Tjo YEE WONG
The Complete 5-day Tasmania Road Trip
Hobart to Launceston
14 April 2022
DAY 1: HOBART
Right after an hour's flight from Melbourne to Hobart, we went to pick up our rental car (would advise you to get a 4WD vehicle) first before starting our trip. By the time we had collected our luggage and the rental car, we were all hungry.
On our first stop, we headed to Fish Frenzy to have some fish n chips and fresh oysters. Overall, I would say the food was good and had a nice sea view accompanying it. Our first day in Hobart was pretty chill as we were all tired. We decided to only visit one place which was the Mount Wellington Lookout where you are able to see the whole of Hobart. However, note that the road to get up there is going to be a little narrow and steep. When we were at the lookout, we didn't get a chance to see the whole of Hobart due to the weather but it was still worth it.
Afterward, we headed to Battery Point which is a suburb of the city of Hobart, and just took a stroll. We decided not to have dinner there but if you are planning to have dinner there, this town has quite a few restaurants there that you can try.
Lastly, we checked in to our accommodation in Primrose Sands and had dinner there.
DAY 2: HUON VALLEY
We started our day early by driving to Huon Valley which is located in the south of Hobart. But before that, we needed to fill our stomachs first. We stop by Pigeon Whole Bakers for their coffee and delicious pastries. I would recommend the custard pastry, it was my fav.
We then took a 30-minute drive to Willie Smith’s Apple Shed to try their apple ciders. There were quite a variety of apple ciders and food as well if you happen to be hungry. Overall, we all enjoyed the ciders, food, views, and the nice surroundings.
Since it was autumn, we headed to Home Hill Winery to visit their vineyard. Alternatively, you could have lunch here as well, as they do offer food. We decided to only purchase their wines as we were all still full.
Next, we visited Franklin - a small town in Huonville. We just did a pit stop there to see the Huon River and the scenery. After this, we wanted to eat some seafood where my dad found Tangaroa Kai, a food truck that offers really fresh fish n chips. We were all impressed with the food as everything was affordable and delicious at the same time. Highly recommend.
If you still feel like exploring Huonville, The Honey Pot &. Bruny Island Honey will be a nice place to just chill and have some honey ice cream.
Lastly, we headed back to Hobart and ate dinner at Aløft. Overall, it was a good experience. The food was decent (the highlight for me was the dessert) and the staff there was friendly. After this, we headed back to our accommodation.
DAY 3: BICHENO
We woke up early to catch the sunrise and then checked out of our accommodation. Our first stop of the day was the Salamanca Market (note: only opens on Sat). It is located in Hobart, along the historic Salamanca Place. If you are interested in handmade Tasmanian pieces this place is for you. This outdoor market offers a range of products, from jewelry to gourmet foods, organic vegetables, and fresh fruits.
After spending our morning at the market, we started driving towards the north of Hobart. We stop by Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary which is dedicated to caring for their local wildlife animals. It is well worth a visit.
Next, we drove to Richmond, a small town located northeast of Hobart. We visited Richmond’s most famous landmark - Richmond Bridge. We spend some time there and did a little picnic there as well. This town was really beautiful and I would say this was one of the highlights for me during this trip.
We took a coastal drive where we did a pit stop at Triabunna to buy some crayfish and then head to our last stop which is Bicheno. We had dinner at the famous Lobster Shack Tasmania where it was facing the sea. I would highly recommend this place as the seafood was all fresh and just delectable.
We checked in to our accommodation in Bicheno and stayed there for a night.
DAY 4: LAUNCESTON
Checked out of our accommodation and headed straight to Bridestowe Lavender Farm. Even though it wasn’t the lavender season, we still went to check the place out. We had brunch at the cafe there and the food did not disappoint at all. With our full stomachs, we went to walk around the estate, and there was still some lavender blooming. (Dec - Jan is the best time to visit here).
Afterward, we drove back to Launceston where it took around 40 minutes. We did a little shopping in the city and then head to Cataract Gorge Reserve to sit on their chairlifts. This chairlift lets you view the Cataract Gorge from above.
For dinner, we went to Star of Siam for Thai food.
Our last stop was to check in to our accommodation which was located in Promised Land.
DAY 5: CRADLE MOUNTAIN
We had breakfast at Ashgrove Cheese Dairy Door to start the day. If you're a cheese lover, this place will be perfect for you. We weren’t much of a cheese fan so we did not really like our breakfast as everything was too cheesy for us. Nevertheless, this place was worth going to.
Our next stop was Cradle Mountain. This place was just too beautiful. At Cradle Mountain, you are able to do many different hikes and see really beautiful scenery. You could easily spend a few days here but sadly, we did not get the chance to. This place was definitely the highlight of our trip. (note: to get around here you will need to park at the front gate and take a shuttle bus)
After all the breathtaking views at Cradle Mountain, we then drove to Mole Creek Caves and went for a cave tour. There are 3 different guided tours. We only went to the Marakoopa Cave. In general, we really enjoy this one-hour well-guided tour. The staff here was friendly as well, and we were able to see glow worms.
We went back to the accommodation early to chill before flying back to Melbourne the next day.
