Planning and preparing for your visit to Tasmania is easy with our Epic Trip Travellers Guide. This guide is for those who are bringing their own 4wd vehicle and wish to explore beyond the regular tourist information dished out to travellers. We feature the most Epic and remote camping locations and highlight some of the best 4WD tracks throughout Tasmania.
We spent 10 weeks on Australia’s biggest island between January and March in 2018. Not content to merely visit an area, we completely immersed ourselves and explored everything it had to offer. Spending most of our time camping off grid, 4wding, snorkelling, spearfishing, hiking, visiting attractions and giving our kids Real World life lessons.
When to visit?
Tasmania is an island state of Australia with 4,882 kms of coastline featuring some of the best beaches in the country. If you want to swim at the beach, the most pleasant time of the year to visit is in the Australian summer months. The East coast experiences low rainfall and it does get quite warm. In Tasmania, 30 Degrees feels like 40 degrees on the mainland. The UV rays are incredibly brutal so be vigilant with your sun protection.
Planning your voyage on the Spirit of Tasmania.
To have a smooth experience with The Spirit of Tasmania, we have put together our thoughts on making it as easy as possible.
You can book your tickets online or by phone. We found the online booking system very thorough and easy to navigate. You’ll need to know your vehicle and trailer details including lengths and heights. If your chosen date is unavailable, it is worthwhile giving them a call so you can be placed on a ‘waiting list’ in case of a cancellation.
Arrive 2-3 hours before departure if you are towing a trailer, have a pet and/or firearms.
The voyage takes about 10 hours not including embarking and disembarking time.
If you have recently visited a farm, you’ll need to ensure that your vehicle, clothing and shoes are free from dirt or mud. Its a good idea to arrive with a clean vehicle just in case you’re asked to leave the line to find a car wash and return to the end of the line! It has happened!
Bringing your dog.
Your dog will need to be booked into a kennel, which are located in the passenger vehicle cargo areas. Prior to our departure date, we received a phone call asking breed and size of our pooch so they can provide enough of the right sized kennels. If you put your little 10kg dog in the big kennels, you will be paged by security to relocate it for the larger breeds.
You will be asked to provide evidence that your dog has been treated for Hypatid Worm. We treated our dog the week we departed and provided video evidence for the quarantine officers.
Bringing your firearms.
Before your departure date, you’ll need to complete and return, a Spirit of Tasmania Carriage of Firearms and Ammunition Declaration Form. At quarantine, you will hand over all of your weapons and ammunition to an authorised person who will arrange secure storage for the voyage. At arrival, you will receive instructions on where to collect your firearms from.
A warning for travellers.
You can not bring fresh fruit and vegetables into Tasmania. You can purchase fresh food on arrival in Devonport however;
There is a fruit fly exclusion zone in place and any fruit and vegetables you purchase in Devonport (within the zone), will need to be eaten or disposed of correctly before you leave the zone. Tasmanian authorities are doing all they can to prevent the spread and we have personally met travellers who have been been pulled over at a checkpoint and had to throw out their newly purchased groceries from town. It is vitally important to stop the spread, as fruit fly has a devastating impact on the environment and local producers.
What to pack?
Tasmania experiences all weather conditions and we suggest in addition to your regular clothes, you invest in a good quality feather down jacket or vest. If you plan to spend time in the water snorkelling, spearfishing, swimming and surfing then a wetsuit is a must. A pair of sturdy shoes is required, as you’ll no doubt want to check out many of Tasmania’s 60 Great Short Walks.
How much time to DO Tasmania?
We suggest you allocate at least 5 weeks if you want to experience most of what the state has to offer.
Ask yourself this one question when planning your trip – Will I go to Tasmania or will I experience Tasmania?
Be prepared to miss out on entire regions if your timeframe is less than 5 weeks.
THE CREAM – Here we share with you our Top 10 Epic Experiences in Tasmania.
MONTEZUMA FALLS
Montezuma Falls is an Epic LEGIT 4X4 ONLY track which takes 2-3 hours return depending on conditions. You’ll need a well maintained 4WD, recovery gear, high clearance and your sense of adventure. It is assessable from the highway and is a 14km trip featuring bum gripping moments, slippery mud, ruts, very steep, short hills and a quick stroll to a rewarding waterfall at your destination. There is a narrow suspension bridge you’ll need to cross to get aloe at the falls. Montezuma Falls is one of Tasmania’s highest waterfalls and is truly spectacular. You can bushwalk in if you prefer or if you don’t have a 4×4 vehicle.
Want more? Link to Hard Core 4wding to Montezuma Falls and Wet to the core visit to Cradle Mountain.
GRANVILLE HARBOUR & COUTA ROCKS
We were SO excited when we arrived at Granville Harbour. We are huge advocates for Leaving No Trace and the entrance sign had us feeling PU M P E D from the start. This gorgeous area is in a remote location on Tasmania’s West Coast. You’ll need be completely self sufficient to stay here. Be prepared with plenty of drinking water, food and fuel.
If you love wild beaches, Australian wildlife, 4WDing and camping off grid with the place to yourself, you need to stay here. You’ll experience SUNsational SUNsets over the Southern Ocean and diverse ocean life.
Adam went spearfishing everyday and we fired up our Coleman gas stove to enjoy freshly cooked seafood right on the beach. It was magic! There are holiday shacks at Granville Harbour and a massive skip bin available for everyone to use at the entry to the shack area.
