After a few hours of research comparing prices, Brisbane’s John Stark and wife Tracey decided that driving to Tasmania and hiring a caravan was the most economical move for a holiday in the island state with teenage son Cooper and his friend Josh.

John tells their story:

After two days of driving from Brisbane on the Pacific and Hume highways, we arrived at Port Melbourne to catch the ferry to Tasmania.

We were that eager to board the ferry and were one of the first vehicles on. However, the next morning we learnt a valuable lesson – first on equals almost last off.

We stayed in an interior cabin that was very similar to a cruise ship, just a little smaller, with our own bathroom.

Food and drinks were available on board and if you get seasick it is recommended to take precautions as the crossing does get rocky.

We received a wake-up call from the captain about 5:45am to get ready to head to our vehicle for disembarking from 6:30am.

It is worth noting that the Spirit of Tasmania has moved to Geelong and Bass Strait crossing times may vary.

After a quick stop in Ulverstone to get supplies, we headed to collect the van and after about an hour’s handover we were off.

The itinerary had us heading north west to Penguin, Burnie and Wynyard, with a walk up Fossil Bluff, and ending the day at Stanley caravan park. 

After a trip to the Highfield Historic Site and a quick stop at the Stanley Photo Frame, we headed into the main street to take in the old buildings and sample some of the locally made products available.

After a quick drink at the Stanley pub, we turned in for the night as we had a big trip to Cradle Mountain the next day. 

After some careful planning, we found the most suitable road to get the van there safely.

John and Tracey Stark rugged up for Tasmania's winter.

When we arrived we had our first taste of winter due to overnight snowfall.

We spent the next two days enjoying hikes around Cradle Mountain and did the Tasmanian devil night feeding at Devil’s at Cradle. 

Next stop was Launceston, or Lonny as the locals call it.

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This city has some amazing local attractions including Cataract Gorge, City Park with its resident monkeys, National Automobile Museum and Boag’s Brewery to name a few.

A short drive north will take you through Beaconsfield and to Beauty Point where you will find Seahorse House and Platypus House.  

Tracey was able to tick an item off her bucket list here, seeing a live platypus. It was not in the wild, but it will do!

After a couple of days in Launceston it was time to head to the east coast where we secured a free camp on the beach in the Bay of Fires Conservation Area. After parking the van we headed for the 1.5-hour drive to Blue Lake. 

A snowy scene on the road.

The road here was very windy and not recommended for a van but the lake itself was worth the drive. 

The colour of the lake is spectacular and honestly, photos do not do it any justice.  It is a must-see if you are in the area.

After a not-so-early sunrise, we headed to Freycinet National Park with a quick stop in Bicheno taking in the blow holes and a bite to eat at the famous Lobster Shack.

We spent the afternoon taking in the highlights of the area including Cape Tourville Lighthouse and Honeymoon Bay but decided to leave the Wineglass Bay lookout walk for another time.

Spending the night in one of the national park free camps and with the temperature getting down to about -7C, we were not overly happy that this was the night the diesel heater switched itself off. (It could have been caused by user error!).

After a very cold night and a real taste of winter, we woke to the car covered in a layer of ice and the water in the grey water hose frozen solid.  That was a first in our caravanning experience.

After clearing the ice, we hooked up and headed south to Port Arthur and took in the Tessellated Pavement, Tasman Arch, Devils Kitchen and Remarkable Caves – all a must-do when in Tasmania.

Ruined buildings at Port Arthur Historic Site.

After a night feeding the local pottaroos at the NRMA Port Arthur Caravan Park, we spent the next day at Port Arthur Historic Site. 

This was a day of mixed emotions for us – taking in how hard life would have been for the convicts sent there mixed with the sombre feelings of remembering those lives lost in one of the darkest days in Australian history. 

Even with those emotions, a trip to Tasmania would not be complete without visiting Port Arthur.   

With the holiday coming to an end, we headed towards Hobart where we based ourselves for the remainder of the trip.

There is much to do and see in this area, but our highlights included the Tahune Airwalk, Constitution Dock, Salamanca Markets, Mt Wellington and Cascade Brewery.

Australia's oldest bridge still in use at Richmond.

We also spent a morning at ZooDoo in nearby Richmond, making the most of the Encounter Animal Experience and admiring the town itself which includes the oldest bridge still in use in Australia.

The vanilla slice at the local bakery was ‘delish’ and if lollies or sampling the locally made whiskeys and gins are your thing, Richmond has something for everyone. 

For our last day and after dropping the van back, we headed to House of Anvers Chocolate factory in Devonport for brunch.

A trip to Tasmania would not be complete without having the Belgium waffles. 

We also checked out Mersey Bluff Light House and the Spirit of the Sea Sculpture at Aikenhead Point before getting back on board the Spirit of Tasmania.   

Our family loved Tasmania and will be back.  We recommend everyone takes the time to take in this beautiful state of Australia. 

John Stark is RACQ Manager Business Development and Sales Assistance Services

Top tips for caravanning in Tassie

1. If you want an early start when disembarking the Spirit of Tasmania hang back and do not be in the first groups to board.  Note: There are different rules for those towing caravans.
2. Drive times are different in Tasmania. To travel 100km could take two to three hours depending on the road conditions and hills. There are several hills and windy roads throughout the state.
3. Travel light as climbing the ranges can chew your fuel quite quickly.
4. Heating is a must in winter.  Make sure your van has either a diesel heater or air-conditioning otherwise you will feel the night temperatures.
5. Purchase a Holiday National Park pass which allows you into all the parks and saves completing check-ins at every stop.
6. Several attractions on the west coast close for winter. Do your research before you make the trip over there.
7. Don’t trust Google maps as they could send you down some very average dirt roads. Stick to the main highways.