Spirit of Tasmania 2017

JohnR · Senior Member

Spirit of Tasmania 2017

stoney123 · Senior Member

that is bloody expensive, frieght equalization needs to include tourist equalization. . btw have a fun time, been there a few times but price has put me off.

Dunmowin · Guru

The longer you stay, the better the cost effectiveness. We stayed 8 months, free camped for most of that

jules47 · The Happy Helper

We did the same as Dunmowin - stayed several months, and free camped a lot - met some great people over there, still friends now!

iana · Guru

Was that return or one way?

Cruising Cruze · Guru

I hope to think that it was the price of a return trip

Cheers John

Dunmowin · Guru

Pretty sure JohnR's prices would be return. Ours were around $900 each way, with cabin, 9 metre caravan (tip to tail) and Nissan patrol, with overnight cabin. We booked 11 months in advance, on line to get the best available prices.

Desert Dweller · Senior Member

We did a day sailing to Tassie in March last year, a waste of a day of our trip & as boring as watching paint dry. Never again! Fortunately we had a night sailing booked for our return to Melbourne. Be prepared to wait for up to one & a half hours to disembark after you dock. We'd do it smarter next time. Last on the ship first off the ship at the other end. Being early birds, our vehicle was in the bowels of the ship on the lowest vehicular deck, it took forever to get off! Doubt if we'd bother going there again, too much to see on the big island.

-- Edited by Desert Dweller on Tuesday 23rd of August 2016 07:49:00 PM

JohnR · Senior Member

Yes, it is RETURN at $1,971 and does not include cabins or deck chairs. Note that you can purchase a heavily discounted cabin for $80/$90 on day trips. There are plenty of areas with TV's and lounge areas to rest while experiencing the 10 hour trip.

When looking at $$$$$'s we can off set costs by the way we travel. After 35+ years in the service industry we have a passion/liking to help people out and we do this by "house/farm sitting. The benefits flow both ways.

For example we are currently at Mena Creek looking after 30 acres and home with "lap pool". We have 27 head of cattle, 40 hens and 2 white shepherds. We have citrus/orange juice on tap, eggs fresh daily and there is 1/2 bullock in the fridge. As well, we have access to small utility to collect mail/shop in Innisfail.

We have been here for 3 weeks with temps of 25/26/27 down to 18/19 for "Winter" swimming in the pool most days.

Think $$$$$$'s outside the box and you will see that $1,971 in our terms is not expensive.

JohnR

Dougwe · Chief one feather

Well done John, everyone does things their own way. Enjoy Tassie, it's a lovely place. I have been there 4 times now but probably not again. Plenty to see and do on the main land now.

jrg · Senior Member

Sorry to correct you Desert Dweller but as the ship is drive through first on should be first off both ways. This depends on how they unload and of course if the guy in front or behind hasn.t flatten their battery or slept in, getting on and off the ship is a patience thing . Great place Tassie been 2 times in couple of years could do a third done both day and night enjoyed both .

Desert Dweller · Senior Member

jrg wrote:
Sorry to correct you Desert Dweller but as the ship is drive through first on should be first off both ways. This depends on how they unload and of course if the guy in front or behind hasn.t flatten their battery or slept in, getting on and off the ship is a patience thing . Great place Tassie been 2 times in couple of years could do a third done both day and night enjoyed both .

If you're on the lowest vehicular deck like we were you have to wait until everyone above you has been cleared before you get off. FACT.

valiant81 · Guru

Hi all;

We have booked to go over to tassie on the 23 Dec for 5 weeks. This will be our 4 trip over. Cost wise $1800.00. The wife and me + 2 small little dogs, caravan and 4x4 are about 12 Mt'r in length. Day trip over and a night cruse with 2 berth cabin coming home.

The old bank balance took a hit that day!People are right a lot of money and the longer you stay the cheaper it gets.Free camping will also be on the cards.

Bagmaker · Senior Member

I did a calculation on another forum regarding the cost of the ferry, -can't be bothered again- but the upshot was we are being ripped off by this monopoly.
The comparison was between European ferries from ports in Ireland (?) and Italy with a duration of about 9 hours and capacity for large trucks. Ended up costing us mulitple times what it costs "them".
Not trying to bring the house down, Tassie is a great spot

Colin Penrose · Senior Member

We are going to Europe next year. $3600 return for two people. Only one shipping line going to Tassie gives them the "right" to charge a fortune.

PeterD · Guru

Desert Dweller wrote:
jrg wrote:
Sorry to correct you Desert Dweller but as the ship is drive through first on should be first off both ways. This depends on how they unload and of course if the guy in front or behind hasn.t flatten their battery or slept in, getting on and off the ship is a patience thing . Great place Tassie been 2 times in couple of years could do a third done both day and night enjoyed both .
If you're on the lowest vehicular deck like we were you have to wait until everyone above you has been cleared before you get off. FACT.

