In-depth guide · CampingSpirit
From Hobart by ferry to Bruny Island, then along the Channel Highway into the Huon Valley, to the Tahune Airwalk and the Hartz Mountains, and on to Cockle Creek, where Australia’s southernmost road ends: around 600 kilometres in short stages, many of them on gravel.
The spirit of the route
South of Hobart, Tasmania turns small-scale. The road follows the bays of the D’Entrecasteaux Channel, where oyster baskets lie in the water and wooden boats bob at jetties, then the Huon Valley opens up with apple orchards, cider sheds and the broad, dark Huon River. On Bruny Island you park up in the evening behind the dunes of the Neck while little penguins waddle ashore and shearwaters shoot into their burrows. Further west begin tall forests of giant eucalypts and Huon pines, above them the moorlands of the Hartz Mountains, where snow can fall even in summer. And at the very end the camper rolls over gravel to Cockle Creek: a bay, a bronze whale sculpture, and beyond it nothing but wilderness all the way to Antarctica. Through the sliding door comes the smell of seaweed, eucalyptus and woodsmoke. This loop calls for short days, a full water tank and respect for dusk and the weather.
Stage-by-stage plan
1Stage 1: Hobart to Adventure Bay (Bruny Island) (approx. 70 km)
- The drive
- Hobart is only the starting point here: take the Southern Outlet to Kingston, then the Channel Highway (B68) past Margate and Snug to Kettering, around 35 km and half an hour. The ferry across the D’Entrecasteaux Channel takes 15 to 20 minutes to Roberts Point on North Bruny. From there, follow the sealed main road south over hills and pastures, across the narrow isthmus of the Neck to South Bruny and down to Adventure Bay. Without waiting at the ferry, a good 1.5 hours.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Truganini Steps at the Neck: a good 200 timber steps up the dune to the lookout with views over both halves of the island, Adventure Bay and Isthmus Bay.
- Food stops along the way: raw-milk cheese from the Bruny Island Cheese Company and oysters from Great Bay on the main road on North Bruny.
- Fluted Cape Walk from the East Cove car park at the southern end of Adventure Bay: a loop of around 4 km, clockwise only, via Grass Point up onto the roughly 270 m high cape with its sheer cliffs (about 2.5 hours). The well-known white Bennett’s wallabies live in the bush around Adventure Bay.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: In Adventure Bay, the Captain Cook Holiday Park sits opposite the beach, with powered sites, camp kitchen, amenities and a dump point; check vehicle length and availability during the summer holidays in advance. For something simpler, stay at the Parks and Wildlife campground at the Neck (see stage 2).
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): On Bruny Island, overnight stays outside campgrounds and holiday parks are not permitted: lookout and beach car parks, including at the Neck, are day-use only, and Kingborough Council and Parks and Wildlife patrol them. Plan on proper sites.
- Insider tip for campers
- The Kettering–Roberts Point ferry runs daily, every 20 minutes at peak times; it cannot be booked, so there are queues – heaviest in the morning from Kettering and in the late afternoon from Bruny. The fare depends on vehicle type and overall length: rear racks, drawbars and trailers count, and long motorhomes and rigs pay considerably more than cars. Fill up and shop in Kingston beforehand – the island only has small shops and a few fuel pumps with limited opening hours.
2Stage 2: Adventure Bay to The Neck (via Cape Bruny) (approx. 75 km)
- The drive
- From Adventure Bay across South Bruny to Lunawanna on the west coast, then along Lighthouse Road through South Bruny National Park to Cape Bruny. From Lunawanna it is mostly gravel, partly corrugated and dusty, with oncoming traffic on narrow sections; display your Parks Pass in the window. Return via Alonnah on the west coast to the Neck. Pure driving time around 2 hours; you drive slowly.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Cape Bruny Lighthouse, dating from 1838, on the cliff above the Southern Ocean; the site lies within the national park (Parks Pass), and tower tours are run by a private operator.
- Jetty Beach: a sheltered bay in the national park for swimming, snorkelling and paddling. The walking tracks on the neighbouring Labillardiere Peninsula were closed after a bushfire – check the current status on TasALERT.
