3 Week Tasmania Self-Drive Itinerary

Are you planning a trip to Tasmania? Take a look at the modified lap we took and copy our 3-week Tasmania self-drive itinerary.

Arriving in Tasmania

There are three main places where you could arrive in Tasmania.

If, like us, you are hiring a vehicle to do your road trip, then you will probably be flying in. The majority of flights arrive in Hobart or into Launceston.

We arrived by plane into Hobart, so this itinerary will start and finish there, but since it is a lap of the state that passes through Launceston, it is easily adapted if you are flying in there.

If you are bringing your own car then you will be arriving via the Spirit of Tasmania ferry in Devonport after crossing over from Geelong.

Again, this itinerary passes through Devonport (albeit briefly) so it is easy to pick it up from there.

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About this Tasmania Self-Drive Itinerary

This itinerary is based on a trip I took. We didn’t quite have three weeks, but we had visited Hobart and Port Arthur on two previous trips so we skipped those this time. I have added those days on here though to give a more comprehensive lap.

We hired a small campervan for our trip, which limited us slightly because we had to stick to the paved roads, but for most people, that would be perfectly okay.

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Like any trip, we did not “do it all” on this lap. There were many places we would have liked to spend more time exploring further. We did get a good taste of Tasmania though, and managed to experience a least a little of everything this beautiful state has to offer.

The best time to visit Tasmania is in the summer when the weather is more pleasant. We visited in April, which can be somewhat changeable, and unfortunately, after watching friends visit in perfect weather just days before, we missed out on the sunshine.

It was still worth every minute, I just needed a thicker coat!

Tasmania Self-Drive Itinerary Outline

Before we get into all the details, here is a brief overview of the itinerary

• Day One – Arrival/Hobart
• Day Two – Hobart
• Day Three – Port Arthur
• Day Four – Tasman Peninsula/Triabunna
• Day Five – Maria Island
• Day Six – Wineglass Bay/Coles Bay
• Day Seven – Bicheno/Bay of Fires/St Helens
• Day Eight – Scenic drive to Launceston
• Day Nine – Wineries/Beaconsfield Mine/Cataract Gorge/Launceston
• Day Ten – Wineries/Platypus/Launceston
• Day Eleven – Deloraine/Sheffield/Cradle Mountain
• Day Twelve – Cradle Mountain hiking
• Day Thirteen – Tasmanian Devils/Cradle Mountain
• Day Fourteen – Scenic drive to Stanley
• Day Fifteen – Scenic drive to Strahan
• Day Sixteen – Gordon River Cruise
• Day Seventeen – Drive to Queenstown
• Day Eighteen – West Coast Wilderness Railway/Drive to Mount Field
• Day Nineteen – Mt Field National Park/Drive to Snug
• Day Twenty – Bruny Island
• Day Twentyone – Back to Hobart/Departure

So let’s get stuck into the details…

Day One & Two – Arrival/Hobart

Arrive in Hobart today (or late last night) and spend the day and the following exploring Hobart and the surrounding areas.

Do you need airport transfers?

Here are some suggestions for things to do:

• Visit the unique and quirky MONA
• Explore the city with the Hop On Hop Off bus
• Stroll the Waterfront
• Take in the views from Mt Wellington
• Salamanca Markets (if you are there on a Saturday)
• Do a Beer Tour at the Cascade Brewery
• Learn about convict life at the Cascades Female Factory
• Take a drive to Richmond
• Search for the Hobart street art
• Explore the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens

If you are looking for where to stay in Hobart I have a few suggestions.

Before our road trip, we stayed at the Waterfront Lodge Motel. This is a basic, budget motel, but it was clean and had plenty of parking and facilities such as a communal kitchen available.

I recommend this only if you already have a car as it is quite a distance out of the city centre. It was perfect for me because it is close to the airport, and I landed in the evening and had to go back to the airport early the next morning to pick up our campervan.

Otherwise, I would suggest you stay in the centre of Hobart. The Crowne Plaza Hobart or the Quest Savoy are perfectly located.

