Discover Tasmania like never before with this 10 day camping road trip guide! Follow the exact route that I took to explore the states most beautiful sites!
Tasmania is a hidden gem that can be easily forgotten by holiday planners and it’s a shame since the state has so much to offer. From lush green forests, cascading waterfalls, beautiful lavender fields and white sand beaches, Tasmania truely has it all!
Read more: 10 Day Ultimate Camping Road Trip Around Tasmania!
I began my Tasmania road trip adventure in 2019. Myself and my boyfriend were equipped with nothing but our car and our tent! Whilst you could easily spend 2 weeks, or more, in Tassie, we only had 10 days. Luckily we managed to condense Tasmania’s most iconic sites into our short schedule.
Day 1: Devonport – Launceston – Cape Portland
Time: 3hr 7 min
Distance: 264km
This may seem like your going to a lot of places in one day but keep in mind that Tasmania is very small so you can easily drive around and see many places within a few hours.
Your first stop from the ferry will be in Devonport. Apart from grabbing breakfast and a coffee, we didn’t really stick around in Devonport long as we were eager to get on the road.
Launceston
A short drive east will take you to Launceston. Visit Cataract Gorge to see the beautiful river that runs through as well as the worlds longest single span chairlift that takes you on a scenic ride over the gorge!
Cape Portland
Cape Portland will be your final destination for the day. It’s a beautiful area of wilderness that is consider an important conservation place for certain bird species. Our first free camp spot was Petal Point. Here we Enjoyed a stunning sunset off the rocks. The beach is beautiful and worth walking along. There is a long drop toilet at this campsite. It is dog friendly and fishing is permitted.
Day 2: Cape Portland
We liked Cape Portland so much we spontaneously decided to camp a second night. We enjoyed the peacefulness of Little Musselroe bay campsite. The camp is surrounded by a white sand beach, plus a beautiful turquoise lagoon where you can watch black swans and other bird life. This free camping spot hosts about 15 available sites but we thought it would only suitable for tents or small trailers. There is a long drop toilet and a boat ramp about 2 minutes down the road. Due to it being a bird conservation area there are no dogs allowed. Fishing is allowed here and at high tide bream fishing goes off! The serenity of this area is mesmerising and I promise you wont be disappointed if you stop by!
Day 3: Little Blue Lake – Eddystone Point Light house – St Helens
Time: 2hr 13min
Distance: 132km
Day 3 will take you to a few must see spots.
Little Blue Lake
You CAN NOT miss the turquoise water of Little Blue Lake. The colour of the water is absolutely stunning and i’ve never seen anything like it! Enjoy the lake by taking a walk around it and make sure you read the signs explaining why the lake is so blue!
Eddystone Point Lighthouse
Eddystone Point Lighthouse is a beautiful 49m white sandstone lighthouse that is surrounded by turquoise blue water. If you walk down the path a bit you’ll be able to see a snapshot of the famous red rocks along the beach! I know a lighthouse doesn’t seem that exciting but the scenery alone is why I recommend you visit. The contrast between the white sandstone and the turquoise water is just stunning! Makes for some beautiful pictures!
St Helens
St Helens will be your night’s stop. There are plenty of places to stay in St Helens so you’ll have no issue there. We stayed at the BIG4 Caravan park which was great place to stay. Huge camp kitchen and plenty of shower and toilet blocks. It’s a highly reviewed park so I definitely recommend staying.
Day 4: Binalong Bay – St Helens
Time: 22min
Distance: 21km
Spend the morning exploring St Helens by taking a walk in the town. Grab yourself a coffee and a bit of breaky before you hit the road up to Binalong Bay.
Binalong Bay
If you want to see the best of the bay of fires then I suggest heading over to Binalong Bay. Just 21km out of St Helen’s, Binalong Bay boasts some of the most dramatic coastline in all of Tasmania. Here you will see the famous red rocks contrasted against the white sand and the crystal clear turquoise water. The beach here is lovely to swim at and there’s also quite a bit of fishing in the area.
Take yourself back to St Helen’s for one more nights stay.
Day 5: Bicheno Blow Holes – Freycinet National Park
Time: 1hr 33min
Distance: 115km
Bicheno Blow Holes
The town of Bicheno is home to some pretty impressive blow holes. There’s a couple of spots along the granite rocks were the tide surges powerful jets through the rocks putting on a spectacular display! We spent over an hour here walking and climbing around the rocks enjoying the show. The best time to see the blow holes is when there is an incoming high tide. This is when the surge will be strongest and the spray will be tallest.
Bicheno Lobster Shack
Feeling Hungry? Another place I highly recommend you check out is Bicheno Lobster Shack. We stumbled across this place and it is by far the best place we ate in all of Tasmania! We grabbed two very reasonably priced lobster rolls and were blown away! The lobster is all locally sourced and tastes so fresh!
Freycinet National Park Camping
Day 5 camping spot will be in the beautiful Freycinet National Park. You will want to book ahead for this campground as it is incredibly popular. A ballot system is used for the summer season and easter holiday period, so keep in mind you are not guaranteed a spot if you want to go during these times. Click here to find out more about the booking system. We visited outside the busy periods and managed to get a place fairly easily, we just booked days in advance. Bit of a FYI, there are rangers that patrol the campsites everyday so you wont be able to sneak yourself on for free.
