Travel & Accommodation
If you're coming to our wedding and you're not familiar with Tasmania, we think you're in for a lovely surprise (as long as you're into the important things in life, like nature, chocolate, cheese and wine).
If you can, take some extra time to look around. We recommend at least a week to see the South of the state and two or more if you want to go further. Have a look at http://www.discovertasmania.com to get some trip ideas. There's also a list of Simone's favourite places to visit in Tasmania at the bottom of this page.
Here are the basics though...
You can either catch the ferry from Melbourne to Devonport and drive south, or fly to Hobart airport from Melbourne or Sydney. Jetstar/QANTAS and Virgin Blue are the only airlines that fly to Tassie. We'd recommend booking tickets directly through their websites, rather than trying to book international and domestic flights together. You will need to hire a car to get to the Tasman Peninsula (and you'll want wheels so you can look around our beautiful state, anyway).
If you can, take some extra time to look around. We recommend at least a week to see the South of the state and two or more if you want to go further. Have a look at http://www.discovertasmania.com to get some trip ideas. There's also a list of Simone's favourite places to visit in Tasmania at the bottom of this page.
Here are the basics though...
You can either catch the ferry from Melbourne to Devonport and drive south, or fly to Hobart airport from Melbourne or Sydney. Jetstar/QANTAS and Virgin Blue are the only airlines that fly to Tassie. We'd recommend booking tickets directly through their websites, rather than trying to book international and domestic flights together. You will need to hire a car to get to the Tasman Peninsula (and you'll want wheels so you can look around our beautiful state, anyway).
Getting to our wedding
Our wedding venue (Koonya) is about a 1.5 hour drive Southeast of Hobart Airport. It's a beautiful drive with plenty of interesting places to stop, so it could take you a lot longer!
Have a look at The Details page of this website to get some directions to the wedding venue.
Our wedding venue (Koonya) is about a 1.5 hour drive Southeast of Hobart Airport. It's a beautiful drive with plenty of interesting places to stop, so it could take you a lot longer!
Have a look at The Details page of this website to get some directions to the wedding venue.
Our wedding venue is a long drive from Hobart, so we'd like to encourage our guests to consider staying close to the wedding and driving back to town on Sunday.
A word of warning: It will be peak season in Tasmania in January, so book accommodation early to avoid missing out.
Here is a list of places to stay on the Tasman Peninsula. We're pretty sure all of these places are on google maps, so you can check out their proximity to the venue / distance from Hobart.
Norfolk Bayview:
B&B, Between Taranna and Koonya
Norfolk Bay Convict Station:
B&B, Taranna
Abs by the Bay:
Self contained units, Taranna
The Mussel Boys Studios:
Serviced Accommodation / Self-Catering Accommodation, restaurant
Masons Cottages:
Self Contained units, Taranna
Lufra Hotel:
Self contained units and rooms with a view, Eagle Hawk Neck
Parsons Bay Retreat:
Family friendly self contained units, Nubeena
Harpers on the Beach:
B&B, White Beach
Storm Bay Guest House:
B&B, White Beach
The wedding venue does offer accommodation, but we have booked this and intend to use it mainly for the bridal party and family.
Camping:
There is also camping space available if you would like to pitch your tent at the venue! Please contact Simone if you are interested.
A word of warning: It will be peak season in Tasmania in January, so book accommodation early to avoid missing out.
Here is a list of places to stay on the Tasman Peninsula. We're pretty sure all of these places are on google maps, so you can check out their proximity to the venue / distance from Hobart.
Norfolk Bayview:
B&B, Between Taranna and Koonya
Norfolk Bay Convict Station:
B&B, Taranna
Abs by the Bay:
Self contained units, Taranna
The Mussel Boys Studios:
Serviced Accommodation / Self-Catering Accommodation, restaurant
Masons Cottages:
Self Contained units, Taranna
Lufra Hotel:
Self contained units and rooms with a view, Eagle Hawk Neck
Parsons Bay Retreat:
Family friendly self contained units, Nubeena
Harpers on the Beach:
B&B, White Beach
Storm Bay Guest House:
B&B, White Beach
The wedding venue does offer accommodation, but we have booked this and intend to use it mainly for the bridal party and family.
Camping:
There is also camping space available if you would like to pitch your tent at the venue! Please contact Simone if you are interested.
Places to visit in Tasmania
This list is by no means exhaustive. It's just a few favourites. There are so many beautiful places you can visit if you have the time, so do some research.
If you're driving to / from Devonport (off the ferry)
D'Anvers Chocolates
Two words: chocolate truffles.
Ashgrove Cheese Factory
Try the marinated fetta... or anything else, really.
Christmas Hills Raspberries
Tasmania has very good raspberries.
