Tasmania for 8 Days

NamandSpam on 15/04/2021 - 15:21
Last edited 15/04/2021 - 16:09 by 1 other user

Hello

I'm heading out to Tasmania in the middle of winter for 8 days. Just wanted to see if you guys have any suggestions on what to do/see in Tasmania/if i need to change my itinerary.

I'll be arriving at Launceston Saturday morning and will immediately drive out to Hobart and chill there for 4 days. Then I'll drive to Cradle Mountain and spend 2 nights there. Then on after I'll make my way to Launceston and spend the last two nights there before I head back to Sydney.

What do you guys think? Should I change my travel plans or keep it as is. This will be my first time in Tassie, so I'd like to maximise it.

Any suggestions will be appreciated, thanks guys!

Travel Tasmania

Comments

  • Twodogs on 15/04/2021 - 15:44
    -1

    The point restaurant at Wrest point casino food is awesome .

    • jv on 15/04/2021 - 16:02
      +5

      lol… nice troll…

      • Twodogs on 17/04/2021 - 17:21

        Not a troll for me when going on holidays i always research the food thats why im 105kg :-) , The point at wrest point casino was my ist posh ? meal i had and it was fantastic , the host cooked use steak diane right by our table.

    • NamandSpam on 15/04/2021 - 16:37

      What's the casino like down there? 😂

      • kerfuffle on 15/04/2021 - 19:14
        +3

        Like Star City in the 90s. Not worth visiting unless you really want to visit Australia's first casino.

      • daowiies on 17/04/2021 - 13:33
        +1

        It's tiny, your local Timezone or Playtime is bigger.

    • Friendly Troll on 15/04/2021 - 17:43

      Good job

    • Forkinhell on 16/04/2021 - 07:51
      +1

      Allow time to get over to the east coast.
      St Helens, Freycenet Peninsular and Coles Bay are brilliant.

      Fishing's good, and get some Tassie scallops (make sure local, not Chinese).
      Port Arthur well worth a look around too

      In Tassie, if you're not driving around bends, or going up/down hills, you're not moving.

      Enjoy a beautiful place.

      • Nautilis on 16/04/2021 - 08:25
        +2

        I agree with these suggestions. I did a fly drive to Tassie years ago for 10 days. Hobart IMO isn't worth spending 4 days in, better to see the rest of Tassie which is just beautiful. I went in Winter too and it was great.

      • md333 on 16/04/2021 - 15:21

        What's good to do on the east coast? Pleased to see that recommended as I'm going to be in St Helens for a week in September and thought it looked like a relatively boring bit of Tassie, just beaches?

    • Poor Ass on 17/04/2021 - 14:13

      Is this legit?

  • deme on 15/04/2021 - 15:45

    Will it snow?

  • Cheaplikethebird on 15/04/2021 - 15:53
    -1

    Just get as much of the Tasmanian wilderness in as you can before it all gets developed into eco-resorts.

  • SD2310 on 15/04/2021 - 15:54
    +8

    Hope you've already booked the rental car

    • NamandSpam on 15/04/2021 - 16:30

      Yep we have, we booked nissan xtrail. Free cancellation aswell!

      • [Deactivated] on 15/04/2021 - 19:14
        +7

        Don't drive dawn, dusk or night. Too many wildlife. We totalled our rental (also xtrail) after hitting a roo. Get highest rental insurance

        • Zephyrus on 17/04/2021 - 15:52

          Well this is a lie. There are no kangaroos in Tasmania for you to hit. You might have hit a wallaby, but they wouldn't total a car.

          • [Deactivated] on 17/04/2021 - 16:10

            @Zephyrus: Yes it was a wallaby and you can argue with hertz if you like.

      • Elegant Giant on 15/04/2021 - 20:07
        +2

        Make sure you get the $0 excess option, if it's not too late. As other mentioned, wildlife is abundant and it's easy to miss a stray womberoo before it gets all up in the car's grill.