The other place I’ve stayed in the city centre is the Montacute Boutique Bunkhouse, a cross between a B&B and a hostel. If you are looking for budget accommodation, this is a great option.

If you have a caravan, RV or campervan, take a look at the Hobart Holiday and Caravan Park.

Day Three – Port Arthur

It’s time to get this road trip, well, on the road! Today you will drive to Port Arthur and spend the bulk of the day exploring this iconic piece of convict heritage.

If Port Arthur doesn’t keep you busy for a whole day (I have spent two days exploring the convict site and still haven’t seen it all) then include the Tasmanian Devil Unzoo in your plans too.

Budget tip: Purchase a combined ticket to Port Arthur and the Unzoo for a 10% discount.

When you are on the Tasman Peninsula, stay at the NRMA Port Arthur Holiday Park. They have a range of accommodation options from cabins to bunkhouses, safari tents to unpowered tent sites. There’s something here for everyone.

Day Four – Tasman Peninsula/Triabunna

Today you will be exploring while road-tripping to Triabunna, where you will stay for the next two nights. It’s less than 100km in total, so you have time to stop of and take a look at many things along the way.

As you make your way along the Tasman Peninsula some of the things to take a look at include:

• Port Arthur Lavender
• Waterfall Bay/Devils Kitchen/Patterson’s Arch
• Doo Town (drive through and look at the names on all the houses – hilarious!)
• Tessellated Pavement
• Take a look around some of the small towns, like Dunalley, Copping or Orford
• Do some wine tasting, perhaps at Bream Creek Vineyard or Cape Bernier Vineyard

Once in Triabunna, you are simply here to stay the night, preparing for tomorrow. We stayed at the Triabunna Cabin & Caravan Park which is within walking distance to the boat to Maria Island.

Day Five – Maria Island

Jump on the ferry from the Tribunna wharf and spend the day on Maria Island.

The main attraction here (at least for me) was the wombats. They are abundant here and fairly easy to spot during the day. There are also Tasmanian Devils on the island, but they are more nocturnal and are rare to see out and about during the day.

Maria Island is also great for hiking and bike riding, and there are some really interesting rock formations, from fossils to incredible layered cliffs.

While it is possible to stay overnight on Maria Island, you need to be entirely self-sufficient. There is a bunkhouse available, but you need to bring all bedding, cooking equipment and food.

I don’t recommend staying overnight on this itinerary, there simply isn’t enough time, but if you come back to Tasmania this is something to consider.

Spend the night in Triabunna again, ready for an early morning tomorrow.

Prefer to do a Maria Island tour?

Day Six – Wineglass Bay/Coles Bay

Start your day by driving to Wineglass Bay. This is that stunning, perfectly curved bay that features in almost every tourism promo for Tasmania.

If you are not too early or have stopped to enjoy the drive along the way, make a stop at the beautiful Devil’s Corner Cellar Door.

It opens at 10 am, and while that was too early for us to do a tasting, we enjoyed the stunning views and picked up a bottle of Pinot Noir to enjoy with dinner

You won’t drive exactly to Wineglass Bay, but to the car park and then do the half-hour hike up to the viewpoint where all the photos are taken from.

You can simply walk back down to the car park, or you can extend the hike down onto the beach. This will mean you have to climb back up a whole pile of stairs again, or you can continue hiking an 8km loop which will take you back to the car.

We did the whole loop which took us roughly four hours, so be prepared with snacks and water if you decide to do that too.

Jump back in the car again and drive onto Bicheno where you will spend the night at the Bicheno East Coast Holiday Park.

Eat dinner at The Lobster Shack. This is one of Tasmania’s best-known restaurants and claims to have the best lobster roll in the state.

If you would like to see the Little Penguins here at Bicheno, join one of the Bicheno Penguin Tours that run around sunset, to see them come back to land after being out at sea all day.

Day Seven – Bicheno/Bay of Fires/St Helens

Today you will continue your way north along the coast of Tasmania. There are lots of scenic viewpoints and picturesque beaches today, so stop at a few along the way. Look out for the browns signs on the highway.

