Where: 2 Penelope St, St Helens, Tasmania
Website: st-helens-caravan-park.tas.big4.com.au
10 words or less: Beautiful and green, Freycinet, waterfalls, pub in the paddock - bliss.
The lowdown: Grab yourself a Tasmanian rental campervan and make the 160-kilometre trip (2 hours) along the National and Esk highways to the east coast of Tasmania's biggest township.
TASMANIA is famous for old-fashioned Aussie pubs, breweries and all sorts of fascinating hotels, but the Pub in the Paddock near St Helens BIG 4 stands out as a classic for campervanners who have driven in this part of the world. And what a beaut part of the world it is to explore.
This Big4 beauty is only a short trip away from Bay of Fires with its white beaches, deep blue water and stunning granite rocks splashed with orange lichen. Also remember to visit some of the area’s waterfalls including the cascading St Columba Falls that plunge almost 90 metres from the Mount Victoria foothills to the South George River valley.
The Pub in the Paddock has been licensed since 1880 and is one of Tassie's oldest country pubs set - quite literally - in the middle of a paddock in the Pyengana Valley. It also is famous as home to a popular pet pig called Pinky who doesn't mind the occasional stubbie, says owner Anne Free. Only a half-hour drive from BIG4 St Helens Holiday Park, the pub dishes up hearty country feasts and has earned a reputation for its morning and afternoon teas.
After a day out exploring the region, head back to the park and settle into a powered en-suite site for your motorhome at St Helens Holiday Park.