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Pack up your belongings and make like a snail as you slowly meander through the Apple Isle and explore its many juicy attractions. Louise Goldsbury shares the highlights of her motorhome adventure.
HobartThe drive from the airport to the city centre is mere minutes, so in no time, you’re in the heart of the capital. Hobart is lovely and lively, and its small population (185,000) gives it a cosy feel. |
First stop should be the waterfront Salamanca precinct, lined with Georgian-style sandstone warehouses that have been converted into restaurants, cafes and pubs. Visit any of these or just wander around the dock and buy fish and chips, served fresh from the many moored boats.
This cultural hub comes alive on Saturdays when the art and craft markets are held. Salamanca Square is also a refreshing spot for a meal or a coffee by the bronze fountain, or for browsing the galleries and shops.
The Source restaurant at Moorilla Estate offers visitors wine, beer, food and art. Showcasing its premium vintages, the Moo Brew beer range and local produce, the restaurant is named after the John Olsen painting positioned in the ceiling. Sit on the balcony and try the Vineyard Platter, with five samples of Moorilla wines.
Tassie is also renowned for its seafood, so treat yourself at Prossers on the Beach, Sandy Bay. Prossers is consistently, and deservedly, named the State’s number-one seafood restaurant.
As Australia’s second oldest city, Hobart has many historic buildings. Don’t miss the streets in Battery Point dotted with workers’ cottages.
| If you’re interested in the Tasmanian tiger, check out the display at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery.
Depending on your tastes, take a tour of the Cadbury Factory or Cascade Brewery, Australia’s oldest manufacturing enterprise. Go easy on the beer-tasting if you’re driving, but eat as much chocolate as your hips will let you! You can stay at the Treasure Island Caravan Park, on the Derwent River in Berriedale, or Elwick Cabin Tourist Park in Goodwood. |
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Leave town on the A3 and head for the east coast, which is prettier, warmer and calmer than the wild west. This is your scenic drive through rural countryside and national parks to beautiful beaches and turquoise seas.
The steep, winding drive en route to Swansea will test your motorhome, but it allows time to savour the horizon vistas of Maria Island, Schoulten Island and the Freycinet Peninsula.
Keep an eye out for Spiky Bridge, built by convicts in 1843 and edged with pointed stones, apparently to stop cattle falling off.
Freycinet (pronounced fray-shanay) is home to the famous Wineglass Bay, one of the world’s most stunning beaches. Trek from the car park to the lookout to see the perfect half-crescent of white sand and crystal-clear water.
Continue along the bush track, over the colourful palette of pink and red granite rocks, painted with orange lichen. Known as The Hazards, these rugged outcrops lead to the beach, which you are likely to have to yourself.
Allow at least half a day at the national park to go on a walk or use the barbecues at Honeymoon Bay. Stay for dinner at Madge Molloy’s, in Coles Bay, which serves seafood caught every day from its boat.
You can stay at Freycinet National Park or Iluka Bay Holiday Centre, Coles Bay.
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Drive up the coast to Bicheno and go on an evening tour to watch the local penguins return to their burrows for the night. Too cute for words.
In the morning, go for a walk to Rocking Rock, a huge block of granite, balanced next to a blowhole that rocks with the movement of the tide. Impressive in a precarious way. Diving is also popular, with deepwater dives in the marine reserve said to be among the world’s best. Ask about a tour at Bicheno Dive Centre. |
You can stay at Bicheno Cabins & Tourist Park or Bicheno East Coast Holiday Park.
Trace the coast up to St Helens, north of which you will find the pristine beaches of Binalong Bay and the Bay of Fires. Then follow the north-east trail through Scottsdale to Launceston.
Established in 1805 by aristocrats, colonials and convicts, Launceston has excellent examples of Edwardian, Victorian and Federation architecture.
For motoring enthusiasts, the National Automobile Museum has a good exhibition of motorcycles and cars, some dating back to 1900.
Nature lovers can ride the world’s longest single-span chairlift at the 160-hectare Cataract Gorge Reserve.
Launceston is also the gateway to Tamar Valley, which produces some of the country’s best cool climate wines, while James Boag Brewery, located in the city, makes arguably Australia’s best beer. There are several great places to eat, including Novaro’s (Italian) and the award-winning Fee and Me.
