Join me on my road trip to Tasmania as I take you through 2 weeks of stunning landscapes and untouched wilderness!
Tasmania (referred to more commonly as Tassie by Australians) is a scenic island towards the south of Australia. If you enjoy the rustic side of nature and the very thought of a wild animal eating out of your hand excites you, Tassie can be an extremely fulfilling experience!
Tasmania was first discovered by Dutch explorer Abel Tasman in 1642. On one hand, Tassie boasts of lofty peaks, stunning coastline, rolling farms, rich wildlife, rugged ocean, wine, cheese and sea-food. On the other, it shows you the scars of a troubled historic past when it was nothing more than a ‘convict’ island under the European reign.
Tassie can be reached either by sea or air. The best way to explore the island is by a Campervan or an SUV. Just like the rest of Australia, it has great camping facilities, even in its remotest corners. The locals are warm and welcoming, making it one of the safest travel destinations!
My blog has been split into two parts. Part I covers North to South. Part II covers South to north. The trip was done anti-clockwise to escape the swarm of tourists at Tassie’s hotspots during its peak season.
Trip duration: 17 days (incl to and fro)
Mode of travel: Sea (Spirit of Tasmania), Land (SUV-Subaru Forester)
Type of travel: Adventure, trekking, site-seeing, photography, historical, wildlife
Expense: Budget, pocket friendly
Accommodation: Campsites only. Mostly booked through Wiki Camps (paid app)
Time of visit: Mid December (summer)
Permit: Mandatory permit is required to visit all national parks. Take the AUD 60 pass to cover entire trip. Works out to be extremely economical. Online booking available here http://passes.parks.tas.gov.au
Essential: Sea sickness tabs, loads of sunscreen, windcheater/umbrella, hooded warm jacket, sturdy shoes, camera.
Note: South-west Tasmania is remote, cut off and not accessible by road. Private ferries organized by private tours are extremely expensive and hence, not a part of my itinerary.
The Vehicle: Our Subaru Forrester turned out to be a boon! Pulling down the backseats makes enough room to fit a large 6ft foam bed plus loads of head room to comfortably accommodate your entire camping luggage!
The ferry : Spirit of Tasmania is the only ropex ferry connecting Australia & Tasmania. It runs a few day & night departures between Port Melbourne and Devonport. Everything from booking to loading and unloading of vehicles, punctuality, ambience, entertainment, food & beverage and cleanliness is par excellence! It runs full during the peak season, hence advance booking is strongly recommended. We booked recliner for our onward night journey and ‘no-seat’ for our day time return as there is abundant free seating available. Soon after she left the Port Melbourne dock, she sailed through swarms of jellyfish into the freezing emerald waters of the Bass Strait. It was interesting to step out onto the open deck and watch the sea gulls catching up with our speed for miles together, picking up fish and other small marine-life that were exposed from the choppy waves.
Day 1 : Arrive at Devonport and drive to Cradle Mountain (2 hours)
Within minutes of leaving Devonport, we were already driving through the quaint & green outskirts, encountering an average of one road kill every few meters. Tassie has PLENTY of road kills, not because people drive recklessly, but because of the sheer abundance of wildlife and its criss-cross with the urban world.
Cradle Mountain: An easy late-noon walk to the famous Dove Lake was a good introduction to the northern topography. Sunset/ sunrise at the Dove lake around the Boat shed is popular for photography. A small ascend towards the Hanson peak presents scenic views of the lake. There is ample light available till almost 9pm during summers which is a great advantage! We took the short ‘Enchanted walk’ to see the Cascade waterfall.
IMP! Vehicles cannot go beyond the Dove Lake Car Park. Mandatory shuttle bus runs to and fro Cark park to Dove Lake. You can alight anywhere in between to start your walks/treks.
My first Wombat interaction: While walking back from Dove lake to the campsite, I had my first up-close interaction with a wild Wombat. Plump, furry and heart-melting creatures! Wombies spend the whole day grazing and pooping (yes!). Wombats here are used to human presence and are usually pretty harmless. Please apply own discretion and judgement before approaching any wild animal. If you miss the opportunity of spotting one here (rare), don’t worry, coz by the end of your trip, you would get tired of seeing them!
Campsite: Discovery Parks. Paid site. Great facilities. Well maintained. Powered and unpowered. Paid hot shower. Advance booking strongly recommended.
The teardrop shaped Crater Lake
Day 2 : Trek to Marion’s look out and back – 6-7 hrs. Trek grade 3
Rose early and trekked to Marion’s look out via Crater lake. The trek starts with a straight walk for a km or so and then gradually ascends to the top, presenting enthralling views of the lake all the way. The panoramic views from Marion’s look out are extraordinary!
Hereon, trekkers continue on the Overland track (5 days). After a few minutes on the track, we deviated to the right to accidently hit the pristine “Kathleen’s pool”- a small yet pristine lake with yellow and pink fringes. The pointy peaks of the Cradle Mountain in its backdrop makes it a picture-perfect landscape!
