Here’s a home grown hero of a cruise, getting you up close in comfort to some of Australia’s wildest coastline and spectacular scenery.
The award-winning Australian pioneer in small ship expedition travel, Aurora Expeditions, will launch a new, state of the art expedition ship in late 2025.
Douglas Mawson’s maiden voyage in December, 2025, will take adventure seekers on a nine-night, wild-nature themed circumnavigation of Tasmania embracing wild, deserted coastlines, spectacular scenery, rich wildlife and far-flung islands, with Tasmania’s long December daylight hours enhancing the experience.
Aurora Expeditions’ new ship, named after the legendary Antarctic explorer, and will sport the revolutionary Ulstein X-BOW® with enhanced sustainability features.
Also part of this grand design is a sea-level Zodiac launching platform, a pool and two Jacuzzis on the top deck, expansive observation decks, lounges and a gym, with all staterooms offering ocean views.
The ship will also boast the line’s first dedicated solo guest staterooms to meet growing demand from solo travellers.
The ship will act as a moving, floating base camp from which guests will go ashore regularly to explore on foot wild and pristine regions of Tasmania and its surrounding islands.
Revel in the opportunity to tread some of Tasmania’s greatest coastal tracks while you circumnavigate this island state by sea.
Land on remote pristine beaches; trek through coastal heath, buttongrass moorlands, lush temperate rainforests and tall eucalypt woodlands; and drink in the stunning vistas from towering dolerite peaks.
Discover far-flung archipelagos and explore islands whose only permanent inhabitants include Bennett’s wallabies, wombats, potoroos, possums and pademelons.
Cruise the wild, storm-swept coastlines and sheltered, shimmering bays. Experience a variety of trekking treasures on Bruny, Flinders and Maria Islands.
Delight in the raucousness of fur seal colonies and the majesty of soaring shy albatross or gannets in the skies.
Create and collate a treasured suite of memories – on foot or by sea – with extraordinary adventures on offer each day.
To help Australians be amongst the first aboard, Australian small ship cruise specialist, Cruise Traveller, has launched an exclusive fly, stay and sail package.
Cruise Traveller is offering the journey as part of its new 10-night package – ‘Tasmania Temptations’ – which begins on December 1, 2025.
It offers free flights and savings of A$6360 per couple and A$3950 for solos for bookings made by September 30, 2024 from Sydney, Melbourne or Adelaide to Hobart for a night’s stay in a hotel before guests board Douglas Mawson the next day.
From Hobart, the shiny , new Douglas Mawson will chart a course to beautiful Bruny Island, the remote Maatsuyker Islands south of Tasmania – home to Australia’s southern-most lighthouse – and right along Tasmania’s wild west coast to the Hunter and Kent Islands in Bass Strait – places rich in birdlife.
The sapphire waters, untouched beaches, rocky peaks and tiny villages of Flinders Island are next on the journey as well as the iridescent-blue waters and pristine white beaches of the Freycinet Peninsula and the fur seal colonies around the Schouten Islands.
Spectacular Cape Pillar and the historic convict ruins of Port Arthur complete the adventure before guests disembark in Hobart and take a free flight back to Sydney, Melbourne or Adelaide. Return flights to Hobart from Perth and Brisbane are also available for a surcharge.
The fly, stay and sail package is available from A$12,315 per person, twin-share, in an ocean-view Aurora Stateroom – a saving of A$3180 per person. For solos, fares are available in a single, ocean-view Aurora Stateroom from A$15,835 – a saving of A$3950. For the free flights and savings, book by September 30, 2024.
For all bookings, inclusions and options CLICK HERE for Cruise Traveller or call 1800 507 777
