My partner and I enjoyed taking part in the four-day guided walk to the Bay of Fires Lodge. This…read morewas a unique experience to get away from it all in Tasmania. We were picked-up at our hotel in Launceston, and taken to the tour headquarters for introductions to our two lovely Aussie guides, and a gear check. Then, we hit the road to Mt. William National Park, taking a scenic route that lasted a couple hours at the most. The driver dropped us, and we started walking, stopped for a picnic lunch on the beach, and onwards to the Forester Beach Camp, where we enjoyed a B.B.Q. dinner, before calling it a night. The next day, after breakfast, we started the major walk of this tour (with another lovely picnic lunch on a beach), an all-day journey that eventually took us to the Bay of Fires Lodge, arriving there around 5:00 p.m. At that point, I was tired, so, I needed a glass of white wine, pronto! The modernist architecture of the lodge was appreciated, with breathtaking views of the Tasman Sea from high on a hill top. Day three was ours to rest and relax at the lodge. We enjoyed breakfast overlooking the Tasman Sea, and then decided to go kayaking down the Ansons River, where we eventually entered Ansons Bay, filled with many birds, especially, hundreds of black swans, a truly magical sight to behold. Back at the lodge for dinner, we enjoyed our last night sipping Tasmanian Pinot Noir, gazing up at the stars. The following day, we enjoyed another nice breakfast, before we were eventually driven back to Launceston to end of the fantastic tour. I totally recommend this hiking experience. And I look forward to joining their other Tasmanian hiking tour in future, the Cradle Mountain Huts Walk, exploring Cradle Mountain - Lake St Clair National Park, and the Overland Track.

We were touring northeastern Tasmania and were ready to call it a night, and thought we'd give the…read moretown of St. Marys a try. We rolled in after 9:30 on a Friday night, and as with most towns in Tasmania, the buildings were dark and there was no activity - we consistently found it difficult to find dining options in Tassie after 9:00 PM. We noticed a light on in the pub at the St. Marys, and crossed our fingers. The pub was open and we found it populated with about a half dozen people from the town. The owner of the pub explained the kitchen had been closed for the evening, but we could get some "toasties" (ham and cheese sandwiches) at the bar. While not a full meal, it was at least something, and we settled in. We chatted with the bartender (Belinda), and the conversation spread to the hotel guests and townspeople as well. We discovered Belinda and her husband had recently acquired the hotel, and rooms were available. We did take a room, which turned out to be very nice, reasonably priced, and in keeping with the historic character of the hotel. In addition to the pub area there is also a larger space for dining. Overall, we found the townspeople to be very friendly and engaging, and we spent the evening sharing stories and talking about Australian and American culture. Our all-too-brief visit here turned out to be one of the highlights of our trip.

This is a wonderful place to stay. I consider it my favorite part of a 3 week tour of Tasmania. The…read moretownspeople are friendly and the owners are outstanding. Can't wait to go back to Tasmania, especially St. Mary's hotel!!! Cheers! Noah Harkey

This pub was one of many highlights to my recent trip to Tasmania! Its got a great atmosphere and…read moreis very friendly - so much so, that everyone in there seems to know each other and everyone seems to give everyone else a hug as soon as they come into the building. Its like a lot of Melbourne's pub were about 15 years ago - and I say that in a good way - its just very friendly and unpretentious. The food is good without being excellent, and the drinks are quite cheap - but the atmosphere is the big drawcard. There doesnt seem to be any dress code or any security guards or anything else like that which can cause conflict and the barstaff are really friendly. Looking forward to my next trip to Launceston and the Royal Oak Hotel!

aweome food and drink selection, went out for a birthday…read morecelebratio, had the peri peri loaded fried and they were wicked! staff were friendly and accommodatin. shout out to Dane and Sam for the awesome service, would definitely recommend.