Travel Tips

ITINERARY 2 WEEKS TASMANIA TRIP FEB 2003
Often asked in Forum : "What can I see in 'x' amount of time driving around Tassie?"

Below is our fairly relaxed itinerary with comments:
Road trip in Camry sedan hire car. Chain Motels (Best Western) in Launceston and Hobart. Outstanding visits bold type.

Day 1 arrived Launceston pm ... dined Hallam's Waterfront Rest on the river. Rating 6.5/10.
Day 2 East Tamar drive - Hillwood Strawberry Farm for Breakfast. Pick your own strawberries. Bought berry vinegars which are A1. Rate 8/10
Georgetown - Low head at Tamar mouth - Batman Bridge - Beaconsfield - Beauty Point - to lunch at
Daniel Alps Restaurant at Strathlyn Wine Centre - Pipers Brook wines - www.pipersbrook.com (>cellar door> Strathlyn) - top place/ great food/wines/views Rate 9 &a bit out of 10
Dined at the Old Port of Launceston fish&chips on the deck overlooking boat harbour...OK.
Day3. Clover Hill Vineyard...sparklings (including Taltarni ) very good. Lalla Gulley range quite good.
Passed by Jansz (next time?) Lunch at Pipers Brook Vineyard.... PB stuff great..Ninth Island range more commercial. Lunch quite good. 7.5/10.
Evening meal at Jail House Grill in Launceston. typical pub fare,very touristy. 7/10

Day 4 dep Launceston heading ene to- Derby- Weldborough (drank at the "Worst Hotel") - Cheese tasting at Pyengana Factory....good stuff new tasting rooms being built. Pub fare at the "Pub in the Paddock"..OK. features a beer swilling pig in the front yard.
Drove down the coast to Freycinet Lodge for couple of nights. Cape Tourville in the pm...Dined in the a la carte restaurant. Very good 8.5/10
Day 5. Touristy walks..lunch picnic stuff from Coles Bay shops. Resort wine tasting at 5pm -8 wines with accompanied eating bits. Good value at $25 each Dined at resort Bistro good 7.5/10
Day 6 to Port Arthur via touristy walks at Eaglehawk neck/Tasman arch/Devil's kitchen etc.Stay at Fox & Hounds Motel OK Dining room at night full. Food better than expected 8/10. Ghost tour of Historic site at night . Good.

Day7 to Hobart. Salamanca Markets (Saturday morning) Dined at Mures Upper Deck at Victoria Docks very casual service with a 75 minute wait in the bar for a table. Seafood good but not remarkable 7.5/10.
Day 8. Maritime Museum in the am..lots on French Baudin Expedition..in which we have a great interest.
Then Antarctic Adventure. very good.(may be closed these days??)
Lunch at Machine Laundry Cafe on Salamanca Square. great 8/10.
Mt Wellington in the pm. Freezing cold....subsequent snow that night. blowing a gale.
Dined at Elizabeth St Pier..T 42 Degrees South ....Top place great atmosphere/food/wine 9/10.
Day 9. East to Cambridge - Meadowbank Estate wine tasting OK. Richmond historic village..lunch at bakery quite good.
Stefano Lubiano's tasting in the pm. Very good wines.Primavera Pinot Noir and Sparkling right up there!
Moorilla Estate tasting - good whites. Museum of antiquities outstanding. (Don't miss it. Facility being constantly upgraded. 2009 will see new art space open)
Back to T42 for evening meal. Not disappointed. 9/10 T42

Day 10. drove to Queenstown. Stayed Gold Rush Motel. Ok. Dined there. CWA cooking. 5/10
Day 11 Abt Railway to Strahan. includes boxed lunch.
Walk around Strahan before bus back to Queenstown. Would preferred to have stayed in Strahan for a couple of nites do both the railway and the boat cruise from there to visit the UNESCO World Heritage Listed Tasmanian Wilderness via the Franklin River!!!!
& dine at Franklin Manor (maybe more than once) www.franklinmanor.com.au
Late drive to Doherty's Hotel Cradle Mountain. Accom v.good. Bistro food quite good 8/10.
Day 12 Dove Lake walk (Cradle Mountain is part of the UNESCO Listed Area, by the way).
Evening dined in Grey Leaf Restaurant - fine dining 9/10
Day13 to Ulverstone via northwest towns. stayed at Waterfront Inn & dined across the river at Pedro's. Quite good 8/10.
Day 14 Suggest breakfast at the Anver Chocolate Factory. Stopped at Ashgrove Farm Cheese outside Elizabeth Town ...good. to Sheffield town of murals. to Launceston Old Bakery Inn.
Dined at Stillwater restaurant. Greatfood/service/views/ Top place 9.5/10 www.stillwater.net.au
Day 15 dropoff car at airport for 8:15 departure.
Re: Tasmania trip we booked a lot of the ground component through John Rapley in Hobart.
"John Rapley" <info@tasres.com.au>