rasybanks

We are going to be in TAsmania in the later part of MArch. The route I have planned so far is and would appreciate any help from readers:
Day 1: Arrival in Hobart and spend the night
2: Strahan for the night
3 and 4: Cradle Mountain
5: devonport with a visit t the town of Stanley
6 and 7: Launceston
8: swansea
9: Port Arthur
10 and 11 Hobart

Does this seem reasonable?

Susan7

We did a very similar circle over a three week period but went the other way around: Hobart, Swansea, Cradle Mountain, Strahan, Lake St Claire, Hobart. We spent 3-4 nights in most places. We were mainly interested in bushwalking so for us the highlights were Cradle Mountain and Lake St Clair.

Just one thing to think about, you have a very long drive for the first leg Hobart to Strahan, and the road winds a lot in the last part of that trip as you go over a mountainous bit that's been ravaged by mining. You could stop over at Lake St Claire, there are excellent cabins in the National Park right by the lake. http://www.lakestclairresort.com.au/

Swansea has a fantastic restaurant if you are a foodie. It's run by a quite famous chef who was lured from England by the amazing produce of Tasmania: http://www.thebancrestaurant.com.au/

We went from there to Freycinet National Park, Richmond and also went to Port Arthur for the day from Swansea.

Melnq8

Hi rasybanks -

On our first trip to TAS we took a similiar route, also in reverse: Hobart-Cole's Bay-Launceston-Cradle Mtn-Stanely-Strahan-Hobart.

I've got a couple of trip reports posted here if you're interested:

http://www.fodors.com/community/aust...rip-report.cfm

http://www.fodors.com/community/aust...t-wild-tas.cfm

JackDarcy

I have a suggestion for great trip. If you have “to do list” for your whole trip then it will be more beneficial.

rasybanks

Thanks. You have given me some interesting info. I think that we will change and follow your route east and come back by the west side.Glad to know that this is doable.

rasybanks

Hi JAck:
I have no specific to do list. We are interested in the beauty of Tasmania and the sights.

JoanneH

I would cut Launceston to one day besides the falls there is not IMHO a lot to see\do there. I would add it on Hobart as it is a good base for more things. Port Arthur pretty much takes a day by the time you wander around the site and go to the burial island.

MaryD2

Day 1: Arrival in Hobart and spend the night
2: Strahan for the night
3 and 4: Cradle Mountain
5: devonport with a visit t the town of Stanley
6 and 7: Launceston
8: swansea
9: Port Arthur
10 and 11 Hobart

You won't see anything of much note going to Strahan unless you do a boat trip down the River and for that you really need to be in Strahan for a night then a whole day and perhaps another night. If your budget allows you can get a flight from Cambridge Airport just near the main airport and fly to Bathurst Harbour which is in the Wilderness area, they land on there and you take a boat ride around and have lunch. The beach has got quartz on it and is really wonderful and you get the same Wilderness feeling as with Strahan without the commercialism. They fly one way there and try to fly you back over different territory.
It takes 5 hours to drive from Hobart to Strahan and then you have several hours to get from Strahan to Cradle Mountain but I don't know just how long as I have not gone that way.
I would either take out Strahan altogether or I would take the flight to Bathurst Harbour instead of going to Strahan and add time onto Hobart so I have more time to see areas around there. It would probably cost you at least one flight to Bathurst Harbour anyway for the petrol to get to Strahan then to Cradle Mt .
If you do it that way you could fly into Launceston which is closer to Cradle Mt and then fly out of Hobart and give yourself less driving time and more fun time. Try to be in or near Hobart on a Saturday for the Salamanca Markets as that is a real fun place.
I also agree that Launceston is not worth 2 nights but the areas around are worth a tour i.e. the Tamar Valley perhaps to Beauty Point to see the platypus and sea horse displays.

mikandsue

We have just returned from a month in Aus. Last 10 nights we hired a motorhome in Tasmania, first time we've been and thought it was wonderful. Australia's best kept secret!
Australia, mainland, is of course great and there are so many lovely places to see, trouble is the distances between them are vast. Tasmania is so much smaller and although you are never that far away from anywhere (compared with mainland) you will be doing a lot of travelling on your itinary in that timeframe.
We flew to Hobart and more or less decided to try and see it all would be to much of a rush; this was our trip;
Day 1 - to port Auther, we found 1 night here was just not enough so stayed for 2
Day 3 - to Richmond, freycinet peninsular, 1 night enough
Day 4 - along the lovely East coast, superb beaches and wildlife, could have easily took longer, travelled up to St Helens stayed 1 night Bay of Fires.
Day 5 Crossed to Tamar Valley, Beauty Point, Launceston.
Day 7 Headed South along Convict highway, overnight in Ross. Some delightful villages and history.
Day 8 Ended up on the Derwent at New Norfolk and intended to stay here for 2 nights because we found such a lovely spot on the river......however, took some advise from a local couple and as a result found ourselves headed South to Adventure Bay for the last night, a fery trip over to paradise, so glad we did it,
Finally next day back to the Airport at Hobart. !0 lovely days and we hadn't even seen half of Tasmania.
My advise is, don't rush your trip, you won't see it all, but what you do, you will enjoy so much more. Leave the other half for next time cause believe me you will want to go back.

peterSale

I've just come back from a month in Tasmania. Check out the trip report.

Hobart to Strahan has a long winding section. So distances will take longer.

There is not much to see in Launceston itself but ist is a good base. The wood design gallery next to the botanical gardens is very good.

The Low Head Penguin Tour is excellent (and at $16 very cheap)you will get to within a metre or two of Fairy Penguins.