Summer in Tasmania means long, light evenings and an island that has something for everyone. There are little penguins and jumping pillows for the kids, cellar doors and convict history for slow-paced explorers, and sea cliffs and alpine trails for anyone chasing adventure, often just a few hours apart. Whether you’re travelling as a family, a couple or a crew of mates, the hardest part is choosing. So pick what you love, and we’ll point you to where to go, what to do and where to park the van.
Tasmania’s North West Coast pairs wild ocean views with rolling green farmland and historic seaside towns. In Stanley, walk or ride the chairlift up The Nut, an ancient volcanic plug, for views along the coast. Boat Harbour Beach is all white sand and crystal-clear water, and at dusk in Penguin, the little penguins come ashore. Fill the van’s fridge along the Tasting Trail, with farm gates, cheese, chocolate, seafood and cider. For a forest day, head inland to the Tarkine (takayna) for walks to Trowutta Arch and Dip Falls.
Where to stay: BIG4 Tassie Getaway Parks Stanley sits on the waterfront with views of The Nut, and guests regularly praise its spotless amenities. Couples’ pick: settle in for the evening and, if you’re lucky, spot little penguins on the beach after dark. It also has a playground, a games room and a separate bathroom for families with young children.
Further east in Devonport, home port of the Spirit of Tasmania, Discovery Parks Devonport makes an easy first or last stop on your trip. Family favourite: a jumping pillow and playground for sunny days, and a movie room for rainy ones. Close by, Mersey Bluff Caravan Park has roomy sites, many set on the hillside overlooking the water. Couples’ pick: the lighthouse, beaches, a café and a restaurant are all an easy walk from the van.
About an hour from Hobart, across the narrow isthmus at Teralina / Eaglehawk Neck, the Tasman Peninsula is lined with the highest sea cliffs in the Southern Hemisphere. Explore the Tessellated Pavement, Tasmans Arch and Devils Kitchen, then step back in time at the World Heritage-listed Port Arthur Historic Site, with more than 30 buildings and ruins. Keen walkers can tackle the Cape Hauy walk (around 4 hours return), one of Tasmania’s 60 Great Short Walks. Family favourite: the Tasmanian Devil Unzoo at Taranna, where devils are fed and wildlife roams free.
Where to stay: NRMA Port Arthur Holiday Park is a hit with families, with play areas and a BMX pump track. Couples’ pick: book a glamping tent. The safari tents have heating, a kitchenette and a private bathroom, while the stargazing tent adds an electric fireplace and an outdoor bath on the veranda. Then gather for dinner at the park’s wood-fired pizza oven, with all the equipment and wood provided. White Beach Tourist Park is about 10 minutes from Port Arthur, with well-kept grounds and a camp kitchen, and its quiet, beachfront setting makes it a peaceful base for exploring the peninsula’s history at your own pace.
Just a 20-minute vehicle ferry ride from Kettering, about 30 minutes south of Hobart, Bruny Island is easy to explore as a day trip or a longer stay. Ferry tickets can be bought at the terminal and are good for the next available sailing. If you’re taking the van across, fares are based on the total length of your car and van. Allow extra time over December, January and long weekends, when queues can build.
Once you’re across, drive the island’s gourmet trail of oysters, cheese, honey, raspberries and chocolate, and keep an eye out for the roadside fridge stocked with the Bruny Baker’s sourdough. Climb the boardwalk to Truganini Lookout over The Neck, and look out for Bruny’s famous white wallabies. Family favourite: at dusk, watch the little penguins come ashore from the viewing platform at The Neck. Wear dark clothing and use only a dim red-light torch.
Where to stay: to stay on the island, Bruny Island Holiday Park sits right at Adventure Bay, across the road from the beach, with cabins and a camp kitchen. Couples’ pick: the Fluted Cape walk starts right at the park, with clifftop views over Adventure Bay. Prefer to day-trip? Snug Beach Cabin & Caravan Park is a beachfront park set among landscaped gardens, about 10 minutes from the Kettering ferry, with a camp kitchen and undercover barbecues.
Tasmania’s most famous peak rises 1,545 metres above Dove Lake, and summer is a wonderful time to visit. The Dove Lake circuit (6 km, 2 to 3 hours) is one of Tasmania’s 60 Great Short Walks, with the classic views of Cradle Mountain, ancient pines and rare alpine plants. Paddle Dove Lake in a handcrafted King Billy pine kayak, or watch Tasmanian devils feed at Devils@Cradle. Family favourite: the 10-minute Rainforest Walk to Pencil Pine Falls and the 20-minute Enchanted Walk are perfect for little legs, with wombats and pademelons often spotted along the way.
