In May 2025, we sent our brand ambassador Nathan Sawaya and our reservations consultant Jack Barker to Tasmania, We let them work out the itinerary themselves to encompass what was important to them. We sent them off in a vehicle each provided by one of our favorite supplier, Cruisin'.
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Nathan travelled in the Cruisin' 6 berth Deluxe:
Jack travelled in the Cruisin' 2 berth Sandpiper:
Nathan and Jack's 9 day whirlwind itinerary had them navigating the Gordon River, trekking mountains, eating fresh seafood, visiting picturesque beaches and learning about Tasmania’s wildlife. If you don’t mind early mornings and busy days, this trip can be done in 9 days but if you have time, we highly recommend 11-12 days to break up the travel and even an extra 2 days for Hobart.
They visited:
Queenstown
Strahan
Cradle Mountain *Extra Days Recommended
Stanley
Launceston
Freycinet/ Bicheno *Extra Days Recommended
Triabunna/ Maria Island
Hobart *Extra Days Recommended
Here is Jack's detailed itinerary....
Day 1 - Hobart to Queenstown
Fly into Hobart and pick up your camper. We recommend choosing a flight that arrives in the morning to allow time to drive to Queenstown. After collecting your camper and stocking up on food, we start the road-trip with a short drive to Russell Falls. 'Parks' passes are available to purchase here and will be needed at some of the other locations on this itinerary. After the walk, continue driving to Queenstown. As the drive to Queenstown is 3-4 hours, we only recommend travelling to Queenstown today if you have enough time to arrive before dusk. If your timing will have you arriving in Queenstown after dusk, you should consider staying overnight in Mount Field National Park before travelling to Queenstown the next morning as the roads into Queenstown are dangerous between dusk and dawn and there are additional speed limits in place to protect wildlife.
Hobart to Queenstown with @nathsway, image credit Nathan Sawaya
Day 2 – Queenstown to Strahan
Head to the train station in the morning to join the West Coast Wilderness Railway tour. This tour takes you through the forest to the old gold/copper mines and back. Before leaving for Strahan we recommend stopping at Nelson falls rainforest walk, Horsetail falls and Iron Blow Lookout for views of Queenstown and the surrounding area. Then it’s time for a short 1 hour drive to Strahan.
West Coast Wilderness Railway Tour, Image credit Nathan Sawaya
Day 3 – Strahan to Cradle Mountain
The Gordon River Cruise departs in the morning from the Strahan esplanade and is our main reason for visiting Strahan. There are two cruise operators and both of them are excellent so you can take which ever one suits you with confidence. The cruise will take you on a journey through hells gates at Macquarie heads, up the Gordon River to a nature walk and then to Sarah Island to learn about the numerous convict escape attempts at the Sarah Island penitentiary. Once you’re back in Strahan, drive 2 hours to Cradle Mountain national park. We recommend booking in for the “After Dark Devil Feeding” at Devils@Cradle to see Tasmanian Devils and Quolls up close.
It’s a short 5 minute drive from Discovery parks Cradle Mountain to the Cradle Mountain visitors’ centre. Here you can book tickets for the shuttle which takes you to many of the cradle mountain trek start points. Trek options are available for all levels from short walks around dove lake to intermediate walks to Mariah lookout and this is also the starting point for the overland track. If you haven’t seen a wild Wombat yet, start your walk at Ronny Creek towards Mariah lookout to have the best chance of spotting one!
Mount Cradle is a great location to add extra days to your itinerary to visit Bridal Veil waterfall, Champagne waterfall and the many walking tracks available around the national park. Alternatively, if you are ready to move on, its time to drive 2.5 hours to Stanley! We recommend staying at Big 4 Tassie Getaway Parks Stanley. Head to Godfreys beach penguin viewing platform at dusk to view the fairy penguins returning to the beach.
This morning its time to head up to “The Nut Summit Circuit” via the chairlift or a walk up the access track to the top, we highly recommend the chair lift for amazing views of Stanley harbour and Godfreys beach. Keep your eye out for Pademelon’s during your walk! Then there’s a 2-3 hour drive along the coast to Launceston. If you’re interested in Tasmanian flora or Platypus, visit the Tasmanian Arboretum on the way for a chance to see wild Platypus. The Tasmanian Arboretum is located just outside Eugenana about halfway between Stanley and Launceston. Once in Launceston visit Cataract Gorge or Queen Victoria market at Inveresk.
Enjoy the morning in Launceston or start your 2.5 hour drive to Freycinet national park early to start some of the longer walks at a reasonable time. Once you get to Freycinet National Park, take your pick of walks from the Wineglass Bay lookout, Mount Amos climb, Hazards beach track or you may want to extend your stay here for any of the overnight camping options. Coles Bay and Freycinet are a great location to add an extra couple of days for those looking to stretch the itinerary. There are cruises, vineyards, and enough walking tracks/hikes to fill up 2-3 days here alone. If not, we continue to Bicheno about 40 minutes away. If you missed the last opportunity for Penguins in Stanley, then Bicheno also has Penguin tours available, departing at dusk. We highly recommend eating at Lobster Shack Tasmania and trying the Lobster Burger.
Beer time at the end of a long day, @nathsway and Jack Barker from DriveNow. Image credit Nathan Sawaya
Day 7 – Bicheno to Triabunna
This morning, we head to Triabunna to take the ferry to Maria Island, take the day to explore the island and learn about the Darlington Probation Station. Take the ferry back at the end of the day.
Today we drive 1.5-2 hours to Port Arthur to explore the famous Port Arthur Historic site. On the way, stop in at Eaglehawk neck to see Tasman’s Arch, Fossil Bay Lookout and Waterfall Bay Lookout. Once you arrive in Port Arthur, take your time here to learn about the 19th century penal settlement, visit Remarkable Cave or join a guided cruise to Tasman Island.
On our last day, we drive back to Hobart to drop off your campervan. Depending on your departure time or plans for onward travel, you can stop in at Richmond on the way to Hobart which has a small market on Sundays and the Richmond Bridge which was built in 1825 by convicts.
Oyster Catcher Cruise on your way back into Hobart - Image Credit Nathan Sawaya
Remember when roaming within Australia to pay your respects to the traditional custodians of the land on which you travel. Travel lightly on these fragile environments, take only photos and leave only foot prints.
All images including the header are courtesy of Nathan Sawaya.
Shelley Richardson
Shelley has been working in the travel industry for over 30 years, in aviation, for tour operators and since 2016 for DriveNow. Having travelled extensively worldwide, alone, as a couple and with her family, Shelley has experience to share about how to make the most of your holiday, especially road-trips to amazing destinations.
