Bowral to Tassie return driving holiday, must drive roads?

[LS2 KLR]

I'm planning a driving holiday to Tassie late Oct/early Nov . I want to drive around Tassie and have a bit of a look as well. I'm going without the wife so I don't care where I stay or visit, just after some good driving roads. So if anyone can give me some names of roads I should drive, it would be greatly appreciated. I understand that there could be a very long list, but hopefully I can pick and choose as I please, and get a great driving experience.

I'm planning 5-6 days in Tassie, with 1 day from Bowral-Melbourne each way. I would also be interested in an enjoyable drive back home. Already thinking of the snowy mountains road, not so cluey about Vic perhaps through the high country?

Any other hints, please add, regards Evan.

[GasoLane]

Is the Bowral/Melb one day, meaning straight through, or a 24hr day with a stopover ?

[Yellow_Festiva]

Are you taking your car across on the Spirit? It is VERY costly, you will be looking at around $500ish for just 1 person. All trips across are night trips till mid Dec, meaning you need to book a bed as well. You can book a seat but the cost difference is hardly worth it.

I did a loop of Tassie a few months ago. If you don't spend too much time stopping to smell the roses you can do it in a week.

I landed in Hobart, spent a day there and a day at Port Arthur, then drove to Launceston (spent the night) then Waratah (Via Wynyard) then Derwent Bridge, then Southport then back to Hobart.

The East coast freeways are pretty good, drive at 100km/h no worries. Once you loop over the top and down towards Cradle mountain your average speed drops to 70-80.

Perhaps you can do the loop if you don't go to Southport in 6 days?

I stayed in cheap pub style places as well. The best one was in Launceston for $60 with breaky. You are looking at between $80-100 a night, perhaps more as I went in Winter.

Don't really know street names, but take a navigator with you. If you want to know where I stayed let me know.

Enjoy! Oh, and go to the Tassy Devil Sanctuary in Cradle mountain, they are run on donations and you get to hold a Devil.

[LS2 KLR]

Thanks Yellow Festiva.

Yeah, will be taking the spirit across from Melb. I'm planning on an anticlockwise route and was planning on getting to Strahan the first night. From the times I've been there(Tas), I've enjoyed driving the roads just never been in my own vehicle and without the handbrake in the passenger seat.

I really want to get the best driving roads. I should probably see which roads are used during the Targa. That could give me a good starting point. Hoping some locals can point me in the direction of their favourite run/s.

The drive from Bowral to Melb will be done just on the Hume, but I was hoping for a more challenging scenic route on the way back.

Cheers.

[Jason[98.EL]]

Originally Posted by Yellow_Festiva

Are you taking your car across on the Spirit? It is VERY costly, you will be looking at around $500ish for just 1 person. All trips across are night trips till mid Dec, meaning you need to book a bed as well. You can book a seat but the cost difference is hardly worth it.

.

WTF

I have just looked into taking the family over to Tazzy with the car and it was $800 return with the car and that was for 2 adults 3 kids on a daytime boat

It was for 23rd feb through to 1st march 2012 time frame so if you jump onto the spirit web site now http://www.spiritoftasmania.com.au/ you will find great prices oh and being a day travel you only need a sea lounge not a cabin and the car was $73 each way

Jason

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by LS2 KLR

The drive from Bowral to Melb will be done just on the Hume, but I was hoping for a more challenging scenic route on the way back.

OK, going home, if you have time, Princess Hwy to either Orbost or Cann River. Both of these take you to Bombala. Then onto Cooma, Canberra and home.

Or.

Hume Hwyto Wodonga then Murray Valley Hwy to Corryong.
Don't go through Tooma, it's more fun via Cabramurra..(if you have a manual your left arm will be aching later )
This brings you out at Kiandra on the Snowy Mtns hwy. You can then either go through Cooma to Canberra, or via Tumut and Gundagai to Bowral.

[Yellow_Festiva]

Originally Posted by Jason[98.EL]

WTF

I have just looked into taking the family over to Tazzy with the car and it was $800 return with the car and that was for 2 adults 3 kids on a daytime boat

It was for 23rd feb through to 1st march 2012 time frame so if you jump onto the spirit web site now http://www.spiritoftasmania.com.au/ you will find great prices oh and being a day travel you only need a sea lounge not a cabin and the car was $73 each way

Jason

Exactly... DAYTIME. When doing the trip Late Oct early Nov there is NO daytime boat. Do the night boat and you MUST pay for somewhere to sleep, which is what gets you in the hip pocket.

