Departing from Hobart at 8am and the Kermandie Hotel in Port Huon at 9am, this day
adventure takes you deep into the south of Tasmania so you can experience the unexpected
beauty of the forests in this stunning region. We travel to the edge of
Tasmania’s World Heritage-listed Southwest National Park, past spectacular
craggy mountain ranges and ancient forests.

Our expedition destination is the idyllic Duckhole Lake. Lying within the Southwest National
Park the delightfully tranquil lake is actually a flooded sinkhole. It is part
of the extensive regional cave and karst system that includes the nearby Hastings
Caves. The lake is a peaceful place to sit and listen to the birds and frogs
while we enjoy our picnic lunch.  

The easy there-and-back track to Duckhole Lake is a short 4.2km walk, most of which is
boardwalk and follows a beautiful stream through regrowth forest to the lake. The
track follows a late 19th century sawmill tramway for much of the way, and
remnants of the tramway can be seen.

Your senses will be heightened as you breathe the fresh mountain air, listen to native
birdsong and search for unique plant species and forestry relics embedded into
growing trees. Discover the history of our fascinating forests and their
possible future as the expert botanist shares his knowledge. He will bring all
the equipment which may include a laser rangefinder, tape measure and spherical
camera.

You can’t miss the views across the wild waters of the Huon and Picton Rivers and out
towards the mountains of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area.

We return from our forest expedition along the banks of the pristine Huon River past Roaring
Bay Beach and Surveyors Bay. Enjoy views of the D’Entrecasteaux Channel and
Bruny Island as we drive to the charming town of Geeveston, made famous as the
location of the filming of the television series Rosehaven. Here we seek the elusive
platypus in its natural habitat.

After our enriching expedition, we aim to return to the Kermandie Hotel by 4pm and Hobart by 5pm.