I'm planning a trip to Australia in January 2012, and 9 days of it will be spent in Tasmania. Would those of you who have been to Tasmania take a look at this proposed itinerary and let me know what you think? I've also included a few questions:

We're arriving in Melbourne on Jan. 7, and taking the overnight ferry to Devonport. There we'll rent a car and go to Cradle Mountain and spend 2 nights there.

Jan. 10: Depart Cradle Mountain and go to Freycinet Natl. Park area. We'd like to see Wineglass Bay, Bay of Fires, and maybe the penguins one evening at Bicheno. Is it better to stay in St. Helen's or Swansea, or is there another place you would suggest in this area? Also, how long is the drive from Cradle Mountain to Swansea or St. Helen's?

Jan. 12: Depart NE and go south to Port Arthur. Tour Port Arthur and head to Hobart in the evening. Or should we stay overnight at or near Port Arthur, then go to Hobart the next morning?

Jan. 13: Either start day in Hobart, or drive to Hobart from PA in the morning, stopping in Richmond on the way. Or start day in Hobart and go to Richmond from there. 3 nights Hobart.

Jan. 14-16: See Hobart, Mt. Wellington, Huon Valley (Tahune River Walk, Wooden Ship center, Kettering - Oyster Bay).

Jan. 16: Drive back to Devonport and take overnight ferry to Melbourne, or fly to Melbourne from Hobart on January 17. How long is the drive from Hobart to Devonport?

Thanks for you help!
Lazer

Hi Lazer,

You'll love Tassie! I think your itinerary looks pretty good, but I'm wondering why you're taking the ferry both ways? I've done it and it's cool, but cost-wise and time-wise you should perhaps check out flying. Or maybe taking the ferry one way, for the experience, and flying.

re: St. Helens vs. Swansea, I'd pick Swansea; word of caution, when heading out to see the penguins, be careful as this is when the wildlife comes out and it's easy to hit a critter.

As far as driving times, you can find guesstimates of distances online; or contact Tourism Tasmania as I have a really good (large) map I give my clients with estimated driving times & distances listed on the map.

Hope this was helpful.

Melodie
Certified Aussie Specialist

Driving Hobart - Devonport: 3 - 3 1/2 hours, depending on whether you go straight down the middle, or through Richmond and/or Longford.

Google maps is a good tool for distances & times
http://maps.google.com.au/maps?saddr...mra=ls&t=h&z=7

I don't think I'd bother taking the ferry both ways either. You could fly out of Launceston or Devonport and use the extra time in Tasmania - or Victoria.

Swansea is very good for food, particularly the Banc:

http://www.thebancrestaurant.com.au/

Swansea is about an hour's drive from Freycinet.

I'd suggest spending one night in St Helen's and one night in Swansea, otherwise you will be spending a lot of time on the road. The roads are slower than you might estimate looking on the map.

I am rather surprised that you are not going over to Strahan from Cradle Mountain which to me is nature at its best but you have to give yourself 2 night's there. In that light I would not be going on the ferry as its expensive and you could spend your time better in Tasmania. Then drive to Hobart and do the Huon etc ( think you need more than 2 days for what you are looking at) and stay in that region. Try to be in Hobart or near on a Saturday for the Salamaca markets. Go from Hobart area visiting Richmond and down to Port Arthur ( do not stay in PA) and then go to Swansea/Bicheno. It is not far from Swansea to St Helens if you want to go there as well and I would not spend one night in each as the distance or time to get from one to the other is long.
I do not advocate flying in one place and out the other usually because its more costly to fly into and out of places like Devonport or Launceston but with you needs I would fly into one and out the other whereby you don't have to back track.
The above route though does not see you going through some of the pretty little villages in the midlands but you are going to Richmond so that is better than nothing.

Yes, Lizzie is absolutely right you should do Strahan, but I have to disagree with the amount of time. I think one night is more than sufficient. Other than taking the glorious boat trip up the river, there's not a lot to recommend Strahan. It's touristy and not a particularly pleasant town. The trip up the Gordon River (morning or afternoon) is, however, absolutely sublime.

Susan is correct in saying that there is not much to do in Strahan other than the boat trip but the reason I suggested 2 nights is that if you do a full day boat trip and do not stay in Strahan then its a long and wangly drive to Hobart of over 5 hours. As Susan suggested a trip on the Gordon River in the morning would then allow you to drive to say Hamilton where you can rent a convict build 1820approx self contained cottage. Great food at the pub and there are 4 cottages for rent, all furnished in the period when they were build but all cosy and comfortable. You are not far then from Mt Field National Park which is lovely for a walk to the falls and seeing the little paddymellons ( tiny wallabies ) watching visitors from the forrest.
I cannot recommend the Hamilton Convict cottages enough actually and its somewhere I have stayed and loved.
I went on a full day boat trip but perhaps a half day would be great then you have time to move on making sure you get to Queenstown in daylight just to see what people have done in the past and should never do again.