10 Days Road Trip in Tasmania – Great Eastern Drive
This trip was planned based on the recommended Great Eastern Drive (https://greateasterndrive.com.au/) with some modifications to cover more places. This trip is a one-way journey that starts from Launceston and ends in Hobart.
Summary of this itinerary:
A. Day 1 – Cradle Mountain
B. Day 2 & 3 – Bay of Fires
C. Day 4 & 5 – Freycinet National Park
D. Day 6 – Triabunna and Maria Island
E. Day 7 – Port Arthur
F. Day 8 – Hobart
G. Day 9 – Bruny Island
H. Day 10 – Russell Falls and Gordon Dam
About Australia & Tasmania
Australia is the largest country in Oceania and sixth-largest country by total area in the world. Australia has six states and two major mainland territories.
The currency of Australia is Australian Dollar (AUD).
Tasmania is an island-state of Australia which is located in the south region of Australia.
As an island-state, access to Tasmania is restricted to air and sea transportation. There are regular domestic flights from the major cities in Australia such as Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. Otherwise, one can travel on the ferry (Spirit of Tasmania) from Melbourne to reach Tasmania.
Day 1 – Cradle Mountain
For the start of the trip, you can take a ferry from Melbourne to Devonport and then drive to Cradle Mountain which is around 1 hour 15 mins drive (78km). Otherwise, you can take a flight and land in Launceston airport and then drive to Cradle Mountain which is around 2 hours drive (140km) away from Launceston.
Although there are a lot of trails in the Cradle Mountain, the Dover Lake circuit is one of the must-do activities in Cradle Mountain. Dove lake circuit is one of Tasmania’s ‘60 Great Short Walks’ and it is one of the best trails in Cradle Mountain. It takes around 2-3 hours to complete the trail. The trail is relatively easy as there are wooden pathway and steps placed on most part of the circuit.
Dove Lake circuit
Take note that there is a historic boat shed near the start of the circuit which provides a beautiful background for photo-taking.
Day 2 & 3 -Bay of Fires
To get to Bay of Fires from Cradle Mountain, you will need to drive for 3.5 hours (286. km) approximately. Feel free to take a stopover at Launceston city if you are not rushing for time.
For accommodation, you can stay in St Helens which is the nearest town to Bays of Fire.
There is a lone tree by the bay which is a perfect place to watch sunrise/sunset.
Take a stroll in the Bay of Fires and immerse yourself in the beauty of orange-hued granite rocks.
Day 4 & 5 – Freycinet National Park
From St Helens, it takes around 1.5 hours of driving (115 km) to reach Freycinet National Park.
Freycinet National Park is my favourite part of this trip. There are several famous attractions in this park such as Wineglass Bay, Sleepy Bay, Honeymoon Bay, Cape Tourville Lighthouse. The trails in Freycinet National Park are fairly easy and the aforementioned attractions are relatively near the carpark (except Wineglass Bay).
If you are a nature-lover too, you might want to stay in Freycinet for a longer period.
Day 6 – Triabunna and Maria Island
To travel to Triabunna from Freycinet National Park, you will need to drive for 1.5 hours (110 km) approximately.
Triabunna is a small town and it is quite dull compared to the earlier attractions. However, the only way to get to Maria Island is to take the ferry from Triabunna port. There are a lot of things to do in Maria Island. The most famous attractions are the painted cliffs and the wombat. You could also do cycling in certain part of Bishop & Clerk and Mt Maria walk.
Unfortunately, I did not go to Maria Island as there is no ferry service due to winter schedule. Refer to the official website (https://encountermaria.com.au/timetable-pricing-luggage-check/) for more details
If you are travelling in winter, do note that the ferry service is only available on certain days in winter.
Day 7 – Port Arthur
For day 7, it is recommended to visit Port Arthur. Port Arthur used to be a penal settlement in the 19 century and it was the scene of the worst mass murder event in post-colonial Australian history. It is now an open-air museum and an UNESCO heritage site.
The site offers various guided tours ranged from paranormal investigation experience to ghost tour. Do check out the official website for more details (https://portarthur.org.au/tours/)
Day 8 – Hobart
Hobart is the capital city of Tasmania and there are a lot of attractions in the city. Although I am not a museum-lover, I still think that Museum of Old and New Art is amazing! There are chickens roaming in the museum open area and other interesting exhibits.
Museum of Old and New Art
Do check for any sign of Bioluminescence in the beach area of Hobart (Usually looks pink at the day)
Bioluminescence
If you are in Hobart on a Saturday, do pay a visit to the Salamanca Market. There are over 300 stalls and lots of delicious foods for sale!
Day 9 – Bruny Island
While staying in Hobart, it is advisable to do a day trip to Bruny Island and enjoy the Neck Lookout. Bruny Island is accessible through sea only. There are regular ferry services from Kettering (36mins/33.6km away from Hobart) to Bruny Island daily. Do check out the official website for more details (http://www.brunyisland.org.au/bruny-island-ferry/)
Get a cruise or a tour package in Bruny Island to see other wildlife such as Black-faced Cormorant and fur seals. If you are lucky, you might get a chance to see whales.
Day 10 – Russell Falls and Gordon Dam
For day 10, you can do a day trip to Russell Falls (1 hours 10mins /73km away from Hobart) and Gordon Dam (2.5 hours/168km away from Hobart). The Gordon Dam is awesome and you could walk down to the arch dam and observe the beauty of human engineering.
You can take a walk along the Gordon Dam and immerse yourself in the beauty of the engineering work.
Ending Remarks
Generally, it is sufficient to spend 10 days to tour in eastern part of Tasmania. However, you can check out the west coast of Tasmania too if you have time (https://www.discovertasmania.com.au/what-to-do/self-drive/westcoast). Otherwise, you can also combine this trip with the Melbourne 4 Days Road Trip – Great Ocean Road or the Sydney 5 Days Road Trip.