Tasmania Great Eastern Drive

Scenic road chapters

Waypoint introductions and full write-ups

1. 1. Hobart

   Hobart tucks itself against the foot of Mount Wellington, with the wide Derwent estuary at its feet, and it has the compact, sandstone-and-timber feel of a port that never grew too large. It is the capital of Tasmania and Australia's second oldest city, founded in 1804 as a convict settlement, and the old warehouses along Salamanca Place and the cottages of Battery Point survive from the early years of the colony. On Saturdays, Salamanca Place fills with a crowded market of stalls selling food, crafts and plants.

   Read the complete Hobart write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Hobart is where the day begins. Next is Orford.

2. 2. Orford

   Orford is a small seaside town on the east coast of Tasmania, at the mouth of the Prosser River, and it has the easygoing feel of a place that has always been a bit off the main road. The river runs through a pretty valley and into a sheltered bay, where fishing boats and kayaks bob in the water and walkers follow a path along the bank. Across the water lies Maria Island, a national park with no cars, where wombats, Forester kangaroos and Tasmanian devils roam among ruins of a convict settlement and a short-lived cement works.

   Read the complete Orford write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Orford comes up about 78 km into the recorded legs. Next is Swansea.

3. 3. Swansea

   Swansea sits on the shore of Great Oyster Bay, halfway up Tasmania's east coast, and its position is one of the best on the island. The bay curves away to the east, and across the water the pink granite peaks of the Hazards rise above the Freycinet Peninsula, glowing in the sunset like a stage set. Behind the town the land climbs to the Eastern Tiers, and the Meredith River runs through farmland to the sea. It is one of the oldest settlements on this coast, and the stone buildings, old warehouses and quiet streets reflect its long history of farming, whaling and sheep.

   Read the complete Swansea write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   about 136 km into the recorded legs you reach Swansea. Next is Freycinet.

4. 4. Freycinet

   Freycinet is the peninsula on Tasmania's east coast where a granite spine called the Hazards rises pink and orange out of the sea, the kind of rock that looks stained by the last sunset, and the colour comes from the feldspar in the stone. The famous curve of Wineglass Bay lies on the far side, a white arc of sand reached by a steep walking track of about an hour from the car park, and a good viewpoint is on the way up; it is a fair climb in motorcycle boots, so plan to change shoes.

   Read the complete Freycinet write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Freycinet, about halfway. Next is Bicheno.

5. 5. Bicheno

   Bicheno is a small fishing village on Tasmania's east coast, built around a tiny harbour known as the Gulch, where fishing boats shelter behind a rocky breakwater. The town has a quirky, cheerful feel, with a blowhole that spouts when the sea is rough, rock pools full of life and the island of Diamond Island, which you can walk to at low tide. The sea here is clear and cold, and the marine reserve off the coast teems with fish and sea life, making it a favourite of divers.

   Read the complete Bicheno write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Bicheno sits at 370 km, late in the day. Next is St Helens.

6. 6. St Helens

   St Helens sits at the head of Georges Bay on the north-east coast of Tasmania, and it is the biggest town on this stretch, though that still means about two thousand people. The bay is a wide, calm inlet where fishing boats come and go, and the town is built around it, with a long waterfront, a few pubs, a bakery or two and the quiet hum of a place that survives on fish, tourists and a bit of timber. The coast here has a reputation for game fishing, and in summer the harbour fills with boats chasing tuna and marlin further out.

   Read the complete St Helens write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   The route ends here after 312 km.