Launceston: Hollybank Forest Guided Segway Tour with Photos

Hollybank Forest gives you a chance to travel through Northern Tasmania’s trees without committing to a long hike. On a heavy-duty Segway, you follow forest paths while your guide explains the area’s history and changing ecosystem. The machine does the hard work, leaving you free to watch the trunks, ferns, and shifting light around you.

I like the small five-person group, which gives the guide room to help each rider and keep the pace sensible. I also like the included digital photographs, a useful extra when your hands are busy steering and you cannot take many pictures yourself. The main consideration is that some riders found the route repetitive and wished it went farther into the forest.

Key points at a glance

• Ninety minutes including training: The session is short enough to fit neatly into a Launceston day.
• Off-road Segway riding: Expect forest paths with both easy sections and more demanding stretches.
• Small groups of up to five: You get a more personal introduction to the machine than in a large group.
• Forest stories, not just a ride: Your guide discusses Hollybank’s history and changing ecosystem.
• Photos included: The tour team takes pictures and provides digital images after the ride.
• Clear limits: Riders must be at least 13 years old and weigh between 45 and 117 kilograms.

From Launceston to Hollybank Forest

Hollybank Forest is in Underwood, a short drive north of Launceston. That location makes the tour easy to pair with other city activities, especially if you want one outdoor experience without giving up a full day.

The setting is quieter than an urban sightseeing tour. You are not moving from one landmark to another. Instead, the interest comes from the forest itself, the feel of the paths, and the gradual change in the view as you ride beneath the trees.

I would treat this as a nature activity with a light adventure element, not as a fast motorised thrill ride. The Segway is quiet compared with a vehicle, and the short format leaves time for you to notice the forest rather than simply rush through it.

Learning to control the Segway

The tour begins with a safety briefing and riding instruction. Training is part of the advertised 90 minutes, so the total time includes your introduction to the equipment and the forest ride itself.

That matters if you have never used a Segway. The machine responds to your body position, so the first task is getting comfortable with starting, stopping, turning, and keeping your balance. Your guide teaches you how to use it before taking you along the forest paths.

The small group size helps here. With no more than five participants, the guide can watch how everyone is managing before the route becomes more demanding. This also makes it easier to ask for another explanation rather than feeling rushed along.

The equipment is included, as is the necessary safety gear. Wear comfortable clothes and sturdy, comfortable shoes. You do not need to bring a hiking pack, and the point of the ride is to avoid the strain of carrying one through the forest.

Riding the easy and harder forest paths

Once training is complete, you head along different paths through Hollybank Forest. The route includes easier sections as well as more challenging parts, so expect some variation in surface and riding conditions.

The Segway takes the effort out of covering ground, but it does not remove the need to pay attention. You still need to steer, balance, and respond to the path. That is part of the appeal. You are not simply sitting in a vehicle while someone else handles the experience.

The forest rises around you as you move farther from the starting point. Your guide provides information about Hollybank’s past and the way its ecosystem is changing. These explanations give the ride a purpose beyond simply rolling along a track.

I like this combination of movement and interpretation. You get a hands-on way to see the forest, while the guide gives you details to think about. The result suits you if a standard walking tour feels too slow or physically demanding, but a high-speed adventure sounds excessive.

One limitation is the route’s apparent repetition. A rider who wanted to travel farther into the forest found that parts of the track were covered more than once. That may be useful during instruction or group management, but it can feel less rewarding if your main goal is to see as much of Hollybank as possible.

What the forest experience feels like

Hollybank is the star of the activity, but this is not presented as a wildlife-spotting tour. You may see forest plants and possibly local animals, yet there is no promise of a particular sighting. The guide’s focus is the ecosystem and the forest’s history.

That distinction helps set the right expectation. Book this for a guided ride among the trees, not for a guaranteed encounter with wildlife. A wallaby or other animal would be a bonus, not the main reason to reserve a place.

The path-based format also means the scenery can change more slowly than it would on a long walk through several parts of Tasmania. If you enjoy noticing small differences in vegetation and light, that slower rhythm works well. If you need constant new views, the repeated sections may test your patience.

The ride is designed for a wide age range, from 13 to 70-plus, but you still need enough balance and comfort to handle the machine. The minimum weight is 45 kilograms and the maximum is 117 kilograms. Children under 13 and pregnant women cannot take part.

A guide-led activity with useful personal attention

The guide is responsible for more than safety. You receive the riding lesson, route direction, and information about the forest from the same person. A strong guide can make a big difference here because clear instruction helps new riders relax quickly.

The feedback from the experience points to friendly, effective teaching as one of its best features. The guide was described as clear and welcoming, which is exactly what you need when a new machine feels unfamiliar during the first few minutes.