- Little penguins and short-tailed shearwaters at the Neck: in the breeding season (roughly spring to autumn) they come ashore after sunset; watch from the boardwalk, with red light only, never with flash.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Parks and Wildlife runs three basic campgrounds on South Bruny: at the Neck (behind the dunes, outside the national park), at Jetty Beach (in the forest, inside the national park) and at Cloudy Corner (4WD only, across around 3 km of beach at low tide – off-limits for campers). Toilets, no power, bring your own drinking water; a small nightly fee by self-registration (have cash ready), no bookings. In summer, arrive early in the afternoon.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): The only free option is the small site The Pines on Cloudy Bay Road, more for surfers and tents than for motorhomes. For Jetty Beach and Cape Bruny you need a valid Parks Pass; the Neck lies outside the national park.
- Insider tip for campers
- Lighthouse Road and Cloudy Bay Road are gravel: get written confirmation beforehand that your rental agreement covers them. At night at the Neck: drive slowly and watch for birds on the road – penguins and shearwaters cross to their nests, and dogs are banned there. The wind shifts quickly here; retract the awning in south-westerly weather.
3Stage 3: The Neck to Cygnet (via Kettering and Woodbridge) (approx. 65 km)
- The drive
- Back across North Bruny to the ferry to Kettering, then south on the Channel Highway (B68) along the water via Woodbridge and Birchs Bay to Gordon, and across the peninsula to Cygnet on Port Cygnet. A narrow, winding coast road with hills and few overtaking opportunities, but easy to drive. Around 1.5 hours plus the ferry.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Woodbridge, with views across the Channel to Bruny; near Birchs Bay, a sheep’s cheese dairy with tastings.
- Peppermint Bay in Woodbridge: a terrace above the water with regional produce from the Channel.
- Cygnet: a small main street with cafés, galleries and second-hand shops, plus fruit stalls on the approach roads.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Cygnet Caravan Park, a few minutes’ walk from the town centre, with powered sites and amenities; capacity is limited, so enquire in good time. Alternatively, continue to Huonville (Huon Valley Caravan Park by the river, see stage 4).
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): In the Kingborough area (Kettering, Woodbridge) there are no designated free-camping areas; picnic and foreshore car parks are not overnight spots. Around Cygnet, too, use official sites only.
- Insider tip for campers
- Before heading back to the ferry, don’t plan anything on Bruny that is pressing in the afternoon: from around 4 pm traffic backs up at the Roberts Point terminal. You are better off emptying tanks and filling up with water on the mainland than at the island sites – current dump point locations in WikiCamps or CamperMate.
4Stage 4: Cygnet to Geeveston (via Huonville and Franklin) (approx. 55 km)
- The drive
- North over the hills into the Huon Valley to Huonville, with a detour to Grove; then along the Huon Highway (A6) on the west bank of the Huon River to Franklin and Geeveston. A broad valley road, orchards and river views, 50 km/h in the towns. A good hour of pure driving time.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Apple and cider culture: in Grove near Huonville, the Willie Smith’s Apple Shed offers cider tastings and a small museum on the apple history of the “Apple Isle”; along the road, farms sell apples, juices and cherries in season.
- Franklin Wooden Boat Centre on the riverbank: a boatbuilding school where traditional wooden boats are made from Tasmanian timbers such as Huon pine; visitors can watch in the workshop.
- Platypus spotting on the Kermandie River in Geeveston early in the morning or at dusk, quietly and without lights.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: In Geeveston, the CMCA RV Park lies on the bank of the Kermandie River in Heritage Park, around 400 m from the shops – intended for self-contained vehicles; check the conditions with the CMCA. Next door, the Geeveston RSL Club offers an RV area. In Huonville, the Huon Valley Caravan Park by the river has powered and unpowered sites.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Huon Valley Council only permits overnight stays in motorhomes at designated, managed RV sites such as Franklin (run by the Palais theatre society) and Geeveston; the area formerly used at Shipwrights Point is closed to camping. Car parks along the Huon are not overnight spots.