You can stay at Launceston Holiday Park, Legana.
| To get to Cradle Mountain, take the B54 to Deloraine – a delightful spot to stop for lunch – and head for Cradle Valley via Devonport or Sheffield.
Cradle Mountain has plenty of walking trails for all levels of fitness. Try to spend a whole day here to properly appreciate the surroundings. The most popular track is the Dove Lake circuit (6km, 1–2 hours), a flat walk around the mirror-like lake, with the spectacular mountain in the background. Cradle Valley Boardwalk (5.5km, 1–3 hours) can be easily walked in three sections, but the Summit Walk (eight hours) and the world-famous Overland Track (7–10 days) should be left to the experts. |
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Nearby, a new attraction is Devils@Cradle, a wildlife and conservation facility on the Cradle View property. Devils@Cradle has a viewing area and guided tours, where guests are allowed to pat a Tasmanian devil.
For the more adventurous, after-dark tours reveal the carnivores’ nocturnal habits and provide a unique opportunity to watch a group of the devils devour a meal. Environmentally sensitive lighting also enables close-up photos of these shy creatures.
You can stay at Cosy Cabins Cradle Mountain.
Between Devonport and Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, the Cradle Country Touring Route reveals the quirky side of Tassie. Towns bear names such as Promised Land and Nowhere Else, while neighbouring villages form an outdoor art gallery.
Sheffield is known as the Town of Murals, where painted buildings depict the way life used to be. Railton, the Town of Topiary, has a whole bunch of wacky, sculpted bushes.
The front yards of houses in Wilmot are adorned with novelty letterboxes, and you can drop into the Village of Lower Crackpot at the massive maze complex, Tasmazia.
You can stay at the Sheffield Caravan Park.
This is where the Spirit of Tasmania docks, so people tend to quickly shoot off somewhere else, but there are several interesting sites to see.
Home Hill is the home of former PM Joseph Lyons and Dame Enid Lyons, the first female member of the House of Representatives. Train buffs will enjoy the Don River Railway and Museum, particularly the short train ride along the river to Coles Beach.
On the highway between Devonport and Latrobe, House Of Anvers offers the complete chocolate experience, from a museum and factory viewing room to a cafe.
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Penguin viewing is also popular along this stretch of the north coast. Apart from the obvious – a town called Penguin – you can see them waddling around Leith and Burnie. However, the prime vantage point is Turners Beach, where free guided tours are held after sunset by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS). You can stay at Abel Tasman Caravan Park or Bay View Holiday Village. |
If you have time, be sure to carry on across the underrated north-west coast. Highlights at Burnie include platypus-spotting at Fernglade, the Lactos Cheese Tasting Centre, Guide Falls and the Rhododendron Gardens.
Further along, Wynyard has a splendid tulip farm and even exports tulips to Holland! Boat Harbour, near Rocky Cape National Park, is a secret hideaway with a picture-perfect beach.
As the last landmark on the tourist trail, Stanley’s claim to fame is The Nut. A huge, flat-topped formation, it’s the stump of an old volcano. Climb to the top (it’s quite a tough walk) or take the chairlift, and don’t forget to explore the historic village down below.
You can stay at Stanley Cabin and Tourist Park or Burnie Holiday Caravan Park.
As an NRMA Member, you receive special discounts on Britz campervans and Maui motorhomes. Britz and Maui also offer one-way rentals, so you can pick up your vehicle in one town and drop it off at another. An additional fee and some conditions may apply. To book or for more details visit or call 13 11 22.
To follow this itinerary, book a flight to Hobart and a return flight from Launceston. Pre-book your motorhome with pick-up at Hobart Airport and then return it at the end of the trip at Launceston Airport.
NRMA Members get a 3% discount on all Virgin Blue flights with no credit card or phone booking fees. Call 1300 737 800.
If you want to do your drive holiday by car, NRMA Members receive a special discount with Hertz. For details visit MyNRMA Rentals or call 13 11 22.
And you can use NRMA’s Travel Planner to map out your own route. It offers heaps of things to see and do along the way and lets you book from a range of accommodation options, some with Member discounts. Visit the NRMA Travel Planner.
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