# Road trips in Tasmania

> 6 road trips and 57 hand-picked places in Tasmania, with routes, stops and practical tips for driving and camping.

Source: https://camping-spirit.com/roadtrips/tasmania/

6 road trips and 57 hand-picked places in Tasmania, with routes, stops and practical tips for driving and camping.

## Road trips through Tasmania

- [Hobart and the Tasman Peninsula](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/au-tas-hobart-tasman-peninsula/): Three days from Tasmania's capital to the convict ruins of Port Arthur and the sea cliffs of Tasman National Park, via the historic village of Richmond.
- [Tasmania's East Coast: Hobart to the Bay of Fires](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/au-tas-east-coast/): Four days up the Tasman Highway past Maria Island, Freycinet and Bicheno to the lichen-orange granite of the Bay of Fires and the waterfalls near St Helens.
- [Launceston, the Tamar Valley and the North](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/au-tas-launceston-tamar-north/): Three days from the Devonport ferry port through Sheffield's murals and Liffey Falls to Launceston, Cataract Gorge and the mining and maritime history of the Tamar.
- [Cradle Mountain, the West Coast and the Lyell Highway](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/au-tas-cradle-west-coast/): Four days from Sheffield through Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park to Strahan and Queenstown, then over the winding Lyell Highway to Hobart.
- [Bruny Island and the Huon Valley](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/au-tas-bruny-huon/): Two days south of Hobart: the ferry to Bruny Island, its Neck lookout and southern lighthouse, then the Huon Valley's orchards, treetop walk and thermal caves.
- [The North West and the Tarkine](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/au-tas-north-west-tarkine/): Four days along the Bass Highway from the Devonport ferry port to Stanley and the Edge of the World, then through the Tarkine's gravel Western Explorer Road to Strahan.

