Walk Tasmania's Bay of Fires

This trip involves plenty of walking over varied terrain and is best suited to travellers with a good level of mobility. Good footwear, clothing for all types of Tasmanian weather, plus perhaps walking poles are recommended. Details on physical activities can be found in the itinerary.

This trip is operated and run by Inspiration Outdoors, an Intrepid Company. You will be travelling with a mixture of both Inspiration Outdoors customers and Intrepid customers. Intrepid works closely with Inspiration Outdoors to ensure that all of our customers enjoy their time in Tasmania.

START & END TIMES
This trip begins in Launceston on day 1 at 6pm and finishes in the late afternoon on Day 5 at around 5pm. Please keep this in mind when arranging your arrival and departure flights.

SINGLE SUPPLEMENT
A Single Supplement is bookable on this trip, subject to availability at the time of booking. Due to the types of accommodation used on this tour a single supplement will not always mean a king/queen bed and own bathroom.

OPERATOR
This trip is operated and run by Inspiration Outdoors, an Intrepid Company. You will be travelling with a mixture of both Inspiration Outdoors customers and Intrepid customers. Intrepid works closely with Inspiration Outdoors to ensure that all of our customers enjoy their time away.

EQUIPMENT FOR WALKS
• Hiking-specific day-pack - with a thick waist strap to help take some weight off your shoulders. In wet weather, a waterproof cover or a bin bag to wrap your belongings in can be handy.
• Torch/headlamp (good to have just in case the walk is delayed and we return after dark).
• Any preferred first-aid supplies - such as your favourite blister treatment! (Your guide will carry a full first-aid kit).
• Water bottle/s or bladder - 2 to 3 litre capacity MINIMUM.
• A lunch container or reusable sandwich bag.
• Sun protection - hat (secure fitting and/or with chin strap), sun cream, sunglasses.
• Waterproof jacket. Inclement weather occurs at any time of the year in Tasmania so be sure to bring wet weather gear, even if the forecast is fine.

CLOTHING FOR WALKS
• Shorts/long pants and shirts - as many sets as you wish! Please avoid cotton - wool or 'quick-dry' synthetic material is best. Avoid jeans or tracksuit pants.
• Socks - whichever thickness you're comfortable walking in and as many pairs as you like.
• Boots/shoes for walking (make sure you wear them in well - see note on footwear below).
• Light- to medium-weight outer layer.
• Thermal under-layers.
• Light-weight and packable warm outer layer - e.g. thick fleece or down/synthetic 'down' jacket.
• Beanie, gloves, scarf.
Particularly in mid-late Autumn and early Spring, We recommend that you bring these items with you in your main bag. The guides can then recommend what to bring on the walks.

CLOTHING FOR THE EVENINGS
• Whatever you want!! (But bring something warm to throw over the top).

OPTIONAL BUT RECOMMENDED ITEMS
• Walking poles. These are a very personal choice - we recommend them on this tour for the rocky, unstable sections.
• Gaiters for snake bite protection are recommended if wearing shorts. They're also good for keeping sand out of your shoes.
• Sock protectors (to keep sand out of your boots).
• Bathers and towel.
• Snacks and alcohol - there will be time to purchase more during the week if you need to. Extra treats like chocolate, nuts, lollies etc.

OPTIONAL ITEMS
• Waterproof pants. Some people love them and some hate them - personally, we don't wear them but there have been times when we have wished for a pair!
• Camera and charger/batteries.

The walks on this tour vary from easy to moderate, with the option for some hard walks on the last day. Walks are mostly along the beach, including soft sand and rock sections with unstable, uneven surfaces. However, the walk has been designed to make it achievable for those with a reasonable amount of fitness by the fact that you only carry a daypack.

A positive mental attitude is most important. If you focus on the scenery, the company and the moment, not on the kilometres, then you find yourself reaching your destination with little problem. If you have done some training prior to the walk you will enjoy it all the more.