Midlands
Ross
The halfway mark between Hobart and Launceston and a good place to stop if you are driving to Devonport to get on the ferry. Ross is a quaint little town with an old bridge and nice tea rooms and bakeries.
Southern Tasmania:
Salamanca Market
A Hobart Institution. Locals come here for brunch, fresh produce and a meander. The market only runs on Saturdays until about 2pm, but Salamanca has lots of cafes, bars and restaurants that are open all week.
Mt. Wellington
Or 'The Mountain.' For nice views over Hobart. There are BBQ facilities on the mountain. Make sure you wear warm clothing, even on a warm day!
The Island Produce Fudge Factory
History and chocolate. Right by the Female Factory Historic site: in South Hobart. You can book a tour (Louisa's Walk), or wonder around the female factory, then drop into the fudge factory shop for some fudge.
The Huon Valley
A nice drive from Hobart and a good place for foodies. Lots of fresh fruit, preserves and other food to be found for sale by the side of the road.
Hartz Mountains National Park
Beautiful wilderness with easy walking. You need a national parks pass to enter any Tasmanian National Park. You can get this from Service Tasmania (there's one in Hobart and another in Huonville)
On the Tasman Peninsula:
Eagle Hawk Neck:
Pirates Bay Lookout, for a nice view over the bay. Also, right after you turn off the highway there is a place where you can pick your own strawberries. The Tessellated Pavement, an interesting geological formation with gorgeous views. The Blow Hole, for nice coastal walks and awesome fish and chips - try the scallops.
Cape Raul
There is a day walk to Cape Raul, or you can drive to the Remarkable Cave and do a shorter walk towards Crescent Bay, or get a nice view of the cape from the car park.
Safety Cove
A pretty beach with white sand and freezing water.
Roaring Beach
Quite the antithesis of Safety Cove. A rugged, beautiful beach at the end of a dirt road.
Tasman Island Adventure Cruises
If you'd like to see some stunning coastline and maybe some seals and dolphins
North West Tasmania:
Cradle Mountain and Lake St. Clair National Park
You can do the famous overland track walk, or you can stay in luxury close to Dove Lake and enjoy the wilderness in a more leisurely fashion. You can also do a day trip into the Dove Lake area, too.
If you're driving to / from Devonport (off the ferry)
D'Anvers Chocolates
Two words: chocolate truffles.
Ashgrove Cheese Factory
Try the marinated fetta... or anything else, really.
Christmas Hills Raspberries
Tasmania has very good raspberries.
Midlands
Ross
The halfway mark between Hobart and Launceston and a good place to stop if you are driving to Devonport to get on the ferry. Ross is a quaint little town with an old bridge and nice tea rooms and bakeries.
Southern Tasmania:
Salamanca Market
A Hobart Institution. Locals come here for brunch, fresh produce and a meander. The market only runs on Saturdays until about 2pm, but Salamanca has lots of cafes, bars and restaurants that are open all week.
Mt. Wellington
Or 'The Mountain.' For nice views over Hobart. There are BBQ facilities on the mountain. Make sure you wear warm clothing, even on a warm day!
The Island Produce Fudge Factory
History and chocolate. Right by the Female Factory Historic site: in South Hobart. You can book a tour (Louisa's Walk), or wonder around the female factory, then drop into the fudge factory shop for some fudge.
The Huon Valley
A nice drive from Hobart and a good place for foodies. Lots of fresh fruit, preserves and other food to be found for sale by the side of the road.
Hartz Mountains National Park
Beautiful wilderness with easy walking. You need a national parks pass to enter any Tasmanian National Park. You can get this from Service Tasmania (there's one in Hobart and another in Huonville)
On the Tasman Peninsula:
Eagle Hawk Neck:
Pirates Bay Lookout, for a nice view over the bay. Also, right after you turn off the highway there is a place where you can pick your own strawberries. The Tessellated Pavement, an interesting geological formation with gorgeous views. The Blow Hole, for nice coastal walks and awesome fish and chips - try the scallops.
Cape Raul
There is a day walk to Cape Raul, or you can drive to the Remarkable Cave and do a shorter walk towards Crescent Bay, or get a nice view of the cape from the car park.
Safety Cove
A pretty beach with white sand and freezing water.
Roaring Beach
Quite the antithesis of Safety Cove. A rugged, beautiful beach at the end of a dirt road.
Tasman Island Adventure Cruises
If you'd like to see some stunning coastline and maybe some seals and dolphins
North West Tasmania:
Cradle Mountain and Lake St. Clair National Park
You can do the famous overland track walk, or you can stay in luxury close to Dove Lake and enjoy the wilderness in a more leisurely fashion. You can also do a day trip into the Dove Lake area, too.