Coral Discoverer, Coastal Wilds of Tasmania ex Hobart Return – 27 Jan 2022

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Coral Expeditions is a 33 year old Australian expedition cruise company. We operate and manage a fleet of 3 small ships taking guests to some of the most beautiful, yet undiscovered, regions of Asia-Pacific. Over 5,000 travellers from all over the world come to us every year for our relaxed small ship atmosphere and itineraries which larger ships cannot replicate. Our operations are bespoke and sometimes not commercially justifiable, but result in a more personal product. We have limited the size of our ships to maximise the expedition experience. Our cuisine is prepared small batch on board, and while the style is down to earth, it reflects high quality Australian produce and wine. We operate to Australian standards of safety with Australian senior crew wherever we go. We were the first to offer interpretive programmes on our cruises and to employ Expedition Leaders, Guest Lecturers, Marine Biologists, and SCUBA Instructors – a tradition that continues today.

Relaxed environment – True to our Australian heritage, our ship environment is designed to be casual. There is no dress code or assigned seating at meal times. Our ship layout encourages mingling. Complimentary coffee and tea stations are open throughout the day in the lounge and dining areas. There are no in-room televisions or room service, but there is plenty of common space. Also, we operate an open bridge policy and encourage guests to visit the bridge and observe ship operations. Our Captains enjoy the open interaction they share with our guests.

Professional service – we offer high standards of comfort and care, but without any formality or stuffiness. Our crew are trained to be attentive but are always open to a friendly chat. We maintain the highest standards of marine and passenger safety; we follow Australian standards in our staffing and operations.

Unique coastal expedition itineraries – our guests come to us because of our unique destinations and shore-rich programmes. Our shallow-draught ships can go where larger ships cannot. We shy away from long ocean voyages. Every day typically has at least one stop for water or land-based activities. On each voyage we will have a Trip Director or Expedition Leader, and on longer voyages, we have Guest Lecturers who are typically experts in the geology, history or flora and fauna of the region. Our Trip Directors and Expedition Leaders come with marine or local expertise.

Located close to the Dining Room, our six spacious Main Deck (Category B) staterooms are 18sqm (195 square feet) in size and feature twin portholes for expansive ocean views, along with a desk, sofa, telephone and your choice of Junior King or twin bedding.

Located close to the Dining Room, our six spacious Main Deck (Category A) staterooms are 18sqm (195 square feet) in size and feature large, twin porthole windows for expansive ocean views, along with a desk, sofa, telephone and your choice of Junior King or twin bedding.

Located in the bow of the ship and encircled by a full-ship promenade, our two Promenade Deck (Category B) staterooms are 15sqm (160 square feet) in size and feature picture windows for expansive ocean views, along with a desk, telephone and Junior King bedding.

Encircled by a full-ship promenade, our 19 spacious Promenade Deck (Category A) staterooms are 18sqm (195 square feet) in size and feature picture windows for expansive ocean views, along with a sofa, desk, telephone and your choice of Junior King or twin bedding.

Located on the exclusive Bridge Deck close to the Lounge and Bridge, our six spacious Bridge Deck staterooms are 20sqm (195 square feet) in size and feature picture windows for expansive ocean views, along with a sofa, desk, telephone and your choice of Junior King or twin bedding.

Available now, and brand new, Bridge Deck Staterooms offer guests private balconies opening out from french windows providing comfortable indoor outdoor living.

Coral Discoverer - Main Deck

Coral Discoverer - Promenade Deck

Coral Discoverer - Bridge Deck

Coral Discoverer - Sun Deck

Launched in 2005, Coral Discoverer set a new benchmark standard for small ship cruising in Australia. Refurbished in November 2016, she continues to raise the bar to new levels of sophistication in expedition cruising in the Southern Hemisphere.

The 1800-tonne Coral Discoverer is the grand vision of Coral Expeditions, pioneers in expedition and adventure cruises around Australia, Papua New Guinea and South East Asia. Her shallow draught and manoeuvrability allow her to go where larger vessels cannot. Her tender vessel, Xplorer, can seat all 72 passengers for excursions to beaches and rivers. Coral Discoverer is equipped with latest technology active stabilisers to ensure comfortable cruising in open waters and is fitted with modern safety and navigation equipment and wireless internet facilities.

