Bushwalker Bus Transport & Overland Track Transport
BUS TRANSFERS FOR WALKERS, CANOEISTS, RAFTERS, CYCLISTS OR ANYONE WANTING TRANSPORT TO AREAS NOT SERVICED BY REGULAR TRANSPORT
Why Travel With Us?
Features of our bus service:
- We travel at a time that suits you.
- We can take you to just about any area in the Central Highlands, North, East and West Coast Destinations.
- Experienced Drivers who know how to make you feel at ease on the roads- we do not go faster just to maintain a schedule – our prime objective is to get you to your destination safely and relaxed.
- We can pick you up in Launceston from your hotel, guest house or Airbnb providing they are readily accessible by a bus with a trailer.
- When arriving by air we meet and greet you at the airport and provide a shopping stop on the way to your destination, food items that you can’t bring on the plane.
- We can provide you with cooking fuel.
- We can provide a free refreshment stop on your way to your destination.
- We provide free luggage storage.
- We have items of clothing and equipment, including EPIRB available for hire.
- We always ask our groups if anyone is likely to suffer motion sickness, particularly if travelling with children – our driver will adjust their driving technique to accommodate this.
- We provide expert, experienced based, walking advice as we are bush walkers too. Paul first walked the Overland Track in 1970 and has walked and guided countless times since as well as trained walking guides as an outdoor education teacher.
- Paddling remote rivers or access to wilderness lakes? Need a pick-up or drop off of you and your bikes? Going Rafting? What about a round of golf? Talk to us to see how we can help.
- We always try and attract additional passengers on the same bus to help reduce the cost of your fare – this we call “travel matching”
- We have received no complaints about our service in 15 years – if we make a mistake, we are honour bound to put it right.
Established in 2005 we are fully accredited with the Transport Department: Accreditation Number 419291337 the Tourism Industry Council of Tasmania, registration number TICT7181512 as well as holding a National Parks and Wildlife Commercial Visitors Licence.
A RECENT TESTIMONIAL
“Paul was fantastic, had a great chat on the way telling us about the local area and giving us tips for walking the overland track. The trip was very reasonably priced, Paul was willing to go the extra mile for us. Highly recommend”.
Callum Boxall
Click here for more reviews on Trip Advisor
Transport Price List
We know you’re busy and you want quick answers – the most important of which to most people is “how much will it cost” but before you click on “price list” it is important that you realise we do far more than just take you from A to B.
We strongly suggest you read some of the essential information below and please remember the prices that are shown are “maximum standard prices” – our “rates” for Cash will be far more competitive with other companies. It is the extra things we do and can provide that sets us apart from other companies and in addition by checking “The Message Board” or subscribing to being “travel matched” can save you heaps!
So, when you have checked our standard prices, click back to this page to see how you can get a competitive travel deal and service that’s second to none!
WHO IS SERVICE FOR
Bush walkers, backpackers, fisherman & mountain bikers.
WHAT DO WE OFFER
A non-scheduled “on demand” service for ten months of the year, however special conditions apply during the winter period from 1st June to 30th September.
For Winter Services see notes at the bottom of this page or click here
OUR SERVICE CATERS FOR
Extended Bushwalking Expeditions – you have a choice of one way or two way transport from the same location or a different location several days later.
Examples:
- Pickup at Launceston Airport – drop off at Cradle Mountain Visitors Centre
- Pickup Launceston – drop off at Cradle Mountain, pickup at Lake St. Clair seven days later and return to Launceston Airport or onward to Hobart.
Canoeists, Cyclists & Fly-fishing Transport – very similar to our Bushwalkers Transport except you may wish to be picked up at a different location on the same day (see separate heading later on this page) or several days later.
Examples:
- Four walkers and keen fly-fishers dropped off at Lake Ada – pickup at Walls of Jerusalem Car Park four days later.
- A group of 6 mountain bike riders want transport from Launceston Airport to Derby.
WHEN IS IT AVAILABLE
Providing we are not already booked, it is available at any time (except Christmas Day and Boxing Day) even at short notice, however, forward booking is strongly recommended, particularly in our busy period October to April to secure our services on the day you want.
IF BOOKING HOW MUCH NOTICE DO YOU REQUIRE
As much as possible, as we are very busy over the summer period. In addition, if you book several months ahead there is a very good chance of getting additional passengers on the same bus – thus making it cheaper for you.
WHERE DO YOU GO & HOW MUCH WILL IT COST
Most of our “Standard” (fixed price services) are ex-Launceston, however we also offer a service to Hobart from Lake St. Clair & from other areas by special arrangement.
HOW CAN I REDUCE MY TRANSPORT COSTS
Firstly, please ask for our “Special Rates for Cash” & we will send you our price schedule. Secondly, if you are undertaking the Overland Track, unless you particularly want to go to Hobart following your walk, it is actually cheaper to come back to Launceston (The journey time is approximately the same) this means you can fly in & out from the same airport. Finally, reduce your transport costs by travelling with others – see section: “TRAVEL MATCHING”
WILL WE KNOW HOW MUCH IT WILL COST BEFORE WE COMMIT OURSELVES
There will be no nasty surprises at your journeys end with a fee far more than you had expected. In fact, it is quite possible that on the day of travel your fare will be less than originally quoted – see “TRAVEL MATCHING”
TRAVEL MATCHING
Q. There are only two of us, we want to go to cradle mountain, but this is going to cost us $150.00 each, can you do it cheaper?
