Tasmania is without any doubt one of The most family friendly destination of The wold. It has great places To discover within The full range of historic sites, nature, wildlife on a relatively compact island. As always, a good preparation is key To a fantastic holiday, so let’s have a closer look on how To prepare yourself and your kids for a Trip To Tasmania.
When To visit
Peak season runs from January Till April. During Those summer months The weather is warm and rainy days are limited. In addition during summer, a free range of family activities are offered at National Parks or heritage centres. Down side is That accommodation are pricy at That Time of the year and need To be booked well in advance To avoid disappointment. The winter months are cool and in The hills it can even get pretty cold, snow included. Spring and autumn have more unstable weather, especially at The West coast of The Island, going from 25 degrees Celsius on one day To 10 degrees Celsius The next. The region around Hobart and The East coast are in general more stable.
We have visited mid May and enjoyed some snowflakes, hard winds in The mountains, heavy rain and flooding and clear blue sky beach weather. Best part is you can have all of it in one day.
How To go There
By Boat
Families with children enjoy very much Taking The spirit of Tasmania To cross The Bass Strait from Melbourne To Devonport. The 11 hour cruise saves you The hassle of navigating Through The airport Terminal and you are allowed To bring you car or camper van on board of The ship. Children are not restricted To Their seat and can enjoy many forms of entertainment on board. The service runs once or twice and depending on The season.
For more information on The Spirit of Tasmania:
By plane
It’s easy To fly in on one of The Two airports of Tasmania, Launceton and Hobart. A one hour flight which can be Taken from Melbourne airport or from several other cities in Australia.
What To pack
Clothing
When you can have 4 seasons in one day, make sure your Take appropriately clothing for The kids with you and dress Them in layers. An absolute must is a raincoat and plenty of warm and Thin (short and long sleeve) T-shirts, ideally made of merino wool, which is excellent To build up layers. Depending on The season you will need a warm fleece and/ or jacket, mittens, a scarf and a hat. A body warmer is also a nice gadget To wear over your kids raincoat in case The temperatures drops. Make sure you do not forget long Trousers, good socks and solid hiking shoes when you intend To do some bushwalking with your kids.
Sunscreen
No need To say but nevertheless The season, always protect The sensitive skin of your little one. Even when it is cold, The sun can be very Tricky in This part of The world.
Practical necessities
Big cities as Launceton and Hobart have large supermarkets, with lots of choice of food, like babyfood or other practical necessities, like diapers. However apart from The basics, your choice will be rather limited in smaller towns or at remote places. Make sure you stock well in case your little one is in need a specific brand or type of food.
Traveling around
By car
In Tasmania is easy To Travel around by car or motorhome. Distances are short and roads are very well maintained. If you stay on The highways and main roads, There is even no need for a 4WD and all Touristic sites are located around Those roads. Despite of The short distance, The Travel Time can be quite substantial, as roads can be very narrow, steep and have a lot of Turns. Be in particular careful by hard winds or when it rains and roads become very slippery. Due To heavy flooding or bushfires, roads can be Temporary closed. Make sure you have sufficient food and drink for The kids with you and some entertainment in case you need To go for a substantial detour.
In general petrol stations in Tasmania have large opening hours. However There can be quite a distance between stations while Traveling off The beaten Track, so make sure you start The day with a full Tank.
Wildlife is everywhere in Tasmania and They don’t stop at The side of The street. At dawn, roads are full of animals from possums To deers. Be careful when you are on The road at That Time of The day or at night, an accident with a deer mostly doesn’t end well.
By buss
The bus service in Tasmania is very good. There is a state wide buss network offering regular route services across Tasmania. It does not only operate between The larger cities, but also offers access to some iconic Tourist attractions, such as Cradle Mountain, Freycinet National Park or Three Capes Track. However service is offered on a regular basis, pay close attention To The hours of service as you do not often have a lot of choice, depending on The Time of The year.
Mobile phone coverage
Tasmania has improved Their mobile phone coverage drastically over The last years. However depending on your carrier, Take note you will not have coverage all The Time, especially in remote area’s. Telstra is known as The operator with The best coverage in Tasmania.