There are almost no words to describe our next camp on Tasmania’s West Coast. Couta Rocks is breathtakingly beautiful. It features sheltered beaches, ideal for snorkelling and there is a boat launching beach available. There are unbelievably huge camp sites behind the dunes, perfect for large groups and sheltered from the coastal winds. There are plenty of 4wd tracks in the area and it is overall a brilliant place to get away from it all.
Want more? Link to Tasmania’s West Coast – Isolated Diverse Wilderness
TASMAN PENINSULA
Hands down, the best thing we did as a family was the Cape Hauy walk.
It is one of Tasmania’s 60 Great Short Walks, is 8.8 kms and 4 hours return. This ‘Short Walk’ is part of the Three Capes Track and we would love to do the complete 3 night, 4 day walk some day. It begins at the boat ramp at Fortescue Bay.
We packed water, lunch and snacks and ventured into the most HECTIC bushwalking experience we have done together so far. The first hour consisted of fairly easy terrain and loads of lizards which kept the kids easily amused. The rest was natural stone stairs which got our heart and legs pumping. Once we reached the Cape, we peered over the edge and were in awe of the beautiful ocean crashing against the cliffs.
The amazing vista features Pacific Ocean and Australian bush views and it is this perfect combination that makes The Cape Hauy walk a stunner. The Cape scenery is breathtakingly beautiful and if you are going to visit Tasmania, this walk is a must do!
Want more? Link to 8 Amazing days on the Tasman Peninsula.
FREYINET NATIONAL PARK
The visitors centre at Freycinet National Park has tons of info about this entire region.
We spent a great deal of time checking out the cool displays and learning about the UGLIEST fish on Earth – The Blobfish. It is found in the Freycinet Commonwealth Marine Reserve, off the coast of Tasmania.
Leaving our doggo to have a snooze at the van, we headed off to complete the short Wineglass Bay Lookout walk. It took us by surprise how many people were there to experience Wineglass Bay. The view from the lookout was great and the kids found it very interesting that there was a resident wallaby hanging about.
Want more? Link to Southern Skies, warm days and friendly beaches.
COCKLE CREEK
Cockle Creek is the furthest south you can drive by vehicle in Australia. It once was a thriving whaling and timber mill community. Now there are only relics from the past, a whale sculpture and a small fraction of houses. There is free camping on the North side of the creek and National Park camping on the south side on offer. From here you can do a 4 hour return bush walk to the most Southernly Point in Oz. It is so worth it! Tasmania’s wilderness at its best! It was really cool!
Want more? Link to The Wilderness Begins, South West Tasmania.
BAY OF FIRES
The turquoise sea contrasting with the orange lichen covered granite boulders makes The Bay of Fires region so legendary!
There is tons of camping all along this part of the coast and the best part is its FREE and DOG FRIENDLY! What a winner!
We rocked up on a warm, sunny day and quickly set up to enjoy the beach. Our spot was at Cosy Corner South, where we had shelter from the coastal wind. Its very busy in peak season and suggest you arrive before lunch time to snag a decent position to set up camp. The weather gods were smiling on us and turned up the heat for our stay! It was a real pleasure to jump into the cool Tasmanian water.
Want more? Link to Spirited Travellers to Tasmania.
BOAT HARBOUR
Boat Harbour is on the list of 101 Best Australian Beaches and once you have experienced it for yourself, you’ll understand why. Incredibly clear water and white sand make it a suitable for snorkelling and diving. We visited on a Tasmanian Public Holiday and there were only a small amount of people on the beach. Be sure to pack your wetsuit if you’d like to stay in for a snorkel as the water here is notoriously cold!
Link to Tasmania’s North West Coast.
GORDON DAM
We saw tremendous value in taking the kids to Gordon Dam.
It was built in the 70’s, in a time when more people were questioning the unrelenting destruction of old growth forests and flooding of significant places on Earth.
Gordan Dam is Australia’s Highest Dam at 140 metres and used 157,500 cubic metres of concrete. To say it is massive is an under statement! The Gordon Power Development consists of 4 dams, 2 large storage lakes, an interconnecting canal (2745 metres long) and an underground power station. Literally in the middle of nowhere. Its so epic, you really should witness it for yourself!
Want more? Link to Going deep into Tasmania’s South West Wilderness.
PRIMROSE SANDS
We discovered this week’s camp at Primrose Sands after stopping by the fruit farm and chatting with a local from the area. She spoke of a pristine beach, surrounded by eclectic beachside shacks and glorious sunsets over the sea. She was right, what a hidden gem! The beach was perfect for a float in the sea and did we mention the sunsets? We had a really cool, random encounter with an echidna at the local skate park and enjoyed a yummy meal at the local RSL Club.
Want more? Link to Hobart & Beyond.
GREENS BEACH
Greens Beach is a sleepy holiday hamlet and ideal for kicking back and relaxing on our last week of our journey on Australia’s biggest island. We really wanted to check out the nearby Big4 Caravan Park but dogs were not welcome. Our Big4 Membership card is still unused.
Greens Beach Caravan Park is directly across from the beach, backs onto a golf course and is pet friendly. Adam was so inspired, out came the golf clubs for the first time on our big lap. We were so glad we found this place, the facilities were clean and the caretaker was wonderful with our children.
Want more? Link to Ten Weeks in Tasmania and we are done…for now.
