Tasmania is my favourite place in the entire world. Seriously. With the most adorable wildlife and beautiful scenery, what’s not to love!?
In 2017, I was lucky enough to visit this beautiful state not once, but TWICE! Once with my best friend (we spent a week exploring Hobart) and once with my family, when we went on the ultimate road trip around the state. There’s so much more we could see in Tasmania but I think we managed to do all the highlights (at least from a wildlife-lover’s perspective!). In total we were in Tasmania for 11 days. Check out our route below:
We flew into Hobart and out of Launceston, and over the 11 days stayed in four different locations for a couple of nights each. These were Hobart, Triabunna, Coles Bay and Cradle Mountain. Each location was used as a base to explore the surrounding area!
In this post, I’ll be sharing where we went, what we did and why it was the ultimate Tasmania road trip! You can also check out my video on YouTube by clicking here or watching below.
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Days 1-2: Hobart (capital of Tasmania)
On your first day you’ll fly into Hobart, pick up your rental car and check into your accommodation.
You’ll probably only have an afternoon to explore like we did (depending when your plane arrives, of course). I’d recommend walking into or around the city to check out the sights. For both of my trips, I stayed in a suburb a little out of town called Battery Point. On your second day in Hobart, you should go a little further afield, as there are plenty of cute towns and interesting historical sites to check out!
I won’t go into too much detail here because later this week I’ll be posting all about the best things to do in Hobart. However, on this particular trip we checked out Salamanca Place and Battery Point in the city, and drove out to Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary and the historical town of Richmond.
Day 3: Mt Field National Park
On your last day in the Hobart region, you should make the trip out to Mt Field National Park. If you like waterfalls and forests, this is the place for you!
Mt Field National Park is also a great place to try spot a wild platypus! In 2017, we visited a little place just outside the national park called ‘Forest Secrets’. Unfortunately it’s closed now, but we managed to see not one but TWO platypus! It was incredible.
To enter the National Parks in Tasmania you will need a parks pass. If you’re doing a road trip going to at least three parks, like we did, it’s best to get a holiday pass for your car. To get a pass for your vehicle will cost $60 AUD and allows up to 8 people into the park. The holiday pass is valid for up to two months and you can enter any park you want.
Mt Field National Park is famous for Russell Falls and was Tasmania’s first ever National Park! You should do two walks here: the walk to Russell Falls and beyond to Horseshoe Falls, and the Tall Trees Walk.
The Russell Falls walk starts at the visitor centre and is an easy, flat, 25 minute walk. There is a longer walk called the three falls circuit that takes you up to Horseshoe Falls then around to Lady Barron Falls before looping back around to the visitor centre. We did part of this walk by going up to Horseshoe Falls. While smaller than Russell Falls, Horseshoe Falls was very pretty and had better lighting for photographs! It was definitely worth the slightly longer (and uphill!) walk.
After your walk, have lunch at the visitor centre then drive a little further up the road to the Tall Trees walk. I don’t really know what else to say other than you’ll see lots of tall trees! It is also really lovely and green. This one is another short and easy walk at only 1 km or 30 minutes long so even the least experienced hikers can check it out!
Day 4: Maria Island
Maria Island is really cool because no one lives there full time and there’s no cars. Because of this, it’s a wildlife heaven. We saw SO MANY WOMBATS AND IT WAS THE BEST!!!!!!!! But we also saw lots of cute wallabies, Cape Baron Geese and even some Eastern Grey Kangaroos. The absolute highlight was seeing a mum and baby wombat! It was totally the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.
There are two walks that I would recommend: the painted cliffs walk and the fossil cliffs walk. If you have to choose one, do the painted cliffs walk, but make sure to check the tide times before you go. The cliffs can only be accessed at low tide. It’s definitely worth the walk, though, because the cliffs are absolutely stunning! They get their name from their stunning colours, ranging from cream to yellow to orange.
The fossil cliffs walk is also pretty cool. It is in the opposite direction but is approximately the same length. The cliffs on this side of Darlington are very different; they might be plain in colour but instead they’re full of fossils! The fossils are around 300 million years old and include animals such as clams, sea fans, corals and scallops. We didn’t do the whole loop for this walk but rather hiked to the cliffs and back. From the fossil cliffs you also get a really great view of Mount Maria!
There’s lots of history as well, if that’s more your thing. Darlington, where you land off the ferry, is an old convict site and there’s a few other historic buildings scattered around the island. For example, if you do the full painted cliffs loop, on the way back you’ll pass Oast House which was built sometime before 1945 when Maria Island was a convict station and was later used to crush grapes for wine.
