When in Burnie I went to the local tourist information who had tours to Cradle Mountain. A six seated van with Howard smith www.cradlecoasttours.com.au. He was fantastic taking us off the beaten track. We were able to stop at places along the way. A 10 out of 10 view at Cradle a 10 out of 10 day. Lunch was included at the Cradle Mountain Lodge. Thanks again Howard. Pam from Adelaide

Tasmania is stunning. Hobart is the capital city so don't get conned into flying into anywhere else in tiny little planes. Tripadvisor should give distances from Hobart not from the north of the state.. Their current mileages given on the' to do' site are very confusing for tourists.
Suggest flying into Hobart (best hotel is the Henry Jones $$). Visit the fabulous Mona (free to make up for the hotel cost!). Go up the mountain on a clear day. Salamanca on a Saturday. Lark distillery for the best whiskey in the world. Catch a show at the lovely little Royal Theatre. Bruny Island trip with Rob Pendicot. Buy lots of cheese and local wine. Oysters, scallops, fish. Even the air is different.. East Coast, Bay of Fires, Binnalong, Peppermint Bay. The list is too long. Drive through the Huon, stop at Cygnet for superb eating experience. Cancel your flight home and just explore the most magical place of forests and walks and friendly people.
Tasmania is a bit like slow cooking. Not to be done in a rush.

My husband and I went to Tasmania Australia in August. This was the most enjoyable trip we have had in a very long time. We have been to Germany, Paris, Copenhagen, England, and other international destinations, but this trip topped them all. The currency exchange was almost equal to ours in the U.S. Because Tasmania is an island, it doesn't take long to get to any of the sites one is wanting to see. There is a variety of terrain; In the city of Launceston, the terrain reminded me of San Franciso with the "stacked houses" up the side of the mountain. The beautiful mountains reminded me of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. There are wineries, beaches, mountains, the Tamar River and a plus is they speak English. They have lots of different types of animals,and food and wonderful very friendly people. August is the end of winter there, so it was rainy and cold, but it was a great relief from the humidity and heat of Louisiana. There are so many different sites to see, beautiful, rugged, and close in proximity. Would I recommend going there? ABSOLUTELY

Date: August 24, 2010
Reviewer: Mrs Cheong, Singapore

We visited Tasmania in Mid June. Although we are back for months already, my kids' eyes brighten up the moment the word "Tasmania" is mentioned. They would passionately talk about Tasmania Devils, Kangaroos and Pandamelons. At the same time, they also expressed their wish that it would be good if we had spent another day at our accommodation, Cradle Mountain Highlanders, to enjoy the animals outside the cabins.

We had a most enjoyable 5 days trip with a personalised tour guide, Judy from Eye See Personalised Tours. A tour arranged just for my family.

We drove up Mount Wellington and tasted mountain spring water on the way down. We visited the Bonorong Wildlife Park, the best attraction for my kids and they loved the “feeding the kangaroos” experience. When we visited Cradle Mountain, a place known to be raining the whole year round, we were very lucky that it was a very clear day. I would say the most surprising attraction is the Seahorse World and Platypus House. I thought it would be boring as it is in-house, breeding in captivity but it ended up as very interesting and knowledgeable places of attraction with very good explanation from their very animal-passionate and patient guides. Last but not least, we embarked on the Bruny Island Cruise, the most thrilling 3 hour boat cruise experience out in the wild, better than any Disneyland adventure.

However, I must say food is quite miserable at Tasmania. We tried many days of fish and chips but were quite disappointed. I think we have better fish and chips over in Singapore. Fortunately for us, Judy’s cooking is fantastic and we love the lunch setting that she arranged for us, barbeque out in the garden or just beside a calming lake. I was surprised that most of the food was sourced from her own garden, cooked and baked them herself. Judy is also most helpful. She really went all out to make us feel at home and assist in whatever ways she can, even to the extent of assisting us in retrieving our scarf left at Bruny Island after the trip and sent it back to us in Singapore. I was very touched by her act.