After all the planning and preparation the wait is finally over. On arrival in Launceston you will meet your World Expeditions Schools Tasmania guides and size up for all our equipment and have a full safety and trip briefing. We then drive to Triabunna for the ferry over to Maria Island. We board our boat for the 30 minute ferry and explore Mercury Passage en route to Darlington on Maria Island, arriving in time to set up camp. Maria Island is one of Tasmania’s least visited yet most wonderful locations – you will be completely captivated from the moment you step ashore. The island has a rich history from Aboriginal habitation, to a convict penal station, farming, and the National Park it is today. Once our camp is set up and prep is complete we can embark on our first orientation walk to the Painted Cliffs to start our program. What these cliffs lack in height they more than make up for with their amazing colours and swirling patterns. The patterns are caused by ground water percolating down through the sandstone and staining the rock. Wave action and sea spray have continued the erosion, resulting in magical honeycomb patterns, potholes and notches we can explore. We return to our campsite where all students will help with food prep and cooking. Overnight wilderness camping Darlington.

Meals:  B,L,D

This morning we rise and prep breakfast. Our guides will run through a safety briefing for our challenging trek to the summit of Mount Maria. We organise our gear before we head inland to green forests that are a prime habitat for the endangered 40-Spotted Pardalote. We take the inland track to Hopgrounds Beach and continue to the 711-metre summit of Mt. Maria for breathtaking 360 views. Mount Maria is the highest point on the island – with sweeping views to the south towards Tasman Peninsula. The track begins south of Darlington near the mouth of Counsel Creek. It meanders through open woodlands ascending quite gently at first and ends with half an hour of scrambling over rocky debris and large boulders to reach the summit. Temperatures at the summit can be much cooler, so bring warmer layers and sturdy shoes for rock scrambles. Overnight wilderness camping Darlington. *All activities are weather dependent

Meals:  B,L,D

Today will be an early start as we prep and eat brekkie before we head off to the summit of Bishop and Clerk (620m). Listen out for the call of native birds as we climb steadily up through eucalypt forest, then out into scrub battered low by the elements. The trek is a challenging but you are rewarded and incomparable view from the top as you gaze across the expanse of the island and out over the Tasman Sea. The 11km return walk climbs from grassland, through open forest and tall woodland, to the rocky slopes and towering dolerite columns of the summit (620m). These were named Bishop and Clerk because of the resemblance to a bishop, wearing a mitre, being followed by a clergyman. The views from the summit are magnificent. The walk involves steep up and downhill sections, and an extensive field of rock boulders. The walking distance is 11km and the climb should take us approximately 6 hours. Overnight wilderness camping Darlington. *All activities are weather dependent

Meals:  B,L,D

This morning we rise and prep breakfast before we pack down our camp. After pack down is complete and all gear packed we head to catch the first ferry over to Triabunna. Our vehicle is waiting for us for the short drive to stunning Freycinet National Park where we set up camp at our Friendly Beaches campsite. Here we join a palawa/Tasmania Aboriginal woman from NITA education, for our indigenous cultural awareness program. During our cultural awareness program we will learn about the culture, history and heritage of the palawa. Nita Education is creating awareness of how palawal Aboriginal ancestors cared for Country and is inspiring students to discover more about sustainability. The program is a hands on activity based program featuring elements of music, hunting and gathering, history, dance and bush tucker. Tasmanian palawa Aboriginal People have lived in Tasmania for over 42,500 years, for more than 2000 generations. Overnight wilderness camping Friendly Beaches or Honeymoon Bay

Meals:  B,L,D

This morning we rise and prep for breakfast before we embark on a stunning circuit loop walk which takes us to the Wineglass Bay lookout over the crystal clear waters and white sandy beach of Wineglass Bay and beyond to Hazards Beach. The extended is approx. 11km and has you trekking through diverse terrain, through bushlands and beach. We walk along the beach and cross the wide isthmus to the long sandy stretch of Hazards Beach. From here the walk rises inland through She-oak forests and gives glimpses across Great Oyster Bay. As the track continues rounds Mount Mayson, it passes through coastal woodland occasionally dropping into seasonal creeks. We return to our campsite at Friendly beaches for a well earned dinner and our last night in Tasmania. Overnight wilderness camping Friendly Beaches or Honeymoon Bay

Meals:  B,L,D

This morning rise for breakfast and head to Coles Bay, an area that offers fantastic fun adventure activities and has immense beauty all of its own, sitting beneath the pink-granite peaks of the Hazards range and overlooking serene Great Oyster Bay. The area is a haven for wildlife, with good chances of spying padymelons, echidnas, wombats, white-bellied sea eagles and wallabies. Here we will meet our kayaking guides who will take us on the waters of the national park gaining impressive views of our surroundings. From the water, kayaking offers remarkable views of otherwise hard-to-access beaches and the Hazards. We head back to camp for pack down and lunch before we transfer to Launceston for our fight back to Melbourne.

Meals:  B,L