Your Guide to 7 Days Perfect Tasmania Road Trip (Day 1-2)

Perfect road-trip or rather perfect holiday? Is there anything in the world that is in fact perfect? Many factors come into place when planning a road trip holiday. Nothing can be done up to perfection subject to the weather playing a crucial part and unplanned road conditions. However, your Tasmania can be work to almost perfection if one have cover the highlights of what Tasmania Island can offer to visitors…

A quick guideline on what are the must see/do things in Tasmania, as they often say:” Let’s lead the Tassise Life! ” Embark on this journey on a self drive itinerary to witness the true beauty of this island!

Here goes the Map of Tasmania:

Travelling to Tasmania 

–Domestic Flight

There are mainly 2 ways to get into Tasmania Island. Majority of visitors fly into Tasmania Island and there are 2 main airports: Hobart (located in Southern part) and Launceston Airport (located in Northern part) . These are also the 2 bigger town on this beauty island. Most people would fly into Hobart from either Melbourne or Sydney via JetStar/ QantasLink/ TigerAir/ Virgin Australia. Duration of flight would be only 1 hour 15 minutes. 

• Ferry (10 hours journey) 

Yes, that’s right, 10 hours ferry crossing! But I would say having experienced it personally, the ride on Spirit of Tasmania II is an adventure itself! The distance from Melbourne Ferry Terminal to Devonport (Tasmania) is 429km. With an average speed of 27 knots and carrying over 1,400 passengers together with 500 standard vehicles, the ride is no doubt a pleasant one.

Of course, like what I had mentioned earlier, weather plays a big part too. I was told that certain days, the wind might be very strong thus creating large currents. Other than that, its certainly a joy to be cruising on this giant. In terms of cost, both the air tickets and the cruise tickets are almost the same! However, I would want to highlight that as one would be able to sleep in the cabin overnight on board the ferry, you would have save up on the accommodation cost otherwise needed in Melbourne City before your next day flight! And also you start your day early, arriving at 0600H and the car rental companies is located just right inside the ferry terminal! Disembark from the ferry, 1 min walk to terminal and off you go, collecting your car keys and kick start the awaited adventure!

Arriving into Devonport at 0600H

Here’s a quick summary on things to do and how I spent 7 days in Tasmania Island exploring every corner of the beauty it brings.

As I arrive into Tasmania via Spirit of Tasmania Ferry in Devonport, the route that I took somehow is the other way round of what most people would do. I explored the Northern part of the island and drive down slowly to the South part whereby Hobart is located. The good thing about doing so would be one would be away from the crowd, travelling in the opposite direction.

The Day 1 Itinerary will be as follow:

Day 1 in Tasmania: Sunday [Devonport- Stanley- Burnie]

Driving distance:

Devonport- Burnie: 48km (37 minute) 

Burnie- Stanley: 78km (60 minute) 

0600H: Arrive Devonport by Ferry (Spirit of Tasmania).

0630H: Disembarkation begins.

0700H: Collect car from Devonport Ferry Terminal.

0800H: Ready to depart, leave for Latrobe.

0900H: Arrive Latrobe, famous for its antique shops and a likely place to see a wild platypus! Continue along the highway just past the Latrobe roundabout. Here you will find Anvers House of Chocolate. Drive from Latrobe to Penguin.

1100H: Visit Penguin Market where they have 200 stalls every Sunday only.

1140H: Leave Penguin for Stanley (70 min journey).

1210H: In Stanley, visit Wynyard, Boat Harbour (you may never want to leave) and Rocky Cape National Park. Lunch @ Stanely. Ride the chairlift to the top of the volcanic plug known as ‘The Nut’.

1400H: Leave Stanley for Burnie town (1 hour).

1500H: Arrive Burnie. Spot a platypus at Fernglade.

1600H: Check into accommodation.

1800H: Evening penguin tour at Parsonage Point on the western end of West Beach [Free].