The tour is conducted in English. That makes the explanations straightforward for English-speaking participants, while the small group creates a more direct setting for questions.

No guide names are provided, so I would not expect to book a particular individual. The quality of the outing will depend partly on who leads your departure, but the structure gives the guide enough time to work with a very small number of riders.

The included photos and what to expect

The tour team takes photographs during the ride and provides complimentary digital images afterward. The information supplied describes these as a USB drive of digital photographs, so bring that expectation rather than assuming you will receive printed pictures.

This is a smart extra for a Segway activity. You may not want to handle a phone while riding, and stopping repeatedly to take your own pictures would interrupt the group. Having the tour team document the outing lets you concentrate on steering and the forest.

I would keep your expectations practical. The photographs are a bonus, not a professional photo session. One account found that some of the images were shaky, showed the backs of heads, or focused on trees rather than riders. You may receive a generous number of files, but the quality and usefulness of individual pictures can vary.

That does not make the inclusion worthless. A few good images can still preserve the memory, and the price does not increase for the digital set. Just do not choose this tour mainly because you expect polished action photography.

Is $77 a fair price?

At $77 per person, the tour sits in the paid outdoor-activity range rather than the budget sightseeing category. The price includes the Segway, equipment, safety briefing, guide, 90-minute session, and digital photos.

The value depends on what you want from a short outing. If you would otherwise spend the morning on a longer walk, the Segway gives you a different way to cover the forest with less physical effort. You are paying for equipment, instruction, a guide, and access to a structured experience, not simply for entry to Hollybank Forest.

The price looks stronger for first-time riders. Buying or hiring a Segway independently would not give you the same introduction, safety guidance, or forest interpretation. The small group also matters because the guide is not managing a crowd.

The calculation is less convincing if you mainly want to travel a long distance through the forest. The route may repeat sections, and the entire session is only 90 minutes including training. For a full-day outdoor adventure, you would need something more extensive. For a compact activity near Launceston, the duration is useful.

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start gives you some protection if plans change. You can also reserve and pay later, which helps when you are arranging several Tasmania activities at once.

Who will enjoy this most?

I would recommend the tour to you if you want:

• A guided outdoor activity close to Launceston
• A way to explore forest paths without a long hike
• A first Segway experience with instruction included
• A very small group and direct contact with the guide
• A short activity that fits around other plans
• A nature outing with information about ecology and local history

It is also a good match for mixed-age groups, provided every rider meets the age and weight rules and can manage the balance and steering requirements.

I would hesitate if you want a long, varied route with a large amount of new scenery. The repeated sections could disappoint you. I would also look elsewhere if your main goal is high-quality photography, since the included images may be uneven.

The tour is not suitable for children under 13 or pregnant women. The weight range is strict, from 45 to 117 kilograms, so check this before paying. Comfortable shoes and clothing are the only listed items to bring.

How this fits into a Launceston day

Because the activity lasts about an hour and a half, it does not take over your schedule. You can use it as a morning or afternoon plan and leave room for other Launceston sightseeing.

The short drive to Underwood is part of the appeal. You get a forest setting without making a major expedition outside the city. The arrangement suits you if you want to add nature to a city break rather than spend an entire day on a remote excursion.

Allow mentally for the training period. If you are counting on 90 minutes of continuous forest riding, adjust that expectation. The instruction is necessary and useful, especially for a first attempt, but it reduces the time spent moving along the paths.

My booking advice

I would book this Hollybank Forest Segway tour if you want an easy-to-fit, guide-led forest activity and like the idea of learning a new way to move through the trees. The strongest reasons are the small group, included equipment, clear instruction, forest interpretation, and the chance to ride without carrying a heavy hiking pack.

I would book it with moderate expectations about distance and photographs. You may repeat parts of the route, and the digital images are a pleasant extra rather than a guaranteed set of polished portraits.

At $77, it offers fair value for a short, fully guided outing near Launceston. Check the weight rules, wear comfortable shoes, and choose it for the experience of riding through Hollybank Forest, not simply for the included pictures.

FAQ

How long does the Hollybank Forest Segway tour last?

The tour lasts approximately 90 minutes, or one and a half hours. This includes the training and safety briefing.

Where does the Segway tour take place?

The activity takes place in Hollybank Forest in Underwood, a short drive north of Launceston in Tasmania.

What is included in the price?

The price includes the Segway tour, an English-speaking guide, safety briefing, all necessary equipment, and complimentary digital photographs.

How many people are in each group?

The tour is limited to five participants, making it a small-group activity.

What are the age and weight requirements?

Participants must be at least 13 years old and weigh between 45 and 117 kilograms. The activity is not suitable for pregnant women.

What should I wear and bring?

Wear comfortable clothes and comfortable shoes. The supplied information does not list any other required items.