Leave the van at the visitor centre and hop on the shuttle bus to Dove Lake, which runs daily through summer. You’ll need a shuttle ticket and a Parks Pass.
Where to stay: Discovery Parks Cradle Mountain is the closest park to the national park. Whether you’re on a budget or after a treat, the choice ranges from powered sites and dorm beds to cabins, spa chalets and Premium Mountain Cabins with gas fireplaces. Couples’ pick: after a day on the trails, unwind in the park’s timber sauna with floor-to-ceiling glass.
About 70 minutes from Hobart, Mount Field is one of Tasmania’s two oldest national parks. The easy, wheelchair-accessible walk to Russell Falls (25 minutes return) passes beneath towering mountain ash, among the tallest flowering plants on Earth. Family favourite: after dark, look for glow-worms in the grotto just before the falls.
Just 30 minutes from Hobart’s CBD, kunanyi rises 1,271 metres above the city. Take in the summit views, walk the Organ Pipes track beneath the dolerite cliffs, or ride the gentle Pipeline Track from Fern Tree. Check the Pinnacle Road status before you go, as it can close in poor conditions.
Where to stay for Mount Field and kunanyi: BIG4 Hobart Airport Tourist Park is a family favourite, with a jumping pillow, a playground and a recreation room. Barilla Holiday Park is about 10 minutes from the centre of Hobart, with a 19-hole mini golf course that’s fun for all ages. Couples’ pick: no need to cook after a day on the mountain, with a pizza restaurant right on site.
Most Tasmanians know Ben Lomond for snow, but in summer its alpine plateau comes alive with wildflowers, wombats and wallabies. The drive up Jacobs Ladder, with six tight switchbacks, is one of Australia’s most remarkable, so leave the van at the park and take the car. From the alpine village, the Alpine Village to Little Hell walk (90 minutes return) offers sweeping views over the plains.
Where to stay: BIG4 Launceston Holiday Park is a family favourite thanks to its very large jumping pillow, and it’s close to the city’s attractions. For something quieter, Longford Riverside Caravan Park is about 20 minutes from Launceston, with sites right beside the river. Couples’ pick: take a slow morning by the water, then explore historic Longford and its nearby World Heritage-listed convict estates, Brickendon and Woolmers.
Just 30 minutes south-west of Hobart, the Huon Valley was once the heart of Tasmania’s apple industry, and today those apples pour as cider. Taste your way through Willie Smith’s Apple Shed, Frank’s Cider House and Pagan Cider, then pull over at the roadside stalls for fresh local produce. At Glen Huon Dairy Co, a small organic dairy, you can meet the cows and stock up at the farm shop. Wander riverside Franklin and its Wooden Boat Centre, or browse the Cygnet Market on the first and third Sundays of the month. Family favourite: walk the wheelchair-accessible Tahune Airwalk, with a platform 50 metres above the Huon River, then explore Newdegate Cave at Hastings Caves and warm up in the 28-degree thermal pool.
Where to stay: Snug Beach Cabin & Caravan Park also makes a handy base for the Huon.
Tasmania’s largest wine region stretches north from Launceston along kanamaluka / River Tamar, with more than 30 cellar doors along the Tamar Valley Wine Route. The east bank is the sparkling side, home to names like Jansz, Clover Hill and Pipers Brook, while the west bank is known for pinot noir and chardonnay. Sample gin at Turner Stillhouse in Grindelwald, or a beer at the Miners Gold Brewery taproom at the Beaconsfield gold mine. Family favourite: watch platypuses and echidnas at Platypus House in Beauty Point, see thousands of seahorses next door at Seahorse World, and join a tour at Low Head to watch little penguins come ashore at dusk.
Where to stay: BIG4 Kelso Sands Holiday Park, near the mouth of the Tamar, has a solar-heated seasonal pool, a playground and open spaces, plus wombats wandering through. Low Head Tourist Park is less than five minutes from the meeting point for the nightly penguin tours, with a camp kitchen, free gas barbecues and a playground. Couples’ pick: step back in time at the nearby Low Head Pilot Station Maritime Museum, Australia’s oldest pilot station, dating from 1806, and the Low Head Lighthouse next door.
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