- Insider tip for campers
- Huonville is the last town in the south with a large supermarket and several petrol stations – shop and fill up here for the days to Cockle Creek. The Franklin RV site is small; if you want to stay there, arrive early or ask the Palais in advance.
5Stage 5: Geeveston to Geeveston (Tahune Airwalk and Hartz Mountains) (approx. 85 km)
- The drive
- From Geeveston, take Arve Road west into the forest, around 29 km to Tahune Forest – sealed, but winding and narrow, with log trucks. Return to the turn-off for Hartz Road, a gravel road that climbs steeply up to the national park; unsuitable for caravans and large motorhomes, campervans should take it slowly. About 2 hours of driving for both excursions.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Tahune Airwalk: a steel walkway in the treetops above the confluence of the Huon and Picton rivers, ending in a free-standing cantilever; plus the Swinging Bridges Walk over suspension bridges and a Huon pine trail.
- Big Tree Lookout and Arve River Streamside on Arve Road: short walks to a giant eucalypt and through fern gullies.
- Hartz Mountains National Park: Waratah Lookout right by the car park, Arve Falls (around 20 minutes) and, for those with stamina, Lake Osborne or Hartz Peak over boardwalks and moorland.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Second night in Geeveston (CMCA RV Park or the RSL area); in the Hartz Mountains there is no campground for vehicles, only day-use shelters.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Overnight stays in vehicles are not permitted in Hartz Mountains National Park; a Parks Pass is required even for a day visit. In the state forest along Arve Road, the picnic areas are day-use only.
- Insider tip for campers
- The weather in the Hartz Mountains can turn within an hour: sleet, fog and gales even in summer. Take warm clothing and a rain jacket, cut your walk short in fog, and be prepared for snow and ice on Hartz Road in the colder months. Buy Airwalk tickets online or at the visitor centre; check opening hours in advance – the site closes in storms.
6Stage 6: Geeveston to Southport (via Dover and Hastings Caves) (approx. 60 km)
- The drive
- Along the Huon Highway (A6) via Port Huon and Surges Bay to Dover on Port Esperance, then further south and along the spur road to Hastings Caves State Reserve; back to the A6 and on to Southport. A winding, narrow country road with fine views of the bays; the access road to the caves is sealed. A good hour of driving.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Dover: a quiet fishing town on Port Esperance with salmon farms in the bay and views of the islands offshore.
- Newdegate Cave at Hastings Caves: a dolomite cave with stalactites, accessible by guided tour only; tickets at the visitor centre.
- Hastings Caves thermal pool: a swimming pool fed by warm springs in the middle of the rainforest, plus a short loop walk to the spring.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Southport Hotel & Caravan Park on a large bush property, with powered and unpowered sites, pub, shop and fuel. In Dover, the Dover Beachside Tourist Park sits opposite the beach, with power and amenities.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Between Dover and Southport, beach and foreshore car parks are not overnight spots; you can stay legally at the holiday parks or – one stage further on – at the free sites on Recherche Bay.
- Insider tip for campers
- Southport has the last fuel before Cockle Creek – fill up here, even though it is only 30 km further, because it is well over 60 km back to Huonville. Before visiting Hastings Caves, check the tour times and allow enough time for the thermal pool; do both in the morning, before the coach groups arrive.
7Stage 7: Southport to Cockle Creek (approx. 35 km)
- The drive
- From Southport to Lune River and past Ida Bay, then along Cockle Creek Road through forest and beside Recherche Bay to the bridge over Cockle Creek. The last 20 km or so are gravel with potholes, corrugations and tight spots, slippery in the rain; beyond the bridge begins Southwest National Park. About an hour, more likely longer.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Ida Bay Railway near Lune River: Australia’s southernmost railway, a narrow-gauge line to Deep Hole Bay. Operations have been suspended since 2018; a volunteer group is working on its restoration – ask locally whether there are running days.