Coral Discoverer was built to the exacting international SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea) standards and specifications in Cairns, Australia, with one aim in mind; to create the ultimate small ship cruising experience. Australian flagged, and staffed entirely by an Australian and New Zealand crew, your experience aboard Coral Discoverer will be unique.

Ship Profile & Stats

  • Length: 63m
  • Tonnage: 1,838 tonnes
  • Maiden Voyage: 2005
  • Refurbished: 2016
  • Passenger Capacity (dbl): 72
  • Crew Nationality: Australian
  • Dining Staff Nationality: Australian
  • Ship Registration: Australia

Ship Facilities

  • Laundry Facilities (Limited)
  • Gift Shop
  • Workout Area
  • Wireless internet available for laptops, PDAs and onboard computer
  • Xplorer, Zodiacs and Glass Bottom Boat
  • Phone and fax facilities
  • Lecture Lounge
  • Reference Library
  • Main Dining Room
  • Sun Deck
  • 3 Cocktail Bars


Cruise Itinerary

DateActivityArriveDepart
27 Jan '22
Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
28 Jan '22
Port Huon, Tasmania, Australia
29 Jan '22 At sea    
30 Jan '22
Port Davey, Tasmania, Australia
31 Jan '22
Port Davey, Tasmania, Australia
01 Feb '22 At sea    
02 Feb '22
Adventure Bay, Tasmania
02 Feb '22
Bruny Island, Tasmania, Australia
03 Feb '22
Maria Island, Tasmania, Australia
04 Feb '22
Freycinet National Park, Tasmania, Australia
05 Feb '22
Port Arthur, Tasmania, Australia
06 Feb '22
Hobart, Tasmania, Australia

All itineraries and ports of call at the discretion of the cruise line subject to local weather conditions and may change without notice.

10 Night Cruise sailing from Hobart roundtrip aboard Coral Discoverer.

Coral Expeditions’ Tasmania cruises explore Australia’s island state poised at the edge of the world where the Southern, Indian and Pacific Oceans collide. Tasmania’s pristine World Heritage wilderness and national parks teem with native wildlife, where rugged mountain ranges meet the sea with soaring coastal cliffs and crescent-shaped beaches carved by the elements.

Amidst this pristine, natural backdrop, Tasmania’s intriguing colonial history is underpinned by a compelling convict heritage and historic sites. Follow in the pioneering footsteps of intrepid colonial explorers to far-flung reaches of the island where tales of maritime adventures abound, preserved streetscapes are virtual living museums and world-class artists find inspiration at every turn.

Shaped by a climate straddling the Roaring Forties latitudes, the Apple Isle’s verdant valleys and rolling hills are clad in fertile pastures, vineyards and orchards bathed in crisp clean air and warm summer sunshine. Emerging from centuries-old cellar doors and farm gates are award-winning cheeses, premium wines, craft beers and artisanal spirits inspired by Tasmania’s ample natural assets.

Cruise to the edge of the world on a Tasmanian expedition cruise that teams wombats with wine, beaches with brie and convict ruins with craft beer in a palate-pleasing adventure cruise into Tasmania’s wild heart.

Themed Departures:

Australian Geographic – Join us on a Tasmania Expedition departing 17 January 2021 in partnership with Australian Geographic. This partnership brings together over 65 years of shared passion and experience for education, discovery, travel, and science. The cruise will be hosted by a special guest from the Australian Geographic Society.

Sample Itinerary:

DAY 1: DEPART HOBART
Board your Coral Expeditions small ship at Hobart’s Princes Wharf at 4:00pm where there is time to settle into your cabin before our 5:00pm departure. Take the time to become acquainted with all the facilities onboard before meeting your fellow travellers, the Captain and crew for the Captain’s Welcome Drinks.

WOODBRIDGE & HUON RIVER
Where the mouth of the Huon River meets D’Entrecasteaux Channel lays Port Huon, a small community at the heart of the fertile Huon Valley with its Hartz Mountains backdrop. The sheltered waters of the Huon River allow us to visit the Wooden Boat Centre at Franklin where Tasmania’s maritime heritage is kept alive through the production of hand-crafted timber boats.