      • Embaloo on 17/04/2021 - 13:34

        Don't pay car insurance excess, pay 1/5th of the cost by getting travel insurance…

  • rambutann on 15/04/2021 - 15:59
    +6

    Change your travel plans. Spend less time in Launceston. No need to spend 2 days at Cradle Mountain.
    My suggestion - leave Launceston relatively quickly, explore the east coast, spend 4-5 days in Hobart + Surrounds, go to Bruny Island, head towards Cradle Mountain via Derwent Bridge, Queenstown & Strahan, go have lunch in Burnie or Devonport, depart from Launceston.

    If you like remoteness, I once went through the central highlands (Miena), its quite beautiful, may be full of snow in winter.. I cant really calculate how you'd fit it in your trip without reducing time in Hobart and double backing on yourself.

    • NamandSpam on 15/04/2021 - 16:32

      Thanks mate, will look into it! I'm going during winter will the roads be covered with snow and if so will this affect driving? Too dangerous?

      • rambutann on 15/04/2021 - 18:01
        +1

        This is true, central highlands will likely be snowed but the rest should be okay.

      • SimbaGirl on 16/04/2021 - 10:39
        +1

        Frost and black ice on the roads is likely to be a more common hazard you'll come across if you're visiting in winter. Yes, snow is quite possible at the higher altitudes which can make driving dangerous and sometimes roads will be closed, however frost/ice is a regular occurrence on many roads here on winter mornings, so just something to be aware of.

    • ccarnage on 17/04/2021 - 14:13

      Second Bruny island, get the seafood platter at the pub there 10/10

  • jv on 15/04/2021 - 16:02
    +6

    to hobart and chill there for 4 days.

    Literally…

    • NamandSpam on 15/04/2021 - 16:32

      LOL! Is it going to be ridiculously chilly?

  • jv on 15/04/2021 - 16:04
    +7

    What do you guys think? Should I change my travel plans or keep it as is.

    sounds good to me…

    Salamanca Markets on Saturday.
    Try and make it down to Port Arthur… (will probably need a whole day)
    Richmond is nice too and pretty close to Hobart…
    Wineries at Launceston…
    Beer tours at Boags and Cascade.

    • knobbs on 15/04/2021 - 16:15
      +21

      I don't know if I can believe what my eyes are telling me… jv being helpful? What has this world come to

      • SF3 on 16/04/2021 - 22:44
        +3

        No bold replies! Maybe has been hijacked.

        • capslock janitor on 17/04/2021 - 12:37

          Must be his twin that sends helpful replies once in a while 🌚

      • StrayfireX on 17/04/2021 - 12:54

        A sure sign that the apocalypse is upon us.

    • NamandSpam on 15/04/2021 - 16:33

      Goood lawwd! Gonna get a massive belly after this! Any recommendations on fresh local sea produce?? Or are they found all around?

      • jv on 15/04/2021 - 16:35
        +2

        Just walk around the harbour and on the piers and find a place that looks busy. It usually means the food is good, is cheap or both…

      • [Deactivated] on 15/04/2021 - 18:57

        +1 for Port Arthur, it's a really nice place. Almost everywhere sells oysters, even some servo stations and pretty much all fish n chips joint did when I went.

  • Quantumcat on 15/04/2021 - 16:16
    +1

    Launceston - mole village (windmill thing). Cateract gorge. If you stay in Abel Tasman motor inn please let me know what it is like and or send me photos as my grandparents used to own it and I spent all my childhood Christmases there

    Hobart - drive up to the top of Mt Wellington (with chains). Enjoy playing in the snow and digging into the snow drifts which glow blue on the inside

    • jv on 15/04/2021 - 16:18
      +4

      Launceston - mole village

      That's a bit rude !!!