But first, if you didn’t have time yesterday, explore Bicheno.

One of the top attractions here is the Bicheno Blowhole, so take a walk to explore the town, coastline, and see the blowhole. You can also walk up to Whalers Hill Lookout for great views over the town and sea.

If you would like to do a glass-bottom boat tour from Bicheno, they run daily at 10 am (also 12 & 2 pm) so you could fit that in if you plan well.

Leave Bicheno by lunchtime and continue driving up to the Bay of Fires. Spend the afternoon visiting some of the locations where you can see the contrasts between the white sand, blue water and the orange of the lichen on the rocks.

Two of the most popular beaches are Cosy Corner and Binalong Bay, but you can stop at any of them.

Backtrack back to St Helens to stay the night at BIG4 St Helens Holiday Park.

Day Eight – Scenic drive to Launceston

Spend today following the A3 highway from St Helens to Launceston. It’s only 160 km, but there are lots of things to stop and look at along the way, so take your time and explore anything that looks interesting.

Here are some of the stops I suggest. Some require a short detour off the main route, but all are worth a look if you have the time.

Stop in at the quirky Shop in the Bush for a brief look. This shop on the side of the highway has a range of hand-crafted jewellery, local produce, souvenirs and lots of books. 

Most of the drive is through beautiful forests, and there are a number of walks to do to waterfalls along the way. Two I recommend are Halls Falls and St Columba Falls.

If you are going to be in the area at lunchtime, I suggest stopping at The Pub in the Paddock is the next stop in this area. It’s famous for its beer-drinking pig, Priscilla, but also does a great lunch. It’s in a beautiful area too.

Take a look at Little Blue Lake. This bright blue lake, reminiscent of Canada’s Rocky Mountains lakes, is actually a mining leftover. The water might be pretty, but it’s highly polluted with minerals from the mining process.

Stop in the town of Derby next. This was a town that originally supported m mining in the area. Now that mining has closed down, it’s turned into a mecca for mountain bike riders.

It’s a nice little town and reminds me of villages in the Austrian Alps where mountain biking is a popular summer attraction.

Then it’s on to Legerwood, where there are some unusual carvings. Back in 1918, they planted trees in memory of the WWI fallen from the town.

When the trees were deemed dangerous in 2001, the locals didn’t want to demolish this memorial, so they came up with another idea. Now the trees have been turned into artwork.

The final leg into Launceston was broken up with a stop at the Sideling Lookout for an incredible view of the area.

When I visited, we stayed in a small town outside Launceston at Discovery Parks – Hadspen. If you prefer to stay right in the city itself, you could stay at the Big4 Launceston Holiday Park.

Day Nine – Wineries/Beaconsfield Mine/Cataract Gorge/Launceston

There is a lot to do in Launceston and with only two days here you need to plan your time carefully. This is just one suggestion, add and remove things to suit your own interests.

We chose to split our days into one on the eastern side of the River Tamar and one on the west. In the end it didn’t quite work out that way though.

After breakfast, head to the Queen Victoria Museum, the largest museum anywhere in regional Australia. There are lots of great displays, but the one on the Tasmanian Tiger is particularly interesting as you won’t see it anywhere else. The museum is open from 10 am and entry is free.

Head out of town and take a walk to the Lilydale Falls next. There is a lovely picnic area with a small playground at the car park, and a short, 5-minute walk to see the first waterfall, 10 minutes until the second.

Then it was on to do some wine tasting at Jansz, well known for their sparkling wines. At the time of my visit, it was $15 for a tasting of six of their wines.

For lunch, make your way into George Town, stopping at the Mount George Lookout for great views over the town and the river.

We ate at Gray’s Hotel, and I had the hugest sweet potato parmi ever!

Keep heading north from George Town to Low Head to see the lighthouse and have a look around. This area is also home to a colony of little penguins and in the evening visitors can see them coming back in from the sea.

Now make your way back down along the Tamar River until you reach the Batman Bridge to cross over to the western side.

