Happy New Year to my dearest readers.
I’ve just returned from one of the longest trips which are both mentally and physically draining, but the best trip that I’ve ever had.
One of the places that I visited on this trip was Tasmania, Australia. There were a total of 5 of us on the trip. 2 of us were the designated drivers.
Tip: you should have at least 2 drivers take turns while driving. My friend drove in the mornings and evenings while I drove mostly in the afternoons. So we could nap and rest while the other is driving. The drives can be physically demanding for people who have never done it before.
The Trip [9 Days 8 Nights]
Day 1: SIN – MEL, MEL – HOB
At Melbourne airport, we transited and took the domestic flight from Melbourne to Hobart
The travelling started at 0040 (GMT+8). We arrived around 1800 (GMT+11).
One stop of the day was to head towards Coles. Coles is one of the biggest supermarkets in Australia. Alternative ones will include Woolworth or Aldi.
Insert address.
For dinner, we opted for Maccas (aka Macdonalds) as we planned for a chill night.
Our Airbnb was at Collinsvale.
Tip: I’d advise giving you more time to find your Airbnb. Also, give some buffer to get used to the car and navigate the terrain (we had to go up a mountain in a car totally unfamiliar. safe to say we were very safe on the road with our slower driving).
Our Host at this Airbnb, Craig, was so lovely and helpful. He even gave us a brochure when we told him where we were headed the next day. This place also came with a fireplace which just about fascinated us as well as kept us warm from the Tasmanian Summer (Brr..?).
Tip: Check out the weather before you arrive. We did pack slightly less than we should have in terms of keeping warm.
Day 2: Mount Wellington, The Pancake Train, Bruny Island, Solo Pasta and Pizza
The mountain that can be seen from every corner of the city of Hobart was a worthy mountain indeed to ascend.
Tip: Check if there are clouds at the summit before you go up (you will be able to see them even if you haven’t driven up yet). In fact, it got so cloudy very quickly towards the end that we weren’t able to even see anything beyond the mountain!
There’s a halfway point [left photo]. Just a bit more then you’ll reach the peak!
Tip: Bring a jumper! It was a bit chilly when we were there since the wind was blowing so hard.
Address: Mount Wellington Pinnacle Road, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
Breakfast was recommended by Craig. Thus, we headed to the Pancake Train.
The Pancake Train is one of the cabins of the train. There were other shops and eateries in the other cabins as well.
This place must be popular as the kitchen is a bit short staffed but patrons were still willing to wait around 20 mins before returning for a seat.
Address: The Pancake Train Restaurant, 1567 Channel Hwy, Margate TAS 7054, Australia
We drove towards the Ferry Terminal at Kettering. I’d recommend that you can try the unique experience of driving your car on the boat which was what we did (AUD49 per vehicle). The boat ride took about 15 minutes.
Address: Kettering Ferry Terminal Tasmania Ferry Rd, Kettering TAS 7155, Australia
One of the more notable places on the island was the famous Oyster bar.
Address: Bruny Island Oysters Lease 204, 1735 Bruny Island Main Road, Great Bay, North Bruny, Tasmania 7150
We then drove up to the neck which was where the north and South Island was separated by two lanes, resembling a neck.
Address: Truganini lookout Bruny Island North Bruny TAS 7150, Australia
If you have additional time, you can choose to head towards Cape Bruny Lighthouse. We chose to skip on the Lighthouse which would have been 2 hours to and back towards the ferry terminal and headed back to the main island.
Address: Cape Bruny Lighthouse 1750 Lighthouse Rd, South Bruny TAS 7150, Australia
There was a jam at the ferry terminal and the whole process took slightly more than an hour. We only boarded the ferry around 6:30 even though we were meant to board the earlier one at 5:30/ 5:50. See the schedule here for the estimated time.
Tip: I’d recommend getting here early so that you can visit other places. We decided to schedule Mount Wellington today and got to the island a bit later. You should definitely leave some time for a buffer for when you leave the island.
Dinner was at Solo Pasta in the city. There’s an Asian Mart and Woolworth in the area if you need any necessities.
This was hands down a must-visit place. This Italian restaurant is owned by an Italian from Venice and Rome, and you know that’s as authentic as it’s going to get. The place was so good that we had to return a second night! Their pizza, pasta and risotto were some of the best I’ve ever had!
