The Ida Bay Railway is original. Of the hundreds of miles of narrow gauge bush tramways built in Tasmania the Ida Bay Railway is the only original railway in existence. There are relics of the limestone carrying days in the form of wagons and machinery. Several of the passenger carriages are built on bogie flat wagons built in the 1890s - some of the earliest bogie wagons in Australia. The company livery is red and the line is over 7 kms long so please allow 2 hours for the return trip. From Lune River you will travel through light bush to the shores of Ida Bay.

The line passes through the sight of the original town of Ida Bay past the wharf and grave yard that is all the remains of a once thriving area. Soon after reaching the shores of the Lune River estuary and for a mile or so the scenic views across the waterways are superb. Past the bush site of Jagers sawmill and jetty through bush that lines either side of the track. The line terminates at Deep Hole Bay, a large white swimming beach accessible only by rail. The beach is nearly a mile long and very secluded. From Deep Hole there are marked bush walking tracks to King George III monument where a convict ship sank with a huge loss of life.

www.idabayrailway.com.au

The Hastings Caves State Reserve offers visitors a variety of experiences, from relaxing in the warm waters of a thermal springs pool, walking in the rich forests of the reserve and, of course, the unique experience of exploring Newdegate Cave.

Both the thermal pool and the trail which leads through the surrounding forests are accessible to wheelchair users.

Named after Sir Francis Newdegate, the Governor of Tasmania from 1917-1920, Newdegate Cave is the largest tourist cave in Australia which occurs in dolomite, rather than limestone.

Its richly decorated chambers began forming tens of millions of years ago.

Don't miss the opportunity to take a tour of the cave with qualified Parks and Wildlife Service guides.

Recherche Bay (North East Peninsula)
Area - factsheet Department of the Environment and Heritage, 2005

Vive l'exploration!
Just as the twentieth century saw a fiercely competitive "space race" between the United States and the USSR, the late eighteenth century was a race between Britain and France to chart and explore new worlds. Speculation in Europe was rampant about Terra Australis Incognita, 'the unknown southern land'.

In 1642 and 1644, Captain Abel Tasman had sailed around, and roughly charted, a continent he named 'New Holland', and also came to the area he named Van Diemen's Land.

James Cook later changed the world's understanding of Terra Australis Incognita in 1770 with his exploration aboard the Endeavour, charting around 3,200 km of coastline. His voyage dramatically expanded the world's scientific understanding of the continent's unique flora and fauna and led to increased interest in Europe.

Cook's notes were used by a French explorer, Comte de La Perouse, to navigate to this new world. La Perouse arrived in Botany Bay just days after the First Fleet, anchoring on 24 January 1788, and then sailed north with his two ships and disappearing without a trace.

Heading south
Three years later an expedition led by Bruni d'Entrecasteaux left France, under orders from Louis XVI, to try to find La Perouse and also to complete charts of the southern land. The expedition set sail in two 350-ton frigates, the Recherche and the Esperance.

Arriving in April 1792, the landing in this part of Van Diemen's Land was the result of an accident. Following a violent storm, the French vessels mistook, what was later named Recherche Bay for Adventure Bay, a safe harbour observed by Tasman, as a place to recuperate.

An extended search for La Perouse followed their departure from Recherche Bay and an exploration which took the expedition to New Caledonia, the Admiralty Islands, the Solomons, Bougainville and around New Guinea to the Moluccas. From there they sailed down the west coast of the Australian mainland, around the Great Australian Bight, putting in for repairs at St Francis Isle, before limping back to Recherche Bay in 1793 to repair the Esperance and to replenish their water and other supplies.

Here they returned to the garden planted in May 1792. It was the practice of European crews to plant gardens in destinations they visited, to provide sustenance for other maritime adventurers. However, the French were also under instructions to establish European plants for the benefit of Indigenous people-a "gift from the French people to the natives of the new land".

Although the original garden planted by Felix Lahaie had not prospered, possibly due to the late season it had been planted, four plots had been established, growing chicory, cabbages, sorrel, cress and potatoes. The possible remains of Lahaie's garden were later re-discovered in 2003, one hundred and eleven years after their planting.

Exploring a new world
During this time d'Entrecasteaux and his crew kept detailed notes about their contact with the Indigenous inhabitants of the area.

Their observations-particularly in the journals of botanist Labillardiere later published in France-today remain the best accounts of Tasmanian Aboriginal society prior to European settlement.

The crew's journals noted how Aboriginal groups lived, what tools they used, and what coverings they wore, such as kangaroo skins wrapped around their feet for protection.

Their observations were not limited to the locals, the physicist Rossel carried out pioneering work of worldwide importance in the field of geomagnetism, as his geo-scientific tests proving geomagnetism varied with latitude.

Labilliadiere also identified about 100 new plant species including the blue gum, Eucalyptus globulus, now Tasmania's floral emblem, the flag iris, Diplarrena moraea, and the native cherry, Exocarpus cupressiformis. The publication of the botanical material collected by the D'Entrecasteaux expedition in 1804-06, despite earlier collections and publication by others, represented the first general publication covering Australia's flora to this extent. Much of Labilliadiere's Australian material came from Recherche Bay.

The flora and fauna observed and collected by the expedition had a lasting impact.

Following his return to France in 1800, Lahaie, who had planted the original Recherche Bay garden, was appointed Head Gardener for Empress Josephine Bonaparte's palace estate of Malmaison, just outside of Paris. Here he planted a Tasmanian garden for the Empress.

A lasting legacy
The legacy of French explorers who journeyed far from their homes is with us today, in Australian places named after La Perouse, Freycinet, Bougainville and others. Reminders of the d'Entrecasteaux expedition live on in names such as Recherche Bay, Tasmania; the Archipelago of the Recherche, Western Australia; and Bruny Island, Tasmania.

The French visits to the north-east peninsula of Recherche Bay were responsible for a wealth of new information about Tasmania that remains important today.

Huonville Tasmania

Come Jet boating on of Tasmania 's most scenic rivers!

The Huon River has formed the picturesque Huon Valley , a beautiful sheltered area surrounded by farmland, orchards, wineries and native forests.

You are invited to see the magnificent reflections and the rare Huon pine saplings growing in their natural environment, and to experience the thrill of white water jet boating through the gentle rapids and shingle beds of the Huon River .

Huonville is easily accessible - only 30 minute drive south from Hobart .

Pedal Boats

From our floating jetty, pedal boats, aqua bikes and canoes are available for hire. These provide amusement and exercise for the whole family.

Picnic area, barbecue facilities and a playground nearby.

Boatshed Cafe

You will find a friendly welcome at our kiosk and cafe which overlook the tranquil Huon River . Light refreshments, including Devonshire teas, are served.

Open Daily - 9am - 5pm (closed Christmas day)

www.huonjet.com

When exploring the Huon Trail don’t miss the adventure of walking through the canopy of Tasmania's renowned Southern Forests. At nearly 600 metres, the Tahune AirWalk is on of the longest tree top walks in Australia.

Guided walks are included as part of admission to the AirWalk and provide visitors with a greater insight into the history and ecology of the picturesque Tahune Forest reserve.

Take time to relax and unwind after your treetop experience in the licenced cafe and sample the very best of the Huon Valleys famous products.