Driving holidays - Hobart, Richmond, Port Arthur (Tasmania)

Competition is running hot with the budget airlines in Australia, so keep a close eye on Jetstar, Virgin Blue and Tiger by signing up for their e-newsletters - there are hot deals being bandied around almost every week and you will generally find a beauty somewhere among them for Tasmanian destinations.

My wife and I snapped up return flights from Melbourne to Hobart for around the $150 mark - extraordinary value. Even better, we also discovered a ridiculously good rate with DriveNow for a 4 berth camper. From there it was a breeze. A quick one-hour flight to Hobart, we then grabbed our camper and hit the Tasman Highway, onto Richmond Rd and within half an hour we arrived at our favourite destination in Australia, the quaint village of Richmond and all its cobblestone, cottage and old world charm. This gorgeous township has some delightful treats: serene atmosphere around historic Richmond Bridge (pictured); go back in time at Grannie Rhodes' Cottage; and explore Richmond Maze and Richmond Gaol.

After staying two lovely days and nights in Richmond we ventured south east along the Tasman and Arthur highways, glorious little drive mind you, to Port Arthur for an eerie-yet-fascinating day at the historic penal settlement exploring ruins, and later in the evening a spooky guided ghost tour. Chilling, thrilling stuff.

From there we headed back to Hobart for a bit of shopping and set up camp at Discovery Holiday Park, which we couldn't recommend highly enough. Wonderful service, great location and plenty to see and do nearby.

AUSTIN BONHAM

Scott Podmore

Award-winning writer, editor, photographer, videographer and owner of October Grey Media. Specialising in travel and lifestyle content and a full member of the Australian Society of Travel Writers. Has contributed regular content for the NewsCorp stable of newspapers and magazines, TravelTalk mag, The Departure Lounge and many more publications in Australia and internationally. Follow on Twitter & instragram #scottpodmore

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