R.A.A.F Fire Fighter Reunion

20th to 23rd March 2025

Hobart, Tasmania

Travel to Tasmania

Travel to & from Tas. is obviously restricted to air & sea so there is rarely much spare capacity. Booking ahead to get the time & price you would like is essential.  Short notice travel at any time in & out of Tas. can be difficult.

Air

Hobart & Launceston are the 2 main airports.  Devonport & Burnie (Wynyard) are serviced by reginal airlines.  It is best to book some time in advance to be assured of a seat.  This is especially true of the direct flights.

Unless you plan on going touring you will be flying into Hobart with one of the major airlines. Hobart & Launceston have direct flights from all Australian capital cities except Darwin.  Melbourne, Tullamarine being the main airport for flights to & from the North Island for all airports. Many more flight options are available with a transfer through Melbourne. Bookings can be made through your normal means. The usual hire car firms are at the airports but pre-book to make sure there are cars available.  Hire cars are restricted to sealed roads.

 

Boat

            Spirit of Tasmania | Be a Spirited Traveller

            New Ships | Launching in 2023 | Spirit of Tasmania

Departs, Geelong, Victoria. To Devonport Tasmania (300Km from Hobart)

The Spirit of Tasmania IV & V should be on the route by 2025 & as of 23rd October 2023 the SpOTs will leave from Geelong, Vic.  The boats at Geelong being much easier to access than Port Melbourne.  It is also a dedicated facility for the SpOTs. So, no battling the cruise boat passengers & traffic. Bookings are through the TT-Line Tasmania website or your local travel agent.  Booking within 6 months of your travel date can be problematic for a car or within 12 months for a caravan.  It has been standard practice to not book a return date for those visiting with caravans for some months it seems.  In the past they have been able to book passage within a few weeks.  I’m told there are now yards full of vans in storage in Tas waiting for a booking.  Book a return date.

I just looked up (11/02/23) bookings for travel on the boat in March 2023. From Geelong for a car was Wednesday 15 March 2023 - $419 Day $799 night compared to November 2023 $297 for a night sailing.  So the total return cost could be from $1000 to $2000 the difference is the time of booking. A 4X4 with caravan with an overall length of 12.5m with a cabin could be $4000 or $2500 if you book ahead.  Availability can also be a problem. If you were just coming for the reunion this would not be the cheap option.  If you’re doing a tour of Tas. for a couple of weeks as part of coming to the reunion it is worth consideration.

Day or night sailings are available.  My preference is night sailing as you can just sleep the trip away.  Day sailings are cheaper as you don’t need a cabin or with a cabin you can sleep the trip away anyway. My thought is you need a bed for the night when you arrive after a day sailing, so why not sleep on the boat overnight.   For my money you need a cabin for a night sailing, who likes sleeping in an ‘airline seat”. The trip takes 9-1/2 to 11hours depending on whether the ships are doing double sailings.  If you can be flexible with you dates, it can make a big difference to the cost on the boat.  Play with the dates when booking.

All passengers travelling in a vehicle drive on with that vehicle.  Cabin key cards are issued when you check in prior to boarding. A small overnight bag that is ready to hand plus a coat & beany (if you plan on going outside) is far better than a suitcase for a night sailing.  Space is tight on the car decks. Park it, lock it & get out of the way. Cards are available at the lift/stairwell entrance that will tell you where you are & where to come back to for your car.  No access is permitted to the car deck during the voyage so take you meds with you.  If your car happens to be parked on a ramp, go up the ramp to the elevator, even if the one behind is closer.  As upon arrival the ramp will have been raised with no access from the lower/rear lift.  On the current boats a power board & a short extension cord to plug in multiple computers or charge phones can be handy. I have “Hot Spotted” from the phone to the computer while with in Port Philip Bay.