Launceston Campervan & Motorhome Hire

Day 1: Pick up your campervan from the depot near Launceston Airport at Western Junction, about 15 km from the city centre, and stock the fridge at a Launceston supermarket. Spend the afternoon at Cataract Gorge, crossing the suspension bridge and walking the cliffside path to First Basin. Book a powered site at a city holiday park so you can test the heater, water pump and gas before leaving town.

Day 2: Follow the Tamar Valley Wine Route north along the river, choosing two or three cellar doors rather than trying to see them all, and agree on a designated driver before the first tasting. Continue to Low Head, about 45 minutes from Launceston, to see the lighthouse and historic pilot station at the river mouth. After sunset, join a guided little penguin tour, then sleep at a Low Head holiday park.

Day 3: Head east through Scottsdale on the Tasman Highway towards St Helens, about 2.5 to 3 hours with stops. From mid-December to January, call in at Bridestowe Lavender Estate near Nabowla while the fields are in flower. Take the narrow, twisting Weldborough Pass slowly in a high-sided van, then fill up with fuel and groceries in St Helens before heading north to the coast.

Day 4: Spend a full day around the Bay of Fires, from Binalong Bay north to The Gardens, where clear water and white sand meet granite boulders covered in orange lichen. The free Parks and Wildlife campgrounds along the bay cannot be booked, so claim a spot by early afternoon in summer. Carry plenty of drinking water, as the sites have pit toilets but no water supply.

Day 5: Drive south on the Great Eastern Drive to Bicheno, about 1 to 1.5 hours from St Helens, and watch the blowhole send spray over the granite rocks. Buy fresh fish and chips for lunch, then book an evening tour to see little penguins waddle back to their burrows. A Bicheno holiday park makes an easy base for the night, with powered sites, laundry and a short walk to the beach.

Day 6: Drive about 40 minutes to Coles Bay and Freycinet National Park, where a parks pass is needed for entry. Climb to the Wineglass Bay Lookout, roughly 1 to 1.5 hours return, or keep going down to the beach if your legs allow. Stay at a Coles Bay holiday park, booked well ahead for summer, as the Richardsons Beach campground goes to a ballot for peak dates.

Day 7: Leave early for the longest drive of the loop, about 3 hours south through Swansea and Sorell to the Tasman Peninsula. Break the trip at a berry farm near Swansea and at the Tessellated Pavement near Eaglehawk Neck. Reach Port Arthur in time for an afternoon at the historic site, then stay at the nearby holiday park and join an evening ghost tour if you are game.

Day 8: Spend the morning at Remarkable Cave or back at the Port Arthur Historic Site, then drive about 1.5 hours to Hobart. Walk the waterfront and Salamanca Place, or take the ferry from Brooke Street Pier to MONA. Central Hobart is tight for large vans, so stay at a holiday park on the city fringe and use a bus, taxi or rideshare for dinner in town.

Day 9: Head inland via New Norfolk to Mount Field National Park, roughly 1.25 hours from Hobart. Walk the short rainforest track to Russell Falls, then continue to Horseshoe Falls and the Tall Trees circuit among giant swamp gums. The national park campground sits beside the entrance, so after dark you can wander back towards the falls to look for glow worms along the track.

Day 10: Continue west on the Lyell Highway to Lake St Clair, about 1.5 hours away, the southern end of the famous Overland Track. Walk the Platypus Bay or Watersmeet tracks from the Cynthia Bay visitor centre and watch the shallows for a platypus. Stay near Derwent Bridge tonight, and slow right down after sunset, when wallabies gather on the highway verges.

Day 11: Today's drive to Strahan is about 2 hours, crossing the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park with a stop for the short Nelson Falls walk. Take the steep, winding descent into Queenstown carefully and fill the tank there, as fuel stops are scarce out west. Settle into a Strahan holiday park for two nights and stroll the rainforest track to Hogarth Falls before dinner.

Day 12: Board a Gordon River cruise across Macquarie Harbour and up the river into the World Heritage Area, usually with stops at Sarah Island and Heritage Landing. Back on land, drive out to Ocean Beach to watch the sun set over a long, wild stretch of surf. Mobile coverage is patchy on the West Coast, so download offline maps for tomorrow while you have signal.

Day 13: Head north through Zeehan on the Murchison Highway to Cradle Mountain, about 2 to 2.5 hours of curves with few services. Park at the visitor centre, as campervans cannot use Dove Lake Road, and ride the shuttle to Dove Lake for an afternoon walk. Stay at a holiday park near the park entrance and look for wombats grazing around Ronny Creek in the late afternoon.

Day 14: Take a short morning walk near the visitor centre, then drive about 2.5 hours back to Launceston via the mural town of Sheffield. Refuel, empty the waste tanks and tidy the van before you reach the depot at Western Junction. Check your return time when you book, as staffed hours are shorter on weekends and public holidays, and allow time for the shuttle to your flight.

Day 1: Collect your van near Launceston Airport and do a big shop in the city, as this route heads into remote country with small towns. Walk into Cataract Gorge from Kings Bridge, an easy stroll from the city centre, and ride the scenic chairlift over First Basin if it is running. Spend the night at a Launceston holiday park and check the heater, gas and water before you set off.

