Tasmania Routing January 2014

You need to clarify "Monday 20 January - to Ross via Queenstown (to include the mining tour whilst in Qtown)"
(You may have mixed up the names of two places)

Ross is on the midlands highway, half between Launceston and Hobart, whilst Queenstown is on the west coast. You simply don't drive from Cradle Mountain via Queenstown to Ross.

You would typically drive from Cradle Mountain, via Launceston (well, actually, Perth), to Ross, in one day.
Or going around in the opposite direction, you would drive from Cradle Mountain, via Roseberry and Queenstown, and finishing the day somewhere like Derwent Bridge, which is practically right on Lake St Clair (one of my favourite places in Tasmania). You may need to check out a map and clarify your route.

I probably also wouldn't spend that much time in Launceston (4 days?) unless you plan on checking out some activities in the surrounds. Cataract Gorge is lovely, but the town itself is quite quiet.

Hi and thank you very much for the quick responses.

Dale164 - absolutely - it is backwards about forwards. So how would this be? Also - would you suggest more of a stay than a late PM and an overnighter in Derwent Bridge?

Sunday 5 January - arrive Hobart

Whilst in Hobart a day trip to Port Arthur

Wednesday 8 January - to Coles Bay

Sunday 12 January - to St Helens

Monday 13 January - to Ross

Tuesday 14 January - to Launceston

Saturday 18 January - to Cradle Mountain NP

Tuesday 21 January - to Derwent Bridge (via Queenstown and the mining tour)

Wednesday 22 January - to Bruny Island

Saturday 25 January - to Hobart

Sunday 26 January - Depart Hobart late am.

Silverflame - noted. My girlfriend suggests that with the Tamar River and so forth, there would be several day excursions we would take from Launceston. Your opinion remains - still perhaps a tad too long there? If so - anywhere else you might bung in an extra day or make another stop some other place?

Your views most welcome and thank you once again, cvb

4 days in Launceston on this time frame is a waste. It's a lovely, but small town, and I'd give it, at most, 2 days, unless you also plan day tours out to wineries from beyond here.
3 days in Cradle Mountain is about right. Lovely, and worth a few walks, such as the circuit of Dove lake.
Queenstown is the ugliest town in Australia. I couldn't get through there fast enough.
The great shame here is you are missing the West coast - Strahan is a lovely town, and the base for cruises up the Gordon River into the SW Wilderness. See if you can fit this in (2 days all up will do it). It's well worth it, and only a short diversion from Queenstown.
A Saturday in Hobart is good as it allows you to see the Salamanca Place markets

Unless you really fancy old towns I would go St Helens to Launceston in one day.

Arte you staying in Bruni Island or just a day trip?

I'd stay two days in St. Helens if you're travelling from Coles Bay. Slow trip up the coast and spend the following day driving a loop up through the Bay of Fires, Mt William National Park, Eddystone Point etc.

Perhaps three days in Launceston. One for the town and the Gorge itself and a couple for day trips.

I see that you're into nature and trekking - have you had a look at the National Parks website? You can find it here. This might help you to finalise your times in each area.

Hartz NP is well worth a visit, as is Mt Field. They can be accessed using Hobart as a base.

I'd agree with #4 on Queenstown - I too would prefer to get out to Strahan.

Re: Launceston, I'd still say 4 days is too long, given the rest of the sights on the island. 3 is the absolute max I'd stay there, even with day trips.

I would suggest staying one or two nights at Derwent Bridge / Lake St Clair, because as I said above, its a beautiful area. Its far better to take 2 nights off Launceston and add them on here. It would be worth having at least one evening and one full day to explore the area.

Most of the large lakes in Tasmania are man made and have been created to produce hydro-electricity. As such the water levels rise up and down throughout the year and you end up with a wide, barren rocky scar around the edge of the lake.

Lake St Clair is essentially a natural glacial lake and the lake level has only been raised artificially about 1m or so. The result is that there are several nice sandy beaches, a lot of grassy shores and forest right down to the waters edge. The water is also crystal clear.
There are lots of day-walks around the lake shore as well as to surrounding mountain peaks where you can get some spectacular views

There is often a lot of wildlife around the shore of the lake in the late afternoon / evening, even right outside the national park visitors centre and accommodation at the southern end of the lake. Definitely Kangaroos, wallabies and possums and maybe wombats and Tassie devils.

There is also a fast boat that operates on the lake, primarily for transporting hikers to and from both ends of the lake. Tourists can also take a cruise on it around the lake at certain times during the day, its a great way to see some of the great mountain scenery. (Its quite cheap from memory $20-30 pp)

There is accommodation right near the lake shore, which is, I believe, within the national park. There are also 2-3 accomm. options at Derwent Bridge, (inc. a hotel with meals and mid range rooms and very basic and cheap backpacker dorms). Derwent Bridge is not a town, it is just a dot on the map that has a hotel, a petrol station and shop and some accomm.)

And if its warm you can sleep for free on the beach on the side road to the pumpstation!