12 days in Sydney and Tasmania with young children

Have a walk in The Rocks at your arrival day in Sydney. It is a really nice place with some markets and a bunch of restaurants.

We bought the 4-spot pass which will give you access to the Aquarium, tower, wildlife world and some old aquarium at Manly. However, we only had time to visit the Sydney Aquarium. The place is a bit "old" and other aquariums are much better. But, it is okay to "kill some time" there. They also had a special shark exhibition which was quite interesting.

This is a nice museum and you are able to go onboard some old navy vessels as well. They had a special exhibition about sharks which was very exciting. It will take you 2-3 hours to get through everything. The family price was AUD 50.

Visit this small wildlife park to meet the koala bear, walabee, crocodile, snakes and so one. The Featherdale Wildlife Park can also be combined with one of the Blue Mountain tours.

Take a day trip to the Blue Maountains which is 1.5 hour by car outside Sydney. Some of the package-tours can be quite expensive, so another alternative can be to go by train to Katoomba station. V

Take the ferry from Circular Quay to Manly Beach. It is a beautiful ferry trip and takes about 30 minutes. There are plenty of places to eat at Manly, so it is no problem to spend a day there. Buy some boogie-boards (AUD 19) and have fun at the beach.

Take the Sydney Classic Tour with Bonza Bike Tours and you will get a really nice overview of Sydney. The trip is also very fun for the kids. There are a few hills, but in general this bike tour is just fun and very interesting. The guides and gear are good. Bring a lot of water! There is a short stop at a pub midway. And do not forget your camera as you will bike on the Harbour Bridge and have some magnificient views.

Watch the amazing fireworks in Sydney at New Years Eve. You better be early to find the best vantage points. The whole city is blocked off and they are closing the public areas when they are full. We managed to get into East Circular Quay at around 3PM and wait there for the big event. There is a big family firework at 9PM, a light parade with tens of ships and the big firework at midnight. Bring a carpet, a good book, iPod...whatever...and be patient. It is worth it! Do not bring food as there are plenty of kiosks and restaurants in the area.

You can fly to Hobart from Sydney or Melbourne, e.g. by Virgin Blue. The best way to get from the airport to Hobart is by rental car, taxi or a shuttle bus. We took the shuttle bus to downtown. It cost AUD 40 for the family.

This is a really cool place inside the Salamanca Square. Good pizza! Recommended for lunch or dinner.

You will love this place! Eat breakfast there or enjoy a lunch. Be hungry.

Amazing offshore wildlife cruise with ribs powered by 3 x 300HP Mercury Verado. Guides with really good knowledge. Morning or afternoon cruise. It will take you 1.5 hour driving to get to Port Arthur and the cruise will last for 3-4 hours. Look up at their web-site for details. Book it early (2-3 days before) as they are very busy. Alternatively you can take the Bruny Island Cruise which is operated by the same company. The price for a family is AUD 300, but it is worth it!

A beautiful place with a very interesting history. For a family with children it is recommended to buy a bronze pass (AUD 75) and stay there for 3-4 hours. Take the guided tour and visit some of the most interesting buildings after that. Also take the harbour cruise. Make sure you stop at Eaglehawk Neck on the way to Port Arthur. It is a small (free) museum there and a nice beach. Spend 30-60 minutes there.

Nice and small city. Stopped there on the way from Hobart to Launceston. Have a look at the old stone bridge built by convicts and visit a farm to buy some fresh fruit or local wine. After the visit in Richmond we drove 20 minutes to the ZooDoo Fun Park.

Small wildlife park with a lot of animals. Watch the feeding of the Tasmanian Devils and the tigers. Take a ride with the "tractor" and feed the emus and camels. Fun! Price for family was AUD 58.

We drove from Hobart to Launceston via Richmond (B31 and C322) and over the Higland Lakes Road (A5). It is a long distance, but a really nice way to go. We started off from Hobart around 11AM and arrived in Launceston around 7PM. Inbetween that, we stopped in Richmond and at the ZooDoo Fun Park.

Top service and good Indian food. I was in Mumbai a couple of weeks before, so I know how to compare :) 15 minutes walk from Hotel Charles. There are also other dining alternatives in Launceston, for instance the Black Cow restaurant.

We walked down to the river side to have some icecream, and then we went to the Cataract Gorge. The weather was beautiful (sunshine and 28 degrees), so we spent the afternoon swimming in the first basin and relaxing at the lawn. Do not take the chairlift, it is overprized. You might consider to run back to the hotel to get the rental car, as it is a rather long walk for the children back to the hotel.

This is a "must" if you are staying in Launceston. It is a one hour drive to Low End along the Tamar River. The penguin tour starts at 9PM and you will be back in Launceston before midnight. Watch penguins in their real environment when they come ashore to feed their chickens.

It is about 175 km drive from Launceston to this beautiful park. But don't worry, it is worth it! Buy some food in Coles Bay (small village) and purchase the entrance pass in the visitor center. Then drive 4 km to the parking area. Take the 3 km (1 hour++) walk to Wineglass Bay and spend some time there. Go swimming...big waves. And then you have to be prepared for the 175 km return trip to Launceston. We spend approximately 2 hours each way. The Wineglass Bay is probably one of the most beautiful "wild" beaches in the world!