Hobart to Cradle Mountain transport question

[OTbeginner]

Hello,

We're two persons who want to walk the OT in february. We will take the plane from Melbourne to Hobart.
Our Question is:
How get to Cradle Mountain where the OT starts from Hobart?
We don't have a car.

Thanks for help.

[Pongo]

I've not walked the OT before but have just gone through organising busses to the trail head so thought I would share my thoughts.

In the peak season the trail needs to be walked north to south, meaning the trail head is pretty much on the other side of the island.

I booked with Tassielink (http://www.tassielink.com.au/) and with a brief glance at their site it looks like you would need to bus from hobart to devonport, stay the night there and then bus from devonport to cradle mountain. It sounds like a pain and is the reason I'm flying in to devonport not hobart.

Does anyone know if there is a bus direct to the trail head from Hobart?

[ULWalkingPhil]

You could fly into launceston and take a bus to the start of the walk, on completion of the walk, bus to hobart and fly out of Hobart.

[OTbeginner]

is there no bus from hobart who can bring us directly to the OT?

[ollster]

is there no bus from hobart who can bring us directly to the OT?

Why would there be? The OLT starts in the North of Tasmania, Hobart is in the south. Why aren't you flying into Ltn or Devonport (Qantaslink do flights into Devonport from Melbourne IIRC)?

[frenchy_84]

or just bus to launceston or devonport from Hobart and then bus to cradle. Thats how bus networks work.

[Azza]

You can bus via the west coast as well.

http://www.tassielink.com.au/timetables ... air-hobart

Logistically its actually not that easy, either via West Coast or Launceston / Devonport its a long drive (time wise, at least for us Tasmanians it is...) from Hobart to Cradle.
For the 60 or so people that are allowed to start the track each day I don't think there is enough of them just originating from Hobart that a direct services to Cradle would be viable?

Other options might be hire a car and drive from Hobart to Devonport / Launceston to meet the bus and enjoy some scenery on the way (depending which way).

Private Transport Options are expensive from what I have seen.