Tasmania Roadtrip
Tasmania holds a special place in my heart. It’s a state with so much to offer - so much beauty; different vistas around every corner; gourmet locally produced food, wine, gin and whisky; and wildlife galore (unfortunately lots of it as roadkill on the side of the road). I’m drawn to visit again and again, and always find something new to look at, something delicious to eat or another great place to hike.
Getting there: If you’re going for a week or less, its probably worth searching for a cheap flight and hiring a car when you get there. If you’re going for longer, I’d suggest taking your own car on the ferry - Spirit of Tasmania. The ferry and basic cabin for a night aren’t cheap, but it works out better in the long run if you’ve got a longer trip. Plus you can bring back more wine!
Be prepared:
If you’re travelling over to the West Coast, stock up on groceries at Burnie and petrol at Smithton. Top up on petrol whenever you spot somewhere as it is often hard to find.
Wifi can be non-existant in places, so travel with a paper map and screenshot addresses and important information.
Driving on Tassie roads can take longer than expected, as they are often windy. The speed limit may say 100km, but it will also say “drive to conditions”, which often means safe driving is much slower. There aren’t always overtaking lanes, so you may sometimes need to find a safe place to pull over if someone behind you obviously wants to drive faster.
Watch out for wildlife. Tassie has more roadkill than anywhere else in Australia. Be extra careful when driving at dusk or dawn. Personally, I try to avoid it if at all possible.
The weather can be unpredictable. It has been known to snow on Mount Wellington near Hobart in the summer! And the west is often a bit wild and woolly (you don’t get all those lovely green fields and rainforest without rain!). Take clothes for all weathers - even more reason to take your own car.
Where to go:
North West:
Go wild! Drive from the ferry at Devonport west along the coastline, through Penguin, Burnie, Stanley. Then head south west to Murrawah and Arthur’s River and head into the Tarkine area. The Tarkine is one of the world’s largest temperate rainforests with some plants dating back to the age of Gondwana. It’s ancient and unspoilt with minimal tourists. The Tarkine drive is a loop road trip that starts in Smithton. Its only about 200km long and can easily be done in a day, with a few stops along the way:
Southwest from Smithton along the A2 to Marrawah
Down towards Couta Rocks on the C214
Turn left to stay on the C214 and continue to Kanunnah Bridge
Just before the bridge turn right onto the C218
Follow the road to Edith Creek where it becomes the B22
Follow the B22 back to Smithton.
Corrina:
From Arthurs River drive for 2 hours down the gravel road to Corrina. It’s the most remote road in Tassie, and goes through the wilderness of the Arthur-Pieman Conservation Area. Road conditions can vary according to the weather, but it is navigable by 2WD. If you’re pulling a caravan allow more time as it will be slow going. Corrina is an old mining town, and the old buildings have been restored and are rented out as holiday accommodation. There’s a pub with good food and lots of walks in pristine rainforest, so worth booking a stay for a couple of nights.
If you’re heading further south to Strahan (about as far south west as you can go), you can drive via Waratah to get to the other side of the river, or much quicker, and cuter, take the car on the cable drawn barge across the river.
Strahan: It’s worth staying in one of the shacks on Lettes Bay, which is very quiet and idyllic, looking across the bay, though you’ll have to cater for yourself unless you want to drive back into town in the evening. Many visit Strahan to see the West Coast Wilderness Railway or take a boat trip down the Gordon River. There are also some good walks in the area- Montezuma Falls, Tassie’s tallest single drop waterfall, is an easy flat 10km walk through rainforest, with lots of colourful fungi, native trees and a narrow suspension bridge at the waterfall for those not scared of heights!
Central Highlands: The main destination here is of course Cradle Mountain. Lots of walks and wildlife with alpine moorland, lakes and mountain peaks. There’s the Overland Track if you’re fit enough, or more gentle walks such as the one around Dove Lake or the boardwalk at Ronny Creek. You’ll need to buy a national park pass at the Visitor Information Centre and the free shuttle bus takes you to the start of the walks.
