Tasmania Campervan Road Trip Travel Guide

We may look like a small island compared to the mainland, but with a lot of long winding roads driving times easily add up.  Be sure to give yourselves enough time for travel, and experiencing the best Tasmania has to offer. Here are just a taste of our favorite places, with many more to be discovered on your travels.

East Coast

• Tasman Peninsula.  You can easily spend a week here, I love camping at Fortescue Bay, and beautiful hikes at Cape Huay, Cape Raoul and Mount Brown/Remarkable Caves. Take a boat tour with Wild Ocean Tasmania or Pennicott’s to see migrating Whales (check seasons), Albatross, Seals, Dolphins and a different view of the tallest Seacliff’s in the Southern Hemisphere. Visit Port Arthur historic site (The Ghost Tour would be our pick).

• Maria Island.  Visit historic sites and discover the abundance of wildlife including Wombats, Kangaroos and Cape Barren Goose. Climb up Bishop and Clerk or head to the Painted Cliffs.

• Freycinet National Park. Take a challenging hike up Mount Amos or take the loop down to Wineglass Bay. Check out the lookouts for different views of the stunning Wineglass Bay. Pre book your camping in the National Park, or free camping at Friendly Beaches campground with long beach walks.

• Bay of Fires/Binalong Bay. Lots of free camping, relax and walk on the beaches. Explore the stunning rock formations, and enjoy beautiful sunrises.  Get in early during peak periods to secure a campsite, with my favorites being Cozy Corner and Swimcart Beach.

South

• Salamanca Market (Saturdays), Farmers Market (Bathurst St, Sundays) for local produce, gifts and souvenir’s.

• Mona for the Art lovers (check current opening times first)

• Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary for the animal lovers, with night tours being the best to see animals most active and a personal experience.

• Hartz Mountain and Hastings Caves. One of the easiest Mountains to summit in Tasmania, amazing views, and large cave systems.

• Bruny Island for the Foodies, great camping at Jetty Beach. You can easily spend 2 nights here.

• Mount Field National Park. Good National Park campsite by the river, if you’re very lucky you may spot a Platypus! Big trees, waterfalls and an abundance of beautiful hikes. Tackle the 5 hour Tarn Shelf Loop for some breathtaking alpine scenery.

West

• Maydena MTB Park. Bike park with trails for all abilities, an absolute must for MTB riders. We advise pre booking your shuttle/bike hire in peak seasons/holidays.

• Lake St Claire National Park. Take a gentle stroll to the lake, or a climb up to Mount Rufus for the keen hikers. Free camping and great food at the Derwent Bridge Hotel, or book camping in the National Park and visit the restaurant.

• Queenstown and Strahan. The drive here from Hobart offers great lookouts and waterfall walks. Check out the Queenstown historic railway, or take the boat cruise from Strahan. The most scenic drive to Cradle Mountain, via Lake Plimsol.

• Mount Murchinson.  If you’re lucky with good weather, and keen for an epic hike, this Summit climb has to be one of favorites, with absolutely stunning views of the Western Wilds.

• Cradle Mountain National Park. Booking in advance for the camp site is strongly advised. Look out for Wombats, take a stroll or Dove Lake, or take a climb up to lookouts, or even the Cradle Mountain Summit.

• Tarkine loop. Scenic drive with free camping and beautiful rainforest walks. Just be sure to pack the Mozzie repellant!

North

• Tamar Valley. Wine region with over 30 cellar doors to visit.

• Launceston.  Harvest Market on Saturdays for some local produce. Walk the Gorge for an escape from the City.

• Derby.  World-class MTB bike park, with trails for all abilities. Our pick is to hire and E-bike and tackle the Bay of Fires trail for riding through stunning areas and extremely fun trails. Jump in the lake after a warm up in the Floating Sauna (Booking Ahead Advised), riverside camping and coin showers available.

• Stanley Super cute Town and home to The Nut, camp in town and take a short walk to spot the resident Little Penguins. Be sure to pop into local tourist info offices for the local highlights, there’s a lot to see and do on the North West Coast.

This is just a very small selection of our highlights, for local insights be sure to pop into local tourist information centers for the best local tips, any events or a friendly chat.

• Download WikiCamps Australia or CamperMate to find camp sites, POI’S, toilets, water fill ups etc. These apps are a huge help when road tripping around Tasmania.