Don't take any fruit or vegetables with you. On arrival in Devonport, you, your car and your van will be "attacked" by gorgeous Beagle sniffer dogs!

We had been told by other A'vanners that the standard of caravan parks in Tasmania was generally not as high as on the mainland (or the "other" island as Taswegians call it).   The parks we stayed at were those recommended by the "natives", and we were more than happy with the location and facilities offered.   We had toured Tasmania by car (staying at guest houses) 8 years ago and had done the "touristy" things so this time concentrated on those areas we had not seen or wanted to see again.   In the remoter areas, caravan parks are a bit thin on the ground and accommodation in them is limited, so we do suggest you phone ahead to book a site a day or so before arriving, particularly if travelling during school holidays.   On the subject of caravan parks, the "Tourist Park Accommodation Guide" put out by the NRMA (was free but now $5.50 - further "benefit" of de-mutualisation) is a must.   Also, the RAC Tasmania map available from the NRMA (free) was sufficiently detailed for all our touring needs.

Our first stop was at the "Cradle Mountain Tourist Park" in Cradle Valley.   Accommodation is limited so suggest you book ahead.   Sites are "nooks and crannies" in the bush which provide good privacy.   There is a terrific communal "shelter" and a large camp kitchen - both with open log fires, even in February!   This van park is ideally located for hiking in the northern parts of the Cradle Mountain Lake Clair National Park.   In the eight years since our previous visit, the Parks people have done a terrific job in making the wilder areas more accessible.

Familiar profile of Cradle Mountain over Lake Dove

Next stopover was at Dover Beachside Holiday Park.   Dover itself we thought a bit drab but the van park was fine and a good base for exploring the local area.   Don't miss the new Tahune Airwalk which takes you for what seems like kilometres, high up over the huge tree tops.   If you are into day hiking, take the Arve Road Forest Drive to the Arve River Picnic Area then walk to Hartz Peak (1255 metres).   On a clear day you can see over seven sets of ranges, well into the South West National Park.   A little less strenuous but just as enjoyable are the Hastings Caves and Thermal Springs.   Tasmanian Parks again have done a fantastic job in upgrading these areas.

Next port of call was New Norfolk Caravan Park with it's lovely grassy sites, close to the Derwent River.   New Norfolk is an interesting town - don't miss the historic Anglican Church.   We chose New Norfolk as a base to drive out to see Lake Pedder and Lake Gordon .   Lake Pedder was just as beautiful as we had imagined, but Lake Gordon was not a pretty site.   Admittedly the lake level was low following a number of dry seasons, but the muddy shores all littered with dead trees presented a decidedly "nuclear holocaust" impression.   The Gordon Dam itself is a magnificent example of civil engineering, but the only credit given on the bronze plaque is to the "Honorable so and so" who officially opened it!   Back at the van park, a walk along the Derwent riverbank resulted in a bowl full of delicious blackberries.   If they had been sprayed it didn't show on the berries, and we survived devouring them without any ill effect!

By then time was running short, so we made for Strahan on the West Coast and stayed at Strahan Caravan & Tourist Park where the Tasmanian A'vanners were having a weekend get-together.   They are a great bunch, and made us feel most welcome.   This is a relatively large park (for Tasmania) and is ideally located for enjoying all that part of Tasmania has to offer.   Strahan itself is a very historic town with lots to see of interest.   Don't miss the Macquarie Harbour Cruise on "The Lady Jane Franklin" which takes you out into the ocean through Hells Gates, up the Gordon River to Heritage Landing and Nature Walk with a stopover at infamous Sarah Island.   Those Big Cats sure can move when the "loud pedal" is pressed!

Gordon River Cruises' Lady Jane Franklin

Queenstown is a great example of the long term consequences of mining and processing without any concern for the environment.  In his booklet "Through Hells Gates", the author Kerry Pink writes that "Today, the King River is renowned, not for its beauty, but for precisely the opposite.   It is the ugliest river in Tasmania and probably the worst example of industrial pollution in Australia."   "The river is biologically dead.   Nothing grows along its banks and nothing lives in its waters." ;  "The river is a slimy, yellow and grey gutter, lined with dead trees."   "It has carried the waste of Mt Lyell mine and of Queenstown into Macquarie Harbour for the best part of a century."   And that too was our impression.

However, every cloud has a silver lining. The Queenstown to Strahan Abt (rack and pinion) railway is being renovated and could well be running right through from Queenstown to Strahan by now.   It was to have been completed before we were in Tasmania, but was not yet finished.   It was running part of the way however, which we went on and is great fun, particularly if you are into steam trains!

Time was really running out by then, so we made for "Stanley Cabin & Tourist Park" at Stanley, on the north west corner of Tasmania (stopping near Rosebery on the way to walk up to Montezuma Falls - the highest in Tassie and well worth the effort).   Stanley is on a peninsula which juts out into Bass Strait and is reputed to be the windiest place in the State .   Locals would have you believe this is the first bit of land the wind hits after leaving the east coast of South America, passing below Africa on its way to little old Stanley!   It lived up to its reputation.   We sure were glad we had a solid wall camper trailer.   A couple on the site next to us had a Jayco trailer with the "stick-out" ends.   All that canvas gave them a very unsettling night.   They were up and off the next morning!   Good caravan park with spectacular views from top of the "Nut" which is just behind the park.   Don't take the chairlift up the Nut as the walk up, around the top and back again is just what is needed before firing up the van park BBQ.

We've bored you enough - go see it for yourselves!

Keith and Pam Thomas
30/03/02

Footnote (8/08/02):
Many people have asked us how much it costs to take an A'van across to Tasmania.   The impression is that it is very expensive, and one of the reasons why some Tassie A'vanners leave their vans in storage on the mainland. Well, how long is a piece of string?   Unfortunately, there are so many variables that the only sure way of finding out what it will cost is to contact the shipping line TT Lines ( www.tt-line.com.au on the internet), nominating your particular requirements.   Variables include date of travel (peak, shoulder or low), overall length of tow vehicle and A'van, personal circumstances (under 60, senior or pensioner), and type of overnight accommodation required (cabin - single, double, inner or outer).

In our case, we travelled to Tasmania after the school holidays (shoulder period), have a Subaru Forester towing an A'van Sportliner (3 ft shorter than the standard length Aliner), had an outer twin cabin with porthole, and we are both seniors.   The total return cost was $1,342 made up of $40 each way for the car, $179 each way per person (2 of us), $273 each way for the A'van.   Dinner and breakfast each way was included in the price.   Deposit of $40 with balance one month before travel   - all done over the internet.   You can see the van costs nearly 7 times as much as the car!   The reason given us for this is that the car is subsidised by the Government whereas the van is not.   Also, the car on average will have 2.4 people paying the shipboard accommodation fare, whereas the van has no people, and when we get there (like the proverbial snail) we have our own accommodation.   In our case however, we still felt it worth the extra to have our usual A'van freedom and favourite "stuff" around us.

Meanwhile, it appears the two replacement ships ( Spirit 1 and Spirit 2) have arrived and go into service from September 1.   Between them, they will provide a daily overnight crossing which should be far more dependable than having to rely on one "proper" ship and the Devil Cat.   With the introduction of these two ships there has been a significant reduction in the cost of getting to Tasmania with your car and van.   For our case as described above, the total cost involved has been reduced from $1,342 to $820.   This is made up of $183 per person each way plus $49 each way for the Subaru/Sportliner combination.   Meals are no longer included in the fare and are on a pay as required basis.