    • NamandSpam on 15/04/2021 - 16:34

      Will do! I'll post on this thread once I visit the place! 😁

      • Quantumcat on 15/04/2021 - 16:44

        Oh I forgot wineglass Bay - I think it is near cradle Mountain. A bit of a trek up (there's stairs) but the view is spectacular. Not sure if there will be snow in winter, maybe ask the Hobart visitor centre when you get there.

        • DashCam AKA Rolts on 15/04/2021 - 17:38
          +4

          wineglass Bay - I think it is near cradle Mountain

          No it's not. 4hr 15min drive by the most direct route, National Highway 1

        • battler on 15/04/2021 - 20:34
          +1

          with OP's 8 day tour and requirement of Cradle and some Hobart & Launceston, there is no time for the mediocrity of Wineglass Bay. Plenty of other & better things to do and see. Would cost OP a day just for a scenic lookout. meh.

  • Moventura on 15/04/2021 - 16:27
    +2

    Make sure to check out Ashgrove Cheese factory near Launceston, followed by Lunch/Afternoon Tea at the Raspberry Farm. Their food is delicious.

    • Puglife on 15/04/2021 - 16:30
      +4

      House of Anvers too. That chocolate is amazing.
      Ashgrove milk! Literally the only thing I miss about Tasmania…
      Hobart - Most will tell you to check out MONA, personally I found it quite underwhelming, same as Salamanca markets.
      Hobart does have a really nice botanical garden though and the zoo out at Richmond is great if you have kids. We got to play with meerkats for about $80 I think.
      Oh and Launceston has the classiest people you will ever meet!👍

      • NamandSpam on 15/04/2021 - 16:36

        I'm going during winter not sure whether outdoors activity will be affected. But thanks for the suggestion

      • jv on 15/04/2021 - 16:40
        -2

        Launceston has the classiest people you will ever meet!

        You are contradicting Quantumcat

        • Moventura on 15/04/2021 - 16:59
          +2

          He's probably from Burnie. Launceston are classy by comparison

      • DashCam AKA Rolts on 15/04/2021 - 17:41
        +1

        Most will tell you to check out MONA, personally I found it quite underwhelming,

        I will disagree on this. I found MONA one of the most interesting Art experiences I've ever encountered. It can be challenging, but it is meant to be.

        • tikei on 17/04/2021 - 13:56

          MONA was disappointing for me.

  • jv on 15/04/2021 - 16:38
    +1

    I'd tell you to visit the Cadbury chocoloate factory and taste some samples, but they no longer do tours and I think the visitor centre has closed too. (nothing to do with COVID)

  • MS Paint on 15/04/2021 - 16:40

    Don't forget to visit Boobyalla

  • gbak17 on 15/04/2021 - 16:40
    +1

    Tassie at any time of the year is beautiful, just rug up and enjoy it.

  • Philpski on 15/04/2021 - 16:42

    Head down the East Coast from Launceston (Binalong Bay, St Helens, Freycinet) Maria Island is a good alternative to Pt Arthur (as Pt Arthur is a long way with not much else out there), Bruny Island is amazing as well if you have the time, then cut back to Hobart, then back through Cradle Mountain and on to Launceston.

    • jv on 15/04/2021 - 16:46
      +1

      Bicheno, Swansea…

      It was like time travel. I had no mobile coverage for 2 days !!!

    • susmind on 17/04/2021 - 13:05

      No ferry to Maria Island in winter.

  • brad1-8tsi on 15/04/2021 - 16:43
    +2

    It depends on what you like doing.

    I've been there 3 times.
    mona is great and the ferry trip is a bonus. Faro is a great restaurant and it's fun to do the "Art To Order" there. The degustation with matched local wines is great but I'm told it is no longer offered. (???).

    Lots of historical gems there too

    Port Arthur is worth a look. The ghost tour will have you believing.

    I can do 2 days in Cradle Mountain easily but i like walking.

    East Coast Elephant Pass, Wineglass Bay etc.

