Destination guides > Australia > Tasmania

Tasmania

Australia’s island state provides a totally different experience from the mainland. Forget any notions of arid outback – Tasmania is a land of rugged mountains, rolling green hills and raging rivers.

 

Tasmania is one of the world’s most picturesque islands. About 20% of Tasmania has been designated World Heritage area and another 10% is national park or reserve.

There’s more to Tasmania than the great outdoors, the island state has a fascinating convict past and it was one of the first areas in Australia to be settled by Europeans. Although small, the main cities have a more established feel than elsewhere in Australia. The former penal colony at Port Arthur on the Tasman Peninsula is the state’s most popular tourist attraction and perhaps your best opportunity to gain an understanding of what life was like during the convict days.

Coming & going

Most travellers visit Tasmania via Melbourne, which is the departure point for most flights and ferries.

Flying is generally the quickest and cheapest option, but you can take the ferry if you want to take a car over and avoid car rental.

AIR

Although there are some flights from other places like Sydney, the majority of flights to Tasmania depart from Melbourne Airport.

Jetstar (tel 13 15 38) flies to Launceston from Brisbane and Sydney and from Brisbane to Hobart; Qantas (tel 13 13 13) flies from Melbourne to Devonport, Launceston and Hobart and from Sydney to Hobart; Rex (tel 13 17 13) flies from Melbourne to Burnie; Tiger Airways (tel (03) 9335 3033) and Virgin Blue (tel 13 67 89) fly from Melbourne to Hobart and Launceston.

Many travellers book one-way tickets and fly into one city and out from another.

FERRY

The Spirit of Tasmania (tel 1800 634 906) sails between Melbourne and Devonport. It departs Melbourne and Devonport most nights and there are also day sailings during peak periods. Fares are $120-198 one-way per person, higher fares apply for cabin accommodation.

You can take a car or campervan across for $72, higher prices apply if your car is wider than two metres.

It is a good idea to book well ahead as ferries can fill up fast, particularly during long weekends and school holidays.

Local transport

Tasmania is cut-off from mainland Australia, meaning that transport networks have developed separately to the rest of the country. For instance, apart from tourist railways, there are no regular passenger train services and Greyhound do not operate in Tasmania.
Many travellers choose to rent a car to explore Tassie and this gives you the most freedom, but there is a bus network that offers some good value travel passes.

BUS & COACH

Tassielink (tel 1300 653 633) and Redline (tel (03) 6336 1446 or 1300 360 000) are Tasmania’s two main coach operators with scheduled services to most major destinations within the state. They also offer several travel passes that are good value, particularly for solo travellers who may not be able to justify the cost of car rental.

 

Both companies meet the Devonport ferry and run services to Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, but Tassielink has the more extensive route network.

Redline Tassie Pass

This pass allows unlimited travel on Redline coaches within the timeframe indicated on the pass.

Redline Tassie Pass

Pass	Cost
7 day pass	$135
10 day pass	$160
14 day pass	$185
21 day pass	$219

 

Tassielink Explorer Bus Pass

This pass allows unlimited travel on Tassielink buses within a network that covers most major destinations in Tasmania including the Tasman Peninsula. It even gets you off the beaten track to destinations like national parks and World Heritage areas.

 

Tassielink Explorer Bus Pass

Pass	Cost
7 travel days in a 10 day period	$189
10 travel days in a 15 day period	$225
14 travel days in a 20 day period	$260
21 travel days in a 30 day period	$299

TOURS

There are several companies that operate tours aimed at the backpacker market. You may want to consider these if you want to see a lot and your time is limited although they don’t have the flexibility that comes with independent travel. The following companies offer tours of Tasmania:

Adventure Tours

Adventure Tours (tel 1300 654 604) operate several excellent tours. Three-day tours cost $445-460 and the longer six and seven-day tours cost $825-840.

Bottom Bits Bus

Bottom Bits Bus (tel 1800 777 103) run day tours from Hobart to Freycinet National Park and Mount Field National Park and from Launceston to Cradle Mountain; these day tours cost $105 ($99 HI/YHA, ISIC, VIP).

Under Down Under

Under Down Under (tel (03) 6369 5555 or 1800 064 726) operate a good selection of tours that range from two to seven days.

DRIVING

Car rental is by far the most popular transport option in Tasmania. It’s the most flexible way to get around as you’re not tied to bus routes or timetables and it is relatively affordable, particularly if the cost is split among several travellers.

National parks

Tasmania’s wilderness is one of its main attractions with thousands of travellers visiting its national parks each year. Entry fees for Tasmanian national parks are $22 per day for a car and up to eight passengers or $11 per person travelling by bike or public transport.

Most travellers find the Holiday Pass much better value – this allows you to visit national parks throughout the state for up to two months. The Holiday Pass costs $56 for a car and up to eight passengers or $28 per person travelling by bike or public transport.

National Park Passes can be bought at park entry booths, tourist information centres and national park visitor centres.

Hobart National Park Visitor Centre

134 Macquarie Street, Hobart
Tel (03) 6233 6191
Website www.parks.tas.gov.au
Open Mon-Fri 9am-5pm

Launceston National Park Visitor Centre

Prospect Offices, Bass Highway, South Launceston
Tel (03) 6336 5312
Website www.parks.tas.gov.au
Open Mon-Fri 9am-5pm

 

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