Devonport

• Nearby to Devonport is Latrobe, famous for its antique shops and a likely place to see a wild platypus!

• Continue along the highway just past the Latrobe roundabout. Here you will find Anvers House of Chocolate. Recommend place to drink the hot chocolate and try the delicious waffle! This is only 10 minutes drive away from the Ferry Terminal, perfect place to get your breakfast which we enjoy gladly!

Anvers House of Chocolate

Penguin

• Penguin Market: 200 stalls under cover, featuring fresh produce, fine Tasmanian woodwork, jewellery, fashion, giftware, craft and home wares. International food court, live entertainment. Make sure you time yourself to arrive on the Sunday.

Stanley

• Heading West towards Stanley take your time and call in at Wynyard, Boat Harbour (you may never want to leave) and the Rocky Cape National Park.
• Ride the chairlift to the top of the volcanic plug known as ‘The Nut’.

View from the Top

Burnie (Good place to lay over for the night)

• 40 minutes from Devonport.
• Evening penguin tour at Parsonage Point on the western end of West Beach. From September to March, little penguins noisily waddle ashore to nest in their burrows, and every evening during the season Friends of Burnie Penguins offer free interpretative tours for visitors.

Take note of the time to view penguins, free of charge! At close range with possibly only you there!

Good night Penguin!

Day 2 in Tasmania: Monday [Burnie- Cradle Mountain- Launceston]

0800H: Morning Call, Breakfast

0900H: Depart Burnie to Cradle Mountain (1hr 30 min).

1030H: Arrive Cradle Mountain.  Dove Lake Loop Walk (1-2hrs), Crater Lake Circuit (2hrs) and the Enchanted Walk (20mins).

1400H: Depart for Launceston. Travel through Elizabeth Town and stop at the Ashgrove Cheese Factory.   Cable Hang Gliding: Five minutes’ drive from the Launceston CBD you’ll find Cable Hang Gliding in Trevallyn.

1500H: Launceston City Park: find monkeys in Tasmania.Walk west of the city centre, lies the magnificent Cataract Gorge and First Basin. Upstream from First Basin is the Alexandra Suspension Bridge.

1700H: Stay over at Launceston City

Cradle Mountain

Tip: Purchase the Day Pass with car access. Keep this pass and display on your car dashboard whenever one enter the National Parks found on the whole of Tasmania Island. 

• Hop onto the shuttle bus from Cradle Mountain Visitor Centre to Dove Lake. (Park your car at the Visitor Center). The road to Dove Lake is cramp, not ideal to drive your car especially if you rent the car!
  

  Shuttle Bus at every 20 minute interval (Check @ Visitor Center for the day’s updates)

  

  Park your car here at Visitor Center!

• At Cradle Mountain, park passes can be purchased at the Visitor Centre, 2 kilometers before the park entrance.
• Lake St Clair is at the southern end of the Cradle Mountain. Take the two-hour walk around the lake.

• Popular walks include the Dove Lake Loop Walk (1-2hrs), Crater Lake Circuit (2hrs) and the Enchanted Walk (20mins).

Along the way from Craddle Mountain to Launceston, stop by Ashgrove Cheese Factory which is located near Elizabeth Town. 

Buy your cheese here!

One of the many camera shy cows spotted at Ashgrove Cheese Factory

Launceston

• Second largest city in Tasmania after Hobart
• Launceston City Park: find monkeys in Tasmania, home to a small community of Japanese Macaque Monkeys. These cute and active animals are bound to entertain all in their specially-built enclosure.
• Cataract Gorge: Truly splendid park found in the city!
• 

  Gorgeous Cateract Gorge Suspension Bridge

  

  The serene environment left you craving for more. . .

  The many colonial past buildings found in Launceston. Spend the night here!

• 

  5.30pm shot taken during Spring Time (Late September)

  To continue reading what to do from Day 3-7 in Tasmania, read it here at: Tasmania Road Trip (Day 3-7)

Categories: Oceania Region

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