Day 2: Follow the West Tamar Highway north past the riverside vineyards around Rosevears to Beaconsfield, where the Mine and Heritage Centre tells the story of the town's gold mining past. Continue to Beauty Point, home to Seahorse World and Platypus House on the wharf, and check tour times before you arrive. Stay overnight at a Beauty Point holiday park beside the Tamar River.

Day 3: Head west to Devonport, the Spirit of Tasmania port, and pick up the Bass Highway along the north-west coast. Stop in the seaside towns of Penguin and Burnie for coffee and a beach walk, then continue to Stanley, about 2.5 to 3 hours of driving in total. Settle into a Stanley holiday park below The Nut, the flat-topped volcanic headland that towers over the town.

Day 4: Climb The Nut on the steep zigzag path, about an hour return, or take the chairlift, which operates daily from September to early June. Walk the loop track on top for views along the coast, then visit Highfield Historic Site, a restored 1830s homestead a few minutes' drive north of town. Finish with fish and chips by the harbour and a second night in Stanley.

Day 5: Drive inland via Burnie and Ridgley to Cradle Mountain, roughly 2.5 hours, climbing onto the high plateau where the weather can turn quickly. Check in at a holiday park near the visitor centre and buy your parks pass and shuttle tickets there. Late in the afternoon, walk the boardwalks around Ronny Creek, where wombats often graze in the button grass.

Day 6: Leave the van at the visitor centre, since campervans and motorhomes are not allowed on Dove Lake Road at any time, and take the shuttle to Dove Lake. Walk the Dove Lake Circuit, about 6 km, with the jagged peaks of Cradle Mountain mirrored in the water on still days. Carry a warm, waterproof layer even in summer, then enjoy a quiet second night at the park.

Day 7: Head south on the Murchison Highway through Tullah, Rosebery and Zeehan to Strahan on Macquarie Harbour, about 2 to 2.5 hours in all. Top up the tank whenever you pass a servo, as towns are small and far apart on this stretch. Book two nights at a Strahan holiday park, then walk the rainforest track to Hogarth Falls from the edge of town.

Day 8: Join a Gordon River cruise into the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, usually stopping at the old convict prison on Sarah Island and the rainforest boardwalk at Heritage Landing. In the afternoon, visit the dunes and surf of Ocean Beach. Mobile signal is patchy around Strahan, so download offline maps and tomorrow's forecast before bed.

Day 9: Drive east through Queenstown, where bare, rust-coloured hills show the town's mining history, and stop at Nelson Falls beside the Lyell Highway. Reach Lake St Clair, about 2 hours from Strahan, in time for the Platypus Bay walk from the Cynthia Bay visitor centre. Camp near Derwent Bridge and avoid driving after dark, when wildlife crowds the highway.

Day 10: Make the final run to Hobart, about 2.5 hours via Hamilton and New Norfolk, or detour to Russell Falls at Mount Field if your return time allows. Empty the waste tanks, refuel and tidy the van on the outskirts of the city. Return it to your Hobart depot near the airport at Cambridge in good time, as some depots close as early as mid-afternoon.

Day 1: Pick up your campervan at Western Junction, near Launceston Airport, then stock up in the city. Explore Cataract Gorge in the afternoon: the First Basin car park has a dozen oversized vehicle bays, or you can leave the van at your holiday park and walk in from Kings Bridge. Take in the city views from the gorge lookouts and spend your first night in Launceston.

Day 2: Drive up the east bank of the Tamar to the Pipers River area, known for cool-climate sparkling wine and pinot noir, and share the driving or book a winery tour. Continue to Low Head, about 45 minutes from the city, to see the lighthouse and pilot station. Join a guided penguin tour at sunset, when up to 200 little penguins come ashore in summer, and stay at a Low Head holiday park.

Day 3: Cross the Tamar on the Batman Bridge and follow the west bank to Beaconsfield and Beauty Point. Head west through the Mersey Valley farmland to Sheffield to see its painted murals, then climb to Cradle Mountain, about 3 hours of driving in total. Check in at a holiday park near the visitor centre and buy your parks pass and shuttle tickets for tomorrow.

Day 4: Ride the shuttle to Dove Lake, as campervans and motorhomes are banned from the road, and walk the lake circuit beneath the peaks. Fitter walkers can climb to Marions Lookout for views over Dove Lake and Crater Lake, but check the forecast and turn back if cloud rolls in. Stay a second night and look for wombats near the boardwalks in the late afternoon.

Day 5: Drive east to Mole Creek Karst National Park, about 1.5 hours, and join a guided tour of Marakoopa Cave to see glow worms and underground streams, or King Solomons Cave for its decorated chambers. Tours take about 45 minutes, group sizes are capped and a parks pass is needed, so book ahead. Spend the night in Mole Creek or nearby Deloraine on the Meander River.

Day 6: Follow the Meander Valley through Deloraine, then turn south to Longford, about an hour away. Tour Woolmers and Brickendon, two neighbouring farm estates that form part of the Australian Convict Sites World Heritage listing, with convict-built cottages and barns still standing. Stay at a riverside holiday park in Longford, a short drive from the airport depots.

Day 7: On a Saturday, browse the Harvest community farmers' market in Launceston (8:30am to 12:30pm) for a final breakfast, or wander the historic streets of Evandale, close to the airport. Empty the waste tanks, refuel and clean the van, then return it to the depot at Western Junction. The airport terminal is about 2 km away, a short shuttle or taxi ride.