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Tasmania – the untouched wilderness of Australia

Aug 30, 2018
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Peter ‘Spida’ Everitt and his wife Sheree (who you might know from The Great Australian Doorstep TV show) run fully escorted motorhome convoy tours in Australia, New Zealand, USA, Canada and Alaska. Here, Spida takes us to Tasmania.

Tasmania is like everyone’s second-favourite sporting team (for most travellers, anyway). Whenever you ask someone, “Have you been to Tassie?”, you’ll often hear the response: “No, not yet – I would love to, I hear it’s beautiful.” It’s like a well-rehearsed response. Well, stop right there! Whether you want a place to relax, unwind and be treated nicely, or it’s adventure and the wilderness you’re after, it’s time you headed south to the Apple Isle – you’ll be totally in awe of your surroundings either way.

Tassie is better by road and sea – take the time to see it properly. Take the caravan, pack your camping gear and jump onboard the Spirit of Tasmania. I was very impressed with the Spirit, it’s like a cruise liner, with amazing restaurants, really good food, heaps of entertainment for the kids and a movie theatre, and the rooms are great! It’s definitely a top experience, especially if you haven’t been on a cruise ship before – it’s a brilliant entry-level introduction.

A lot of Tassie is still untouched and very natural, so don’t expect to arrive by boat, scoot around and be out within a few days. While Tasmania is relatively small in size, it makes up for it with attractions and adventure – and some of the best camping spots you will find in Australia. Within only a few hours of leaving the ferry terminal in Devonport we’d stopped off, brought homemade goat’s cheese, had a little wine tasting, stocked up on a few bottles for the trip and then walked the coastline, admiring the sand beaches and rugged rock formations, and collecting a few pieces of Tassie driftwood – all in Ulverstone, an old town right on the oceanfront. 

When it was time for the Everitts to start up again, we were off down narrow windy roads to Strahan, via Cradle Mountain. Situated at the northern end of the World Heritage-listed Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, the mountain is about 90 minutes from Devonport or Ulverstone. It’s rich with Aboriginal history dating back thousands of years. The wildlife is plentiful and the scenery second to none – the golden rule is to remember your camera and be on the lookout! Cradle Mountain is one of those places you will never want to leave.

Dove Lake, at the foot of Cradle Mountain. Source: The Great Australian Doorstep

After saying a reluctant farewell, we then headed down to Strahan, an amazing little village nestled on the banks of the Macquarie Harbour. The old buildings, surrounding mountains, clear clean waters, the fishing boats – I didn’t know where to look first!

The two biggest ‘must-do’s’ in Strahan are the day cruise with World Heritage Cruises and a scenic seaplane flight. The cruise will take you to Sarah Island, where once upon a time convicts were cut off from the outside world, (there are plenty of reminders that they lived here still visible today). Then it’s off to the Gordon River heritage landing boardwalk and the intriguing Hells Gate (the narrow entrance to Macquarie Harbour). There’s also a great buffet lunch on board and those famous Huon pines! If you have time, also take in a scenic flight, which will give you a totally different perspective of the area. There’s nothing like a bird’s-eye view.

Unfortunately, time was not on our side – when we’re filming a television show we are on the go every day! We continued our drive, cutting straight across to the east coast. Passing so many places and not stopping was hard to do, but we will stop at all the towns we had to forfeit on this trip the next time we come to Tasmania.

Freycinet National Park. Source: The Great Australian Doorstep

We went east until we could go no further, arriving at the coast in a town called Coles Bay, the hub of the Freycinet National Park. You could seriously throw a blanket over the whole town, but that’s what we loved about it. From there it was a short drive, followed by a nice, semi-solid walk to the top lookout to see over the world-famous Wineglass Bay. This, in my books, is a highly recommended walk. The terrain is fairly easy and the views you are rewarded with at the end are remarkable. While driving in Tasmania you’ll pass many fabulous wineries, so ensure you make the time to stop and do a few tastings – always make sure you have plenty of time up your sleeve, as you just never know what is around each corner.

Wineglass Bay. Source: The Great Australian Doorstep

Coles Bay is breathtaking; all crystal-clear water and untouched wilderness. You feel as if you have it to yourself – you truly feel spoilt. The number-one activity after hiking to the lookout to Wineglass Bay, is to take a kayak out for a paddle in the glassy waters, where the only thing you’ll encounter is peaceful serenity – and maybe a couple of wild dolphins. It’s a relaxing paddle, looking at the national park and magnificent surroundings from a different angle.

Further north up the coast is St Helens, a place I’d heard a lot about and finally got to see it for myself. It’s the perfect place for me – a fishing village with more fish and marine life than you can poke your fishing rod at, and boats and trawlers that also bring bird life. Pictures can only say so much.

St Helens is full of surprises, too. If you love food, love seafood, love good people, then you have to go to the Blue Shed Restaurant. It’s the blue shed down on the main wharf in town. You will love it, I guarantee you. I have it in my top five restaurants in Australia.

A seafood feast at the Blue Shed Restaurant in St Helens. Source: The Great Australian Doorstep

There are also quaint coffee shops, beautiful walking tracks, stunning beaches, plentiful ocean and a great caravan park. But, saving the best for last, just a short drive from St Helens brings you to the most picture-perfect beach you will ever see, the Bay of Fires – voted the best beach in the world! Just remember to take a folding chair and a glass of wine or beer, so you can sit and savour the view. It’s definitely time to start organising that trip to Tassie!

Motorhome Convoy Tours are available in Australia, New Zealand, USA, Canada and Alaska. The Great Australian Doorstep is on Channel 7Two on Saturday afternoons, or tune in to the radio show every weekend across the TripleM and FlowFM networks – 68 stations, Australia-wide.
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