes, wildlife and treks.

With more than 50 nationalities making up its population and the proximity of South East Asia, it is no surprise that Darwin serves up a rich diversity of culinary experiences.

Fresh produce abounds, with Top End fare offering visitors a truly unique fusion of contemporary Australian, Mediterranean, Indian and South East Asian cuisine.

From Thai paw-paw salad, Malaysian laksa and Indonesian satays, to the traditional Greek baklava or char-grilled octopus, Indian mango lassi and quintessential Australian steak; Darwin’s taste for the exotic delivers an array of gastronomic choice.

Darwin’s tropical climate and coastal location lends itself to an outdoor lifestyle.

Much of the city’s social activities take place at open air markets, outdoor festivals, in parks and reserves, by the beach or on boats down on Darwin Harbour. Even movie buffs prefer to enjoy their films under the stars at the famous Deckchair Cinema.

Darwin’s calendar of cultural events, festivals and concerts make the most of a spectacular climate between May and September, when the Dry Season brings days of endless sunshine as the rest of Australia shivers through winter. Open-air markets are held across the city every weekend in Parap, Rapid Creek and Nightcliff.

No holiday to Darwin in the Dry Season is complete without a visit to the charismatic Mindil Beach Sunset Markets every Thursday and Sunday night.

Steeped in ancient Aboriginal values and beliefs and moulded by the tough European pioneering character, Darwin enjoys a unique heritage that surprises many who visit.

Its role as Australia’s frontline against the very same Japanese force that struck Pearl Harbour is only just now being celebrated and respected. Today, visitors can experience WWII heritage unlike anywhere else in Australia.

Sacred Aboriginal sites exist in and around Darwin, with guided tours introducing visitors to the world’s oldest living culture.

Visitors can also experience what it was like to be living in Darwin when the ferocious winds of Cyclone Tracey struck on Christmas Eve in 1974, devastating the city for the second time.

Requires standard drivers license.

Requires standard drivers license.