B&B self drive tour of Tasmania, meet the locals

Planet

Several of the B&Bs on this itinerary are protected Land for Wildlife conservation areas and a number of them are part of the Tasmanian Land Conservancy scheme. The TLC is a non profit organisation that acquires and manages land in Tasmania, protecting important natural places. Many are within or on the edge of national parks. For example, one of the properties you will stay in is 61ha and has been owned by your hosts since 1979. They have built the accommodation themselves using all Tasmanian timbers. They joined National Parks and Wildlife's scheme 'Land for Wildlife' as a commitment to their desire to preserve the natural habitat for wildlife. In 2002 they signed an agreement with both Federal and State Governments and placed a Perpetual Conservation Covenancy on the property title under the 'Private Forest Reserve' programme to protect the vulnerable forest habitat of the wet forest type Eucalyptus Viminalis (White Gum) of which there are many old growth specimens, protection for the Karst system and threatened fauna species . Like many properties, the reserve is a release for rehabilitated wildlife.

In 2005 they signed with the both houses of the Tasmanian State government to register the property as a Private Nature Reserve. Under both these schemes the property can never be logged and the habitat can never be degraded. They have management schemes in place for both the extensive karst systems and the forest habitat. The reserve is home to many of Tasmania's native wildlife including the Tasmanian Devil, the Spotted Tail Quoll both threatened species, brush tail and ring tail possums, Pademelon wallabies, endemic birds of Tasmania, bats, wombats and echidnas to name a few.

You are urged not to drive at dawn, dusk or at night when wildlife is likely to be on the roads and always to take extreme caution at all times. The operator makes a donation to the Tasmanian Land Conservancy every year.

People

The company is the only one in the world that has been established world to only inherently Tasmanian experiences and locally owned authentic family run Tasmanian bed and breakfast accommodation. Almost every accommodation has been, built using locally sourced labour and materials dating from the early 1800s through to present day. The wildlife tours recommended all use local staff, not only from Tasmania but from their regions within Tasmania. Many of your accommodation providers are wildlife carers and the wildlife sanctuaries you may visit during your tour are NOT zoos - all the animals are rescued as orphans or injured animals, brought back to health or raised until they are old enough to survive in the wild, rehabilitated and released if at all possible. Entrance fees to these sanctuaries goes towards the wellbeing of Tasmania's wildlife, such as Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary which runs the state's official wildlife rescue line, and many operators donate a high percentage of their profits to wildlife and conservation schemes. Car rental companies are all locally owned and run.