Tasmania - Camping Grounds

Tasmania has a great variety of accommodation considering its relatively low population. All personal tastes and price brackets are catered for at most of the cities and main tourist centres.

The holiday park, camping ground and caravan park network is quite extensive. Many small towns on the regular tourist touring circuit will have a public camping facility with at least the basic provision of flush toilets, showers and water supply. Advance bookings should only be necessary in the peak summer months of December and January. The following cities make ideal bases for exploration of the island on self-drive tours:

Hobart has two main camping grounds but these are not within walking distance of the city. Barilla Holiday Park, at 75 Richmond Road, Cambridge, has unpowered and powered campsites priced from around A$16-22*. Elwick Tourist Park, 19 Goodwood Road, Glenorchy, has sites from A$17-20*.

Launceston is well provided with youth hostels and backpackers but surprisingly has only one main campground. Treasure Island Caravan Park, 94 Glen Dhu Street, South Launceston, has hillside terrace sites at reasonable rates overlooking a freeway.

Devonport has a range of accommodation mainly catering for ferry passengers but there is one main caravan park. Abel Tasman Caravan Park, 6 Wright Street, East Devonport, has campsites right on the beach at reasonable rates. It is only a short walk from the ferry terminal.

Queenstown, in the remote west coast wilderness country, has the luxury of free camping at Ocean Beach and Henry Dunes near Strahan. There are no facilities so you need to be self-contained. Also at Lake Burbury, 15 minutes drive out of Queenstown, you can camp on shoreline sites for A$5* for two people. Queenstown Tourist Park at 17 Grafton Street, has sites from A$18-22* and is only 500 metres south of the town centre.

Burnie has a campground 4kms west of the city centre. Burnie Holiday Caravan Park, 253 Bass Highway, Cooee, has sites from A$15-20* at the rear of the property.

Bicheno has one main park in a central location. Bicheno East Coast Holiday Park, 4 Champ Street, has sites from A$18* in neat, orderly rows with all the requisite facilities.

* Prices as at Jan. 2006