Where To stay
There are many Types of accommodation To choose from in Tasmania. If you love camping, you will be able To find some of The world idyllic spots To place your Tent or park your camper. Tasmania is one of The easiest and most unspoiled places To camp or To explore by camping. In case you want To stay at a more luxury accommodation, There are many lodges and beach houses which will do The Trick. Tasmania also offers Glamping Tents, in case you want best of both worlds. With children you might consider a self catering cottage or staying at a holiday park. Most accommodations offer laundry facilities, so There is no need To pack your entire closet.
As already mentioned before, in case you indent To Travel during high season, make sure you book your accommodation well in advance. Same applies for camping spots with facilities.
Eating out
In Tasmania children of all ages are very welcome in restaurants. Very often There is even a specific kids menu and are high chairs provided. Most places have a baby changing facility, which comes in handy in case you Travel with a baby or an infant. In most restaurants all Types of food are available, fish, meat, seafood, cheese, name it and They’ll probably have it. The quality of The products is outstanding as most is cultivated locally, which means it arrives fresh at your plate. What do you wish more for your little ones?
Safety
You have To admit To it, Tasmania has some amazing wildlife, but it also hosts some of The most dangerous creatures of The world. This does not necessarily need To spoil all The fun or prohibit your kids from swimming in The sea. What it does need, is for parent To Take The necessary precautions and stay vigilant at all Times. Medical care in Tasmania is excellent, however it is always better To be safe Than To be sorry.
On The beach
Tasmania has a bad reputation when it comes To sharks. Despite The fact That Tasmanian waters in general are The natural habitat of sharks, attacks are very rare. If you are Travelling with young children, it is very unlikely They would encounter a shark at The shore of The beach. However, if you are Travelling with older children who are accustomed To swimming in open waters or like To surf, I would be more precautious for The presence of sharks. Also Take note That sharks are not The only creatures at The beach who can endanger your children’s life. There are killer cone snails and poisonous jellyfish.
Tasmania has some excellent beaches famous for surfing. Kids just love To watch The surfers and it is only natural They want to go into Those water Themselves. Even if your kids are skilled swimmers, make Them aware of The undertows at surf beaches.
Bushwalking
Bushwalking is a very common family activity in Tasmania. Make sure you cover up during your walks. Long Trousers, long sleeves (with insect repellent), thick socks and walking boots are recommended, also for children. This limit The risk of snake bites, thick bites and ant bites. Snakes are common in Tasmania, and however They are in general very shy They become very active in summer. Bad news is That all Three types of snakes on The island are venomous, but the good news is That There fangs are unlikely To penetrate your Trousers and socks or your Boots. So gear up your little ones appropriately. In addition be careful when kids want To collect firewood or other Things from The forests, a hidden snake who feels threatened will most likely attack. The antidote for all Three types is well spread and is The same for each Type, so you do not need To remember which snake has bitten you.
There are also venomous spiders on The island, however reports of spider bites are rare. Teach you children not To put Their hands in holes or crevices or To Touch any kind of animal without supervision. In case you have been bitten, seek medical attention immediately, apply a pressure immobilisation bandage and Try To move as little as possible. Last but not least wombats, wallabies and Tasmanian devils are cute but still wild animals, do not let your children get close without supervision.
Furthermore, when bushwalking, always be prepared for sudden bad weather, have drinking water with you and a rainproof coat. Weather conditions may change very quickly and unexpected. Always and always inform others of your intentions for hiking and location. In case a log book is present or any other information at The beginning of your walk, us it.
For more information about hiking with Kids in Tasmania:
Hiking at Cradle Mountain with kids
Sun Protection
No matter if it is winter or summer, The sun can become quite strong in This part of The world. Use sufficient suncream, a hat and sunglasses so avoid any injuries caused by sunburn.
Best kid’s activities
What not To miss
In Tasmania There are so many activities To choose from That even in 6 weeks you will not be able To Do Them all. This was our Top 10 list of To do’s:
- Meet with The Tasmanian devil
- Reconnect with wilderness and go for a hike
- Spend The day at The beach
- Visit one of The historic sites
- Go on a boat Trip
- Hope on on one of The magnificent Train rides
- Go for a Treetop forest walk
- For more information about The above activities:
- Visit one of The famous lookout points
- Go on a Pengiun Tour
For more detailed information about The activities above;
Check your activity up front
Depending on The Time of The year or on weather conditions, some activities are not offered or sites can be temporary closed. Make sure you check up front To be able To Timely change your Travel plans.
Our motto, roam The planet, but always be well prepared when you Travel with your children To remote places.
Cheers,
Little T’s parents
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