Let the everyday melt away with the ultimate Tasmanian nature experience. Spend three adventure-packed days exploring the remote Southwest wilderness of Tasmania, staying at our private camp and enjoying delicious meals prepared from local produce and tasting the best wines that the region has to offer. At over 4500sq km, the Bathurst Harbour Marine Reserve is three times the size of Sydney Harbour and is the ultimate destination for nature lovers with opportunities to see the rare and endangered Orange Bellied Parrots, visit Aboriginal middens and caves and explore the remote waterways via your private boat.

Explore the magnificent Huon Pine forest on the Old River and the untouched Celery Top Islands. During our stay, we can take a walk on untouched beaches, see wildlife or even climb a mountain. All trails are graded easy to moderate.

Your unforgettable experience begins by air, in a twin-engine Islander aircraft and landing at Melaleuca, the only way to get access to this remote area. During the flight, we witness the grandeur of this lost world and see icons of Tasmania’s world-renowned wilderness such as Federation Peak, the Western Arthur Range, Precipitous Bluff and the rugged south coast.

Arriving at Melaleuca, we board our purpose-built vessel to explore the magnificent waterways of the Port Davey Marine Reserve before making our way to the exclusive SouthWest Wilderness Camp.

Our friendly and experienced guides will be your link to this spectacular wilderness area, giving an entertaining and insightful interpretation of the region. Also highly skilled in the kitchen, our guides will also look after you and prepare your delicious meals, too!

The Southwest Wilderness Camp experience gives you a fantastic opportunity to see untouched wilderness, in one of the planet’s last remaining temperate rainforests. Breathe the cleanest air in the world, while staying in eco-friendly comfortable accommodation with hot showers, enjoying quality Tasmanian food and wine.

Highlights

Jump aboard

Your flight to the Southwest is just the beginning of this incredible multi-day adventure in the wilderness.

Experienced guides

Our guides are passionate about the Southwest, having spent many years exploring the area and hosting groups from all over the world.

Everything included

All meals and refreshments are included - expect a hearty feast of great locally produced food and wine to keep you fueled for adventure.

Inclusions

• All transport is included and pre-arranged, including return flights between Hobart and Melaleuca, and return boat transfers between Melaleuca and the camp
• Experienced guides
• Private accommodation
• Return scenic flights to Melaleuca
• Return boat transfers to the camp
• Fully catered in style
• Scenic boat trips
• Local Walks

Operated By

Par Avion

Day One

9:00am departure, Cambridge Airport. Your tour begins with a spectacular scenic flight to the Southwest National Park, a World Heritage listed wilderness of over 4500 sq Kms. The flight follows the coast, past Bruny Island to Cockle creek, and then following the tough South Coast track with its wild beaches, thick rain forests, mountain ranges and moorlands. During the flight you will have the opportunity to see Precipitous Bluff, Mt La Perouse, the Ironbound Range and remote Maatsuyker Island. We also overfly the ancestral home of the Needwonnee people, who occupied Louisa Bay for thousands of years.

10:00am arrival at Melaleuca. At this now abandoned tin mining settlement, we will take to the bird observatory to see the rare and endangered Orange Bellied Parrots. Visit the old tin mine and take a stroll along the Needwonee walk, which tells you part of the story of the original inhabitants of this sometimes harsh wilderness area. After some morning tea we head by boat to our fully set up camp located in the rainforest on the shores of Bathurst Harbour.

After lunch, we will head out to Bathurst Harbour and visit the untouched Celery top Islands for a forest walk and stroll around these remarkable islands. These Islands have been cut off and preserved since the end of the last ice age, making them a unique time capsule of the area. Afterwards, if time permits, we will stop at Claytons in Forest Lag for a walk up TV hill and a look at Clyde & Win Claytons’ house. We then head back to camp and settle in for the evening.

Day Two

After breakfast we will take you by boat through the Bathurst Narrows with its 800 metre mountains rising from the sea, our destination is Bramble cove. We have the option of walking up Mt Milner (2 hours return), which is graded easy to moderate. This walk offers wonderful views of Port Davey and the Bathurst Narrows.

After lunch we head out to the Breaksea Island, cruising along the protected side, where we see the bird life and the mouth of Port Davey and the Caroline and Shanks Islands. On the return journey to the camp, we will show you an ancient aboriginal ochre cave at Schooner cove, visit the grave site of Critchley Parker junior and take a stroll along beautiful Balmoral beach.

Day Three

After breakfast there is the option of taking a walk up Mt Beattie (2.5 hours return). This walk is graded easy to moderate and offers amazing views of the whole area. Another option, if the tide and weather permits, is a visit to an ancient Huon Pine forest found on the shores of the Old River. It’s then back to the camp for some lunch and pack up. We will have another opportunity to see the Orange Bellied Parrots at Melaleuca before your flight home to civilisation.

4:00pm departure from Melaleuca. Your return flight takes you via Port Davey, the Bathurst Narrows and then overland to the rugged Western Arthur Range, to spectacular Federation Peak, Mt Picton, the Hartz Mountain National Park and the Huon Valley back to Hobart.

PAYMENT: A non-refundable deposit is required at the time of booking. Balance due 30 days before departure. 

Bring your clothes, personal effects, and a camera - we provide and arrange everything else.

The experience is a finely-tuned balance between the reality of living in the remote wilderness with the creature comforts of glamping.

Shared facilities include a fully-equipped kitchen, dining and lounge area, toilets, and bathrooms with hot water and showers. Cabins and shared facilities are interconnected with raised walkways. All our facilities are eco-friendly and designed for minimum impact on the local environment. 

It’s time to ‘unplug’ … the camp does not have fixed-line telephone, mobile phone service, or Wi-Fi. Your guide has a satellite phone in case of emergencies.

Our pilots and guides are all trained in first-aid and carry essential first-aid supplies.

Three-day camp experiences are generally held over the warmer months between October and April. 

You are welcome to enquire about group bookings for other times-of-year.

About Par Avion

Par Avion is an award-winning tour operator, committed to providing the very best tour experience to every one of our guests.

Founded in 1978, and operating for over three decades as Tasmania’s primary transport airline, we pride ourselves on our excellent work ethic and outstanding customer service.

At Par Avion, our drive is to create the ultimate Tasmanian experience for all of our guests. Whether you are embarking on our three-day Southwest Wilderness Camp, or a quick Hobart City scenic flight, we want you to leave us with an experience that will live with you forever.

Our highly trained and knowledgeable pilots make every tour one to remember with invaluable insight into the history, culture and natural beauty of the state we call our home. It’s what sets us apart from the others!

Cancellation Fees
Unless otherwise specified, cancellation fees apply to all our services.

Experiences and charter flights

5 guests or less and cancelled with more than 48 hours’ notice – no cancellation fee applies
6 or more guests and cancelled with more than 7 days notice – no cancellation fee applies
For experiences and charters not cancelled within these time frames (above) the cancellation fee is 100% of the experience, transfer or charter price and no refunds are given.

Southwest Wilderness Camp

Cancellation with more than 14 days notice prior to departure – no cancellation fee.
A 50% cancellation fee applies if cancelled within 14 days of departure.