If you like driving on superb roads, with beautiful scenery, lovely weather, awesome sights and great hospitality, Tasmania is the place. Some glimpses….
A Typical Road
Views over the vineyards
Tulip Fields
Turquoise colors of Binalong Bay
Nelson Falls
Here is a pic of me and my wife – senior citizens, love driving in scenic countries
Benu and Jan
And our car, Mitsubishi ASX 4 cyl 2 liter 6 speed auto, rented from Hertz.
Classified as a mid-sized SUV, it lacked 4WD, reactive cruise control, side lane intrusion warning etc. However, the engine was peppy, and the gears could be changed manually, very nice on hill roads. Quite roomy, too.
“Kitna deti hai” did you ask? 14.5 KMPL
Tasmania driving route
Tasmania is an island, small in comparison to mainland Australia, but all of 65,000 sq KM, close to that of Assam, with just 5 lakh people (are there more people in Andheri?) and lots and lots of sheep and cows.
September/October is Spring in Tasmania (Southern hemisphere, remember?). Flowers were in bloom and there was a little nip in the air. The weather was just right for us – highs of 11-17 centigrade, lows of 5-7 (at night), mostly sunshine with some cloud cover, occasionally a bit of rain. Light jackets were enough unless it was very windy. Rooms were always heated, and electric blankets provided (we didn’t like them).
We did a near complete round of the island, starting from, and ending at, Launceston where we flew from/to Melbourne. Apart from the main route shown in the map, there were innumerable side trips to various places, including some remote spots which people rarely get to. We drove an average of 200+ KM a day, but the drives were actually great sight-seeing, too.
Along our route we found every possible kind of road, from flat motorways to multi hairpin hill roads with no side barriers (you are not supposed to honk at blind turns). On day 2 of our trip, from Wynyard to Cradle Mountains, we were on a long stretch of hill road with innumerable twists and turns. If you want to see a waterfall, expect to find a nice stretch of curvy road with plenty of climbs and descents. For a driving nut like me, the drive was even better than the waterfall sometimes!
The roads, ahhh, the roads…………
There are several types of roads in Tasmania :
M roads Motorways connecting the large towns. Four lanes in a few stretches, but mostly two lanes, with overtaking lanes at frequent intervals. M roads do have surrounding scenery, but when you are pelting along at 110 KMPH you cannot really see the view!
A roads These are high speed (100+) roads, always 2 lanes with a dividing line. In places they can be quite narrow and twisty, and the speed limit is reduced accordingly.
B roads My favourites! Country roads with very little traffic, but speeds up to 90. You can amble along at 55 and enjoy the view (nice views guaranteed all around), or take on the challenge of driving at the legal speed limit on the many twisty sections.
C roads are usually narrow, undivided country lanes, often with speeds up to 60, quite difficult to maintain in a SUV. Very scenic, always.
Unsealed roads meaning gravel, no tarmac. Hertz doesn’t let you drive on these.
Roads in built-up areas - The full Monty – 50 KMPH speed limit, traffic signals, warnings galore.
None of the roads in Tasmania, even the C roads, have bumps, potholes or blemishes. In fact, the (very) few stretches sign-posted “rough surface” will put most Indian roads to shame. Immaculate dividing lines, ample signage, very little traffic, and enough twists and turns to keep you busy – that is a typical “Tassy” road.
Warning – speed limits are very tightly monitored and controlled, and fines are heavy. Seat belts are a must, even in the back seat.
Huge “road trains” roar at the top of the speed limit on highways and can loom up behind you in a jiffy. We preferred to avoid the highways and stick to the B and C roads as far as possible. Traffic is generally sparse, even on the Motorways, and you can amble along in peace, taking in the scenery without anyone bothering you, or drive at the speed limit (can be challenging!). I used the cruise control a lot – it is very useful.
We used Google map to get by, of course, but there was a hitch – no mobile coverage in many areas, particularly the mountains. In hindsight we should have used SIMs from two different telecom companies for our two iPhones, so that one or the other would give coverage. We had large scale maps as back-up, too.
Where to stay?
Of course, there are hotels, motels etc, but we preferred B&Bs in little remote villages, where we usually found a log fire in the lounge, and very friendly landladies who gave us sumptuous breakfasts.
Our rural B & B
We stayed at this B&B (only 2 suites) at a remote village, and the landlady gave us a grand dinner, too. It was a charming place, actually a small farm with ducks and chickens, dogs and cats, a lama or two, and even a family of platypus, or is it platipi?
A bit about the food. Tasmanian fare is very similar to what one gets in England or Scotland, including typical pub menus. Most towns have Indian, Thai or Chinese restaurants.
B&Bs provide a Continental breakfast as standard, consisting of juice, cereals, fruits and toast. A “hot” breakfast adds eggs, bacon, sausages and hash browns (sometimes), but it costs extra. If you are an omnivore, you can eat enough at breakfast to avoid spending time (and money) on a full lunch, but not so easy to do for vegetarians.
B&Bs don’t provide dinner, barring exceptions, and we had to eat out. Be warned - most eating places close early (by 6.30 pm), and only Asian restaurants and fast-food joints are open up to 9 pm.
More sights …….
A Wallaby on the roadside
Portsea lookout
Bay of fires
Binalong Bay
Cataract gorge
Coles Bay
Colors of the sea
Iron Blow lookout
Landscape colors
Peaceful lake
Russell falls
St Columba falls
Streams in rainforests
Yellow canola fields