I arrived in Devonport pretty sick from a rough crossing on the Spirit of Tasmania. Sue took care of everything, getting us to a local chemist then adjusting our tour to match my lower energy level. She know a huge amount about the area and attractions (including the peculiarities of different animals at the Wings Wildlife Park) and out-of-the-way spots like small local cellar doors. Sue made what could have been a miserable day into a great experience.

We visited several wildlife parks throughout Australia and found Wings to be THE BEST. It is a very interactive park and the large staff are excellent at giving information about the various animals and birds who live there. Unlike many other parks, where you just walk around on your own to view, we found the animal keepers kept scheduled times where they would speak about the animals (their behaviors, what they ate, where they came from, etc) so that it was really educational and much more enjoyable. For older folks, they have lots of seating benches around so it is also a place that is easy to visit. While we did not participate in any "animal encounters" we watched many others do so, even with a Tasmanian Devil! There are lots of "baby animals and birds" including 5 adorable emu's! Highly recommended to spend at least half a day there. The ride to the park is drop-dead gorgeous through lots of green rolling hills! Going there by private car (vs cruise ship bus) is a must as you really get a better sense of the town and the surroundings. Don't miss booking with Tasmania Boutique Tours for an exceptional time.

Friendly driver, Sue chatted and gave us local knowledge as we headed via Sheffield for morning tea. We didn’t need to follow maps as she confidently headed up to Cradle Mountain. We can thoroughly recommend doing this tour this way.

Fabulous packed full day. Howard and Juliet are good fun and Howard is a wealth of information re the coast. Loved all the wineries and the extra stops along the way . The final stop Prickly Mo was such fun with live music . Thankyou

Had a great day at Cradle Mountain hosted by Howard and his wife. It was a long drive out but the views and entire park were worth it. The van was comfortable and Howard was a good host while providing good insights on the town. Personally I had no problems communicating and organizing with Howard ahead of time. He was responsive and used WhatsApp, email, and SMS once I secured a local number. Great day and only wish we would have been able to have more time at the park.

We were very lucky to have such a splendid day with Howard and his loverly wife. It was a relaxing day with beautiful scenery. It is a long way to Cradle Mountain but Howard gave commentary and we had ample breaks including tea and cookies at one "comfort" stop. We would totally recommend booking your Cradle Mountain tour with Howard!

Howard Smith was our guide. The tour was excellent. We requested a visit to see a wildlife sanctuary and he dropped us off there and continued with the rest of the group. He then picked us up on the way back and actually refunded some of the money because we didn't need tickets for the national park. He did a great job of narrating the trip. He was waiting at the dock for our group in Buirnie off the Noordam on February 9, 2923.

Howard has made the trip accomodative to us despite of the tight schedule and age difference with others!

we had a great day out with Howard as our guide to Cradle Mountain. Especially liked the extra little towns we visited on the way up and back - Waratah and Penguin. pick up and drop off back at the cruise ship was on time and went to plan

Cradle Mountain is a UNESCO Heritage site & worth the time. Our first stop was a creek known for platypus. It was a nice area but the platypus was in hiding. Howard & Rodney were our team guides & took turns with the narrative. They were informative about the local history, plant life, wildlife, & sights to see. We traveled on the Cradle Mountain & managed a couple of small hikes including one that went through the "Enchanted Forest." Very beautiful terrain. Howard had said that wallaby’s & wombats were a common sight. We take a mile hike & along the way, several of us at the back spot a good sized tiger snake to the side of the boardwalk. We did spot holes in the ground that wombats live in & skat. Wombat skat is odd as they are square. When we arrived at the parking lot. Howard then spots a wombat running across the parking lot so the busload runs over to take pictures. A wallaby is spotted next in the small meadow. The wombat we saw was huge at about 60 lbs., it is more like a hairy pig, yet not quite. So we scored. A clear day to see Cradle Mountain & both a wallaby & a wombat. Travel back into town was through a rain forest & countryside.

Our ship was about 30 minutes late getting us off onto the pier but our 21 passenger bus was waiting for us at 9:30AM. We had about 18 people in the group. I is a long drive to Cradle Mountain and the scenery was ever changing and interesting as we climbed to about 3000 ft or elevation. The commentary along the way was interesting. We stopped briefly at a small park about 15 minutes after the start in hopes of seeing the elusive platypus but it was not to be. We stopped again at a small public park for a bathroom break and the guides broke out hot tea, coffee and cookies for "morning tea". We arrived at the brand new Cradle Mtn. visitors center about 11:41AM and out driver purchased tickets. After a bathroom stop, we followed one of the park shuttle buses to Dove lake. Individual vehicles are no longer allowed to drive to Dove lake and most people have to take park shuttle buses but the park allows this company to follow a shuttle bus. We walked the trails to various lookout points before returning to the bus and following the next shuttle back to the pickup point. On the way back, we stopped at the Enchanted Walk trail and took a leisurely 20 minute stroll on a mostlylevel and paved or decked trail through the woods. We did not see any wildlife until we got to then end and there in a small field near the visitor's center was a hungry wombat eating the vegetation. We left the park at about 2:30PM to return to the ship by 4:30PM. We arrived at the town of Penguins for a restroom break and a view of the sea. We left at about 3:50PM and were back at the ship with 20 minutes to spare. If we had not been on such a tight schedule, there would have been a few more stops but we kid not have any more time and the tour company got us back promptly.

We did not actually get to go on this tour as our cruise ship did not get into port. We had to anchor at sea for a day, in order to have our hull cleaned so that we could enter the New Zealand waters. Therefore, our ship completely skipped this port. I had previously booked this tour and had to get in contact with the tour operator. I’m very short notice to cancel. He was extremely understanding and he texted back-and-forth with me several times. He answered all my texts promptly. He seem to be disappointed as well, but he would not get to show us his beautiful country. He was very kind and it was truly appreciated. I would not hesitate to book with him as he is very responsive and honorable.

Yesterday, we had a truly excellent day touring with Howard (Cradle Coast Tours). When we were picked up, we discovered that we were the only 2 on the tour. Rather than cancel due to small numbers, Howard provided us with a relaxed day that included a great commentary about the area, the places we saw, passed through and visited. He asked us questions about our lives, likes, previous working careers, our families and about the plans we still have. His personal attention and interest in us as 'people' not just 'paying tourists' made us feel like we were old friends catching up for a chat. We visited Gunns Plains Caves where we were greeted by Jeff. Trish then gave us a an interesting and informative tour of the Caves. The visit to Leven Canyon was another highlight. After the walk to the lookout, we were greeted with such beautiful scenery including the Leven River far below! Howard continued an educational commentary as we travelled from place to place. Information about the history of the area, the farming methods and crops grown and other points of interest helped us gain an understanding and 'feel' for this area. Howard is a great ambassador for tourism in the area. Thanks for a wonderful day!

A full day of driving and sightseeing. Cradle Mountain was prehistoric, I would not have been suprised if a teradactyl swooped into view whilst looking at the mountain. Cradle Mountain was busy with sightseers as it was peak tourist season, but well managed nevertheless.

An engaging guided walk through the cave with the wondrous 'shawl' natural feature above and the sound of running water below. A gentle walk through the trees out to the thrilling vista of the canyon dropping away hundreds of metres from under your feet .