Grandvewe Cheeses is an organic sheep dairy farm there will be time to learn about the cheesemaking process as well as taste their ‘ewenique’ sheep’s whey vodka at the Cellar Door overlooking D’Entrecasteaux Channel.

PORT DAVEY & BATHURST HARBOUR
On the edge of the world in southwest Tasmania, the landscape here is about as wild as it gets. Raw, craggy-peaked mountains and drowned river valleys. Wild rivers and rivulets carved by an eternity. Where tannin-rich freshwater sits atop saltwater, tinting the ocean the colour of tea. With no road access, the logical way to explore this wilderness is by small expedition ship.

Sheltered from Roaring Forties winds that buffet this coast is the protected haven of Port Davey and Bathurst Harbour. A marine reserve and part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, we spend two whole days (weather permitting) enjoying this rare opportunity to hike, kayak and take in this pristine natural environment. We explore by Xplorer tender vessels and learn about intrepid European explorers and Indigenous Australians, who once walked this land and keep a lookout for the rare and endangered Orange Bellied Parrot amongst other wildlife.

BRUNY ISLAND & ADVENTURE BAY
At Adventure Bay on the east coast of Bruny Island, we walk along the dramatic coastal cliffs of Fluted Cape and hope to see Bennett’s Wallabies which are endemic to Bruny Island. Cruising the base of these near-vertical dolerite cliffs in our Xplorer tender vessels, we take a close look at Penguin Island, which is connected to Fluted Cape at low tide.

Learn about how southern right whales were almost hunted to extinction and Adventure Bay housed four whaling stations before the industry’s decline in the mid-1840s. The ruins can be seen on a walk to Grassy Point.

MARIA ISLAND NATIONAL PARK
Walk amongst the ruins and beautifully restored buildings of the convict penal settlement of Darlington. Much of Maria Island is protected as the Maria Island National Park, and you can expect to see endemic wildlife such as Forester Kangaroos, Bennett’s Wallabies and wombats.

There is time to take a walk to the ruins of the former Probation Station, which are set against a dramatic coastal backdrop whose grasslands attract wombats to feed, as well as the striking formations of the Painted Cliffs. Rich iron deposits have leeched through the soil staining the sandstone cliffs on the waters’ edge with coloured streaks of red, purple and orange, creating surreal art which is revealed at low tide.

FREYCINET NATIONAL PARK AND SCHOUTEN ISLAND
The Freycinet Peninsula is a dramatic headland dominated by a pink-hued granite mountain range called The Hazards. Blessed with picturesque sweeping bays with white sand beaches like famed Wineglass Bay, much of the peninsula is designated as Freycinet National Park.

Take a guided hike along the Isthmus Track and be rewarded with magnificent views from the lookout or swim in the azure waters of Wineglass Bay. Cruising close to Ile des Phoques and Schouten Island, keep an eye out for large colonies of fur seals sunning themselves on the rocks.

PORT ARTHUR HISTORIC SITE
One of Australia’s most significant historic places, the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Port Arthur ruins stand sentinel on the Tasman Peninsula south of the narrow isthmus of Eaglehawk Neck. For more than 40 years the Port Arthur penal colony housed British and Australian convicts sentenced to hard labour before its heavy iron doors clanked shut for the last time in 1877.

Today, the Historic Site has over 30 buildings, ruins and restored period homes set in 100 acres of landscaped grounds. In the company of Port Arthur’s knowledgeable guides, we join an exclusive ‘behind the scenes tour’ which includes access to private collections and historic buildings not otherwise accessible to the public.

DAY 11: ARRIVE HOBART
Disembark in Hobart at 8:00am.

Note on fitness levels: this trip is suitable for passengers of all fitness levels, though reasonable mobility is required to enjoy all it has to offer. Our Xplorer tender vessels permit easy boarding without climbing any stairs. Hikes vary in intensity and wherever possible we split into groups to suit easy and moderate walkers.

Guests are welcome to opt-out of any excursions and relax onboard. Summer temperatures and wind chill in Tasmania can be very cool so warm layered clothing is essential.

As our Tasmanian cruises visit remote regions like Bathurst Harbour, this voyage is not suitable for passengers with serious medical conditions.

vid: 8973 | cfid: 87395-cruise

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