Address: Solo Pasta and Pizza 50B King St, Sandy Bay TAS 7005, Australia
Day 3: Russell Falls, Nive River, Iron Blow Lookout
Breakfast in the morning was homemade, although we did leave the house a lil’ late as a result. We also packed some lunch on the road as there weren’t that many options since we were travelling through small towns where restaurants close very early.
Note: Most checkouts for Airbnb and hotels are at 10 am in Australia.
Entering the national parks and parking at these national parks require a National Park Pass Holiday Pass AUD82.40 (in a vehicle of up to 8 people). This is valid for 2 months and includes the entrance to Cradle Mountain which we’ll be heading towards later in the trip. You can purchase them online or at the counter at this national park.
The receptionist did also point out other waterfalls stops along the way but we didn’t have much time to visit them.
Russell Falls was a beauty. A simple 15 to 30 mins walk on flat ground. The temperatures were really great for a small trek in the morning.
The other fall in the vicinity is a slight hike up the stairs, about a 15 to 30 minutes walk vertically. You should see the top of Russell falls on your way to Horseshoe falls.
Afterwards, we headed towards the Derwent Bridge for a slight lunch break.
Some of these toilets are situated near beautiful sceneries so don’t forget to stop and look at the places.
We stopped at the Nive River Rest Area for some photos.
Tip: For most of the trip, we used the public toilets in between which are scattered all over Tasmania. Otherwise, a friendly chat at the nearest petrol kiosk will guide you. I do advise you to buy your own toilet paper if you don’t want to use the public toilet. Some can be quite dirty but overall they are still quite clean.
We continued our journey up towards Queenstown where the Iron Blow Lookout is.
Tip: Get to Iron Blow Lookout in the late morning or early afternoon. By the time we got there in the afternoon, the position of the sun cast a shadow over the crater of the attraction and we couldn’t see that brilliant blue clearly.
Nevertheless, it was not a wasted trip as the scenery around was just as beautiful. We spent quite some time here navigating around the area to get the optimal view of this place.
The only servo (aka petrol kiosk) closed pretty early in Queenstown. Thus, if you’re unfamiliar, I’ll advise pumping your petrol in the morning.
Note: You do have to make sure that you know how the right type of fuel your car needs as well as make sure you know how to pump petrol on your own. There isn’t anyone at the kiosk who will help you with that! The cars in Tasmania typically use diesel.
We checked into our accommodation soon after and we cooked our own cup noodles for dinner.
Tip: Get cup noodles instead of the ones in the packet. At certain places, like this one, there aren’t any pots to cook the noodles. Only your trusty kettle.
We stayed at Gold Rush Inn 65 Batchelor Street, Queenstown, TAS, 7467
This was a nice little place. We got our key card from the drop box at the reception after hours. We got a bit pandang (Superstitious) because the bed was right in front of the mirror. So we ended up shifting the beds. Just remember to shift them back and it’s all good.
Day 4: Track’s Cafe, Cradle Mountain
The most important meal of the day was at Track’s Cafe. Don’t get the scones as they were pretty bland.
Address: Track’s Cafe 1 Driffield St, Queenstown TAS 7467, Australia
Remember that park pass that you got the day before? Head over to the Cradle mountain visitor centre to exchange them for the shuttle bus ticket. You won’t be able to drive your car the rest of the way.
Address: Cradle Mountain Visitor Centre 4057 Cradle Mountain Rd, Cradle Mountain TAS 7306, Australia
There are a few places that I’d recommend going to.
Taking the bus to Dove Lake and hiking up from there. As one of us had an ankle injury, we opted not to hike up the mountain for the full view. Although, I did want to follow this guide to hike up to Hansons Peak.
Afterwards, if there’s still time, you’ll want to take the shuttle bus down to Ronny Creek where there is a flat boardwalk. You can spot Wombats and Echidnas in their natural habitats. However, it is advised not to touch or feed the animals.
Tip: Do check the weather forecast towards the end of the day. For the majority of the day, we were warm in the sun and opted for shorts. This was a regret since it turned cold with the wind towards the evening. We did see a few Singaporeans sporting winter jackets.
We stopped at Sheffield for some of the local food. It was nothing too special but it was open at that time.
Tip: Do make some alternative plans for food. For this trip, we entered and went past many small towns where shops and restaurants closed very early.
We stayed in Kimberley for the night. It was a cosy place with yet another fireplace which we loved.
Day 5: Christmas Hills Raspberry Farm, Cataract Gorge
Our first stop of the day was at a Raspberry farm where we also saw some skinny alpacas in the vicinity. We didn’t stop to pick the berries as we were headed for another farm later in the trip.