## Places worth the detour in Tasmania

- [kunanyi / Mount Wellington](https://camping-spirit.com/places/au-kunanyi-mount-wellington/): A sealed road climbs to the 1,271 m summit above Hobart, with sweeping views over the Derwent estuary and the city. It is much colder and windier than the town below, and snow can close the road in any season.
- [MONA (Museum of Old and New Art)](https://camping-spirit.com/places/au-mona/): A privately owned museum built into sandstone cliffs on the Derwent at Berriedale, known for provocative contemporary and ancient art and bold architecture. Arriving by fast ferry from Hobart's waterfront is part of the experience.
- [Port Arthur Historic Site](https://camping-spirit.com/places/au-port-arthur-historic-site/): Australia's best-known convict site, a penal settlement from 1830 to 1877 with ruins, restored buildings and gardens above Carnarvon Bay. Part of the UNESCO Australian Convict Sites; allow half a day or more.
- [Cape Hauy](https://camping-spirit.com/places/au-cape-hauy/): A demanding walk of about 10 km return from Fortescue Bay through forest and heath ends at dolerite sea cliffs, with the Candlestick and the Totem Pole rising from the water. Start early; there are many steps and exposed edges.
- [Wineglass Bay Lookout](https://camping-spirit.com/places/au-wineglass-bay-lookout/): A steep, stepped path of about 1.5 km each way climbs from the car park to a saddle in the Hazards with the famous view of Wineglass Bay's white curve. Go early in summer for parking and shade.
- [Binalong Bay (Bay of Fires)](https://camping-spirit.com/places/au-binalong-bay/): The southern gateway to the Bay of Fires / Larapuna, where granite boulders covered in orange lichen frame white sand and turquoise water. About 10 km from St Helens on a sealed road; best at sunrise.
- [Cataract Gorge Reserve](https://camping-spirit.com/places/au-cataract-gorge/): A steep-sided gorge on the South Esk River, only 1.5 km from Launceston's centre, with walking tracks, Kings Bridge, a chairlift with a very long single span, a swimming pool and peacocks at First Basin.
- [The Nut, Stanley](https://camping-spirit.com/places/au-the-nut-stanley/): A 143 m volcanic plug rising straight from the sea beside the village of Stanley. A steep track or a chairlift reaches the flat top, where a loop walk gives views over Bass Strait. It is often very windy.
- [Dove Lake, Cradle Mountain](https://camping-spirit.com/places/au-dove-lake-cradle-mountain/): A glacial lake beneath the jagged dolerite peaks of Cradle Mountain, ringed by a 6 km circuit that takes about two hours. Shuttle buses run from the visitor centre; a park pass is required and weather changes fast.
- [Sarah Island, Macquarie Harbour](https://camping-spirit.com/places/au-sarah-island-macquarie-harbour/): The ruins of a harsh convict station from 1822 to 1833 on a small island in Macquarie Harbour, reached on Gordon River cruises. Guides tell stories of escapes and boat building; bring a rain jacket.
- [Salamanca Place and Market](https://camping-spirit.com/places/au-salamanca-place/): Rows of Georgian sandstone warehouses on Hobart's waterfront now hold galleries, cafes and restaurants. On Saturdays the street fills with the Salamanca Market, a good place for Tasmanian produce, crafts and people-watching.
- [Battery Point](https://camping-spirit.com/places/au-battery-point/): Hobart's old maritime quarter, a short walk from the docks, is a tangle of narrow lanes lined with colonial cottages and sandstone houses. Arthur Circus, a ring of small cottages around a village green, is the best-known corner.
- [Cascade Brewery](https://camping-spirit.com/places/au-cascade-brewery/): Founded in 1824 at the foot of kunanyi / Mount Wellington, this is Australia's oldest continuously operating brewery. The stone buildings and gardens are worth a look even if you skip the tour.
- [Constitution Dock](https://camping-spirit.com/places/au-constitution-dock/): The yacht basin where the Sydney to Hobart race finishes in late December. Fish punts and kiosks along the waterfront sell fresh Tasmanian seafood, best eaten on the quayside.
- [Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens](https://camping-spirit.com/places/au-royal-tasmanian-botanical-gardens/): Founded in 1818 beside the Derwent, these are among the oldest botanic gardens in Australia. A calm green stop with a conservatory, a subantarctic plant house and lawns suited to a picnic.
- [Henry Jones Art Hotel](https://camping-spirit.com/places/au-henry-jones-art-hotel/): A hotel converted from the waterfront IXL jam factory, with sandstone walls, original timber beams and Tasmanian art throughout. A well-known base for a night or two in central Hobart.
- [Richmond Bridge](https://camping-spirit.com/places/au-richmond-bridge/): Built by convicts from 1823, this sandstone arch is the oldest bridge in Australia still in use. Walk down to the grassy bank beside the Coal River for the classic view in the village of Richmond.
- [Richmond Gaol](https://camping-spirit.com/places/au-richmond-gaol/): Built in 1825, before Port Arthur, this small convict-era gaol is one of the best-preserved in Australia. The cells and yards give a close, uncomplicated look at the colonial prison system.
- [Tasman Arch and Devils Kitchen](https://camping-spirit.com/places/au-tasman-arch-devils-kitchen/): Short walks lead to a collapsed sea-cave arch and to Devils Kitchen, a deep, narrow chasm in the sandstone cliffs where the swell booms below. The viewing platforms are right on the edge, so keep children close.
- [Tessellated Pavement](https://camping-spirit.com/places/au-tessellated-pavement/): A wave-cut rock platform at Pirates Bay near Eaglehawk Neck, where fractured sedimentary rock forms a pattern of neat rectangular tiles. Low tide in low light shows it best; watch the swell and stay off wet rock.
- [Fortescue Bay campground](https://camping-spirit.com/places/au-fortescue-bay-campground/): A national park campground behind a sheltered beach in Tasman National Park, the starting point for the Cape Hauy and Cape Pillar walks. The last stretch of road is unsealed; book ahead for summer and school holidays.