A. Yes, we probably can, firstly enquire about our ‘special rates for cash customers’, secondly check our ‘Message Board’ to see if we are already going to your destination on the day you want to travel or close to your date. OR book anyway with a good chance of others booking on the same journey through our ‘Message Board’ service. Just select the tick box on the booking form if you want to take advantage of this service.
HOW DOES YOUR MESSAGE BOARD WORK
Our ‘Message Board’ service is our way of endeavouring to make your journey more affordable. Firstly, check to see if we already have a bus going to your destination on the day you wish to travel, failing this we suggest you make a firm booking ($30.00 per passenger deposit). Once you have booked for a particular date & destination we will publish this on the internet, via our ‘message board’ (also known as “scheduled departures”) that we have a confirmed bus movement to the destination you have chosen. Other clients can now see online when a bus movement will occur and how many passengers are already booked and thus are encouraged to also book on this date to save themselves money.
Note: Obviously we cannot guarantee to get extra passengers on a particular day, we therefore recommend that you check with us no later than 30 days prior to your journey. However, we often get extra passengers, sometimes as late as the day before your departure. If this is the case your fare will still be less.
WHERE ELSE DO YOU GO
We can take you to just about any location in Tasmania, but please bear in mind that we are Launceston based (central north) and that for individuals and small groups (4/5 people) it might be cheaper to travel from Hobart if you want to access walking tracks in the South West. For larger groups however please contact us & we will give you a quotation.
BRINGING YOUR VEHICLE TO TASMANIA
Although you can of course drive yourselves to the start of the overland track at Cradle Mountain, you will still need to arrange transport back to your vehicle at CM from Lake St. Clair.
Some years ago there was a scheduled bus service, but this no longer exists (as at July 2020) which means you need to find a private operator. Although National Parks seem to suggest this is an option, in reality it is not and as of July 2020 the only company that we know off offering this service is Cradle Mountain Coaches. However, unless you can travel as a reasonably sized group it is an expensive link due to the total distance that operators need to drive to provide this service. We do not provide a service from LSC to Cradle mountain. An alternative to the above, rather than leave your vehicle in a public car park, is secure parking that we can arrange for you on a farming property just outside Launceston. The cost is very modest and you can be picked up from here taken to Cradle Mountain and returned to the same place after your walk, providing your transport package is with us
CAN YOU PICK US UP AFTER OUR WALK
Yes, providing you make the arrangements in advance. Please be sure you arrange your pickup time realistically, making a generous allowance for your walk taking longer than you expected. We cannot make refunds if you fail to turn up – if you are planning or considering walking the overland track or high alpine areas in winter (June – September) this is a serious undertaking and special conditions of booking apply between 1st June and 30th September. In addition we can make suggestions that may help your planning.
CAN YOU DROP US OFF & PICK US UP AGAIN ON THE SAME DAY (EVEN AT A DIFFERENT LOCATION)
This option is available for groups of 4 and over only – details on request.
ASK ABOUT OUR SPECIAL RATES FOR REGISTERED WALKING CLUBS
WHERE CAN WE BE PICKED UP FROM
Providing we are able to park safely we can pick up and drop off from all Hotels & Guest Houses in Launceston City & inner suburbs. We can also pick up/drop off at Launceston Airport or the Launceston Transit Centre. If you are staying at an AirBNB we will pick you up from a set location near your accommodation – many AirBNB are in inaccessible places for a bus with a trailer. If your pick-up or drop off is more than 4 km north of the City Centre, additional charges may apply.
Special conditions apply for pick up from “remote locations” such as Lake St Clair.
We can pick up at other locations by special arrangement – additional charges may apply.
LAST MINUTE FOOD REQUIREMENTS
Most fresh items of food (vegetables, dairy products & meat) cannot be brought into Tasmania. As we know that most folks need to purchase these items after arrival we usually make a short shopping stop en-route to your destination. This is especially helpful if you are being picked up at Launceston Airport & are going to Cradle Mountain. We can stop at Deloraine en-route for this purpose.
FUEL FOR YOUR COOKING STOVE
If you need fuel please contact us or tick the box for further information on the booking form. All fuel orders must be pre booked.
EQUIPMENT HIRE
We have a range of essential equipment for hire, including “Trangia” brand cooking stoves (gas or metho. option) and EPIRB. We can also give you details of other independent businesses who can hire tents, rucksacks, sleeping bags etc please let us know if you want details. We can collect and return these items for you providing you have pre-paid your hire by credit card and tell them that they will not be returned until the following day after we have picked you up.
ACCOMMODATION BEFORE & AFTER YOUR WALK
See our ‘Useful Links’ page for details of budget & other accommodation in both Launceston & Hobart.
LUGGAGE STORAGE
If you have arranged return or onward transport with us after your walk we offer a free luggage storage facility, providing this is limited to one medium size bag each (max 15 kg). We will arrange to have this waiting for you when we pick you up. Oversize or overweight bags will be charged $10.00 per bag.
PAYMENT OF FARES
All the fares shown on our price list can be paid by credit card, or direct deposit in advance or pay a deposit of $30.00 per passenger and the balance paid later. If you want to save money please ask for our “special cash rates” which can be paid by direct credit at the time of booking or in cash at the time of pickup.
WHO DO WE CONTACT FOR FURTHER INFORMATION?
It assists us greatly if you can complete our enquiry form as this gives us all the information to give you a quotation.
If you require additional information please do this by email or if urgent you can contact Paul Grigg on 0408 91 8249.
If you make an enquiry first, we are able to offer you the best price possible by attempting to match your transport with other customers. However, if you would like to directly make a booking please do so below:
Ph: +61(0408 918249)
E-mail : info@outdoortasmania.com.au
Mobile: 0408 918 249
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