Note: There are no directions to this pool. I guess it has been off the travelers radar, hence, if you do plan to visit, please do not litter or disturb the sanity of this hidden gem!
If time permits, you can visit the “Devils at Cradle” to see the Tasmanian Devil and other endemic animals.
Campsite : Discovery Park
Day 3 : Cradle Mountain to Lake St. Claire 3 hrs
The arial images of the Pumphouse point at Lake St. Claire on the internet convince me to put this on my itinerary. However, I was utterly disappointed to know that access to the pumphouse was private and restricted to the tourists staying in the retreat. The lake is enormous with choppy waves and crazy winds. You can stroll on the periphery of the lake at sunset, but be mindful of the tide timings and snakes.
Campsite: Lake St. Claire tourist park. Paid site. Great facilities. Well maintained. Powered and unpowered. Paid hot shower and tidy kitchen. Advance booking strongly recommended. My rating: 4.5 on 5.
Day 4 : Lake St Claire to Mount field National Park via Queenstown : We took the longer route to Mount Field NP, passing through the picturesque Queenstown, whose impressive moon-like landscape and sparingly dotted houses gives this sleepy mining town an eerie feel. The ‘iron-blow’ lookout presents a spectacular birds-eye view of an iron quarry with turquoise waters located several hundred feet below. We stop by the striking blue “Burbury” reservoir enroute to Mount Field. The velocity of wind was so intense that it blew my hair up vertically straight!
Mount Field NP: We did the three-falls Circuit track covering Russel Falls, Horseshoe falls and Lady Barron Falls. This 6km grade 3 trek passes through dense vegetation of Eucalyptus and gum trees.
Campsite : Mount Field NP Campground. Powered and unpowered. Paid hot shower. Tidy kitchen. First come first serve. No booking facility.
Day 4: Gordon Dam- Bonorong Sanctuary-Richmond
The massive Gordon arch-dam holds back water from the mighty Gordon River. My spouse decided to climb down the eternal stairs and walk to the other side of the dam, while I stood gawking at it from above, wondering what was more dominant? The enormity of the dam itself or the strength of the river to remain calm under pressure.. In the backdrop, we saw first signs of bushfire smoke atop a huge mountain range as seen in the image below.
Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary. We took a guided tour at noon; getting up-close with Rhonda, the wombat who loved to chill in her trainer’s arms. Briefly interacted with the 100 year old talking Cockatoo, Fred, who did not seem to be in a mood to entertain me. Watched the Tassie devils playing around and cracking through the bones of their meal. Tasmanial Devils and Echidnas are both endemic and endangered. Better to watch them in a sanctuary as the chances for spotting them in the wild are very bleak. The Kangaroos here graze in an open enclosure and happily eat out of your hands while you give them a neck rub! Though Koalas are not endemic to Tassie, there are a few in captivity here and you get to hug them too!
A note on the Devils : Tasmanian devils are endangered marsupials that were originally endemic to the whole of Australia, but are now found only in Tasmania’s wilderness. Tassie devils chew on the bones of their prey and are infamous for their bite, which is considered as the most powerful bite in the world. Facial tumor is the most common cause for their deaths. A lot is being done to restrict the spread of this disease and for the conservation of these fascinating creatures.
Campsite: Richmond Caravan Park. Since this is closest to Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary. Powered. Paid Shower. Booking by email/call only.
Must Do at Richmond: 1. Spend your evening at Richmond Arms Hotel and relish its interiors, food and ambience over some wine! 2. Relive your childhood memories at the Sweets & Treats Candy store, the oldest in Richmond. Seems like they have a stock of all candies under the sun! It can be the best gift to carry back home!
Day 5 & 6: Kettering -Bruny Island
We boarded our vehicle onto a ferry and reached Bruny Island (0.5 hrs) from Kettering. At sunset, we took the guided tour of the lighthouse situated at the tip of South Bruny. The tip of the lighthouse presents magical vistas of the rugged Tasman coast at sunset. If you are a bird lover, you cannot miss the Yellow Tailed Black Cockatoos screeching and feeding on fruits of Banksia trees! Next morning we walked the Luggaboine Circuit track where we spotted a pair of Pacific Gulls on the coast.
Campsite : Jetty Beach. Unpowered. No shower. Dry Toilets. First come first serve.
Day 6 : North Bruny
North Bruny has an isthmus referred to as ‘The Neck’ that connects north and south Bruny. Honestly, I found it to be highly overrated. You can take a penguin tour at night near the Neck, but we skipped it.
MUST DO: 1. Visit the ‘House of Whiskey’ and relish their huge collection of Tasmanian Whiskeys, Wines and rare Malts. They also offer Whiskey Tastings. A tad expensive, but couldn’t stop from buying a few bottles!
2. You can’t miss the ultra-sweet and juicy Tasmanian Black Cherries. Simply divine!
Campsite: Captain Cook Holiday Park. Huge, well equipped kitchen. Hot shower. Powered & unpowered.
Click here for Part 2 https://thetravelingcapri.com/trippin-tassie-part-ii/
Part I Routemap