Heading East towards Launceston its worth stopping a night at Mole Creek, at the Wandering Trout. Craft beer and great meals - a cut above the usual pub fare. Plus there’s a stream out the back where you may well spot a platypus!
North East:
Deloraine: Craft studios and good places to eat. There’s a lovely park and river (where you may spot a platypus or two!)
Launceston: Don’t just visit Hobart - Launceston has a lot to offer. Set on the Tamar River, the views around are wonderful and there are many wineries to visit and local gourmet food to taste:
Harvest Market on Saturday mornings.
Wineries along the Tamar River (try Loira which does a generous platter, and The Ducks at Rosevears for a lovely lunch with a view)
Walk along the Cataract Gorge.
East Coast:
Bay of Fires: take a boat trip to properly view the orange lichen on the rocks.
Freycinet: Hike to WIneglass Bay or sit back with a glass of wine and admire the bush setting at Freycinet Lodge.
Bicheno: Do the evening penguin tour (just plan your dinner carefully as restaurants close early).
Maria Island: My all time favourite! So many wombats! With no predators, they happily amble along all day, oblivious to visitors. There are no cars allowed on the island, so you take the passenger ferry. You’ll need to purchase a national parks pass too (look online for multiday passes). You can also take a bike, or hire one there. There are no shops on the island, so take your food and drink with you and bring all your rubbish back with you. The island is a sanctuary, and hopefully it will stay that way. There are many walks to explore the island, mostly fairly easy ones, but there are more strenuous or longer ones if you want. And there’s also Darlington, the convict penal settlement to check out.
South East:
Huon Valley: Take the scenic coast road (C639) between Cradoc and Cygnet, picking up apples from the roadside stalls, and stopping off at vineyards. Cygnet is worth visiting for its hippie-laid back vibe and interesting shops and cafes. Huonville is not quite as charming, but has some good cafes and grocery stores.
Bruny Island: Take the ferry across from Kettering for the day or stay a couple of nights. The coast is stunning and there are some good walking tracks in South Bruny National Park.
Port Arthur: Originally built to lock away prisoners who had committed crimes in the colony, the ruins are worth seeing. Of course, it is doubly atmospheric and sombre when recalling the tragedy that happened there when a young man shot and murdered 35 people in 1996.
Hobart: Plenty of history, shopping, eating and drinking. Check out Farm Gate Market on Sunday mornings, and Salamanca market on Saturday mornings - over 300 stalls selling crafts, food, alcohol, etc, etc. Shoppers’ heaven, husbands’ hell! Its worth wandering up to Battery Point to view the photogenic terrace houses dating from the late 1800s. And, of course, there’s MONA - confronting and weird, it’s well worth a visit.
What to eat & drink: From sustainably farmed salmon at Meander Valley in the north, to orchards full of endless varieties of apples in the Huon Valley; from handcrafted chocolates at Anvers in Latrobe to raspberry farms in the north-east - there are so many gourmet delights around every corner. Be prepared to pull over frequently as you see roadside stalls with fresh locally grown produce or small farms and businesses. And then there’s the wine, whisky and gin! Here’s some of my favourites:
The Wandering Trout at Mole Creek - accommodation and a wonderful degustation of local produce. Treat yourself!
Anvers chocolate factory at Latrobe. It opens at 7am, so you could stop off there after leaving the ferry if you’re heading west.
Van Dieman’s ice cream.
Harvest Farmers Market in Launceston on Saturday mornings - lots of local produce and gourmet delights.
Apples in Huon Valley.
Willie Smith’s Apple Shed - for lunch and ciders and a great apple pie.
Summer Kitchen at Ranleagh, in the Huon Valley - great for pies, pastries and coffee.
Mewstone Wines near Cygnet - wine with a view of the vineyards and Bruny Island in the distance.
Lobster Shack at Bicheno.
Southern Wild Distillery at Devonport, for a wonderful range of Dasher & Fisher gins.
The Clarendon Arms in Evandale for a lunch in the leafy beer garden.
Letterbox in Penguin for delicious breakfast.
Penguin Beer Co. for burgers or tacos and a craft beer with a stunning beach view.
Hellyer’s distillery for the whisky lover.