There should be just enough time for a visit to the Beaconsfield Mine Site before it closes at 4 pm. Anyone who spent two weeks watching with bated breath as two miners were rescued here in 2006 is surely curious about this place.

On the way back into Launceston make a couple of quick stops. First, stop at the Brady’s Lookout which has great views along the Tamar Valley.

The final stop is at Cataract Gorge. You may prefer to skip this stop and only do it tomorrow, but later in the day, there is a better chance of seeing more wildlife and getting some lovely late afternoon photos. We spotted lots of wallabies and kookaburras, amongst other animals.

Day Ten – Wineries/Platypus/Launceston

The first stop for today is the Tamar Valley Wetlands Centre to start the morning with a brisk walk.

Continue along the valley to Beauty Point. Here they have Seahorse World and Platypus House. They have to be booked in advance, and you can choose to visit one or both of them.

We chose the one-hour Platypus tour which was a great overview of both the platypus and the echidna.

Enjoy lunch with a view of the water at the Beauty Point Waterfront Hotel.

If you want to do another wine tasting, I recommend Goaty Hill Wines. It is such a nice location with views over the vineyard. We brought home a bottle of their Pinot Gris to enjoy later.

If you are making good time, squeeze in another short walk at Notley Fern Gorge – a beautiful ferny gorge where the bushranger Matthew Brady was said to hide out.

As we continued back to Launceston we had a coffee break at Grindlewald. No, not the famous Swiss town, but a town here in Tasmania that has a resort that is a replica Swiss Village.

And finally, make your way back to Cataract Gorge, with just enough time to have a ride on the chairlift before it shuts down for the day. Walk over the Alexandra Suspension Bridge and around the area a bit, again seeing all the wildlife coming out as the crowds leave for the day.

Day Eleven – Deloraine/Sheffield/Cradle Mountain

Today you are off to one of the highlights of the trip – Cradle Mountain. Along the way, you will stop into a few of the picturesque little towns that can be found in this area.

Pick and choose from the towns/businesses below. We didn’t stop at all of them, and you will struggle to fit them all in a day, so will have to make some choices

• Westbury – we grabbed a quick coffee here, but there is more to see if you take the time.
• Deloraine – on the banks of the Meander River (home to platypus), we stopped here for an enjoyable stroll around town and along the river, but no platypus
• Christmas Hills Raspberry Farm – we stopped here for some delicious raspberry-inspired meals for lunch. A lovely place to stop
• Ashgrove Cheese Dairy Door – pick up some great local cheeses or stop here for some of the most amazing-looking cheese sandwiches
• Railton – we only drove through this town filled with topiary
• Sheffield – this was our main stop, to walk around town looking at the dozens (hundreds?) of street art murals
• Mount Round Lookout – possibly a great view but the weather had closed in
• Bridal Veil Falls – we skipped this because it was raining

There are possibly more things to do and see along the way too – these are just a few suggestions for you.

We arrived at Cradle Mountain a little before the sun went down. We had just enough time to stop in at the Visitor Centre to pick up our shuttle bus tickets for the next day.

You will need a Tasmanian Parks pass here. There are a range of options available. We bought the 2-month visitor pass and just paid the extra for the Cradle Mountain shuttle. You can see the options here.

There are not a huge amount of food options here, so I recommend bringing supplies with you to self-cater tonight. There are only very basic supplies available here, with no real supermarket.

At Cradle Mountain, we stayed Discovery Parks Cradle Mountain.

Have an early night tonight, it’s a big day tomorrow.

Day Twelve – Cradle Mountain hiking

Today is hiking day around the Cradle Mountain area. How much you choose to do depends on you and perhaps the weather.

I recommend packing lunch and snacks to take with you today. Once in the National Park, there is nowhere to get food.

We visited in April, and up until the week before it had been beautiful weather, but it had turned and was cold and drizzly for the whole day.

Don’t let that stop you though, put on your wet weather gear and head out – the area is so beautiful not even the rain can hide it.

There are several trails in the area. If you haven’t already decided which ones you want to hike, you can find all the information in the visitor centre – you will need to go there to catch the shuttle anyway.

