Exploring Tasmania

Our 2026 Tasman Sea Cruise concluded with a weeklong trip around Tasmania. Australia’s smallest and most southern state, Tasmania boasts an impressive 12 species of endemic birds (of which we saw all 12), and offers some stunning scenery and excellent mammals. We began in the highlands of Cradle Mountain, with its interesting and rich botanical life, vocal Striated Fieldwrens, lurking Tiger Snakes and lovely, if damp, Common Wombats. We then visited the tall Mountain Ash forests of Mount Field, where a walk up to Russell Falls revealed a few bold Tasmanian Native-Hens, inquisitive Green Rosellas and a stunning Scarlet Robin. 

The second half of the week was spent on South Bruny Island, where we were happy to enjoy excellent views of Hooded Plover, the critically endangered Forty-spotted Pardalote, numerous New Holland Honeyeaters, nocturnal Common Brushtail Possums, and an ethereally white Gray Goshawk. Around the small but enchanting city of Hobart we marveled at Little Penguins coming into their nesting burrows and were thrilled to spot a trio of muppet-like Tawny Frogmouths perched in a city park. It was a lovely way to wrap up our three week trip around the Tasman Sea, during which we tallied 264 species of birds and an impressive 20 mammals.