Walk Tasmania's Tarkine & Cradle Mountain

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 late afternoon on Day 6. Please keep this in mind when arranging your arrival and departures 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 camelback - 2 to 3 litre capacity MINIMUM.
• A lunch container or re-useable sandwich bag.
• Sun protection - hat (secure fitting and/or with chin strap), sun cream, sun glasses.
• * Waterproof jacket.

Clothing - 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.

Clothing - evenings
• Whatever you want!! (But bring something warm to throw over the top).
* 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. ** "No way, in summer?!" you exclaim. Yep! We will be walking up mountain summits which, while not that tall, never-the-less can get very cold very quickly, even in summer. We recommend that you bring these items with you in your main bag, then the guides can recommend what to bring on the
walks.

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. Some people like to have chocolate, nuts, lollies etc.
• A keepcup or thermos cup for hot drinks whilst travelling

Optional extras that some people like to bring:
• 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.

There is no such thing as an 'easy day' on this tour. However, the walk has been designed to make it achievable to those with a reasonable amount of fitness by the fact that you only carry a daypack; and you start with short distances, working your way up to longer days. You will be surprised just how your fitness improves over the seven days. After a few days, people are striding out! 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 over a variety of terrain. Try to walk frequently. Even walking around your suburb will get you walk-fit. By the start of our tour you should be able to comfortably walk 15km, and try and do a few 20km walks on rough tracks. 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. And start walking in the shoes you will wear on the walk now!

Best Western Plus Launceston, 3 Earl St, Launceston, AUSTRALIA, Phone: 03 6333 9999

Alternate Joining Point

Best Western Plus Launceston, 3 Earl St, Launceston, AUSTRALIA, Phone: 03 6333 9999

Alternate Finish Point

Breakfasts included: 5

Lunches included: 5

Dinners included: 5

All meals are included on this tour. Breakfast comprises of cereal, fruit, yoghurt and toast. Lunch is either picnic while on the road, or a packed lunch taken on the walk, the latter generally a roll, sandwich or wrap with cold meat or tuna, cheese and salads. Dinner is 2 courses chosen from entree, main and dessert. Each day on the track you will enjoy a cake or biscuits for morning tea along with tea or coffee. Before every evening, except the arrival dinner, the guides will prepare a nibbles plate of cheese and biscuits.

If you have any special dietary requirements please let us know when you book, we are happy to adapt our tasty, nutritious meals to suit a variety of dietary needs. Shopping is limited while on tour so it is important to be upfront about dietary requirements as we may be unable to fill any last minute requests.

The only certainty about Tasmania weather is that it's unpredictable! Be prepared for warm sunny days in summer, with good chance that things turn cold, wet and windy very quickly! In summer, the average day-time temperature sits around 20 degrees (celcius), falling to around ten degrees at night, while average monthly rainfall is approximately 80-100mm. The region experiences strong westerly winds in the afternoons.

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