You can also camp on Maria Island, which I definitely recommend if you have more time. I would have loved to spend multiple days exploring all the island has to offer! Oh, and just hang out with the wombats for as long as I wanted.
Finally, I just want to say… PLEASE DON’T TOUCH OR FEED THE WOMBATS!!! They are WILD ANIMALS and WILL BITE. The number of people I’ve seen on Instagram posting pictures of them touching the wombats is ridiculous. I literally saw a picture of some idiot that picked one up. And people wonder why I have 0 faith in humanity. Just don’t do it.
Sorry. Rant over.
Day 5: Explore the East Coast of Tasmania
If you are doing this road trip, I’d actually recommend you swap days 4 and 5. The weather forecast was bad for this day when we were there so we decided to rush up to Maria Island rather than exploring more around Hobart and the southern East coast. If you have good weather, you could explore north of Triabunna on Day 6 on the way to Freycinet National Park.
There are two places I’d recommend you check out on the East Coast of Tasmania. The first is ‘spiky bridge’, which is exactly what it sounds like. A spiky bridge. It was built by convicts in 1843 and is unique in that it has a bunch of spikes on the top. Apparently the spikes help the bridge weather harsh winds. Clearly it worked because it’s still standing today!
Secondly, you should make a stop in Swansea. It’s a cute little coastal town and there’s a nice, short walk around the headland. I’d definitely recommend doing the walk because on a clear day you’ll get a great view of the Freycinet Peninsula and Maria Island.
While you’re driving around the East Coast, keep your eye out on the side of the road for Short-beaked Echidnas! We saw quite a few on our drives, but my favourite sighting was in Triabunna. We got lost looking for a viewpoint that didn’t exist when we came across an Echidna! He was very cute and was much more interested in hunting for ants than us. It was a nice change because almost all the other Echidnas we saw were scared of us and curled up in a tight ball when we approached. Echidnas are such cool animals and it was really exciting to see them in the wild, especially as this was just before I started working with them.
Days 6-8: Freycinet National Park
Freycinet National Park is definitely a must-do on the East Coast of Tasmania. Unfortunately, our time staying in Coles Bay was extremely wet so we had to cram our exploration into a drizzly afternoon on day 6 and the morning of day 8 before starting the long drive to Cradle Mountain.
When you arrive at the visitor centre, make sure you go for a short walk to the lookout. I can’t find what it’s called online but it’s on the beach and you get a great view of the Hazards on a clear day!
You can’t go to Freycinet National Park without seeing the famous Wineglass Bay! The Wineglass Bay Lookout walk is a fairly easy trail (though it is all uphill) and is totally worth the walk. Despite the drizzle, the clouds were cleared enough to allow for a decent view at the top! The scenery is also really different on this walk, with your classic Aussie bush mixed in with loads of giant boulders.
The featured wildlife for Freycinet National Park is the Bennett’s Wallaby! (I noticed I’ve mentioned a different animal for each section so that’s kind of cute). Anyway, we loved the Bennett’s Wallabies, although it’s clear people feed them (please don’t). One was so keen that he practically jumped on me because he could smell my Clif bar!
Another walk you should do in the National Park is the Cape Tourville Walk. This one is a short boardwalk that loops around a lighthouse so is everyone-friendly. I don’t recommend it on a wet day because we got blown to bits by the wind! On a clear day, though, you can see the Hazards, Wineglass Bay and a bunch of offshore rocks called The Nuggets.
The final walk I’d recommend in Freycinet National Park is the Sleepy Bay walk. Let me tell you, it was NOT sleepy on the day we went! It was very very wild. We spent ages just watching the huge waves crash into the rocks that line the edge of the bay. You can also choose to extend your walk a bit and head up and over to a second cove about 10 minutes further along. I would recommend the extension but I do not recommend going rock-hopping. My sister wandered off and came back soaked when a wave came in! I don’t have any pictures of Sleepy Bay but you can see the insane waves in my video!
The drive to Cradle Mountain (Day 8)
The drive to Cradle Mountain is quite long but there’s plenty of nice scenery. We stopped at a lookout on the way up a mountain as well as in two towns: Campbell Town and Deloraine.
