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Media Releases
Test the Limits with Hard Adventure in Tasmania this Spring
14 July 2011
The crisp spring air heralds a fresh season of adventure in Tasmania, with an array of thrilling adventure activities filling the island’s outdoor calendar. With its rugged, wild backdrop, varied terrain, stunning landscapes and pure wilderness, Tasmania offers scenic beauty and a range of challenging hard and soft adventure options within a compact area.
Mountain biking, canyonning, white water rafting, multi-day sea kayaking, diving in kelp forests and abseiling are some of the must-try activities for adventure-lovers, while award-winning guided walks (www.greatwalkstasmania.com), zip-lining through tree tops (www.treetopsadventure.com.au)and exhilarating eco-cruises (www.brunycruises.com.au) deliver thrill and fulfillment with minimal effort.
Tasmania’s repute as an adventure playground has also come to the forefront with events such as the 2011 Swisse Mark Webber Tasmania Challenge www.markwebbertasmaniachallenge.com (7 to 11 December), the Adventure Racing World Championships www.xpd.com.au (31 October to 11 November 2011) and the biennial Wildslide MTB www.wildslidemtb.com (28 to 31 January 2012) . These ultimate outdoor adventure tests have chosen Tasmania as the ideal adventure destination given its pure, rugged wilderness, deserted beaches, wild rivers and spectacular landscapes – making it a desirable location for prominent adventure endurance events.
Tasmania’s proximity to mainland Australia and key cities such as Melbourne and Sydney also make it the ideal destination for visitors in search of a challenging adventure-filled break.
Those seeking a taste of hard adventure can choose to partake in the following offerings:
*NEW* MOUNTAIN BIKING WITH VERTIGO MOUNTAIN BIKING
Vertigo Mountain Biking (VertigoMTB) is Tasmania’s newest mountain bike company, offering cyclists an exciting range of mountain and cross-country adventures on the wild trails of Tasmania’s remote wilderness. Run by avid mountain biking enthusiasts, VertigoMTB’s jam-packed mountain biking itineraries are not for the faint-hearted or inexperienced, with the multi-day trips taking in diverse terrain and technical biking challenges. One of VertigoMTB’s standout offerings is the chance to cycle through the state’s spectacular and ancient World Heritage Wilderness. Accordingly, VertigoMTB’s guides have been carefully selected for their knowledge and experience, and are accredited in remote-area first aid. Three-day tours start from $430 pp per day or $1,290 for the three days.
*NEW* CANYONING WITH CRADLE MOUNTAIN CANYONS
The creation of two passionate adventure guides, Anthony O’Hern and Tim Trevaskis, Cradle Mountain Canyons is Tasmania’s first and only Canyoning Company, based in the spectacular surrounds of Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park. The concept behind the company was born when they discovered a world-class canyon in Cradle Mountain. Calling on their 20 years of combined experience, they put together the Dove Canyon tour – an adrenaline-pumping combination of waterfall jumps, natural water slides and abseils in a 50 metre deep quartzite canyon. Accessible only via canyoning, The Dove Canyon tour offers thrill-seekers the chance to experience one of the island’s most iconic landmarks off the beaten track, and starts from $190 pp (6 – 8 hours).
www.cradlemountaincanyons.com.au
RAFTING THE FRANKLIN RIVER WITH RAFTING TASMANIA
Created by avid white water rafter, Graham Mitchell, Rafting Tasmania offers a variety of thrilling multi-day rafting expeditions on one of the world’s last great rivers, The Franklin River. The Franklin River is the most remote commercially rated river in the world, and is located in the rugged south west of the island. Its wild beauty is flanked by expansive temperate rain forest, and it is home to deep gorges and quiet pools. The intimate expeditions start from $1,750 pp for a 5 day trip, $2,100 pp for a 7 day trip and $2,700 pp for a 10 day trip.
SEA KAYAKING WITH ROARING 40S WILDERNESS TOURS
Roaring 40s Wilderness Tours is set in UNESCO World Heritage Wilderness, in a complex geographical landscape with a profusion of inlets, points, islands, beaches and bays. Its multi-day sea kayaking tours offer visitors an authentic and inspiring way to experience the stark beauty of the region, which is rarely seen due to its remoteness. Here, there are no roads or settlements. The guides lead the way via their intimate knowledge of the region, accessing some of the most spectacular sights via sea kayak. The 3 Day Exploration and 7 Day Expedition start from $1,850 pp and $2,595 pp respectively.
ABSEILING GORDON DAM WITH AARDVARK ADVENTURES
Standing 140 metres high, the Gordon Dam is the world’s highest commercial abseil, and has been included in the Top 10 adrenaline activities in the world. It is several metres higher than the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and holds back thirty times the amount of water in the Harbour itself. A full day experience, the day starts with a two and half hour self-drive from Hobart through Tasmania’s magnificent south-west wilderness. Abseilers are then guided through the three abseil points at the top of the dam, with 30 metre and 50 metre descent trails before the full 140 metre drop. As the Dam is concave, there is little contact with the wall of the Dam on the way down. Starting at $210pp, the Gordon Dam Abseil is not for the faint-hearted!
DIVING IN KELP FORESTS WITH EAGLEHAWKDIVE
Situated at Eaglehawk Neck, Eaglehawk Dive Centre is a certified PADI 5 star dive centre, offering diving expeditions in Tasmania’s pristine waters. One of the highlights is diving through Tasmania’s Giant Kelp Forest. Once a common sight along the ocean coasts of the Tasman and Forestier Peninsulas, the forests can now only be found in small areas in the region due to climate change. In the Giant Kelp Forests of Fortescue Bay, divers will swim amongst 20 metre tall underwater kelp forests teeming with Weedy Seadragons, various wrasses, banded stingarees, skates, cowfish (boxfish), octopus and the occasional Bigbelly Seahorse. A two boat dive with full gear hire (includes two tanks) is $195 per person.
*VJP OPPORTUNITY* - If you are interested in experiencing a Tasmanian break that offers spectacular beauty and personal challenge, please contact Zoe Fairweather at zoe@mediamoguls.com.au. Please note that all famils are subject to confirmed story commissions.
For more information on Tasmania, visit www.discovertasmania.com.
Media Contacts:
| Sonia Rendigs Tel: (03) 9836 2167 Mobile: 0410 588 196 Email: sonia@mediamoguls.com.au |
Caryn Ng |