Departing 25th Oct:
If you want to share a room you need to pay $166, recliner seat $123 plus $73 for the car.

Returning 3rd Nov:

Shared room $140, recliner $97, car $73.

So, if you want to go the cheapest option, you are up for $366.

If you want to sleep in a bed you are up for $452.

Perhaps I should have said $400 ish.

[aussie muscle]

Originally Posted by GasOLane

OK, going home, if you have time, Princess Hwy to either Orbost or Cann River. Both of these take you to Bombala.

Be warned the road from Bombala to Cooma is atrocious at the moment. (i live there), but the road from Cann to Bombala is a nice drive (windey from from cann to the border, then flat, open roads to bombala).

i like GasOLane's second suggestion of going over the mountains, either elliott's way or tumut to cooma. it's good if there's no traffic.

[XR6_661]

The Sideling!!

Targa stage...I drove it in dads challenger and it was fun. Would love to do it in my car.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMdYMPkqtF8

[GTP owner]

There are great roads all over the place here. Pretty much anywhere you go will have some rippers. The roads from the west coast to Hobart are right up there, as are some of the back roads. The East coast is magic on a sunny day for the beauty. The drive out of queenstown is 99bends of bliss. The drive up mount wellington a nice hillclimb. So take your pick. Enjoy our little paradise!

[makattkd]

Liena Rd (from Deloraine via Mole Creek) to the intersection of Cradle Mountain Rd Cethana Rd. Taking in Mersey Forest Rd, Olivers Rd and Claude Rd. Epic 40 km's of road. Hope your brakes are good! Here is a vid of the first half Cethana

Another is Paradise Rd from the Claude Rd end to Mole Creek Main Rd via Union Bridge Rd (you could do this one first and link up with the first one imentioned quite nicely Sheffield

And Buster Rd, Melrose Rd, Paloona Rd, Paloona Dam Rd is a GREAT drive! (again you can link it up with the above two). Here is a vid of us doing it in Targa Paloona

There is heaps more good roads about, and its likely ive driven them so just ask

[jaydee]

Originally Posted by LS2 KLR

I'm planning a driving holiday to Tassie late Oct/early Nov . I want to drive around Tassie and have a bit of a look as well. I'm going without the wife so I don't care where I stay or visit, .

There's a good trip right there. "Slow down, you're too close, do you have to go around corners on 2 wheels, I'm getting car sick... blah blah blah".

The scariest road I drove on in Tassie was the last 50 or so kays of the Lyell H'way going into Queenstown from Hobart on the way to Strachan. Big, no,HUGE drop offs, with big steel cables along the edge to hopefully stop you going over if your brakes fade out.

Enjoy the trip mate.

[janddbone]

Just don't be stupid and add yet another fatality to our lists... Have fun! It is nice over here.

[LS2 KLR]

Thanks very much for the tips. Looks like I'll have a great trip planned. I'm definitly not interested in having an accident, I also have some very good driving roads on my door step and I don't do anything too stupid. The wife often comments that it's funny having a modified car and not driving it like one would normally expect.

Cheers Evan.

[LS2 KLR]

Originally Posted by makattkd

Liena Rd (from Deloraine via Mole Creek) to the intersection of Cradle Mountain Rd Cethana Rd. Taking in Mersey Forest Rd, Olivers Rd and Claude Rd. Epic 40 km's of road. Hope your brakes are good! Here is a vid of the first half Cethana

Another is Paradise Rd from the Claude Rd end to Mole Creek Main Rd via Union Bridge Rd (you could do this one first and link up with the first one imentioned quite nicely Sheffield

And Buster Rd, Melrose Rd, Paloona Rd, Paloona Dam Rd is a GREAT drive! (again you can link it up with the above two). Here is a vid of us doing it in Targa Paloona

There is heaps more good roads about, and its likely ive driven them so just ask

Perfect, this is definitely what I was after, legend.

[b0son]

Originally Posted by LS2 KLR

The drive from Bowral to Melb will be done just on the Hume, but I was hoping for a more challenging scenic route on the way back.

Warburton to Reefton is a great drive. So is the Alpine Hwy thru Hotham and onto Omeo.

Its dirt from Omeo to Khancoban, but Khancoban to Thredbo is now sealed and is a fantastic drive also.

[makattkd]

Originally Posted by LS2 KLR

Perfect, this is definitely what I was after, legend.

Let me know and I can draw up a googlemaps trip that would take you right around the state.