Address: Christmas Hills Raspberry Farm Cafe 9 Christmas Hills Rd, Elizabeth Town TAS 7304, Australia
The highlight of the day was Cataract Gorge which was a nice park with the longest solo chairlift. This is the must-visit place near Launceston.
There were a few treks which you can take for a better view of the gorge. We even saw a few teenagers cliff diving (although I wouldn’t recommend it as the river is very rocky).
We did see some wildlife, peacocks and peahens, as well as some wallabies. If you speak to the guy manning the chairlift at the top, you might even get to feed some of them with corn!
Tip: Remember to check for parking signs. We thought we didn’t have to pay for parking but we ended up getting a parking ticket. Oops
Address: Cataract Gorge Reserve 74-90 Basin Rd, West Launceston TAS 7250, Australia
Dinner was at Bento York Street which was situated between two petrol stations. The food here was generally good and it was pretty affordable by Australian standards too.
Address: Bento York Street 194-196 York St, Launceston TAS 7250, Australia
We pumped some petrol before heading to our next Airbnb in Invermay.
We stayed at Invermay tonight and watched some Emily in Paris.
Day 6: Bread and Butter, Bridestowe Lavender Farm, Little Blue Lake, Bay of Fire
Our brekkie today was at Bread and Butter, as usual, we had a nice breakfast before going about the day.
Address: Bread and Butter 70 Elizabeth St, Launceston TAS 7250, Australia
If you have time, you can stop in the park just opposite the cafe.
We drove up to the Bridestowe Lavender Farm where the lavender looks to be in season. We even got some lavender flavour ice cream. As souvenirs, I bought some candles and pillow mist back for the family.
Address: Bridestowe Lavender Farm 296 Gillespies Rd, Nabowla TAS 7260, Australia
Our next stop was Little Blue Lake where its waters are one of the bluest I’ve ever seen.
Address: Little Blue Lake 1753 Gladstone Rd, South Mount Cameron TAS 7264, Australia
Again, we stopped for some sandwiches at the rest stop in a nearby town, Gladstone.
Our last stop of the day before checking into our Airbnb is the Bays of Fire. White sand, Blue waters and Orange Rocks. What is there not to love about this picturesque seaside?
There is no set address for the Bay of Fires because it is a whole stretch of coastline on the East coast of Tasmania.
For dinner, we stopped by Raida Hospitality Group. It was one of the rare places that were still open by the time we rolled into the town of St Helens. It was a fusion restaurant, and much of its menu was Asian.
Address: Raida St Helens 10/55 Cecilia St, St Helens TAS 7216, Australia
We rolled into our Airbnb, tired from the long journey today.
Today, we stayed in Stieglitz. This property had 2 different apartments. We got the second apartment in the end which was the apartment on the top. It was pretty strenuous trying to get our pieces of luggage up and down the stairs. But it was one of the biggest Airbnb that we had.
Day 7: The Bays Kitchen St Helen, Bicheno Blowhole, Lobster Shack, Food and Brew Bicheno, Waubs Beach and Redbill Beach for Penguin Watch
Today was a chill day. We were going to go to Major’s Munchies for brekkie next door but we saw that it was more of a fast-food restaurant. So, we headed to The Bays Kitchen St Helen. Breakkie was a wide range of baked goods from Pies to Croissants and Toasties.
The first drive of the day was towards the Bicheno Blowhole. It was a nice lookout that you could go near. A local told me that the blowhole could go much higher when the tide is stronger. Still a beautiful natural sight. Surrounding the areas are rocks which resemble the Bay of Fire.
Address: Bicheno Blowhole Douglas St, Bicheno TAS 7215, Australia
After exploring the area, we took a quick drive to Lobster Shack for some nice seafood. It was the biggest splurge of this trip for sure. We couldn’t miss out on their fish and chips, clam chowder, calamari and of course lobster! Just be sure that you’re not too hungry though, the waiting time is at least 60 minutes.
Address: Lobster Shack 40 Esplanade, Bicheno TAS 7215, Australia
We checked into our accommodation afterwards, Beachfront at Bicheno: 232 Tasman Highway, Bicheno, TAS, 7215 Australia
We were meant to head to Wineglass Bay Lookout for a hike, but we decided to cancel that trip in favour of just chilling and resting to watch the penguins.
