FREE CAMP AROUND TASSIE

Tour Tassie without spending a fortune on accommodation by staying in these fantastic freedom camps

WORDS BY TRINA MORRIS PHOTOGRAPHY BY TRINA AND RAY MORRIS

The Apple Isle is Australia’s ultimate touring destination. It really has everything you could want; pristine beaches, ancient forests, rugged mountain and lake vistas, and rich convict-era heritage. Big savings on accommodation are absolutely guaranteed with hundreds of fabulous camping grounds available.

To help you unplug your rig from the confines of caravan parks, we’ve prepared this list of Tasmania’s top twenty freedom camping hotspots, which capture the very essence of what this island paradise has to offer. They were chosen because they give travellers something special – in facilities, location, cost or attractions – to ensure a fantastic, low-cost Tasmanian adventure.

The historic village of Stanley is definitely the touring hub for Tasmania’s far north-west. A pleasant freedom camp sits beside Tatlows Beach with amazing views up to The Nut and the iconic row of quaint 1830s cottages at its foot. There are no facilities but the fees are low, it’s flat, spacious and pet-friendly. Enjoy this movie-star heritage village by taking the chairlift ride (or steep hike) to the top of The Nut, visit historic Highfield House, the Seaquarium, penguin rookeries, Dip Falls and Trowutta Arch.

From Stanley, explore the far northwest coastal tip on a self-drive tour of Montagu, Marrawah and ‘The Edge of the World’ near Arthur River. Return via the unsealed loop through the ancient rainforests of the magnificent Tarkine Wilderness.

On your way back through to Burnie, take the twisting mountain drive down the Murchison Highway  (A10) south of Wynyard. This beautiful drive provides a wonderful side trip into another world, delving deep in Tasmania’s rainforests:

HELLYER GORGE REST AREA

At the Hellyer River bridge, a neat little hardstand freecamp provides a delightful resting place, with good picnic reserve facilities at your disposal. It has a wonderful rainforest feel with tall tree ferns and towering eucalypts all around.

There are two lovely short walks from your free camp: along the ferny rainforest riverbank, and through an Old Myrtle forest, to an absolutely massive, ancient Tassie Blue Gum. From this serene jungle outpost, head north towards Burnie along the C101 to make this diversion a nice round trip, and begin the next bite of your adventure – cross country through Upper Natone to Riana.

THE NORTH WEST HINTERLAND

This part of our journey allows for an exploration of the stunningly beautiful hinterland south of Bernie, Penguin and Ulverstone

RIANA PIONEER PARK

This lovely pet friendly campground has surprisingly low fees for the excellent facilities offered – in fact, they are every bit as good as a low key caravan park. The grassy parkland setting is pretty, safe and quiet - perfect for families – and the generous 30 day stay limit sets you up for a fantastic stay.

Camp unplugged, or pay a little more for power and water to recharge the van’s batteries and tanks, while you explore the region’s myriad laneways and country roads. Wings Wildlife Park in the scenic Gunns Plains valley is brilliant for families, and be sure to take the tour of the Gunns Plains Caves.

LEVEN CANYON RESERVE

This fabulous free camp is one of our top five Tassie favourites. It has excellent toilet and BBQ facilities, with nice little camping sites below towering trees. It is very remote, so plan to stay for a few days, and don’t forget the milk! Best of all, this beautiful reserve features a walk to an absolutely spectacular lookout. Leven Canyon free camp may be a long journey from everywhere, but is not to be missed!

THE GREAT WESTERN TIERS & HIGHLANDS

Our next bite of the Apple Isle explores beautiful green farmlands below the northern bluffs of the Great Western Tiers, extending from Mole Creek, through Deloraine and Westbury to Carrick and Longford

LOWER LIFFEY RESERVE

Located 30km south of Deloraine, this sheltered free camp offers flat sites in a lovely shady picnic area within in a 100 hectare leatherwood, sassafras and myrtle forest. It has good facilities and is home to one of Tasmania’s loveliest walks, along a sun-dappled rainforest trail to beautiful Liffey Falls.

From this free camp, you can explore the entire Great Western Tiers region, including the limestone caves and alum cliffs in Mole Creek, and the delightful heritage towns of Chudleigh, Hadspen, Hagley and Carrick. Tasmania’s artistic hub of Deloraine is a fabulous town, as is the charming English colonial town of Westbury.

