Discover the Wonders of Tasmania: Why You Should Travel to this Australian Gem
There are two reasons I’d recommend visiting Tasmania - food and nature. Tasmania has a wide range of local produce, there is guaranteed to be something for everyone.
I highly recommend visiting Bruny Island, if you are a bit of a foodie - it’s like a food road trip! Along with the renowned restaurants, pubs, and breweries, it’s pure food heaven.
Nature - Tasmania has some of the best untouched wilderness I have ever experienced. Rugged coastlines, beautiful camping spots, mountains, rivers and more. If you love to get outdoors, you will love it here. It also has some of the most accessible and scenic hikes in Australia. And of course, we can’t forget the wildlife!
Discover Tasmania's Top Destinations: How Much Time Should You Allocate To Explore?
I would recommend at least a month travelling around Tasmania - if you want to see it all, at a slow travel pace. This will give you enough time to see all the main sights Tasmania has to offer, plus some more unknown ones.
The Ultimate 2-Week Itinerary for Discovering Tasmania
If you only have two weeks to see this beautiful state, I have an itinerary which can be found here. This includes the main sights such as Hobart, Cradle Mountain, Tasman national park and more.
I’d recommend starting and ending in Hobart, as this is where most of the car rental companies operate from. Start off in Hobart for a few days before heading down to the Tasman National Park, to explore the many nature hikes and visit Port Arthur, a historical town.
Afterwards, make your way up the east coast towards Freycinet National Park, and experience Wineglass Bay and many other beautiful beaches. Head a little further north towards the Bay of Fire Conservation Park, spend a few days soaking up some sun and beach hopping.
You will then head towards Launceston, where you can explore the city, eat some incredible food, and check out some wineries or even a lavender farm.
A short drive later you will be at Cradle Mountain National Park, Tasmania’s most popular National Park. Spend a few days exploring this national park, searching for wombats, and visiting some Tasmanian devils.
With your last couple days in Tasmania, I’d recommend either spending a few days in Hobart, a day trip to Bruny Island or Mt Field National Park.
Finding the Best Time to Travel to Tasmania
Tasmania is beautiful all year round. However, I would recommend travelling during spring or summer. The weather is lovely, with temperatures in the high 30 degrees Celsius. This means you can enjoy the beaches, hiking or even a cold one at one of the many wineries and breweries!
This travel time would be between September to February. If you want to see the lavender fields, I recommend visiting after December.
Backpacking on a Budget: Top Things to Do in Tasmania for Budget Travelers
Visit the many national parks and get out into nature! Tasmania is known for its beautiful hikes, and the best part about these are they are free (mostly). You will need to buy a Tasmania Park Pass, but this will get you into any national park in the state (I recommend a holiday pass). The beaches are completely free, and there are a few free camping spots around too.
Exploring Tasmania: Top Transportation Options for Getting Around
The best way to see and travel around Tasmania is by self-driving. Either by car or by camper van. I personally recommend camping as you can stay in some beautiful national parks and fully embrace Tasmania’s natural beauty. If you want to self-drive via car - there are plenty of caravan parks, hotels, and Airbnb’s to choose from.
Tasmania does also have some buses, but it’s not as extensive as other places in Australia.
Essential Costs to Consider When Traveling in Tasmania
Transport - you will need some form of transport to explore Tasmania. I recommend travelling around in a campervan to get the full experience and stay at some incredible campsites.
It’s up to the traveller on which style of campervan they choose, but these can range anywhere between $1000 to $3000 a week. I personally travelled around in a Spaceship Campervan rental which cost me $1540 AUD for 14 days. Spaceship rentals is a great basic campervan which has everything you will need for a short road trip, and they have heaps of discounts/deals all year round.
Fuel – You will need to budget for fuel if you plan on travelling around Tasmania via self-driving.
Food – I personally prefer to buy groceries and make my own meals on the road. However, I always do put a small amount aside to treat myself to a restaurant meal or two. I would recommend you do this for Tasmania as It does have some fabulous restaurants.
Park passes – National Park pass is highly recommended if you plan on visiting a lot of national parks. A holiday pass will get you 2 months of entry into the national parks of Tasmania and cost you $82.40 per car (at the time of writing this article).