Let's compare things correctly. We are talking about taking our caravans across. They are always first on first off. Then it looks like you went solo and did not say so, this took the thread off topic. Next time take your van with you and you can be first on, first off.

PeterD · Guru

JohnR wrote:
Yes, it is RETURN at $1,971 and does not include cabins or deck chairs. Note that you can purchase a heavily discounted cabin for $80/$90 on day trips. There are plenty of areas with TV's and lounge areas to rest while experiencing the 10 hour trip.

Did you book Spirit fare or Flexie fare? We went Spirit fare, the disadvantage of this is it costs to change things afterwards. You loose 25% if you cancel your trip but on the other hand the Flexi fare for us was more than that 25% on top of the Spirit fare.

With the new ship fit out it is not worth paying the extra for an ocean recliner on the day trip. The seat backs are so high that you see nothing if you are not in the first line of seats. We chose the ocean recliners on the old fit out but it was a bit oppressive in the third row unless you wanted a nanna nap. We spent most of out time up in the spartan upper deck, the new fit out has made this a much nicer place than previously or in the ocean recliners.

adreamer · Senior Member

Just do it!! I am a pensioner and if I can't afford it - I don't whinge. Why would anyone whinge about the time it takes to get on or off a ferry??

Last year I flew from Adelaide to Cairns (can't remember how much it cost) but because I have a friend at Gove I flew from Cairns back to Gove and it cost me $1800 with Air North but because I went to see a friend and at the same time saw somethings that many people would never see of the outback, considered it worth every penny.

STOP WHINGEING and do what you can afford, we are not here long and how lucky are we to be living in a Country where we have freedom, plenty of food, no bombings,

good health system and a generous Government who always pays me a generous allowance once a fortnight. I for one am grateful!!

Helen

Desert Dweller · Senior Member

For less than $1900 total we had a week for both of us on Norfolk Island, return flights Melbourne to Brisbane, return flights Brisbane to Norfolk Island, luxury accommodation with ocean views, hire car included & discount vouchers for meals & many other things. A no brainer really. The Spirit is a bit of a ripoff IOO.

madcart · Senior Member

Well said adreamer some people never know when they are well off smile

adreamer · Senior Member

Abs what did you see on the plane there and back? Maybe other whingers

Cupie · Guru

Settle down people.

Be nice to each other & respect differing views.

We have been to Tassie once .. with just the Patrol & enjoyed a month in 'Tas Villas' & similar accommodation. Had a terrible trip over on The Devil Cat in mountainous seas. It was a mill pond on the way back. Might take the van over eventually.

Also had two weeks on Norfolk. Had a great flight experience with a diversion to NZ after the previous flight was cancelled due to overcast weather. It took almost 2 days to do a 4 or 5 or whatever hr flight. Loved the place but 2 weeks is enough.

Thanks JR for the update on costs.

adreamer · Senior Member

I am a born and bred Australian and I call it as I see it and if offends someone like you - I say too bad.

Freedom of speech is alive in this Country as long as it's not racist of which I'm not!!

Helen

Dunmowin · Guru

JohnR posted the original information for all of us to consider, not critique. What a shame this thread has taken the turn it has.

Unsubcribing from this one....

aussie_paul · Guru

Aussie Paul. smile

Dougwe · Chief one feather

My warriors have got itchy feet! biggrin

JohnR · Senior Member

jrg (John ) and Peter D.

Thanks for your input regarding the loading and unloading. However, because of the dates we wanted to go and because of the length 15+ m we had to do the bookings by phone and as I have said previously a very nice and helpful lady pointed out such arrangements and time with loading and disembarking.

Peter D we went the spirit fare and will loose up to 25% should we cancel. Mind you we have 2 years to re schedule before having to forfeit 25%.

Now let me start:-

The post had a notation. "This post is for information only purposes and may assist other members on the forum considering the trip down South"

Thank you to the people who made a contribution whether it was discussing the amount of the fare, other members making their way down there, or other members who have been there and enjoyed their time.

This is not our first time to the 'apple island" and probably won't be our last.

To the clown on the rock who claims that he enjoys camping by himself, but takes great joy in capturing posts in the negative, totally derogatry and was shown in this post to be be totally uninformed and using incorrect information.You might climb under the rock and take your self indulgent posts with you. I cannot find one post that has contributed in positive manner to this forum or added any value to other members of this forum.

I apologize to Cindy and other members of this forum if they find my comments offensive but I have had enough and so have others.

JohnR