  • jv on 15/04/2021 - 16:44

    This looks good…

    https://www.williesmiths.com.au/apple-shed

    • [Deactivated] on 15/04/2021 - 19:22

      This place is good. We stopped there for afternoon "tea", I had the cider sampler and wife had the apple pie.

      • jv on 15/04/2021 - 22:01

        I had the cider sampler and wife had the apple pie.

        I'd have both…

  • [Deactivated] on 15/04/2021 - 19:20
    +7

    We loved Bruny Island. Good cheese, beer, oyster. Great day trip

    • jv on 15/04/2021 - 22:04
      -1

      We loved Bruny Island.

      Don't you mean Brny Island?

  • DragonautDruid on 16/04/2021 - 08:25
    +1

    Looks like you're getting a lot a recs already. My dad lived on the west coast for a bit and I will say that it's quite spectacular. Lots of mountains turning into cliffs on the coast and very remote. It feels like the land before time. Crossing the river on the A10 going into Queenstown felt like going into Jurassic Park (location may be a bit off, but fairly sure was around there).

  • SnowDragon on 16/04/2021 - 08:26
    +11

    Here's what I'd do if I wanted to fit all the highlights in:

    Day 1 (Sat):
    Launceston to St Helens. Stay there the night and check out Pyengana and Binalong Bay

    Day 2 (Sun):
    (If the weather is ok)Drive down to Freycinet and walk up to Wine Glass Bay
    Keep driving south and stay near Port Arthur
    Do the ghost tour that night

    Day 3 (Mon):
    Check out Port Arthur Historic Site
    There's a few other sights around such as the devils kitchen, tasman arch and blowhole. Worth a picture
    Drive back out and go through Richmond to complete your historic experience
    Stay in Hobart

    Day 4 (Tues):
    Head up to the Cascade Brewery and do the tour. It comes with four free drinks!
    While you are near, checkout the Female Factory if you want to complete the Port Arthur experience (it's a part of your Port Arthur ticket)
    Go up Mt Wellington (might not be able to get to the top if it's snowing)
    Check out Battery Point and the Botanical Gardens
    If you are here between 16–22 June, checkout Dark Mofo

    Day 5 (Wed):
    Day trip to Bruny Island. It has things.

    Day 6 (Thurs):
    Go to MONA (you'll either really like it or think it's weird, either way it's something worth doing once)
    Go to Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary and see some Tassie devils and feed some wallabies/roos
    Either drive to Cradle Mountain or a town nearby and stay the night

    Day 7 (Fri):
    Cradle Mountain! If you're a casual walker do the Dove Lake circuit. If you are an adventurer, do Marion's Lookout. Very weather dependent here - it could be sunny one second and raining the next.
    Drive back to Launceston and stay the night

    Day 8 (Sat):
    Check out the gorge
    Boags brewery tour
    Monkey park
    Fly home

    Obviously these things would be a lot better over summer. During winter we mainly just hibernate and venture out to Dark Mofo.

    Other Notes:

    Don't bother with Wrest Point. Grand Chancellor in Launceston isn't great IMO. Crowne Plaza in Hobart is new and apparently nice. Rooftop bar!
    Salamanca has some nice food, but some places are average and overpriced (Jack Greene and Cargo).
    We apparently have good seafood, but it's not my thing so whatever.
    North Hobart is quite good for a range of foods.
    You're not missing anything by not seeing Salamanca markets.
    Our roads are sometimes very narrow and windy. Drive to the conditions.

    • Cheap and Cheerful on 16/04/2021 - 09:10
      +2

      This really is an excellent itinerary…OP, travel times will be longer than you expect other than for major highways, so factor that into your plans. Oh, and watch the weather really closely at Cradle - we weren't far from being snowed in our last trip there…in October!

      No love for Wrest Point?? As a casino, yeah nah, but The Point restaurant is actually very good…expensive, but great (and changing) view and excellent service. But there are definitely better restaurants around…a big fan of Black Footed Pig, who have recently moved to the Hobart waterfront.