- Bronze sculpture of a young southern right whale near the bridge, and the Fishers Point Walk (around 4 km, 2 hours return) through coastal heath to the ruins of an 1843 pilot station – mind the tides, as beach sections are impassable at high water.
- Start of the South Coast Track: around 85 km and 6–8 days to Melaleuca. The first kilometres towards South Cape Bay give you a taste as a day walk; don’t forget to sign the walker logbook.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: In Southwest National Park, Boltons Green has around ten sites for tents, campers and caravans, pit toilets and a rainwater tank (boil the water); behind the “NO TENTS” sign only self-contained motorhomes stand, on a few partly uneven sites. North of the bridge, in the Recherche Bay Nature Recreation Area, are the sites Gillams Beach, Finns Beach, Catamaran, Ramsgate and Cockle Creek with pit toilets, with a tank of untreated water only at Gillams Beach. All free, no bookings, first come, first served; four weeks maximum.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Here, camping at the designated sites is the free camping – outside them it is not allowed. In the national park south of the bridge, “fuel stove only” applies: no campfires, no fire pits, no dogs; north of the bridge, fires are only permitted in a fire pit you bring yourself that is enclosed and raised, and not at all during seasonal fire bans; dogs on a lead there. For the national park you need a valid Parks Pass.
- Insider tip for campers
- There is hardly any mobile coverage, no shop and no dump point – arrive with a full fresh-water tank, an empty cassette and supplies for two days, and take your rubbish back out. Level sites are rare: bring levelling ramps and arrive before dusk, because wallabies, pademelons and devils are out on the gravel road in the evening.
8Stage 8: Cockle Creek to Hobart (approx. 150 km)
- The drive
- Back along the gravel road to Lune River and Southport, then on the Huon Highway (A6) via Dover, Geeveston and Huonville and along the well-built section over the hills to Hobart. Around 2.5 hours; the gravel at the start takes time.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Recherche Bay in the morning light: in 1792 the ships of the French expedition under D’Entrecasteaux, after whom the channel is named, anchored in the bay.
- A detour to the lookout in the hills between Huonville and Hobart, with a view back over the Huon Valley.
- One last cider or freshly pressed apple juice at one of the farm shops in the Huon Valley.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: For the last night in greater Hobart, the holiday parks and the RV area described in the CampingSpirit guide to the Tasmania loop are suitable; if you need to catch an early ferry to Devonport, you are better off spending the night in the Derwent Valley or further north.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): In Hobart and the neighbouring municipalities, sleeping on streets and in car parks is prohibited and enforced.
- Insider tip for campers
- After the gravel kilometres, check the underside, tyres and wheel arches and wipe the dust out of the window and door seals; report stone chips in the windscreen to the rental company immediately. If you are leaving the island on the Spirit of Tasmania, allow around four hours from Hobart to Devonport.
Camping practice & local rules
Wild camping & overnight parking
- Tasmania has no statewide freedom camping law: whether you may sleep in your vehicle is regulated by the councils (here Kingborough, covering Bruny Island and the Channel, and Huon Valley) and by Parks and Wildlife for national parks and reserves. Rule of thumb: only sleep at designated sites; beach, foreshore and lookout car parks are off-limits.
- Huon Valley only allows motorhomes to stay overnight at managed RV sites such as those in Franklin and Geeveston, usually for a fee and for self-contained vehicles; length of stay and conditions are posted at the site or available from the operator.
- Parks and Wildlife campgrounds in the south are basic and cannot be booked: on Bruny (Neck, Jetty Beach) for a small fee by self-registration, at Recherche Bay and Cockle Creek free of charge. In summer and on long weekends they fill up early.
- Parks Pass: a valid pass is required for South Bruny National Park, Hartz Mountains National Park and Southwest National Park at Cockle Creek, including when staying overnight. For a trip, the Holiday Pass per vehicle is worthwhile, available online or at visitor centres – check current prices with Parks and Wildlife.
- Fire: Southwest National Park is “fuel stove only”; in summer, Tasmania Fire Service total fire bans are frequent, and they also apply to fire pits. TasALERT reports current warnings, closures after bushfires and road conditions.