A worthy side trip, especially for trout fishing fanatics, tours the highland lakes region over the roof of Tasmania, via the A5 and B51 circuit. The 20km unsealed section of the Highland Lakes Road is kept in good condition (although you should check conditions after snow falls in winter), so don’t let this put you off this fantastic Tasmanian driving route.

COWPADDOCK BAY

This primitive free camp on Gunns Marsh Road is located in a scenic part of the Arthurs Lake Recreation Area. The entire highland lakes region is an angler’s mecca, with Arthurs Lake providing the best fly fishing in Tasmania, so you’ll be cooking fresh trout on your campfire very night. Access can be muddy after rain, but 4WD rigs will have no trouble, and there’s plenty of room for all your mates. Continue north to Launceston via Longford – with a quick stop in historic Evandale - for the next stage of your Tassie adventure.

LAUNCESTON AND THE TAMAR

Follow the majestic Tamar River from Launceston to experience some of the best vineyards, orchards and olive groves

MYRTLE PARK RECREATION GROUND

Targa, 25km north-east of Launceston, is home to Tassie’s best pet-friendly family freedom camp. It offers a fantastic facilities and a generous 30-day-stay limit at affordable rates. Nestled beside the St Patricks River, the spacious, grassy setting is ideal get sporty or just laze in the sun. Myrtle Park provides the perfect base for a comprehensive exploration of Launceston and the Tamar loop.

THE NORTH EAST

Enjoy the panoramic drive through the Pyengana valley to St Helens, after climbing over the stunningly beautiful Weldborough Pass… but don’t miss Tassie’s favourite pub!

PETAL POINT

If you love coastal camping, the primitive beachfront camp sites in the Waterhouse Conservation Area, 50km east of Bridport, or Petal Point on the far north eastern tip of Tasmania, are absolutely wonderful. They involve unsealed access suitable for caravans and motorhomes. Petal Point has toilets, but BYO everything else, including firewood and water. Your pooch is welcome, camping is free, and the 30-day stay limit spells ‘r-e-l-a-x-a-t-i-o-n’.

COSY CORNER NORTH

From St Helens, head north to the world-famous Bay of Fires Conservation Area, where there are seven fantastic free campgrounds. Our favourite, Cosy Corner North, comes complete with squeaky white sand, azure water and orange lichenclad granite boulders. Toilets are provided, but little else in mod-cons, so bring everything with you. Fido is welcome, and you can chill here for four weeks at a time… although that’s simply not long enough!

THE EAST COAST

A tour of the Apple Isle is not complete without an exploration of the Freycinet Peninsula and Maria Island national parks

RIVER AND ROCKS CAMPGROUND

This very scenic free camp is especially handy for those travelling with pets, being located just outside Freycinet National Park. It’s a great base for your iconic walk to Wineglass Bay, preferably at sunrise. Trees provide welcome shade and there are good facilities to hand. Although it gets very busy in peak season, you can usually squeeze in somewhere. For overflow, or to be closer to Maria Island, check out the low cost Mayfield Bay campground further down the coast.

THE SOUTH EAST

The Tasman Peninsular is another must-see Tassie destination, with the magnificent Three Capes Track to walk, and Port Arthur Historic Site to explore

TARANNA COTTAGES & CAMPERS PARK

This private freedom camp offers a peaceful, natural setting for selfcontained RVs, and the friendly owners have established a terrific on-site pioneer museum. Camp fees are low, starting at $10 per night for an unpowered site, with a small number of powered sites available if you need to recharge your batteries. Leashed pets are welcome and the thirty acre property is teeming with wildlife, so keep a camera handy.

HOBART

Hobart lacks good freecamps close to the CBD – the showground gets fairly poor feedback from most nomads – so we think the best free camp is a little out of the city

SOUTH ARM RSL

This friendly club on Hobart’s eastern-shore South Arm peninsula offers a wonderful place to stay. It is free for self-contained vehicles, or just $5 per night for access to showers and toilets. Guests can choose between hard-stand or grassy sites, and water is available top up tanks. Pets are welcome and there is no time limit, so it’s ideal for a lengthy sojourn to explore greater- Hobart. The iconic Tasmanian heritage town of Richmond and Coal Valley wineries are not far from South Arm.

