On Board – Tasmanian Expedition Cruises

Vessel Odalisque III is a custom-built 24m/78ft catamaran. Designed to cruise Tasmania’s wind-swept coastline, Odalisque offers a boutique floating hotel experience perfectly combining adventure and comfort for a maximum of 12 overnight guests, or a maximum of 40 for day cruises.

Six spacious cabins are available for overnight charters, each with their own private ensuite bathroom. Three Southwest Suites are located on the upper deck and open directly onto the open bridge and wheelhouse lounge, while three Coastal Cabins are located on the main deck, offering offer flexible bedding options and access to the main dining area.

Designed with a minimal carbon footprint and views immersing guests into World Heritage-listed landscapes each morning, Odalisque offers a range of shared areas, including two comfortable entertaining and dining areas boasting panoramic views, two outdoor dining areas, and a modern galley where your chef will prepare delicious meals created with local produce and paired with premium local beverages.

Odalisque is supported by two 5.3m Aluminium Tenders, thoughtfully chosen to best manoeuvre the weather conditions of Tasmanian waters – whether you’re exploring hidden sea caves or cruising up the Old River and Davey Rivers to get further into the rugged, rarely visited landscapes.

Between January and May, Odalisque travels to and is based in Port Davey in the South-West Wilderness of Tasmania. From June to December, Odalisque is moored in Hobart for the East Coast Expedition, Private Harbour Cruises, and custom-made charters.

Each charter with On Board is tailored to your interests and the weather conditions of the day. Activities such as guided walks, shore excursions, and wilderness cruises via tender boat are all shaped and led by your expert skipper and guides who offer extensive knowledge of the region. On board the Odalisque, each charter includes all chef-prepared meals made from gourmet Tasmanian produce, fine Tasmanian wine and local boutique beer, and luxury cruise accommodation across its six cabins.

Each itinerary is shaped by the region’s quirks and landscapes, with interests catering to birdwatching, photography, beachcombing, and more. National Park fees and weatherproof rain ponchos are included to ensure you’re adventuring in comfort.

Port Davey Escape

On Board’s signature cruise, go remote on an all-inclusive four-night or six-night guided expedition through the South-West Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. Traverse some of the world’s least-explored expanses through landscapes of glacial fjords, quartzite peaks, and ancient Huon pine on this exclusive experience in a wilderness area three times the size of Sydney Harbour.

Daily shore excursions invite you to explore the region’s winding waterways by jetboat, hike to breathtaking vantage points, birdwatch in buttongrass moorlands, picnic on remote and pristine beaches, and bask in the remarkable landscapes of sea caves, rock arches, rocky islets, and other sights that few people will experience.

Return scenic wilderness flights from Hobart to Port Davey via seaplane are included. This escape runs on regular departure dates between December to May.

East Coast Expedition

Discover the best-kept secrets of Tasmania’s East Coast with those who know and love it most on this four-night expedition between Hobart and Freycinet. Discover an exclusive sea-level perspective on three of Tasmania’s top National Parks – Freycinet National Park, Tasman National Park, and Maria Island – and enjoy access to otherwise inaccessible beaches and bays, including shore landings at the isolated sanctuary of Schouten Island and the renowned white-sand shores of Wineglass Bay.

This cruise includes a return land transfer from Freycinet Peninsula to Hobart or vice versa. This expedition runs on regular departure dates between June to November.

South Coast Cruise

This intimate 4-night expedition cruise traces the edge of wild and often unseen edge of Tasmania, following the line from Hobart to Port Davey and Bathurst Harbour via catamaran followed by a scenic flight home, or vice versa.

Explore the beautiful, notoriously exposed stretch of coastline where skipper Pieter van der Woude dived for abalone for over 25 years. This rugged region offers old haunts to discover, picnics on untracked beaches, hikes to wilderness peaks, and soaking up the spectacular scenery from the deck of the Odalisque, as well as beginning or ending your journey via scenic flight over jagged mountain ranges, rugged coastline, and the vast Southwest National Park.

This cruise runs on select, biannual departure dates in December and May.

Exclusive Charters & Other Cruises

Odalisque offers the flexibility for a range of custom overnight charters, single day tours, corporate functions, family groups, and personal celebrations. Catering for up to 40 guests for a day outing and 12 for overnight cruising, Odalisque can be chartered outside of its scheduled departures to waterways ranging from Hobart’s historic waterfront and the scenic River Derwent to the rarest corners of Tasmania’s coastline.

Functions and exclusive charters with On Board are designed and priced upon request and come inclusive of a skipper and crew, ensuring your itinerary is perfectly customised to your interests, budget, and travel dates.

Odalisque can be chartered all year-round. Each expedition cruise occurs over its own distinct season and also functions as the home-base where the Odalisque is moored when not cruising.

• The Port Davey Expedition Cruise runs between December to May, with an annual specialist Photography Expedition occurring once a year during the tail-end of the season.
• The East Coast Expedition runs between June to November.
• The South Coast Cruise runs biannually on set departure dates in December and May.

Bringing specific clothing to maximise your comfort is recommended for travel at any time of year. South Tasmania has dynamic and varied weather, which is one of the many attractions of this unique World Heritage Wilderness Area. Rain and fluctuating cool temperatures are common all year around.