- Apps: WikiCamps Australia and CamperMate show campgrounds, RV sites and dump points with user reports; reception on Bruny and at Cockle Creek is patchy – save maps offline.
Waste disposal & supplies
- Dump points: in the Huon Valley there are public dump stations (for example near Port Huon), plus those at holiday parks for guests – on Bruny only at the holiday park in Adventure Bay, and none at all at Recherche Bay and Cockle Creek. Check current locations in WikiCamps or CamperMate. Never let grey water run onto the ground.
- Water: town supplies are good; the tanks at the Parks campgrounds provide untreated rainwater that must be boiled, and some sites have none at all. Fill the fresh-water tank before Bruny and before Cockle Creek and carry a jerrycan as a reserve.
- Gas: Australian cylinders now mostly have the LCC27 valve, older ones still POL; swap them at petrol stations and hardware stores, refills at filling stations only with a valid test date. European cylinders don’t fit – in a rental camper, check the level before setting off.
- Fuel: full choice in Kingston and Huonville; after that Geeveston, Dover and Southport as the last fuel before Cockle Creek. Bruny Island only has a few fuel pumps with limited opening hours – take the ferry with a full tank.
- Biosecurity: if you arrive from the mainland on the Spirit of Tasmania, you may not bring fruit, vegetables or plants; there are checks at the terminal. Once on the island, buy apples and berries directly at the farm shops.
Vehicle size & traffic rules
- Driving on the left: overtake on the right, roundabouts clockwise; give way to traffic from the right. On the narrow coast road along the Channel and on the gravel tracks, keep well to the left and expect oncoming traffic in the middle on bends.
- Speed limits: generally 50 km/h in built-up areas, 100 km/h outside them; on unsealed roads outside built-up areas generally 80 km/h unless signposted otherwise – on Lighthouse Road or Cockle Creek Road that is often too fast. There are no toll roads in Tasmania.
- Wildlife: between dusk and dawn, wallabies, pademelons, wombats, possums and Tasmanian devils are on the road; “Devil Zone” signs mark sections with many devil collisions. Don’t drive at night, and if you must, go slowly and be ready to brake, without risky swerving. On Bruny, penguins and shearwaters also cross the road at the Neck at night.
- Ferry to Bruny: fare by vehicle type and length; state the overall length including rear racks and trailers; no reservations possible, be at the terminal at least 20 minutes before departure, waiting times at peak periods.
- Unsealed roads and insurance: campervan rental terms often exclude gravel roads or only allow short access roads to campgrounds; the last 20 km or so to Cockle Creek, Lighthouse Road on Bruny and Hartz Road are gravel. Clarify in writing beforehand whether these routes are insured; wildlife collisions often carry a higher excess.
- Arriving on the Spirit of Tasmania between Geelong and Devonport: book the correct length and height, and secure gas cylinders according to the operator’s requirements; the new ships come with a new terminal in Devonport – check the departure point and timetable when booking. Foreign driving licences not in English only with an International Driving Permit or a translation; blood alcohol limit 0.05.
CampingSpirit packing & preparation checklist
- Fresh-water jerrycan (20 litres) and water purification tablets – on Bruny and at Cockle Creek there is no drinking water, only tank water that must be boiled.
- Levelling ramps and a spirit level: the sites at the Neck, Jetty Beach and Boltons Green are sandy, rooty and rarely level.
- Warm layers, a beanie and a waterproof jacket – in the Hartz Mountains and at Cape Bruny, south-westerly fronts drop the temperature by ten degrees within an hour.
- Head torch with red light for penguin watching at the Neck and for evening walks around the sites, without dazzling the animals.
- Gaiters and sturdy shoes for Fishers Point, Fluted Cape and the Hartz moors – tiger snakes and copperheads bask on the tracks in summer, and there are leeches in the forest.
- Cash in small notes for self-registration at the Parks campgrounds and for farm shops without card readers.
As of 2026-10. Closures, fees and booking rules change: check official sources before you go.