If you’re roadtripping around Australia, I’d always recommend finding the local bakery for lunch. No matter where in the country you are, you’ll be able to get a delicious pie/sausage roll/croissant/other baked item. Plus you’re supporting local businesses so it’s a win-win! We stopped for a delicious lunch at the bakery in Campbell Town.
I’d also recommend buying some easy dinners to make before heading to Cradle Mountain. I’m talking two-minute noodles and the like. There are only limited places to eat (one of which is the fancy resort) and things to buy once you get out there so it’s worth bringing your own food. The cafe at the visitor centre is a good place to buy lunch, though, if you want to support the local community!
Days 9-10: Cradle Mountain (the most famous place in Tasmania)
Cradle Mountain is the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen. There’s a reason it’s the most famous place in Tasmania. We were beyond lucky and had two perfectly clear days where we could see the famous peaks! It’s one of those places that you want to return to as soon as you leave. With two full days to explore the national park, you have time to do a whole heap of different half-day walks!
Dove Lake Circuit
This walk is a must-do in Cradle Mountain National Park. It’s 6 km and pretty easy so just about anyone could do it. The path travels the whole way around Dove Lake (that’s the famous one with the peaks in the background). Throughout the walk, you’ll get every possible view of Cradle Mountain! Plus, the stunning views of the lake and beautiful vegetation which changes in different areas of the shore. If you walk around clockwise like we did, you’ll end your walk at the famous boat shed so you can get that classic Cradle Mountain picture!
Rainforest Walk
This is a really short walk that loops around the Ranger Station but it’s really nice if you want to see lots of beautiful green vegetation. You can also see the Pencil Pines Waterfall, which is nice. I love a good waterfall!
Knyvet Falls Walk
Let me paint a picture for you: stunning green vegetation. Rocks covered in moss. Peaceful boardwalk through the forest. I pause to take photos of bees and my mum catches up to me. We keep walking and a little further up, a wombat appears! He wanders through the forest before crossing the boardwalk right in front of me! My mum captures photos of the moment. We watch him wander off up the hill deeper into the forest.
Wombats aside, this is quite a nice walk. You walk down to the bottom of Knyvet Falls (another nice waterfall) and you can keep going into the forest. I think it is quite a long walk so we just went down a bit then came back. But it was worth it. For the wombat moment.
Crater Lake Walk
After our success with the Dove Lake Circuit, we decided to try this slightly harder walk. It’s around the same length but rather than being flat, it’s mostly uphill. As we hiked, we were rewarded with different views of Cradle Mountain again and it eventually disappeared behind the closer mountains. On the way up, we passed through a few different vegetation groups as well as “Wombat Pool”. Or rather, the sign actually said “Wombat poo” because someone decided it’d be hilarious to scratch off the ‘L’. No wombats were spotted here, unfortunately, but we heard some frogs!
Crater Lake was stunning. The sky was insanely blue and the lake was almost completely still, making for a beautiful reflection of the surrounding mountains. Definitely worth the walk up.
On the way down, we passed another boat shed, which we could actually go into! We also talked to another tourist who’s great grandfather built said boat shed, or something like that. So that was kind of cool. We also passed Crater Falls, which I spent ages trying to photograph, and a cute echidna having a bit of a bath in the creek. It was a juvenile and he didn’t particularly care that we were watching! So cute!
Devils @ Cradle Wildlife Sanctuary
You can’t go to Tasmania without seeing a Tasmanian Devil so I’d definitely recommend spending an afternoon at the Devils @ Cradle wildlife sanctuary. Your chances of seeing a wild devil are practically zero so a zoo is your best bet.
Devils @ Cradle is a really cool little sanctuary, as it’s home to Tasmanian Devils and two species of quoll. That’s it. All of the animals at the sanctuary are part of breeding programs for their species which is super cool! We got to see some cute baby Eastern Quolls which were very friendly coming up to the fence to give us a sniff and say hello. There were also a couple of baby Spotted-tail Quolls which were also rather interested in us and loved fighting with each other! I’ll leave it at that. But I’d say if you go to one wildlife sanctuary in Tasmania, let it be this one.
Day 11: Time to leave Tasmania
So there you have it: the ultimate Tasmania road trip! On your final day, you’ll drive back to Launceston Airport to fly home (or elsewhere, if you’re doing a longer trip!). I’d recommend you break up the drive by stopping in Sheffield. This town is famous for its murals which can be seen on almost all of the buildings. You can stretch your legs admiring the murals and check out the views of the nearby mountains.
All that’s left now is to go through all your beautiful photos and start dreaming about your next Tasmania trip!