Just back from marine eco-tourism heaven....

A trip with Tasman Island Cruises claimed to be the best $100 I would spend on holiday. How’s that for an ambitious premise, especially for someone who is a) an avid wildlife watcher and b) works in marine tourism. So I was keen to find out if I’d agree.

Before leaving land, we all donned our regulation all-in-one waterproofs, and swallowed much-appreciated ginger tablets to help prevent seasickness. So I must admit I felt a bit like an intrepid explorer from the outset, armed with binoculars and my camera. Our mission: to get as far south as Tasman Island – uninhabited by humans, a haven for wildlife.

As we boarded the boat, I regretted mentioning to our guide that I work with boats. Thinking my husband and I were strong-stomached salty sea dogs, he sat us in the ‘hotseats’ at the front. Great views but it’s also the most likely place to feel seasick. Uh oh.

Tasmania is a relatively small Australian state, well off the beaten track for most tourists, and often forgotten unless you have ventured across the Bass Strait. ‘Tassie’ is a wilderness. Almost half the state is a designated reserve, and the rest is often quite uninhabited and quaintly behind the times (some main towns still don’t have drinking tap water).

Back onboard the 11-metre boat, we cruised south from Pirates Bay past dramatic coastline and towering rock formations. Sitting at the nose of the boat we were first in at every crevice and cave. We found fur seals, and huge alien-like jellyfish. And it wasn’t all just for fun – the skipper taught some ecology too. Did you know that every second breath we take is oxygen produced by plankton, tiny single-celled organisms in the ocean?

Looking up, shearwaters flew overhead. 18 million of these birds arrive in Tasmania every year, from a one-way six-week-long migration of 15,000 km. And we thought Heathrow to Melbourne non-stop was long-haul. We also spotted shy albatross - that’s the species name, not particularly introverted birds – soaring on the strong winds with a 9ft wingspan. Magical.

After three hours, we reached Tasman Island where the Tasman Sea meets the Southern Ocean. The waters crash together and swell is exaggerated, right at the turning point for the legendary Sydney to Hobart yacht race. Although to a seafarer it would be classed as a calm day, I was immensely proud with myself for not getting seasick.

Homeward bound, the boat sped up, arching out to sea, as we kept our eyes pealed for the blow of a whale or dolphin fin. After scanning the blue horizon for what felt like ages, we saw a small pod of young bottlenose dolphins or ‘dollies’ coming straight towards us to play in our bow wave.

The best experiences often happen when you have no expectations. Many say the best things in life are free. As to whether this was the best $100 ever spent, it definitely sits in the top five holiday highlights.