Our first hike was around the Dove Lake Circuit. The start of this is where to see the iconic view across the lake to Cradle Mountain beyond.

This hike took 2-3 hours, and then we made our way to the Ronny Creek Car Park and started the Crater Lake Circuit via Wombat Pool.

This track starts on the famous Overland Track. When it came time to divert off of it, we decided to continue a little further along it up to Marion’s Peak for views over Dove Lake before doubling back.

The last part of the Cradle Lake Circuit was when we saw all the wombats. Some of them were grazing just metres from the pathway.

This was a full day of walking and we were back at our campervan just in time for a hot shower and a warm dinner.

Day Thirteen – Tasmanian Devils/Cradle Mountain

Today will again be spent at Cradle Mountain, but instead of the long hikes out in the National Park, do some of the shorter hikes around the Cradle Mountain Interpretation Centre.

Also, pop into the Interpretation Centre to learn a little more about the area you have been hiking through.

For lunch, stop into the warm and inviting Cradle Mountain Lodge. We got a delicious wood oven pizza and some warming mulled wine, which refueled us for the afternoon.

We had booked a night tour with Devils @ Cradle Mountain which also includes the option to visit during the day, so we spent some of the afternoon there, learning about the Tasmanian Devils and the Quolls.

After dinner, we were back again for the night experience. Devils are nocturnal, so this is when they tend to be more active.

We got the chance to pat one of the young Devils on our tour. This may not be standard, and it may not be something you want to do with all those teeth, but it was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.

Day Fourteen – Scenic drive to Stanley

Today you will be driving to Stanley on the northern coast of Tasmania. Stanley is known for its iconic Nut – but before we get there, there are a few other towns to stop in along the way.

Our detour through Devonport didn’t quite hit the mark, feeling a tad underwhelming, but we did only drive through. I do feel this port town could have some hidden gems if you care to search for them.

The picturesque town of Penguin, with its delightful penguin-themed decor, was where we were heading, and more than made up for Devonport. A must-visit for a stroll and lunch if you are nearby!

Our journey continued past Ulverstone, Burnie, and Wynyard, with a memorable detour to the serene Sisters Beach – definitely a spot we want to explore more next time.

Arriving in Stanley by the afternoon, we braved the winds and took the chair lift up for a hike around The Nut, racing against the weather to enjoy the stunning views before the rain caught us.

Despite the chill, our evening ended on a high note with a visit to the penguin viewing platform at sunset.

Though it wasn’t peak penguin season, the sight of a few fairy penguins waddling ashore was a delightful end to our day.

In Stanley, we stayed at Big4 Stanley Holiday Park.

Day Fifteen – Scenic drive to Strahan

Today you will journey from the charming Stanley to the picturesque Strahan.

We diverged from the original plan to navigate through Corinna, due to unsealed roads not suitable for a rental vehicle, but this could be an alternate option if you have a 4WD.

Otherwise, you will need to go back towards Burnie, setting the stage for a straightforward trip south.

Start your morning in Stanley with a beach walk before you leave. With easy beach access directly from your camper van spot, you could stumble upon little penguins just a few steps away.

Just outside Burnie, stop into Hellyers Road Distillery, where you can indulge in a whisky tasting, sampling their spirits and cream liqueur.

The town of Zeehan, which may have caught your eye online, is next. Take a wander through town, calling into the West Coast Heritage Centre if it appeals to you.

You may even like to venture out of town a little to see the historical Spray Tunnel, a testament to the town’s mining heritage.

Upon reaching Strahan, take the opportunity to take a look around town before checking in to a caravan park. We chose Big4 Strahan Holiday Retreat, nestled by a creek, an ideal setting to hunt for platypus.

Despite our best efforts, including a dusk patrol along the creek, these elusive creatures remained out of sight, but we did discover some fascinating mushrooms along the way.

The quest to see platypus in the wild continues for us!

Day Sixteen – Gordon River Cruise

Today is all about the Gordon River Cruise.

I recommended the World Heritage Cruise, affectionately known as the “red boat”, a local family-run business.

