mx5cartalk.com

Left for Tasmania with the girl for 2 weeks on 01/01/2010!!

Was INCREDIBLE, words can not explain teh sights and the roads down there. OH THE ROADS!!

No one has ever told me that the roads in Tassie where so damn well kept, decent speed limits and not a pot hole spotted.

We drove a Z3 for 5 days to see the north east, then a Mitsubishi Outlander to conquer the West, then picked up a Gold Mx5 for the South.

Here are just a couple of Pics, if you want to see more check out the album.
http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/mm210/dweezle321/Tasmania%20for%20forum/

if you have ever thought about doing a road trip there...


DO IT

Nice photos! I've only dríven Tasmania in our Volvo V50 fully loaded with camping gear, but it was still a fabulous driving experience. Please spill the beans about where you rented the Z3 and MX-5!

You have inspired me. I shall make this trip soon. Maybe next Summer.

Epic photos! Just awesome, great advertisment for tasmania... They should be paying you

Was just Amazing guys... Best 2 weeks ever.
We plan on going back soon. I want to spend some cold days there.

I originally planned to take my lil NA, but had a few niggling issues and decided against it. Stumbled accross this delightfull tiny family owned car hire company called "Apple Isle Car Hire". They are located in Launceston. They are brilliant.
They only haves couple of cars, but when one is a Miata you just have to smile.

The best bit is it only costs $80 a day!!
Got to be happy with that

we took like 2000 photos and none are bad, the place is just that good..

Would love to do a group run down there, Forum Style

How much did the 2 weeks cost you? What types of places did you stay at? Is it possible to do it camping style? Or even cheap motel along the roads without booking in advance?

cheers

You can camp pretty much everywhere, and there are plenty of free camping areas all over Tas.
Millions of reasonably priced B&Bs and motels.
You can really do it cheap. Like we got $70 flights down with jetstar.

If anyone wants I can write up a trip summery of where Nell and I went and where we stayed, with how good it was, things to see etc. We basically went everywhere!! Be sure to allow at least 2 weeks to see everything though.

George, I've done Tassie as a 2-3 week trip and it's very easy to find great camping spots, many of them for free as Dweezle said. Some camping areas are paid sites, and if you want to stay at Coles Bay near Freycinet National Park, you'd better book well in advance ... or get lucky like we did. Camping at the free sites usually means no showers and if you want to glam it up a bit, then caravan parks are a good option (expect ~$20 per night for an unpowered tent site). We also tried a caravan park cottage (Cosy Cabins chain) which was comfortable, spacious and gives you your own facilities - cost around $100 per night. Or you can go for B&Bs which are often remarkably cheap ... we stayed in one at Deloraine that cost us $110 for the night and we had a very luxurious brand new private cabin and full breakfast supplied. Best advice is just to rock up to the tourist info place in whatever town you want to stay in and they'll phone around for you to find a place for you to stay.

Dweezle, thanks for the tip on Apple Isle Car Hire. I'll definitely look them up when I'm next in Tassie.

Yep... Done Tassie a few times now. In fact, the first time was in a red 2002 NB hired from Thrifty at Lawn-Seston Airport.... I think Tassie is arguably THE best place in the world for an MX5. Well done with the pix... they are fantastic!

I must get out more

Great photos and Im glad you had such a top time in my backyard. Im sure you have seen and enjoyed more of Tassie than I have

just had a look at your photobucket too. some top pics

Is that Blue Lake? (in the pics with the BMW and the blue lake) The one in the north east near Gladstone?

Yes, yes it is.
The Blue is incredibly bright, the result of mining.
Apparenty all the minerals gets washed out of the mine, when it fills up with water, then they an the clay bottom refelect the sky showing a really strange blue. Big problem is it's poisonus and leaks out killing anything around it..

Still didn't stop my girlfriend saying, "Oh let's SWIm!!! Hahahaha

I had to chuck her in the car and drive away ASAP.

What MX5-SP said.

I have been to Tassie twice. In the middle of winter on my RGV250 in 1991 and in mid autumn in my SP in 2004. Both trips were exceptional with great weather. Tasmania is made for MX5's. Hardly a straight piece of road in the whole state and all the towns are close together so there's no need to drive for days to get anywhere. The road surface is good, the speed limits are sensible, the views are awesome and the food is great. When we went in 2004 we followed the roads used in the prior years Targa Tasmania so there was no shortage of excellent roads to have fun on.

The thing that I found surprising was the whole time we were there in 2004 we only saw two other MX5's, and one of them was on holidays from the mainland.

Hi Guys

Glad you all had such a great time. The North West is my backyard and the back roads, in the main, are in good condition and well engineered. Something we can thank the Hydro and the old DMR for.

Quite a few MX5's in my part of the world. Penguin boasts a whole six: two NC's, three NB's and a nice blue NA. Covertables are making a bit of a comeback.

I will look out for more interstate 5's in the near future?

P

Penguin wrote:
I will look out for more interstate 5's in the near future?

I will be visiting next February. I think I might want to camp here and there with a possible motel thrown in the odd night. A 10 day trip sounds about right.

Does anyone know of an online resource for finding the better roads to visit? Something like an itinerary planner for Tassie?

cheers