      I'm also a fan of Stanley (north-west) but it'll be hard to fit that in to the schedule…wildlife after dark here is something else.

      Rug up, take your time and you'll have an awesome trip.

      • SnowDragon on 16/04/2021 - 09:20

        I was thinking about the North-West but there's not much time to fit in a trip up there. Plus I can't think of anything worth seeing (I was born in Burnie - no hate!)

        Unless we do

        Day 7 (Fri):
        Cradle Mountain! If you're a casual walker do the Dove Lake circuit. If you are an adventurer, do Marion's Lookout. Very weather dependent here - it could be sunny one second and raining the next.
        Drive up to the NW and stay somewhere

        Day 8 (Sat):
        Do things in the NW (suggestions?)
        Drive to Launceston

        Day 9 (Sun)
        Check out the gorge
        Boags brewery tour
        Monkey park
        Fly home

        • Speckled Jim on 16/04/2021 - 09:55

          Day 7
          Stop for an hour or so in Sheffield on your way to Cradle. Morning tea/lunch depending on time of travel. See the murals and other bits n pieces scattered around.

    • GG57 on 16/04/2021 - 10:35

      Great itinerary imo, except for Day 6. Depending on how much OP likes MONA, and perhaps wants to explore all of it, that could be an extremely long day.

      • SnowDragon on 16/04/2021 - 11:16
        +1

        Oh I've just noticed MONA is only open Fri-Mon.

        Hmmm the whole itinerary would need shifting around to accommodate this.

    • Waltervp on 16/04/2021 - 10:41
      +2

      Great suggestions based on what you said you wanted to do.

      Remember that driving from Hobart to Cradle is not an easy drive, especially after a day of fun in Hobart. Also, this itinerary is a wonderful choice, but it all depends on your budget, where you want to go etc… One thing to avoid is underestimating driving times!!

      No matter where you go you will enjoy the experience. Driving is a lot of fun - especially Hobart to Cradle, but do not travel an hour before or after dusk/dawn…. which will be hard for you, but there is a huge number of animals out there waiting to jump in front of you. We are called the Road Kill State of Australia for good reason!

      Just to add a curve ball, though… Could consider doing Launceston to Hobart via Port Arthur (catch the ghost tour!), do Cascade Brew, women factory and Mona , Salamanca place, in Hobart… skip Bruny and drive to Strahan (awesome drive with many 10min waterfall walks/stops along the way), spend a day on the Lower Gordon river (brilliant tour with convict relics at Sarah Island and rainforest), catch the funny town theatre there at night, drive to Cradle the next day and walk Dove Lake, then drive through Sheffield etc back to Launceston… The Ashgrove dairy is closed for renovations I believe,….

      East Coast and all the other great destinations are nice but you can't do it all in a week…. Even 6 months is not enough!

      W

  • anthony t on 16/04/2021 - 09:14
    +6

    Someone here said 'get $0 excess'. Good idea, but the rental company add-ons are a total rip-off. Get an annual Australian travel insurance policy (or one-off, if you don't have any plans to go anywhere else). We bought an Australia Post - Australia multi-trip travel insurance policy covering 30/4/2021 to 29/04/2022 for our upcoming 20 days in WA etc. Excess $50, rental car cover $3,000 to help cover their excess (maybe upgrade-able if you need/want more?) for $164. It covers lots more than just this rental excess for 2 of us.
    Also, 'Blue Eye Seafood' restaurant in Hobart, 3 years ago, was really excellent, as was our day-ticket to Mona, as already mentioned.

    • md333 on 16/04/2021 - 12:34
      +1

      Check if you have free credit card insurance for rental car excess before paying anything. I recently claimed on my citibank card and went through very smoothly even though the hire car company took 18 months to send the bill.