If you’re keen on heading towards Wineglass Bay, you can use the National Park Pass that you’ve purchased to enter this National Park.
Address: Freycinet Visitor Centre 138 Freycinet Dr, Coles Bay TAS 7215, Australia
Dinner was at a local bistro, Food and Brew Bicheno, where we had to get some pasta and also their wood-fired pizza.
Address: Food and Brew Bicheno 2/70 Burgess St, Bicheno TAS 7215, Australia
We ended the night, penguin watching. There were two options, either Redbill Beach or Waubs Beach. We opted for Redbill Beach and joined a group of people seated on the rocks. Unfortunately, even after enduring the cold breeze, we still did not see any penguins. The tide was also coming in so we went back. The consolation was the beautiful stars which glittered in the skies. Although, as we were leaving, we did hear a few penguins.
Address: Redbill Beach or Waubs Beach
Day 8: Kates Berry Farm, Dunalley Tasmania, Fossil Bay Lookout and Blowhole, Tasman arch, Devils Kitchen, Solo Pasta and Pizza
Our morning brekkie was at Kate’s Berry Farm (I’m guessing that you’re sensing the recurring theme. My friends and I love berries). You can have a free tasting of the jams that they offer here. Just be sure to take a new spoon each time. Don’t double dip!
Address: Kates Berry Farm, 12 Addison St, Swansea TAS 7190, Australia
We stopped by Dunalley for a snack and a toilet break.
Address: Dunalley Bakery 168 Arthur Hwy, Dunalley TAS 7177, Australia
We stopped again when we spotted a scenic lookout near the town. We did notice a few people with a bucket, picking in the ground, as it was a low tide. This place did remind me of the salt fields.
Address: Scenic Lookout 3496 Arthur Hwy, Murdunna TAS 7178, Australia
The drive took us past Doo Town, where its roads and building are all “Doo” puns. It was pretty unsatisfying to drive through it though. The blowhole here was different from the one at Bicheno. This one was a majestic one in a cave. A quick 5-minute walk up, you’ll see the beautiful view of the blue waves crashing repeatedly into the cliffs and retreating back.
Address: Fossil Bay Lookout and Blowhole Blowhole Cct, Eaglehawk Neck TAS 7179, Australia
Another short drive away was the Tasman Arch which was the view of a bridge all naturally formed by the Tasman Sea. The Devil’s Kitchen was more difficult to see. There was a gentleman with a drone who captured the area. If I did manage to get that footage and pictures, I’d include them here.
You can use the National Park Pass that you’ve purchased to enter this National Park.
Address: Tasman Arch and Devils Kitchen 31 Tasmans Arch Rd, Eaglehawk Neck TAS 7179, Australia
We checked into our final Airbnb at Mount Rumney and ended the day back in Hobart.
We had dinner at Solo Pasta once again because the food was just that good. This time, we got their risotto and lasagne which was not available the first night that we were there.
Address: Solo Pasta and Pizza 50B King St, Sandy Bay TAS 7005, Australia
DAY 9: TAS – MEL
Today, we headed back to Melbourne as it was the Christmas period and we’ll be continuing the rest of the trip there! If you’ve extra time to spend in Australia for yet another road trip, do head over to this post for my itinerary!
SOME THINGS TO NOTE
- Booking of flights. I flew in from Melbourne on Jet Star. There aren’t any direct international flights as far as we knew. Recommend giving yourself at least 3 hours before the international and this domestic flight, just in case of any flight delays.
- No COVID regulations as of 2 January 2023. Although you should constantly check on travel advisories as the governments are changing as and when the situation develops.
- Whatever budget you’ve planned, you might want to add some buffer. We upgraded our car to a Mitsubishi Pajero Sport 4-wheel drive and were so glad that we did. The rugged roads that we took for this trip and safety were so well worth the extras. If any of the drivers are below 25, there is an additional surcharge for that too.
- Make a shopping list while you’re there. You’ll be surprised how easy it is to go over budget and buy some unnecessaries. Some of your Airbnbs will have washers and dryers. So you can get laundry pods when you’re there. As for chocolates, I may have bought a tad too many there. Oops.
- This trip might not be the easiest one as you’ll have to unpack at night and repack most of the mornings. If you aren’t so comfortable with shifting house every day, you can choose a more centralized location each time and make day trips!
There you have it! This 9 Days 8 Nights road trip will probably be the best one that you’ll ever have. Beautiful scenery, good food, all around fun with you and your friends!
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