Northwest Tasmania rewards the slow traveller. Here, the Tarkine shelters Australia’s largest tract of cool temperate rainforest, where myrtle, sassafras and tree ferns carpet the understory and rivers carve their way to a wild, wave-battered coast. The famed Tarkine Drive can be done in a quick 1 to 2 days, but this itinerary stretches the experience into a relaxed week-long loop from Hobart in an Apollo 2WD campervan. You’ll wander mossy forest trails, picnic beside dark tannin-stained lakes, scan the shoreline for shorebirds, and stand at the aptly named Edge of the World as the Southern Ocean thunders at your feet.
Tasmania’s weather can change quickly. Late spring to early autumn is the sweet spot for hiking and long daylight, with coastal summer days often in the high teens to low 20s Celsius and warmer pockets inland. Autumn is crisp and clear, and spring brings wildflowers and full waterfalls. Winter is beautiful but cold and often rainy, with snow possible at higher elevations; trails can be wet and muddy, and you’ll want warm layers and a solid rain jacket. The Tarkine Drive is mostly sealed and well suited to a 2WD campervan. Fuel and full supplies are best topped up before entering the loop, with Smithton the main service town and a small shop at Arthur River.