Tasmania Road Trip Highlights in 2 Weeks

Whoever said that good things come in small packages was certainly onto something. For a state that is only 69,000km square (25% of which is UNESCO World heritage listed) with only half a million inhabitants, Tasmania sure bats above its average in terms of natural beauty.

​Think lakes, rivers, mountains, crystal clear water and white sand beaches mixed in with every adventure activity you can imagine, it makes for a pretty special place. 

This 2 week itinerary is by no means exhaustive of all that Tasmania has to offer, for a state with as much as Tasmania, 2 weeks is really only scratching the surface. However, with this time frame you can still see some epic places, as long as you're happy to hustle!

With that in mind this itinerary misses out on quite a few awesome spots, we'll pop them in at the end - its just that they're a little further off the beaten track than 2 weeks travel allows for. 

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ITINERARY

This itinerary is based on flying into Hobart and out of Launceston. If you're flying the other way around you can just flip this on its head!

​It is also important to note that you should do as little night time (dusk or dawn included) driving as possible. There is a lot wildlife on the roads in Tassy and resultantly a lot of roadkill, and accidents. Its safer for you and the native population to try and avoid any driving in the dark.

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• Hobart (2 nights)
• Mount Field National Park (1 night)
• Bruny Island (1 night)
• Port Arthur & Fortescue Bay (2 nights)
• Freycinet National Park & Coles Bay (2 nights)
• Bay of Fires  (1 night)
• Liffey Falls (1 night)
• Cradle Mountain (2 nights)
• Launceston (2 nights)

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HOBART & SURROUNDS

​What to do:

• Day trip to Hartz Mountains National Park (and hike Hartz Peak - this was epic!)
• Mount Wellington Summit 
• MONA
• Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery
• Salamanca Markets (Saturdays)
• Lots of amazing bars and restaurants - google is your friend here

Where to stay:
If you're camping there are unfortunately not many options close to Hobart. We stayed at the Showgrounds on multiple occasions but for $25 a night (not including showers) it was definitely not cheap.

If not camping there are a gazillion options including hotels and some super cute stays on Airbnb

MOUNT FIELD NATIONAL PARK

This is slightly out of the way, but boy is it worth it. The waterfalls are incredible and the hikes are gorgeous. 
It's only a 90 minute drive from Hobart so it totally doable as a day trip, however we highly recommend staying one night at the camp ground and wandering over to the falls late at night to check out the glow worms. 

​What to do:

• Hike to Russell and Horseshoe Falls (or do the three falls circuit to loop these two in with Lady Barron Falls and the Tall Trees loop)
• Go glow worm spotting after dark at Russell Falls
• Hike the Tarn Shelf circuit
• Spot Waratahs when in season!

Where to stay:
Gorgeous national park campground with hot showers and a basic camp kitchen.

BRUNY ISLAND

What to do:

• Check out 'The Neck'
• Try spot an albino wallaby
• Hike the Fluted Cape track
• Bruny Cheese & Beer Co for a cheeseboard and tasting paddle
• Bruny Island Honey - for the most delicious dark chocolate honeycomb ever and super tasty leatherwood honey!
• Pennicott Cruise - we didn't do this but have heard good reviews
• Cape Bruny Lighthouse

Where to stay:
Camp at The Neck for $10 a night for 2 adults

FORTESCUE BAY & PORT ARTHUR (TASMAN NATIONAL PARK)

Fortescue Bay is a beautiful bay in the Tasman National Park. There are multiple day hikes from the area as well as plenty of opportunity for fishing and beach activities. This bay is also the ending spot for the Three Capes Track (a beautiful, yet expensive national park hike that you can book in and do).

What to do:

• Hike to Cape Hauy (and Cape Pillar depending on fitness levels)
• Hike to Bivouac Bay
• Day trip to Port Arthur
  We did the ghost tour but I wish we had also done the Isle of the Dead tour

Where to stay:

• Camp at Fortescue Bay for $13 a night for 2 adults
• NRMA Port Arthur Holiday Park - this was super handy for after the Ghost Tour as it was close and meant minimal night time driving

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FREYCINET NATIONAL PARK & COLES BAY

What to do:

• Hike to top of Mt Amos
• Hike to Wineglass Bay Lookout
• Cape Tourville Lighthouse
• Hazards & Wineglass Beach
• Visit nearby Bicheno & Douglas-Apsley national park on your way north
• Visit Devils Corner Vineyard

Where to stay:

• Freycinet National Park Campgrousn (one power, one unpowered for tents)
• Friendly Beaches Campground is free, and gorgeous - need

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BAY OF FIRES

What to do:

• Laze on the whitest sand staring at the clearest, bluest water you've ever seen
• Fish for Lobster and abalone (with the correct fishing licence!)
• Explore all the different bays and inlets

Where to stay:

• Loads of campgrounds to choose from! Check out the National Park website for info on them all here

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LIFFEY FALLS

This one was a surprise to us! We used it as a stop over one night and hiked to the falls in the morning, not knowing what to expect. And damn! We're sure glad we did - these falls were epic and not a soul to be seen!

​Camping is free!

CRADLE MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK

During the day there is a bus that takes people in and out of the park, which is included in your Tasmanian National Parks pass. It can drop you off at a few different spots depending on which hike you'd like to do. There are so many great ones it's hard to go wrong, but here are some of our favourites:

What to do

• Cradle Summit
• Dove Lake
  
• Overland Track (4-7 days)
• Ronnie Creek for wombat viewing!

Where to stay:

• Discovery parks campground for camping, expensive but nice enough facilities!

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LAUNCESTON

What to do:

• Cataract Gorge
• Go to nearby Narawntapu National Park

Where to stay:
​We didn't spend much time around Launceston so don't have lots to report on here!

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EXTRAS WE VISITED (AND LOVED)

For those that have a little extra time up their sleeves!

• Derby - an essential to any mountain biker
• St Helens - again, mountain biking
• Lake St Clair - End point for the Overland Track but a gorgeous destination in itself
• Rocky Cape National Park
• The Tarkine
• Stanley (and the nut!)
• Marrawah (free beach camp with surf)

PLACES WE DIDN'T GET TO BUT WANT TO VISIT

• Franklin Gordon Wild Rivers National Park
  • Frenchman's Cap
• Walls of Jerusalem
• Maria Island
• Ben Lomond National Park