Tassie decisions

[Moya]

Well we had planed on having a camper trailer by Feb for our trip to Tassie but unfortunately it looks like we wont have one by then so need to work out if we take our Pajero and hire a CT or fly and Hire a motor home.

Is there any advice on peoples experiences with either? It will just be my wife, 10 month old (by then) and me. We usually just swag it or use a tent but now with the little one we need a change.

We have never used a motor home but could only find 1 CT hire place and its not to much more to hire a motor home so not sure what to do!

Any advice would be much appreciated

[gronk]

I would hire the motorhome...hands down.

With a baby, and like Victoria there can be 3 different seasons in a day, it will make everything so much easier.

Even die hard campers like a bit of luxury sometimes.

[austastar]

Hi,
     We had a  Toyota Dyna motor home for 30 odd years.
Not too many places in Tas we couldn't get it in to.

Don't get one that is too big.

Cheers

[Bird]

I would hire the motorhome...hands down

x2.. the price of going over on ferry gets to Ned Kelly territory once you want to take a trailer.

[Rumpig]

Having spent 6 weeks in Tasmania at the end of last year / start of this year, I'd happily tour the state in a motor home if I was to go there again. As mentioned already, plenty of the places to see are easily accessed via 2wd vehicles. Granted you won't be able to camp and drive some places we visited on our trip without a 4wd, but there's still plenty of other great places to see and visit in a motor home.

[tk421]

From what I have seen, Tassie is really well set up for free camping so the motor home/camper trailer is a good option.  But if you stay in CP's just driving your vehicle over might be the way. You could drive over and pick the CT up in TAS to save the cost of the ferry Friends of ours with a CT looked into the cost of taking it over. For the two of them it was cheaper to take just the car and stay in cabins when over there for two weeks.  A lot of the cheaper motorhomes can't take kids under 8 btw - you'd be up for a larger vehicle.

Was it a CT hire place in Tasmania that you looked at? .   You'd be looking at 150-200 per day for a motorhome or 80-100 a day for a CT.

[Moya]

Thanks for the replies. That is a good point about if its legal to have a baby in the back while we drive as by the time the cost of hiring a kid seat aswell it might be costly. Can anyone reccomend a good companies and good rigs they have hired?

 It is cheaper to take our car on a day sail than to fly with baggage  but you loose a day and are restricted on the days you can sail on.  Take the car and stay at bnb's is another option but this is a camping forum so better stick to that!!

Will start looking at motor home and see what I can come up with.

Cheers

[Spud7017]

Mate, your coming at a great weather period for Tassie.  Having said that, it is Tassie, so be prepared for all extremes particularly if you go to the West Coast.  With a ten month old bub, the motorhome will be far more enjoyable for every one involved. Plenty of rental companies around so hit the yellow pages.

Cheers

[Peter The Greek]

We did 3 weeks in tassie in feb this year, camping out of our car, towing a tsmall railer with tent, water, fridge ,batteries et al.

I got the boat across at night in an "ocean recliner" and my wife and 2.5 year old daughter flew down. I picked them up in Launceston and we went clockwise

Looked into all of the options you considered. That trip cost the same as hiring a car and staying in accomodation as we had to buy ALL the gear.....it wasn't cheap (eg fridge and 400ah batteries), but we have it all now so next holiday is a fraction of the cost. Plus camping is so much better.....not sure with a real young one though....

It was nice to have all our own stuff for our daughter, so that made life easier. Car seat included.

There is a guy doing nice Hilux campers down there, but nothing is cheap.

[DannyG]

Babies are like race engines, they need to be run in hard. I say just throw your double swag in and tough it out.  Your wallet can thank me later...but dont tell your wife who I am   

[GeoffA]

Babies are like race engines, they need to be run in hard......

 

Haven't heard that one before......

[plusnq]

Take your own car seat and attachments with you. I'd go the motor home as well given what you've said.

[Rumpig]

As much as I loved touring Tassie with our own 4wd and camper trailer, I personally wouldn't tour the place with a camper trailer ever again. Next visit there I would travel with something that doesn't have canvas in it...something like a motor home, caravan or cross over type van. Maybe I'm getting old and soft, but I did notice the lack of camper trailers versus caravans owned by the locals down there, and I reckon it's due to the wind and rain the place regularly gets.

[alnjan]

We spent 5 weeks in Tassie from late December to early February in 92/93 I think it was, kids were only 6 & 4 I think.  Before going we looked at the options, camping, camper trailer, hire a motorhome but in the end we planned the trip around seven locations (Launceston, Bicheno , Port Arthur, Hobart, Stahan, Cradle Mountain and Burnie) staying five nights at each (except Cradle Mountain it was three nights).  We booked into ensuite cabins at caravan parks except for Cradle Mountain booked into one of the chalets and Strahan was a villa. 

At the time with the kids we found this to be the best way to do it.  Kept the bride happy, made the day to day things nice and easy.  Bit of planning with itinerary and the normal travelling logistics made the trip very enjoyable.  The 5 weeks made a big difference, while we were still rushed we had time to see most things but still allow for rest days as needed. 

We would love to go back to Tassie again and this time stay a bit longer.  The longer you are there the cost of taking a vehicle and trailer on the ferry makes it becomes more cost effective.  As long as we had the right camper it is how we would do it next time. But the cabins worked well for us back then.

[BTMNDR]

Moya,

Where you hail from will have a significant impact.

I've moved to tassie after 20 years in the tropics. It gets mighty cold down here, and windy, and in places wet.  if it were me, I'd not bother swagging but go the rented camper van.  Do yourself a favour and get a big enough one that you'll be comfortable.

[Moya]

Babies are like race engines, they need to be run in hard. I say just throw your double swag in and tough it out.  Your wallet can thank me later...but dont tell your wife who I am   

My baby would prefer that option as she seems to like our bed more than her cot

BTMNDR we are from south west vic so very used to the cold and wet!

We will be going for 2 weeks with wedding in the middle so will be hard to fit everything we want to see in but have been before so have seen a few things already.
There is a big variety of motor homes out there but have narrowed my selection down a bit.

[Brutus]

For the cost of hiring a van if I could suggest something it would be book into cabin parks in the south, east, north & north west for a few days each and bring your car and explore from these bases.

We generally camp somewhere as a base and explore with day trips. Given you are only here for two weeks maybe target one or two areas max, relax and enjoy exploring. I have lost count of how many campers next to us spend all day rush rush rush trying to see and do as much as you can. Maybe let this trip be your exploration for a longer trip next time?

[Moya]

We have learnt that lesson a few times.. doing 13,000km in 5 weeks through Canada and the USA was too much!! Better to spend more time actually experiencing the place than just a quick hello and back on the road.