Tassie questions

[turtlemichael]

We are having 6 nights in Tasmania from Jan 30th next year. It will be the first in Tassie since Adam was a boy. We arrive off the QF flight at 8.15am and thought we'd hire a car, head off into the wilds for 3 or 4 days and have the last couple in Hobart. We want to go to MONA. We thought also of Port Arthur. Any suggestions of where to go in the 4 days travelling around Tasmania? We are wanting to be leisurely, stay in nice hotels and eat at some nice restaurants and not have too much time on the road. Many thanks.

 

[KitKat]

You could stay at MONA (have not stayed there) but have stayed at Saffire - enjoyed ourselves (nice place, great food and wine)
Saffire pics below

 

[turtlemichael]

Looks wonderful KitKat but I fear a touch out of the price range. Lunch at MONA might be a possibility.

Any more sugestions?

 

[Jkyn]

Wine Glass Bay, Freycinet National Park favourite spot in Tassie for me.


Sent from my iPad using AustFreqFly app

 

[KitKat]

6 nights - could do a circumnavigation - probably not recommended as you would spend most of the time in the car, so probably do the east coast, Hobart and Bruny Island? or another option is Hobart, East Coast and Cradle Mountain.

Had dinner at Monty's at Montpellier - quite good, small restaurant in Hobart
Try to spend a Saturday morning at Salamanca Market
Lunch at MONA
Barilla Bay Oysters outside the HBA airport

 

[Cruiser Elite]

tm IMHO Port Arthur is a must.

 

[UP4014]

Pity you don't want to drive much, there are a great many interesting things to see and for me a trip to the west coast is a must.

matt

 

[Sprucegoose]

6 nights - could do a circumnavigation - probably not recommended as you would spend most of the time in the car, so probably do the east coast, Hobart and Bruny Island? or another option is Hobart, East Coast and Cradle Mountain.

Had dinner at Monty's at Montpellier - quite good, small restaurant in Hobart
Try to spend a Saturday morning at Salamanca Market
Lunch at MONA
Barilla Bay Oysters outside the HBA airport

Your hire car is not allowed on Bruny Isand if you choose to follow your obligations. It is a good few hours however, great views from the lighthouse. Be conscience of return ferry times.

 

[AdMEL]

Your hire car is not allowed on Bruny Isand if you choose to follow your obligations. It is a good few hours however, great views from the lighthouse. Be conscience of return ferry times.

Budget used to allow you to take their cars to Bruny island for some unknown reason, but they moved into line with Avis about 12-18 months ago and now don't allow it unfortunately.

 

[JohnM]

Budget used to allow you to take their cars to Bruny island for some unknown reason, but they moved into line with Avis about 12-18 months ago and now don't allow it unfortunately.

Avis will grant dispensation on request. The reason they exclude Bruny Island is that they can't readily get a breakdown service there.

If you phone the Hobart depot you're collecting from direct and ask them to have state management send you the waiver form to sign and send back, you'll be good to go. Don't try to organise it through the Avis call centre; the person I spoke to last week had no idea why the exclusion applied and assumed it was insurance related. It's not and no extra charges apply.

Apparently it's all about them not getting caught by a renter being stranded on Bruny and missing a flight or something like that. The same applies for other similar islands around Australia.

 

[AdMEL]

Avis will grant dispensation on request. The reason they exclude Bruny Island is that they can't readily get a breakdown service there.

If you phone the Hobart depot you're collecting from direct and ask them to have state management send you the waiver form to sign and send back, you'll be good to go. Don't try to organise it through the Avis call centre; the person I spoke to last week had no idea why the exclusion applied and assumed it was insurance related. It's not and no extra charges apply.

Apparently it's all about them not getting caught by a renter being stranded on Bruny and missing a flight or something like that. The same applies for other similar islands around Australia.

JohnM, Thanks for this! Very useful to know. Have you had any actual experience with this for any other islands? It's very annoying that the t&c's specifically prohibit travel on ferries and/or to islands and specifically prohibit Bruny Island, when they actually allow it!

I've had a similar experience with Thrifty - they allowed me to take a car from ADL to Kanagroo island, on the ferry, despite t&c's prhibiting it, at no additonal cost ... just a special notation on the contract, signed by me. Also allowed driving on dirt roads (most of them on KI), when they normally prohibit it. I think Europcar also allows travel to KI under some circumstances, despite it also being prohibited under their t&c's!

There are many other anomalies like this!