Arrive 45 minutes before the 9 am departure to smoothly check-in and board by 8:30. Sadly we had a gloomy weather forecast and limited visibility due to rain, but the experience is still a must.

The cruise takes place in Macquarie Harbour, Australia’s second-largest, where you’ll glide past Hell’s Gates and marvel at fish farms cultivating Atlantic Salmon and Ocean Trout.

A stop at Sarah Island reveals its harsh convict past and unexpected shipbuilding productivity. Our guide told us some great stories here.

Lunch is served as you enter the serene Gordon River, part of Tasmania’s Wilderness World Heritage Area on the way to another stop to learn about the history of “piners” and the protected Huon Pines on a guided walk through the ancient forest.

Coffee and snacks are served onboard on the return trip, with engaging commentary from the captain.

As you disembark, take a look at the Morrisons Huon Pine Sawmill for a timber processing demo and a chance to explore the gift shop.

Tonight is the perfect opportunity to enjoy the live performance show “The Ship That Never Was”. It’s on most nights in summer, and a couple of nights a week in winter. Sadly we missed it, but I’ve only heard that people loved it. Book your tickets in advance here.

Day Seventeen – Drive to Queenstown

You really don’t need a full day to drive between Strahan and Queenstown, after all, it is really only a 45 minute drive.

This gives you an opportunity to take a look around a little more at either end of the drive, do some chores or perhaps even enjoy a long, leisurely lunch.

On the day we did this drive it rained on and off all day, but we did manage to see a few things along the way.

Before we left Strahan, we hiked to Hogarth Falls, another of Tasmania’s 60 Great Short Walks.

It’s a fairly easy walk, about 2.4km return along a relatively good path – apart from the muddy sections caused by so much rain.

Once we got to Queenstown we went and checked out another waterfall, this time Ponytail Falls, just out the other side of town.

Chatting to some locals as we checked into our accommodation, they recommended another good drive out of town in the other direction that is said to have more great views, so we wnt out that way too.

Sadly it was too wet and cloudy for us to see much, but we did manage a short walk to the Confluence, where two rivers meet with a distinctive line between two different coloured waters.

We had one more stop on the way back and that was the Spion Kopf Lookout which has some nice views over the town.

One of the things to notice is the football oval. This is no green expanse, instead, it’s dirt. Not what I would expect from an Australian Rules oval.

Instead of drawing white lines on grass, we watched the groundsmen digging out grooves that would be the boundary, goal squares and centre circle.

I had to google why the ground here is dirt, and it is because a combination of mining pollution and too much rain means it’s really hard to get grass to grow here, so the AFL teams play on gravel.

Strangely it is known as the best ground on the west coast, as the others turn into quagmires with all the rain in this area.

In Queenstown we stayed at the Queenstown Cabin & Tourist Park.

Day Eighteen – West Coast Wilderness Railway/Drive to Mount Field

The reason we went to Queenstown was to take a ride on the West Coast Wilderness Railway.

This train is interesting in that it runs on a rack and pinion system to get it over the steepest incline in the Southern Hemisphere. The track was built in the late 1800s through some incredibly difficult terrain and awful conditions. I have no idea how the workers coped.

There are some stops along the way to enjoy the scenery – like the view over the King River Gorge – some activities to try – like panning for gold – and a cafe stop for a warm coffee. The final stop is at the quirkily named Dubbil Barril where there’s a short rainforest walk.

The best thing to do though is to watch the train drivers use the manual turntable to turn the steam engine and get us going back in the other direction.

Just after our visit, the line was shut down for restoration, with plans to make the line safe for many years into the future. So the trip we did is no longer available – but there are still two shorter trips to do.

In the afternoon it’s time to drive to Mt Field. This drive can be a little hairy, especially the first section that is on some incredibly windy roads through the hills.

Plan to stop at The Wall in the Wilderness along the drive. It’s a wood carving, which may not sound all that interesting on paper, but the artwork is definitely worth seeing.