Our campsite at Honeymoon Bay was right on the beach. It was an unpowered site and the amenities was a two minute walk. The sites themselves are sheltered underneath trees so theres plenty of shade and cover. Just a few steps from our tent was the sand and the water. We enjoyed some awesome sunsets right from our tent here!
Day 6: Freycinet National Park
Freycinet was definitely my favourite place in all of Tasmania. It’s just such a stunning national park with some much to do!
Wineglass Bay + Hazards Beach loop
We spent the day walking the Wineglass Bay and Hazards Beach loop. This walk takes you to Wineglass Bay beach, Hazards Beach and the lookout. It takes approximately 4hr’s hours (with breaks) and is about 11.59km’s. It’s a moderately hard trail but will be easy if you’re fairly fit. You can walk the track whichever way you like but I recommend walking it clockwise so that you don’t have to walk up a 1000 steps (literally) like we accidentally did! Oops!
If you don’t feel like doing such a big walk, you can just walk to the lookout and/or to Wineglass Bay beach. The lookout track is an easy 6km track that takes about 2.5 hr’s. Walking down to the beach adds on a couple of km’s (9km’s) and will take you about 3hr’s. I highly recommend you do go down to the beach, it’s stunning and worth the walk.
Spend another night in Freycinet.
Day 7: Mount Amos – Port Arthur
Time: 2hr 50min
Distance: 200km
Mount Amos
Early in the morning we packed up all our stuff and made the quick drive to the base of Mount Amos (still in freycinet). The Mount Amos walk was my favourite. At the top you will be spoilt with panoramic views of the Cole’s Bay and Wineglass Bay. The track is a bit technical and requires a bit of careful scrabbling over rock faces. If your fit and healthy you wont have any problem but just take extra care. Defiantly don’t attempt if its raining, the rocks will be too slippery. The track is practically all uphill and is about 4km’s. I would give yourself 3hr’s to complete it if you want to take your time.
Port Arthur
After your big hike, make your way down to Port Arthur. Stop by the Tasmans Arch to see the natural bridge carved into the rocks.
Afterward’s head to the Port Arthur’s beautiful lavender farm. Take yourself for a stroll through the lavender and enjoy some lunch at their delicious restaurant. I tried lavender ice cream here for the first time and instantly became hooked! Wish other places in Australia made it because it’s so good!
After your big day, stay at Semaphore Farm. It’s a pretty basic but the price makes it worth it and for one night its not bad. You can only book via Hipcamp.
Day 8: Hobart
Time: 1hr 15min
Distance: 90km
Day 8 will consist of driving over to Hobart. There are a few stops along the route I recommend you check out.
Stop by Sullivan’s Cove Distillery and try out some of their craft whiskey’s and even grab a tour.
Try some samples and stock up on supplies at the Wicked Cheese Company in Richmond.
If you want to see some gorgeous sandstone building’s check out the quaint villages of Ross and Oatlands.
For this night’s stay, pick one of the caravan parks in Hobart. We found they’re a little more pricy because you’re closer to the city but to be in Hobart you have to pay a bit more.
Day 9: Hobart – Lake Gairdner Free Camping Area
Time: 3hr 44 min
Distance: 300km
Hobart
For your second last day, I suggest you hang out in Hobart for the morning and see what the city has to offer.
If you’re lucky enough to be there on a Saturday, make sure you go to the Salamanca Markets to browse local crafts, produce and food.
Cascade Brewery is a great spot for lunch and some beers. The brewery has a lot of history and with it a lot of beer making experience, resulting in some fantastic brews.
The Mount Nelson Lookout is a short drive from the CBD and offers so awesome views of the eastern side of Hobart.
If i’m completely honest, whilst I though Hobart was nice, to me it was just another city. Whilst most people stay longer, I felt satisfied with the length of time we spent here.
Lake Gairdner Free Camping Area
Leave Hobart mid-day to head to your final camping spot. Whilst Lake Gairdner might seem like a random spot to go, for us it was completely worth it. It’s super close to everything you’ll want to do on your last day and it’s such a beautiful camping spot. There’s plenty of sites but no amenities. Be mindful of camping near the waters edge, if it rains the water will raise a little bit. There’s also fish in the lake if you fancy casting a few lines!
Day 10: Cradle Mountain – Devonport
Time: 2hr 15min
Distance: 123km
Cradle Mountain
A 45min drive from Lake Gairdner will take you to the famous Cradle Mountain. The park runs a shuttle from the visitor centre to Lake dove as driving your own vehicle in the park is not permitted. You’ll also need to pay an entry fee.
The Dove Lake Circuit is probably the most popular walk and the best to do on your schedule. The 6km loop around the lake will show the beautiful glacier carved landscape and you will pass underneath the spires of cradle mountain. This easy walk along the boardwalk will take approximately 1hr 45mins to complete.
After you’ve experienced what cradle mountain has to offer, you’ll drive back to Devonport where your Tasmania road trip adventure will come to an end.
That’s a wrap on my 10 day ultimate camping road trip around Tasmania! I hope you take some inspiration from it as we throughly enjoyed ourselves!