 

[JohnM]

JohnM, Thanks for this! Very useful to know. Have you had any actual experience with this for any other islands? It's very annoying that the t&c's specifically prohibit travel on ferries and/or to islands and specifically prohibit Bruny Island, when they actually allow it!

I've had a similar experience with Thrifty - they allowed me to take a car from ADL to Kanagroo island, on the ferry, despite t&c's prhibiting it, at no additonal cost ... just a special notation on the contract, signed by me. Also allowed driving on dirt roads (most of them on KI), when they normally prohibit it. I think Europcar also allows travel to KI under some circumstances, despite it also being prohibited under their t&c's!

There are many other anomalies like this!

This is my first experience of wanting to take a rental car to an island - in Australia at least. It was only by luck that I happened to spot it on the online booking printout. My reaction was "why?" so that's why I called them.

Maybe overseas there have been similar restrictions that I've blithely been unaware of .

 

[drron]

Now Tasmania is my cup of tea.Over the last 4 years I have worked for 12 months there.I thoroughly reccomend the Source restaurant at Mona.Not only is the food good but excellent service.The Maitre'D there is a model of efficiency,the best I have met in Australia.MONA is a world class gallery.The building itself is worth the visit.
Going north Barilla Bay oysters is good if you like oysters.
Freycinet does have some good lodgings.Although some reasonable restaurants I reccomend the Freycinet marine farm.A rustic setting but great oysters,mussels and abalone.
Also good restaurants around Launceston.We like Stillwater.Then there is the Tamar Valley and wineries.
In the North West we like Drift in Devonport(owner and chef ex Angassi) and just outside Penguin is Casablanca-different but enjoyable.
And of course Cradle Mountain-probably cant go past the Cradle Mountain Lodge.
Bruny Island we enjoyed-but we rented a house there-formed part of the lead up to my TR of the Black Sea.We used Bargain Car rentals who do allow you to go to Bruny Island-we had no problems but others have.
If you go to the Tasmanian forum of Trip Advisor and search drron there are about 8 pages of my contributions there-possibly a few pearls amongst the chaff!
And dont worry about driving distances-from Devonport to Hobart is only ~ 300km.

 

[AdMEL]

This is my first experience of wanting to take a rental car to an island - in Australia at least. It was only by luck that I happened to spot it on the online booking printout. My reaction was "why?" so that's why I called them.

Maybe overseas there have been similar restrictions that I've blithely been unaware of .

Just for clarification, are you referring to spotting the clause on the online booking printout which prohibits taking cars to Bruny island, etc.?

 

[AdMEL]

And you can add my vote for Cradle Mountain and Cradle Mountain Lodge - have stayed there twice in the last few years and enjoyed it both times.

 

[JohnM]

Just for clarification, are you referring to spotting the clause on the online booking printout which prohibits taking cars to Bruny island, etc.?

Correct - where it states: "Where you can and cannot take the vehicle."

 

[turtlemichael]

Thanks for all the suggestions. A friend who knows the island very well has strongly suggested we go to Strachan and the west coast but I think that our desire to not be too frenetic will win out. That will have to wait for another trip.

The current plan (and I know I'll need to do some bookings soon given the time of year) is: After a morning arrival into HBA drive to Port Arthur and spend the first night there. Then drive to Freycinet for two nights. Come back to Hobart for the final three nights in time to go to the markets, the next day to go to MONA and the final day to look around Hobart. Is this silly? Will the driving, such as it is, be reasonably scenic? Is there any variation I should do to this itinerary? Many thanks.

 

[irv]

We are heading over in February for three weeks, will take time exploring most of the island, hope to have a relaxing and non frenetic holiday.

 

[mrs.dr.ron]

We are heading over in February for three weeks, will take time exploring most of the island, hope to have a relaxing and non frenetic holiday.

Can I suggest Corinna on the west coast - we had a fantastic time there, the river cruise was spectacular scenery.

Corinna - At Home In The Wilderness


you could easily spend a couple of days there.

 

[irv]

Can I suggest Corinna on the west coast - we had a fantastic time there, the river cruise was spectacular scenery.

Corinna - At Home In The Wilderness


you could easily spend a couple of days there.

Thanks for the heads up, we are booked to stay at Strahan, that time of year accommodation is scarce and can be a bit over the top. Looked your recommendation up, we will have a hire car but intend to visit the Tarkine to see as much as we can, what was the roads like heading up there.

Thanks