Thread: Tasmania Help - 2 weeks, when and where to go???

2 weeks is no where near being able to see most of the place, but you will see a fair bit, musts are the west coast, over to Strahan via the Western Explorer Rd to Corina and across the Pieman River on the Punt to Zeehan, if your into trains there's a museum at Zeehan, Strahan is the next town, take the time to see a Sarah Island tour from Stahan, you could tackle the 4wd track to Montezuma Falls, fish off the beach and camp at MacQuarie Heads, the track to Montezuma Falls is about 14k.

There is campground at Finns Beach close to the most southern street you can drive in Australia at Cockle Creek. This campground offers plenty of grass with great beach access, it's also close to the Tahune Airwalk and the Hartz Mountains.


Then there's the east coast, Bay of Fires, Eddystone Lighthouse (north eastern most point), Stix Forest

Then there's the food, cheese, berries, seafood, chocalate

Best bet is to do one coast, then come back and do the other, then come back and do the rest

One last thing, have dinner before you get onto the Ferry, the food on the ferry is

Baz.

We loved Lime Bay down near Port Arthur. Good camping, no one around & great fishing...BIG flatties West coast is great as mentioned too. I think you need at least 3 wks to enjoy Tassie properly. Lots of places that maybe hard with the pooch

March was one of the best times to go there but now the weather is going bongos so any thing can happen

I agree with Redback, 2 weeks is a bit short, I would pick the East Coast and NP near Hobart.

Thanks Redback...

Lots to think about just in that one suggestion! Reckon Im gonna get a wall map and start sticking pins in it!!

Other people have suggested west coast before. At this point in time Im somehow drawn more to that side than the rest.

Keep the suggestions coming... please

Jon

Jon,

You will find a problem entering MOST national parks here as they don't allow dogs EVEN in the car Check the Tas Parks and Wildlife office/ website first.
Second, I don't agree about the quality of the food on the boat, we were just over on the weekend and it is good but exxy

This place needs way more time but 2 weeks is better than no weeks. West coast is wild and wooly and very picturesque, I would plan at least 3 or 4 days as a taster, then across the central highlands for a few days, down south to visit me and see a few tracks around Hobart etc, then a blast up the East coast for 3 days or so, St Helens and Bicheno are stunning beaches etc, and make your way back to the boat.

You WILL have a huge list of places to revisit, I wouldn't even TRY and see everything this time round, you'll be back for sure

JC

Originally Posted by justinc

Jon,
<snip>
Second, I don't agree about the quality of the food on the boat, we were just over on the weekend and it is good but exxy
<snip>

JC

JC - if you had good food it must have been at the restaurant. Think it cost us about $120 for 2 of us for meal and wine. Great food and a pleasant environment.
More expensive, but IMO much better value than the reconstituted dog food in the cafeteria that from memory cost us over $30 the time before.
The restaurant has limited seating so either race in there as soon as you get on the boat or see if you can reserve a table beforehand.

We've done a couple of trips over there in recent years. First was about 12 days, down the western explorer (do the river cruise up the Arthur River if you get a chance), back up to Cradle mountain, down to Queenstown, across the midlands to Hobart, then right down the bottom to Cockle beach, before returning up the middle to the ferry. Averaged about 250k's per day which is plenty for Tassie.
Did another week in the north-east, and down as far as Coles bay.
Both trips were sleeping in the back of the D1, and either eating at pubs or simple camp cooking. Pretty much all on-road driving apart from a couple of tame tracks just to get some mud on the sidewalls.

As others have said - choose one half of the island, and leave the other for next time. Its a magic place and you'll definitely be back.
For me, I prefer the isolation of the west coast, but if you're into beaches and fishing and a maybe a bit more of interest to the better half then the east coast probably has more to offer.
Don't overestimate how much driving you can do. There aren't many straight roads in Tassie, and its relatively high concentration/tiring driving in my experience.

Steve.

We have been 3 times..

1st. Hire Car/accommodation 2 weeks, with the girls and did all the touristy things, circumnavigating the island

2nd. Disco/camping 2 weeks, West coast and hooked up with LROCT, they did the easier tracks like Montezuma Falls, Ring River Road etc out of Rosebury, and we did (by ourselves) some of the West Coast, Granville Harbour up the beach to the Pieman River then down via several tracks to Cockle Creek Oh and a visit to JC who repaired the Disco back trough the Lake Highway, Mole Creek and the fun drives around there then home.

3rd. RED 130/camper 21/2 weeks, Hooked up again with LROCT @ Arthur River and did more of the west coast..love the west coast...down through Hobart and down south again to Cockle Creek this time back to the east and Freycinet N/P back through to Launceston and Devonport.


If you want to see the best of Tassie get '4WD Tracks in Tasmania' by Chris Boden, he is a member of the LROCTas club and was our guide on our last trip

As you can see there is far to much to see in 2weeks, suggestion do as we did first time around then you can plan your trip back the next time, OH and you will go back

HTH

Mrs hh

My Mrs grew up in Tasmania, so she has taken me on a couple guided tours;

Tasmania has some of the best tourist caves in Australia. (Mole Creek - great camp site, Hastings and Gunns Plains) The lighting systems were not as good as Jenolan is now, but the formations are excellent. They are controlled by the National Parks, so as others have said you can't take a dog.

I have done two very good walks down there. Freycient Circuit (long 2 days) and Overland Track - Craddle Moutain to Lake St Clair (7 days). There are also good short walks in both these parks. Again, no dogs.

Beckford.