Australia has two domestic airlines, Ansett and Qantas. Which you choose to fly will depend on their deals of the moment, or which one code-shares with your international carrier. Most flights to Tasmania depart from Sydney or Melbourne and arrive in Hobart. It is possible to fly into Launceston or even Devonport by plane, both of these destinations are reached from Melbourne.
Both airlines currently operate five flights a day. A direct flight from Sydney to Hobart takes two hours, but most flights will take three because you will connect through Melbourne. The flight time from Melbourne is one hour and ten minutes.
A typical fare would be $A 270 return from Melbourne and $A 370 return from Sydney (21 days advance).
Recently two new domestic carriers have commence operation in Australia, Impulse Airlines and Virgin Blue (Richard Branson’s Australian venture). Both these airlines are aimed at the budget travel market, and may offer substantially lower fares on some flights, especially for last minute or web-only deals. Unfortunately Tasmania is not exactly a major destination and so falls outside these airlines regular mode of business, but it never hurts to check: Ansett Airlines Impulse Airlines Qantas Airlines Virgin Blue
By Sea If you are traveling cheap, or you have a car, you can take an overnight ferry from Melbourne to Devonport. The price for a hostel berth varies between $A 106 and $A 136 one-way over the year, or it can be economical to book a 4 berth cabin if traveling as a group. The cost of bringing a car is $A 30-40.
The ferry leaves about 6 pm every second day (note: you must arrive earlier to board), arriving on the other side of Bass Strait at 8 am the next morning. Facilities on the boat include four restaurant, bar, pool and plenty of lounges. Also on board are souvenir shops and a visitors information centerer.
A new transport option (started December 1999) is the Devil Cat, a high-speed catamaran service that travels between Melbourne and the port of Georgetown - 70 km north of Launceston. The travel time is significantly faster - six hours - and the cost is only an extra $30 compared with the ferry. This option is good for someone traveling with a car who wants to make the crossing in the day-time (perhaps planning a night drive to the South or interior), but unless you are really pushed for time why not take the ferry and enjoy the ride.
As a personal note, I have taken the ferry on numerous occasions both as a child with my family and when traveling with a car, and I quite enjoy the experience. Air transport in Australia is safe and of high quality, and can often be the most economical for foreign travelers because of favorable domestic rates linked to an international flight, or because time is limited. However, if you aren’t pushed for time and have a car, then the ferry is a pretty good option.