(Note: they do tend to close over winter, so you won’t be able to include this on your itinerary if you are here in June/July/August)

We were staying in the campgrounds at Mount Field National Park. Once we arrived and got settled in, we waited until dark so that we could take a walk to Russell Falls, hoping to see the glow worms that call the area home.

The path is nicely paved all the way, and it’s only about 25 minutes return so not too long to walk in the dark (we did have headlamps). Along with the glow worms, we spotted wallabies and possums too – oh, and huge trout (but still no platypus!)

Day Nineteen – Mt Field National Park/Drive to Snug

Today is mostly a hiking and driving day.

In the morning we were in Mount Field National Park and did a loop to see three different waterfalls – Russell Falls, Horseshoe Falls and Lady Barron Falls.

I was on a bit of a mission in between the falls – I was determined to find some of the blue mushrooms that are often found in this area. I found dozens of other cool fungi, but no blue mushrooms.

After lunch at the Mt Field cafe, we were on the move again. We called into the Salmon Ponds at Plenty for a quick look.

There are some ponds here filled with huge trout, a small museum and a hatchery to take a look at. They also have a popular cafe, but we didn’t stop to check it out.

Still on a mission to find the blue mushroom, we next went to Myrtle Forest to hike to the falls there. I had seen on FB that they had been spotted there in the last couple of days, and since it was on our way, we took a look.

We walked to the falls, and more than halfway back before I spotted the elusive mushrooms hiding in plain sight.

All these waterfalls of course have rivers near them, and I also spent the day looking – unsucessfully – for platypus.

We stayed at the Snug Beach Cabin & Caravan Park in the small coastal town of Snug, ready for our ferry ride early the next morning to Bruny Island.

Day Twenty – Bruny Island

Catching the ferry across to Bruny Island early has one downside. As we drove along the island I would have liked to stop in at a few of the produce places, but it was so early they were not all open yet.

We did manage to taste some honey and pick up some chocolate though as we made our way to the other end of the island where we had a cruise booked with Bruny Island Cruises.

We also stopped at a popular viewpoint called The Neck which gives great views over the narrow isthmus that connects the north and south parts of Bruny Island.

This three-hour cruise is in an open boat that bounced over the waves as we meandered along the coast for a couple of hours, heading south into the Southern Ocean. The swells got bigger until it felt like we were riding a roller coaster.

We saw quite a bit of wildlife on the cruise, plenty of birds, seals and dolphins. Even though we were provided with some of those lovely waterproof jackets these tours like, we were still frozen solid by the end of it.

In the afternoon spend some more time exploring and perhaps backtrack to some of the produce shops that were closed at the other end of the island.

We called into Bruny Island Premium Wines for a tasting. These guys claim to be the most southern winery in Australia – and I can’t think of any others that would challenge them.

The wines were typical cold-temperature wines and they also had a cider, which we quite liked.

Make your way to the Bruny Hotel for dinner then if the weather is suitable spend the evening finding a dark location to perhaps see the incredible Southern Lights (Aurora Australis).

We choose to go back to The Neck to try our luck. We did see a slight tinge just above the horizon, but the lights did not choose to put on a great display for us.

(Note, I have seen them elsewhere, and it is really a bucket list experience if you are lucky enough to be there at the right time)

We stayed at the Captain Cook Holiday Park at Adventure Bay.

Day Twentyone – Back to Hobart/Departure

It’s the final day, but the trip is not quite over yet. You will need to get the ferry back to the mainland and make your way back to Hobart.

It’s only about a half-hour drive after the ferry, so you can still get a late morning flight if need be.

If your flight is later, you can spend the day in Hobart, doing something you didn’t get to do earlier in the trip.

We grabbed some lunch and strolled through the city centre, before calling into Daci & Daci, a delicious local bakery that has some of the most beautiful cakes and sweets you will see anywhere. They do a pretty good coffee too.

If you’ve rented a vehicle, you will be dropping that back at the airport, just in time to get your flight home.

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Read more about Tasmania with these blog posts
Visiting MONA, Tasmania
Day Trip from Hobart to Richmond, Tasmania
A Port Arthur Day Trip from Hobart, Tasmania