  • tulip99 on 16/04/2021 - 16:40
    +1

    Richmond jail/gaol is amazing if you're into history - it's intact but small. Beautiful old houses/buildings in Richmond including the bridge, and it's a bit of a foodie place.
    Amazing icecream place (opposite the lolly shop which also has icecream but it's Peter's brand or something).

    Elizabeth St Pier Hobart - on the water front, Fish Frenzy has great fish and chips, especially the tempura battered fish. I love the trevally there.

    The Female Factory in Hobart is disappointing. There used to be a guided tour, not sure if there's still one. A lot of the buildings have been destroyed/left to ruin. But Port Arthur is really amazing.

    There's a honey place at Chudleigh (near Mole Creek I think): https://www.melitahoneyfarm.com.au/

    The road is very windy and curvy going to Queenstown.

    • Waltervp on 17/04/2021 - 09:56

      At the women's factory you must get the tour where they reenact the prisoner life. If you can't get that it's not that interesting. With the actors tour it is a 10/10 experience! Worth calling in before the cascade brewery tour to check times and then time accordingly.

  • NamandSpam on 17/04/2021 - 11:39

    Amazing responses guys. Thank you all! Im excited for this trip! Thanks again and lets all live life as if it's our last day.

  • someone else on 17/04/2021 - 12:01
    +4

    Nice trip, Tasmania is beautiful.

    Three years ago, I went to Tasy, in May. Hired a car and drove all around the island. Roads were empty, I remember driving for 3h without seeing one single car… As others mentioned, you might need more time than you (or Google) think to travel from A to B, so be prepared as you might not find any open petrol station or restaurant, particularly after COVID-19.

    If you drive at dusk or night, be extra careful with the suicidal wildlife. Make sure you download offline maps as mobile network is often unavailable. Drive safe and don't die. If insurance is too expensive through the car rental, you could try something like rentalcover.com (used twice, but never had to claim).

    • Waltervp on 18/04/2021 - 11:22

      Yes, Telstra and Boost are the only reliable phone networks, and even then you'll be left in the cold occasionally… ALDI and others that use the Telstra network still miss out on some spots I discovered… The pesky 0.1% got me on many occasions… (They have 99.9% Telstra network I think they usually claim). Boost uses 100% of the Telstra network.

  • WhatTheDuck on 17/04/2021 - 13:26

    OP, did you manage to secure the car rental at a reasonable rate? Was looking recently but a decent car like an X-Trail was $150++ per day.

    • NamandSpam on 19/04/2021 - 11:33

      yea, i think it's a reasonable rate? we managed to get an xtrail for $550 for the entire trip. We have anz's insurance so that'll cover any car damages.

  • Murdrum on 17/04/2021 - 13:40
    +1

    See if your dates line up with any festivals and events you're interested in.

    Dark Mofo 16–22 June
    Huon Valley Mid-Winter Festival 17 July

  • spammingb on 17/04/2021 - 14:49
    +1

    What about the lavender farm and lavender ice cream?

    • NamandSpam on 19/04/2021 - 11:33

      Oh yes the lavender farm! We planned for that.

  • peterw1 on 17/04/2021 - 16:27
    +1

    from hobart make a day/half day trip to russell falls. visit these falls if going to strathgordon. Nice scenery

  • lgacb08 on 18/04/2021 - 21:06
    +2

    Some great itinerary already posted, I just want to add another note on Cradle Mountain. If you like long distance walking then 2 full days at cradle can even be short. And you probably won't be able to do that if driving from Hobart because you'll be tired after 4 hour drive. I find it's best to get full day at cradle if you start from Devonport or Launceston.

  • OzHunterNSW on 20/04/2021 - 09:29

    After 2 days, you have seen it all. What are you going to do for the remainder 6?

  • NamandSpam on 02/09/2021 - 00:39
    +1

    ye update: trip cancelled because covid

    • Murdrum on 02/09/2021 - 10:31

      😢

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