The best way to prepare physically for the trip is to walk, walk and walk some more - preferably on rocky and uneven surfaces and lots of stair walking. Try to walk frequently and do some sand walking training. Even walking around your suburb will get you walk-fit, but consider practicing on some soft sand for this tour as well. By the start of our tour, you should be able to comfortably walk 12km, and try and do a few 20km walks on rough tracks, as well as be fairly comfortable with steep up and downhill sections.

We know that this type of preparation is difficult to fit into a busy schedule. If you don't have the time to do long walks, we recommend doing regular stair walking sessions. Walking small distances frequently helps a lot as well. For instance, walking 3 - 5km four times a week, and 8km once a week, is a great help. If you're doing short training sessions, make sure you get yourself puffed and sweaty. Otherwise, you won't benefit from your efforts. Another good way to get your glutes, hamstrings and quads well prepared is with regular lunges and squats. As you get closer to the walk take it up a notch and do jumping squats. And start walking in the shoes you will wear on the walk now!

Hotel Grand Chancellor Launceston, 29 Cameron St, Launceston, AUSTRALIA, Phone: +61 (0)363343434

Alternate Joining Point

From Launceston Airport (airport code LST), your best option will be to take a taxi or an Uber from the airport directly to the hotel in approximately 15 to 20 minutes (depending on traffic).

Hotel Grand Chancellor Launceston, 29 Cameron St, Launceston, AUSTRALIA, Phone: +61 (0)363343434

Alternate Finish Point

Breakfasts included: 4

Lunches included: 4

Dinners included: 2

All meals are included unless indicated in the itinerary. Breakfast comprises cereal, fruit, yoghurt, toast, and spreads with juice, tea, and coffee. Lunch is self-made from supplied bread, salads, and meats, except on the first day when we have either bakery-bought lunch or rustle up a picnic, supplier-dependent.

We'll eat dinner the first night at the hotel, and the other dinners will be at restaurants in St Helens. Please let us know of any dietary requirements, and please be aware that while local restaurants do cater to different requirements, the options may be limited for more restricted diets; for example, gluten-free and vegan diets may only have one or two options.

Each day we provide morning tea, and fruit is available for snacks. You're welcome to bring additional personal snacks if you have particular faves! There will be plenty of opportunities to purchase additional supplies and alcohol throughout the tour in St Helens. Your out-of-pocket expenses for this trip include personal snacks and alcohol.

DIETARY REQUIREMENTS
From vegetarians to pescatarians to meat-loving carnivores with an aversion to cucumbers, we cater to all dietary requirements and will make sure you are well-fed and looked after on tour. Please let us know if you have any dietary requirements. Also please keep in mind that in Tasmania, restaurants outside Hobart and Launceston may not cater well to more 'restricted' diets; for example, there may only be one or two gluten-free or vegan options.

Tasmanian weather is typically hard to predict. In fact the only thing we can say for certain is that the weather will be unpredictable! Daytime temperature can range from mid-teens to low 30s, and it can be calm and fine, or windy and raining, or anything in-between! At night it can get cool, but likely not icy given the coastal location.

While we always endeavour to provide the best possible holiday experience, due to the nature of travel and the areas we visit sometimes things can and do go wrong. Should any issue occur while you are on your trip, it is imperative that you discuss this with your group leader or local representative straight away so that they can do their best to rectify the problem and save any potential negative impact on the rest of your trip.

We recognise that there may be times when your group leader or local representative may not be able to resolve a situation to your satisfaction - if this is the case, please ask the group leader or local representative to speak to their direct manager.

You may also choose to provide details in your online feedback, which we ask you to complete within 30 days of the end of your trip. Please do be aware that it is very difficult for us to provide any practical help after the trip is completed, so informing us while still travelling will give us the opportunity to resolve the issue in real-time.

For general contact details please use the following page: https://www.intrepidtravel.com/contact-us

In case of a genuine crisis or emergency, you can reach our local office on the numbers below:

1300 544 882 or +61 8 6219 5164