Accommodation – If you are driving around in a campervan, you will mainly stay at caravan parks or in the national park. These can range from $10-$50 depending on which accommodation you choose.
Learn about the Perfect Daily Budget for Traveling in Tasmania: A Comprehensive Cost Breakdown
Ideally, if you plan on travelling around Tasmania for at least 2 weeks, I recommend a full budget of anywhere between $2.5k to $5k AUD (not including flights). This will depend on your travel style and whether you plan on renting a vehicle, staying at campsites or hotels and like to eat out.
Here is an optimal daily budget and expense breakdown for traveling in Tasmania (2 weeks in a campervan, all prices in AUD):
Transport: $80-$150 per day (depending on campervan size)
Accommodation: $15 - $30 per day (depending on if you bush camp or stay in caravan parks)
Food: $20 per day if buying groceries for the duration of your trip, $50 -$100 if you plan on eating out majority of the time/eat meal.
Fuel: $20-$30 per day (depends on the distance you travel per day)
Total Costs: $135 to $310 per day
Main Areas and Stays for Backpackers and Digital Nomads
As Tasmania is a small state, staying connected is easy compared to other places in Australia. Majority of the smaller and larger towns you will be able to get reception or internet access. Almost all caravan parks, accommodation and Airbnb’s have free WIFI as well.
If you are planning on staying long term in Tasmania I would recommend staying in Hobart or Launceston. These are the biggest cities, with Hobart being one of the best cities for digital nomads in Australia. Where you stay in these cities won’t matter, as almost every accommodation will have some form of connection.
The backpacking scene in Tasmania is relatively chilled, compared to other places in Australia. Most people come here to explore the food, culture, art, and nature - rather than to party (although this does still happen). Like most places In Australia, Tasmania is made for road tripping, I'd recommend this over your usual backpacking through hostels if possible.
If you want to travel around Tasmania and want to stay connected, I’d recommend getting an internet plan or sim with Telstra. Telstra is by far the best mobile provider in all of Australia.
Exploring Tasmania's Best Hidden Gems
Bay of Fires, this is probably not a hidden gem and well known in Tasmania. However, there are many beaches which make up this conservation park which are well worth exploring! I found several rock pools and private beaches, just from exploring a few of the beaches along this coastline. Why is this worth visiting? These beaches are pristine, with white sand and crystal-clear water. This area is called the “Bay of Fires” due to its incredible burnt orange rocks which surround the shores.
Little Blue Lake - this vibrant blue lake is located on the way to the Blue Derby Mountain Bike Trails. The lake is given its blue colour because of the minerals in its base from early mining operations. It isn’t recommended to swim here but makes for a great photo op and picnic spot!
Maria Island, unfortunately this wasn’t a place I got the pleasure to visit myself, but I’ve only heard good things about it. It’s a 30min ferry from Triabunna. Here you can see the blonde Wombats and explore expansive areas of untouched nature.
Top Safety Tips for Solo Female Travelers in Tasmania
Tasmania is completely safe to travel as a solo female traveller! I travelled around 2 weeks by myself in a camper van, and never had any issues. The locals are friendly and helpful, and they are used to the large floods of tourists.
If you are camping around Tasmania, I would recommend the basic camping safety tips I tell all females - don’t tell anyone you are alone, give someone your itinerary, trust your instincts, and don’t post on social media where you are. I have a full list which can be found here, which has a detail list of much more safety tips I recommend for females.
Discovering Tasmania's Finest Meals: A Culinary Journey
Fresh oysters on Bruny Island. Straight from the ocean to your plate! You can also get drive through oysters here.
The bread fridge on Bruny Island. Fresh bread is baked daily by a local baker and placed into a fridge on the side of the road. Travellers and locals can stop by this fridge and choose from a range of breads, wraps and sweets. It works on a trust system, where you either pay cash into the small slot in the fridge, or direct transfer. The sourdough was one of the best and freshest I’ve had. The fridge is usually filled around 9am each day.
Tasmania's Most Unique Experiences
Visiting the Tasmanian devils.
Visiting the blonde wombats on Maria Island.
Going for a foodie road trip on Bruny Island.
