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Road Trip Tasmania – How to Tackle the Island State

Whether you’re visiting the Land Down Under to enjoy some of its excellent wines, see the big red rock thing in the middle of it, or witness a kangaroo vs. human boxing bout, finding yourself in Australia is always a merry occasion if you’re down there as a tourist.

In Tasmania, one of this country’s southernmost islands, or island-state to be more precise, you can see the famous Tasmanian devil (a tough carnivorous marsupial), enjoy the impressive local scenery and navigate the narrow and exciting roads with gusto. (That’s if you like driving, of course.)

In this article, we’re going to talk about this curious southern island, which is the 26th largest island in the world, by the way! We’ll give you a couple of tips on how to prepare yourself better for this adventure, as well as recommend a beginner’s road trip itinerary if you haven’t got one of your own.

Right then, without further ado, here’s the deal, folks.

What to Do in Tasmania

And by ‘what to do’ we mean what to do to just be able to get by. So, these are just the most rudimentary survival tips for a first timer in Tasmania.

Consider Renting a Car (or Bring Your Vehicle)

If you’re heading for Tasmania aboard a ferry, and you’ve brought your car over – you will be driving in Tasmania to your heart’s content! However, if you have not managed to haul your car from wherever you’re hailing from, a good first step toward finding your way around Tasmania would be to rent a car. This will not only end up being cheaper than paying for various tours with buses, but it will also give you the freedom to explore this island on your terms and in your own good time.

So, as soon as you arrive in Tasmania, make sure to find the rent-a-car agency and get a four-wheeler of your own. (Fat chance they will be renting a Robin Reliant in 2019, so you better believe it’s going to be a four-wheeler.)

Once you have this means of transportation in your possession, you will be driving in Tasmania to your heart’s content and go wherever you fancy!

Get a National Park Pass

Tasmania is an island famous for its many and versatile national parks.

The Tasmanians are so keen on preserving the beauty and uniqueness of their nature that they’ve designated about 45% of the Tasmanian territory as national parks.

This is the reason why you might want to get a national park pass while you’re in Tasmania. If you’re going on a cross-island trip, you can rest assured that you’ll pass near or through a national park, so ensuring you have an official permit to do so will certainly be of some importance.

On the other hand, if you plan to purposefully visit some of these beautiful places, having a national park pass goes without saying.

Get a Map or an App

… because Tasmania can at times be a confusing place – especially for newcomers.

Luckily for the sort of folk who tend to get lost in a Walmart, the clever tech-savvy people have mapped out the whole Tasmania and stuck the pictures and coordinates of it in bite-sized pieces of software you can download for your iPhone.

Either that or get like a proper map in paper form.

The point is if you’re trekking on your own or with a friend or spouse who’s just as clueless about Tasmania’s landmarks and landscape as you are, having a map or an app with a map to consult in the times of need is essential to enjoying your stay on this curious island.

You don’t want to end up in the news as the protagonist of a story of a clueless camper who was found scared, starving, knicker less, and crying beside an ancient Tasmanian rock.

Bring Cold Weather Clothing

No matter what season it is, and what the weather forecast has been telling you for the past couple of days, you should always bring warm clothing if you’re going to Tasmania.

Even in the warmest of months (which are the winter months in Tasmania), a cheeky 3-day bout of chilly weather can find its way into your holiday. Imagine – it’s enough for you to get a small cold and you can cast off your camping plans for a couple of days.

That’s rough if you’re only in Tasmania for a week or so.

Road Trip Sample Itinerary

Hobart

Representing the capital and the largest city in Tasmania with some 240,000 inhabitants, Hobart is a place where you’ll land if you’ve arrived by plane, and into which you’ll have to somehow get your respectable posterior if you’ve arrived on via a ferry.

It’s a great place to get accommodation if you haven’t arranged for one beforehand, and more importantly – this is the place where you’ll be able to get your car.

Mount Wellington

… is a mountain that’s only about a 30-minute ride from the city of Hobart.

 

Its platform on the top (you’ll see it when you get there – there’s a big platform you can stand on top of and oversee the surrounding area) allows you to scout the entire area, which is bound to make you feel as though you owned the place.

The Salamanca Market

Sooner or later, you’re going to run out of food in Tasmania, because this place requires a lot of energy. Especially if you enjoy trekking or plan on going on camping trips around this impressive island.

So, to restock on your supplies and meet some of the lovely local folk in Tasmania, make sure to visit the Salamanca Market – the largest open market not only in Tasmania but in entire Australia, as well!

Once there, you can buy food, clothes, listen to the music that is played there and get to know the locals a bit better.

The bottom line, visiting Tasmania is always a great experience, especially for someone who is a first-timer, so to speak. So, to get the most of your experience, make sure to plan, bring winter clothing, inquire about the available rent-a-car vehicles and Bob’s your uncle!

Article by Neil White
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