Your campervan guide Tasmania Australia: ferries, forests and first camps

Most Tasmania campervan trips begin at Devonport after the Geelong to Devonport ferry, usually about 9 to 11 hours depending on sailing and weather. If you are flying into Hobart and collecting there, fine; just do not build an itinerary that expects you to drive from Hobart to Cradle Mountain, hike, shop, dump tanks and make dinner by sunset. That is how arguments begin in the cutlery drawer.

For ferry crossings, enter the correct vehicle length and height when booking. A typical 2-berth camper may be around 5.5 to 6.5 m long, while a 4-6 berth motorhome can be 7 m plus and about 3 m high. Gas bottles generally need to be declared and turned off, and loose fuel containers are not your friend on a ferry deck.

• Do: arrive with food, water and charged devices for the first night in Devonport or nearby.
• Do not: plan a late ferry arrival and then aim for a remote free camp in the dark.
• Book: ferries and vans earlier for December to March; that is grey-nomad-and-school-holiday season.

You can lap Tasmania in 7 days if you enjoy packing up more than travelling. Ten days is workable; 14 days is where the island starts to make sense. The classic self-drive loop runs Devonport, Cradle Mountain, Strahan, Hobart, the east coast, Bay of Fires and back through the north. It is roughly 1,050 to 1,300 km before side trips, which sounds tiny until you meet the West Coast bends.

Keep driving days below 250 km where possible. Roads like the Lyell Highway are sealed and beautiful, but they are not fast. Roadside signs may say 100 km/h; your motorhome, the weather and the next logging truck may all vote differently.

• Best short trip: Hobart to Freycinet and back with Bruny Island or Port Arthur added.
• Best first Big Lap taste: Devonport loop via Cradle, Strahan, Hobart, Freycinet and St Helens.
• Best slow corner: the north-west, including Stanley, Wynyard and the Tarkine edge.

You do not need a 4WD to see the best of Tasmania in a hired campervan. Cradle Mountain, Lake St Clair, Freycinet, Port Arthur, Stanley, Strahan, Hobart and the Bay of Fires are all reachable on sealed roads or short, well-managed access roads. The trap is the tempting squiggle on the map that looks like a shortcut and turns into corrugations, overhanging scrub and a rental agreement problem.

Many hire vehicles restrict unsealed roads, beach driving, snow-covered roads and tracks like the Western Explorer. Ben Lomond's Jacobs Ladder is spectacular but steep, narrow and not a place for a long motorhome. On Bruny Island, check current road surfaces before pushing south in wet weather; some campground access roads can be rough after rain.

• Do: read your hire conditions before chasing a lookout down a gravel road.
• Do not: trust travel time estimates on narrow C-roads after dark.
• Watch for: low branches in older towns, tight supermarket car parks and 2.8 to 3.3 m vehicle height at carports.

Tasmania is good to van sleepers, but it is not a free-for-all. Free camping is generally only legal where signed or permitted by the local council, conservation area or land manager. National parks require a valid parks pass, and many popular campgrounds need booking in advance. Budget about $100 for a holiday vehicle parks pass, with prices changing from time to time.

Powered sites are handy every few nights for battery recovery, laundry and a proper shower that does not involve a thimble of hot water. Free camps around the north-east coast and some council areas can be excellent, but facilities range from toilets and bins to absolutely nothing. If your van is not self-contained, choose places with toilets and respect stay limits.

• Do: book Freycinet, Cradle Mountain and school-holiday coastal sites early.
• Do not: empty grey water in bushland, drains or beach car parks.
• Useful rhythm: two nights unpowered, one night powered, then dump and refill before the next leg.

Tasmania has shorter distances than the mainland, but do not get casual. Some servos close early, not every town has diesel at night, and west-coast fuel can cost more than you expected. A 7 m motorhome drinking 12 to 15 L/100 km should keep at least 200 km of range in hand, especially between the west coast, central highlands and the north-west.

Dump points are common enough if you plan them: look around Devonport, Latrobe, New Norfolk, Queenstown, Strahan, Swansea, St Helens, Scottsdale and many larger holiday parks. Potable water taps are not always next to dump points, so carry a dedicated drinking-water hose and ask before filling at a servo or showground.

• Do: fuel up before Cradle Mountain, the West Coast and the Tasman Peninsula.
• Do not: assume every dump point has rinse water, bins or turning room for a big rig.
• Stock up: in Devonport, Launceston, Hobart, Burnie or St Helens before smaller villages.

Tasmania can serve 28°C sun on the east coast and 6°C rain at Cradle Mountain in the same week. In summer, Hobart often sits around 12°C to 23°C, but inland and alpine areas can be much colder overnight. In winter, snow and ice can affect high roads, and some hire operators may restrict travel in alpine conditions.

Dawn and dusk are wildlife hours. Wallabies, wombats and pademelons treat roadsides like a salad bar, and hitting one in a campervan is miserable for everyone. Slow down after 5 pm in forested areas, use high beam where legal, and let impatient locals pass when there is a safe turnout.

• Do: carry layers, levelling ramps, a torch and flyscreen patience.
• Do not: drive tired after the ferry; first-night fatigue is real.
• Nice move: park nose-out at campsites in wet weather so you are not doing a three-point turn in mud.