Tasmania east coast drive
Freycinet is 175 km (2 hours 10 minutes) from Launceston and 193 km (2 hours 35 minutes) from Hobart, and St Helens near the Bay of Fires is 166 km from Launceston via Scottsdale or 255 km from Hobart. You cannot drive to Wineglass Bay: you walk in, the lookout is a 2.6 km return walk, and the park needs a parks pass.
Updated
Key facts
- Launceston to Freycinet (Coles Bay)
- 175 km, 2 hours 10 minutes, via Lake Leake Highway
- Hobart to Freycinet (Coles Bay)
- 193 km, 2 hours 35 minutes
- Launceston to St Helens
- 166 km, 2 hours 35 minutes, via Scottsdale
- Hobart to St Helens
- 255 km, 3 hours 30 minutes, via the Tasman Highway
- Wineglass Bay
- You cannot drive to it; the lookout walk is 2.6 km return (1 to 1.5 hours), and the full bay walk is 6 km return (2.5 to 3.5 hours)
- Park pass
- Wineglass Bay is in Freycinet National Park and needs a parks pass
- Freycinet road
- The main entrance is 28 km from the highway through Coles Bay township on a sealed road
- Bay of Fires southern access
- The Gardens is reached by the sealed C848, signed 'The Gardens 13km', via Binalong Bay Road (C850) from St Helens
Launceston to Hobart
St Helens
166 km via Scottsdale
The base for the Bay of Fires. Stock up on food and fuel here before heading to the northern campgrounds, which are about 30 minutes' drive north.
Bay of Fires (The Gardens and Binalong Bay)
Leave St Helens on Binalong Bay Road (C850). The sealed C848 to The Gardens is signed 13 km and ends at private land. The northern section is in Mount William National Park and needs a parks pass.
Bicheno
178 km and 2 hours 25 minutes from Hobart via Sorell, 160 km and 2 hours from Launceston via Lake Leake Highway.
Friendly Beaches
The turn-off to the Friendly Beaches section of the park is a gravel road about 9 km after leaving the Tasman Highway.
Coles Bay and Freycinet National Park
The main park entrance is 28 km from the highway on a sealed road, through Coles Bay township. You cannot drive to Wineglass Bay itself.
- Hobart
Launceston to Freycinet: how far and which road?
Launceston to Coles Bay is 175 km and 2 hours 10 minutes via the Lake Leake Highway, and Launceston to Bicheno is 160 km and 2 hours by the same road. Hobart to Coles Bay is 193 km and 2 hours 35 minutes, and Hobart to Bicheno is 178 km and 2 hours 25 minutes via Sorell. Freycinet National Park is about 2.5 to 3 hours from either Launceston or Hobart.
Freycinet itself is a detour: the main park entrance is reached by driving straight through the Coles Bay township, 28 km from the highway on a sealed road. Add that 28 km each way to whichever base you are using.
Can you drive to Wineglass Bay?
No. You cannot drive to Wineglass Bay itself; you walk in. The lookout is 2.6 km return (1 to 1.5 hours, Grade 3), and going down to the beach is a 6 km return walk taking 2.5 to 3.5 hours.
Wineglass Bay is inside Freycinet National Park, which needs a parks pass. If you are hiring a car and do not know the registration when you buy online, choose the HIRE option in the registration section. Drinking water is scarce in the park, with refill points at the visitor centre, Honeymoon Bay and the Wineglass Bay walking tracks car park. Cape Tourville is the short alternative: a 600 m circuit taking about 20 minutes.
Launceston to the Bay of Fires: which way?
Launceston to St Helens via Scottsdale is 166 km and 2 hours 35 minutes, and from Hobart via the Tasman Highway it is 255 km and 3 hours 30 minutes. From St Helens, the southern beaches are close: the road to The Gardens leaves from Binalong Bay Road (C850), and Binalong Bay is less than a ten-minute drive from town.
The northern Bay of Fires is a longer trip on different roads. Access is from St Helens on Ansons Bay Road (C843) or from Gladstone on North Ansons Road (C83), and the northern section is in Mount William National Park and needs a parks pass. The southern road to The Gardens is sealed; the road surface for the northern access is not stated, so read your rental agreement's unsealed-road clause first.
How many days for the Tasmania east coast drive?
Going Launceston to Hobart by the coast adds up quickly. Launceston to Bicheno is 160 km and Bicheno to Hobart is 178 km, 338 km in total, and going out via St Helens is 421 km (166 km plus 255 km). The official advice is no more than 300 km per day, and wildlife and roadkill are a hazard, especially at night and early morning.
Sample east coast itineraries run three to four days each, centred on one area such as the Bay of Fires, Swansea and Bicheno, or the Freycinet Peninsula.
Hire car: one-way from Launceston to Hobart
The coast is a natural one-way trip: pick up at Launceston Airport, drop at Hobart Airport, and you avoid backtracking. Whether a one-way fee applies is set by the company and shows in the search results for your dates. Rental operators at Launceston Airport will not accept bookings for pick-up after 9pm.
Read the agreement's unsealed-road clause, because the Friendly Beaches turn-off is a gravel road. Europcar's terms prohibit unsealed roads unless Unsealed Road Cover has been bought, while Avis's terms say to use only properly formed sealed, metalled or gravel roads.
Compare one-way cars: Launceston Airport to Hobart Airport
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Questions people ask
How far is Freycinet from Launceston?
175 km and about 2 hours 10 minutes to Coles Bay via the Lake Leake Highway.
How far is Freycinet from Hobart?
193 km and about 2 hours 35 minutes to Coles Bay.
Can you drive to Wineglass Bay?
No. You walk in. The lookout is 2.6 km return and the full bay walk is 6 km return. You need a parks pass.
How far is Launceston from the Bay of Fires?
St Helens, the gateway, is 166 km and about 2 hours 35 minutes from Launceston via Scottsdale. Binalong Bay is a short drive beyond it.
How far is Hobart from the Bay of Fires?
St Helens is 255 km and about 3 hours 30 minutes from Hobart via the Tasman Highway.
How many days do you need for the Tasmania east coast?
Sample east coast itineraries run three to four days. The official advice is no more than 300 km of driving a day.