TASSIE IN A CAMPER

Hi Jetcrew

Sorry to say it but yes it will be cold and a very high chance of rain, fog, snow, sun etc - basically 4 seasons in one day.

If you don't like the cold you'd be better going in the summer months.

I've been going to Tassie since 1994 every year 4 times a year - Feb, April, May August September - and it's varying but from end of April on it's cold! and I hate the cold - but have to go for work.

It's an amazing place - so beautiful and the people are so friendly.

I'm heading down again in 3 weeks (for 2 weeks work) - and the locals are already saying it'll probably be raining. Not surprised as April/May is wet. Then again back in 2006 is was unseasonally hot in April/May.

Sunrise at the end of April is around 7am and sunset is around 5.30pm (just had to check the times today). It starts to warm up a little (if there is no cloud) around 11am - then usually starts getting cooler again around 3pm.

So if you don't want cold - hold off until later in the year and head north!

Sorry if this may disappoint you. Just speaking from years of experience down there. (I've been asked to move there so many times for work but keep refusing due to the cold winters!)

Good luck

:-)

Thanks heaps for your reply you just gave me more info than an hour of google searches,

I am more of a northern traveller having spent time in weipa , darwin and all the great places in between each year for the past 6 years .

However with long service leave coming up I wanted to take the family on a great long adventure and the minister for finance and recreational affairs placed a no go line about 5 meters north of my house .

So that only left COLD COLD and more cold and no Barra. I was consoled by the great amount of wilderness in tassie and they can make a good beer.

I know heaps of people who have done it in a caravan but none in a camper . Looks like I will need to be very carefull when we go..

We toured in a caravan too, but there were lots with campers there. It doesn't rain all the time, and we found it easy to leave the van and do lots of day trips, so you could do that while it dried if you got wet weather. While is was getting washing in at Zeehan (on the wet side - 4 metres annual rainfall on the Gordon/Franklin), a lady from i think the north coast of NSW commented how quickly the washing dried compared to home - where it is more humid.

Take extra warm sleeping bags and bed socks. We went in February - April and got mainly good weather and only one cold night, but our daughter spend a year there some time ago, and it snowed at Cradle Mountain in December.

It is certainly worth spending some time there. Go in winter and expect to get cold and wet. Go in summer and most days will be just lovely.

Motherhen

Great place..

But cold....

January, Febuary and forget the rest if you don't lke cold..

Image Could Not Be FoundImage Could Not Be FoundWas there last year in March/April.Did over 4000kms travelling with a Pioneer camper trailer and like others I HATE the cold so it was toocold for me ,especially at night.It is certainly a very beautiful place but I would probably say Jan/Feb would be the better months.We got caught in a 174km cyclone while staying at the Barilla c.park and there was a lot of damage as the pics show.It is amazing that my camper survived.Image Could Not Be Found

G'day jet,

Being a tassie lad from way back I can tell you that during winter it is going to be wet and cold. However, having said that you need to remember that although Tassy is a relatively small island the average rainfall varies significantly. West Coast can have up to 360 inches a year whilst places like Bicheno on the East Coast can have as little as 10 inches average annual rainfall.

Fact : Hobart has more days of sunshine than Sydney or Brisbane.

Coldest months in Tassy would on average be July and August. If you can avoid these months al the better. Depending on how long you wish to stay plan your trip to incorporate some different seasons so you can enjoy the better months too.

The midlands are not cold in winter......its freezing up there......lol

I once stayed in a place called Bothwell up in the midlands and in the morning there was (no joke) about 3mm of ice on the inside of the tent caused through condensation.

If you are worried about packing up wet canvas you shouldn't be too alarmed. Provided the camper isn't packed up wet for a few days you shouldn't have a problem with mould.
Purchase a few painters plastic drop sheets and when packing up the camper throw one over your bedding so they remain dry.

Another good investment would be to purchase at least one hot water bottle per person to take to bed with you. I've usually found that provided your feet are warm at night you should remain fairly comfortable.

Hope you have a fantastic trip.

Cheers.

Well Im heading north for winter, does that tell you anything.....
It will be cold but you will have alot of camping spots to your self so take a generator and ELECTRIC blankets and sleep warm and cosy.This is what we do while caamping in winter down here.We've camped with an inch of snow on the camper before we went to bed and slept warm all night with our electric blankets.Your camper will not dry out each morning unless you leave it up until about 2pm, by 215 the evening dew will be coming in again and make it wet.So prepare for wet pack ups.
You will see plenty of great sights to make it worth while....but dont forget the electric blankets.

Cant understand why every one is sooo negative about Tassie weather, 17.4 degrees over night last night (must admit thats not the norm) beautiful 22 degrees today.
But go north to rain, floods and what ever you cant control can be thrown at you.
The bottom line is you either want to come to beautiful Tassie but up with the weather or you take advice from others and stay away.

A big thanks to all who have replied in such a short time it is greatley appreciated.

We are able to choose when we want to go so that is good as most replies seem to say the same in relation to timings ,would be a JAN ,FEB,MAR trip I think .

I was hopping that we would be able to set up somewhere nice and then do day trips of upto 300km return therefore not needing move every day or two like we do up north.

that means I could set up a bit better tarp over camper ect .I dont think that the weather is a reason not to go as 40c + is more uncomfortable in canvass than being a little cold.

and cooler weather means less beer apparently ?

JET

We are in camper at Strahan today - arrived Devonport 7th March & been Up & down & across Tassie since then. Only 2 wet pack ups BUT stayed 4 nights in hotels/cabins if raining. We have fan heater that keeps us warm & dries canvas - forgot the hot water bottle - thanks for reminder. Jan/Feb/March would be fine to travel. Locals tell me it might snow tomorrow when we do ABT railway trip to Queenstown! Time to head for home. If mileage is 50kms then that IS a days trip! so much wonderful stuff to see. 4 books - Lonely Planet, Camps Tassie, 'In Tasmania' by Nicholas Shakespeare & Wolley's 'A Walk in Old Tasmania' will be almost as much info as you get from here on ExplorOz Cheers Heather