THE MIDLANDS

Be sure to tour the Midlands if you love historic towns! Between Hobart and Launceston along the Bass Highway there are many to explore, including Kempton, Ross, Tunbridge, Oatlands and Campbell Town.

LAKE DULVERTON REST AREA

The scenic free camp behind the village of Oatlands is one of our favourite Tassie free camps, and is well-placed to base your tour of inland Tassie. The serene lakeside setting, complete with pesky ducks, topiary and the towns’ historic working flour mill, is priceless. A leisurely exploration of this gorgeous heritage town is a must to appreciate the convict-cut sandstone block cottages lining the main street.

SOUTHERN DELIGHTS

There are many lovely free camps south of Hobart - we’ve singled out two

FRANKLIN FORESHORE RESERVE

This lovely campground on the Huon River, 45km south of Hobart, attracts fees of $10 per night. Franklin has a traditional wooden boat-building workshop which is well worth a visit and the fabulous Petty Sessions Café is right next door to your camp, so put your saucepans away! It is not a large site, so if space is short, there’s an equally good and very roomy freedom camp another 10km south, at Port Huon, called Shipwrights Point. From these camps, you can easily explore the wonderful Huon Valley and experience Geeveston’s Tahune Forest Airwalk. It’s also an easy day drive to the far south of Tasmania, to visit Dover, Southport and the beautiful Recherche Bay Recreation Area.

GORDON FORESHORE RESERVE

18km south of Kettering, this fantastic freedom camp operates on an honesty box system, requesting $5 per night. The spacious and scenic familyand pet-friendly reserve is on the D’Entrecasteaux Channel, opposite Bruny Island, and it’s a fisher’s delight. It provides the ideal base for a day trip to Bruny Island on Bruny Island Safari’s (best done without your van), and to explore the beautiful countryside between Kettering, Woodbridge and Cygnet.

THE WESTERN WILDERNESS

From Hobart, point your rig north west and brace yourself for an arduous -but beautiful - drive through the mountains towards Queenstown

BRADYS LAKE

This popular fishing destination 17km north of Tarraleah offers free lakeside stays with a rarely-enforced seven day stay limit. It is a remote ‘BYO everything’ primitive site, so don’t forget the matches. There are several camping areas, all with superb lake and mountain views, and boat ramps aplenty.

MACQUARIE HEADS CAMPGROUND

To explore all that Strahan has to offer you need to stay a week! This awesome camp ground 15km south of town sits beside Ocean Beach. Low fees provide beautiful grassy camp sites - many with fire pots – separated by roly-poly humps of remnant rainforest scrub. The Gordon River World Heritage cruise and the Wilderness Railway journeys are must-do adventures during your stay.

LAKE MACKINTOSH

On the drive north from Strahan, take the alternative route – Anthony Rd (B28) – to Tullah, and enjoy magnificent views over Lake Plimsoll. The fantastic primitive free camp on the shores of Lake Mackintosh requires aweinspiring access, which skirts a massive granite monolith towering above the dam wall. The freecamp offers stunning lake and mountain views, and is a fisher’s paradise. From here, enjoy a day trip to Zeehan’s West Coast Heritage Centre and Mining Museum and Cradle Mountain!

CRADLE COUNTRY

You can visit Cradle Mountain from Lake Mackintosh, or the nearest free camping at Fossey River Rest Area on the Murchison Highway 14km north of the C132 (Cradle Mountain Rd) turnoff. Our pick for a central, well-serviced Cradle Country stay, however, is Sheffield.

SHEFFIELD RECREATION GROUND

This lovely Tassie town, best known for its steam and mural festivals, sits on the northern edge of Cradle Country. The scenic free camp has lovely views to Mount Roland, is convenient to town, and has a choice of flat hardstand or grass sites. The four-day stay limit is barely enough, because there’s much to do, including the gorgeous day-drive south to Mole Creek, on the stunningly beautiful C137 through the aptly named area of Paradise. From Sheffield, head north to Devonport to catch your ferry back to the mainland.

So, there you have it! The very best of Tassie’s free camping. Enjoy the savings, the friendly people and the ancient beauty of Tasmania’s natural environment at these top twenty Tassie freecamps.