- [The Neck and Truganini Lookout](https://camping-spirit.com/places/au-bruny-island-neck/): A narrow sandy isthmus joins North and South Bruny, and a wooden stairway climbs to a lookout with views over both coasts. Little penguins and shearwaters nest in the dunes in summer, so stay on the paths.
- [Cape Bruny Lighthouse](https://camping-spirit.com/places/au-cape-bruny-lighthouse/): A convict-built lighthouse of 1836 on Bruny Island's southern tip, one of the oldest in Australia, high above the Southern Ocean. Walk up from the museum for the views; wind and weather change fast.
- [Hastings Caves and Thermal Springs](https://camping-spirit.com/places/au-hastings-caves/): Guided tours of Newdegate Cave, a large dolomite cave with fine formations, plus a warm spring-fed pool at about 28 degrees Celsius in the forest beside the visitor centre. Cave access is by tour only.
- [Tahune AirWalk](https://camping-spirit.com/places/au-tahune-airwalk/): A steel walkway and cantilever platforms through the treetops of a tall-forest valley where the Huon and Picton rivers meet. Roughly 1.5 hours' drive from Hobart; the Huon pine and giant eucalypts are the draw.
- [Franklin and the Wooden Boat Centre](https://camping-spirit.com/places/au-franklin-wooden-boat-centre/): Franklin is a small Huon River town with a boat-building tradition. At the Wooden Boat Centre you can watch traditional boats take shape from Tasmanian timbers, including Huon pine, then stroll the riverside.
- [Russell Falls](https://camping-spirit.com/places/au-russell-falls/): Tiered falls in a forest of tree ferns and tall swamp gums, reached by a short sealed track from the Mount Field National Park visitor centre. Combine it with the Tall Trees walk for the giant eucalypts.
- [Mount Field National Park campground](https://camping-spirit.com/places/au-mount-field-campground/): A national park campground near the park entrance and a short walk from Russell Falls, with pademelons and wallabies grazing at dusk. Nights are cold even in summer; check for fire restrictions.
- [Painted Cliffs, Maria Island](https://camping-spirit.com/places/au-maria-island-painted-cliffs/): Sandstone cliffs banded in orange, grey and ochre and carved into honeycomb shapes by the sea. Reached on foot from Darlington, they are safe only at low tide, so check the tide table before setting out.
- [Darlington, Maria Island](https://camping-spirit.com/places/au-maria-island-darlington/): Maria Island is car-free and reached by passenger ferry from Triabunna. Darlington has convict-era buildings, part of the UNESCO Australian Convict Sites, and wombats, kangaroos and Cape Barren geese graze on the grass.
- [Wineglass Bay Beach](https://camping-spirit.com/places/au-wineglass-bay-beach/): The bay itself: a perfect arc of white sand and clear, cold water, reached by a long stair descent from the lookout. Most walkers return the same way; others continue across the isthmus to Hazards Beach.
- [Cape Tourville Lighthouse](https://camping-spirit.com/places/au-cape-tourville/): A short, mostly level loop along the cliff tops at the eastern end of Freycinet, with a boardwalk, views along the granite coast and out to sea. A good alternative to the Wineglass Bay walk, and lovely at sunrise.
- [Freycinet campground (Richardsons Beach)](https://camping-spirit.com/places/au-richardsons-beach-campground/): The national park's main campground, set behind a calm, west-facing beach near the visitor centre. Wallabies visit the sites at dusk. Sites are limited, so book well ahead for summer and school holidays.
- [Friendly Beaches](https://camping-spirit.com/places/au-friendly-beaches/): A long, open, mostly empty beach in the northern part of Freycinet National Park, reached by a short walk through dunes. It is unpatrolled and swell and currents are strong, so swim only with great care.
- [Bicheno Blowhole](https://camping-spirit.com/places/au-bicheno-blowhole/): Spray shoots from a gap in the granite on the Bicheno foreshore when the swell is up, with a loud boom. It is a short, easy stop; keep behind the barriers. At dusk, local tours show little penguins coming ashore.
- [The Gardens (Bay of Fires)](https://camping-spirit.com/places/au-the-gardens-bay-of-fires/): A quieter, rockier stretch of the Bay of Fires, with lichen-streaked granite, tide pools and empty beaches. Fewer visitors than Binalong Bay; check road conditions before driving the coastal gravel tracks.
- [Eddystone Point (larapuna)](https://camping-spirit.com/places/au-eddystone-point-larapuna/): A granite lighthouse completed in 1889 stands among heath and sea at the northern end of the Bay of Fires coast. The point, called larapuna in palawa kani, has long Aboriginal significance. Remote; carry water.
- [St Columba Falls](https://camping-spirit.com/places/au-st-columba-falls/): One of Tasmania's tallest waterfalls, about 90 m, plunging into a fern-filled gorge near Pyengana. An easy track of about 20 minutes return leads to the viewing platform; a well-known dairy farm lies nearby.
- [Low Head Pilot Station and Lighthouse](https://camping-spirit.com/places/au-low-head-pilot-station/): A pilot station established in 1805 guards the mouth of the Tamar River; the lighthouse and maritime museum are the main sights. At dusk, guided viewing shows little penguins coming ashore. About an hour from Launceston.
- [Beaconsfield Mine and Heritage Centre](https://camping-spirit.com/places/au-beaconsfield-mine-heritage-centre/): A gold-mining town on the Tamar whose 2006 mine collapse and the two-week rescue of two trapped miners became a national story. The heritage centre covers the area's mining history and the rescue.

## FAQs

**What are the best road trips in Tasmania?**
Popular routes include Hobart and the Tasman Peninsula, Tasmania's East Coast: Hobart to the Bay of Fires, Launceston, the Tamar Valley and the North and Cradle Mountain, the West Coast and the Lyell Highway. CampingSpirit has 6 trip guides that pass through Tasmania, each with a stop-by-stop itinerary and a route map.

**Which places in Tasmania are worth a detour?**
Our editors recommend kunanyi / Mount Wellington, MONA (Museum of Old and New Art), Port Arthur Historic Site, Cape Hauy, Wineglass Bay Lookout and Binalong Bay (Bay of Fires).