Route map
Stops shown in driving order with a straight line between them, for planning only — this is not a turn-by-turn route. Always check current road conditions before you travel.
Route stops in order: 1. Hobart, 2. Orford, 3. Swansea, 4. Coles Bay, 5. Bicheno, 6. St Helens.
Seasonal gate & outback safety
Check before you commit to dates- JJanuary — Caution
- FFebruary — Open — go
- MMarch — Open — go
- AApril — Open — go
- MMay — Open — go
- JJune — Open — go
- JJuly — Open — go
- AAugust — Open — go
- SSeptember — Open — go
- OOctober — Open — go
- NNovember — Open — go
- DDecember — Caution
- Open — go
- Caution
- High risk / cut
Open year-round with no seasonal closure — this is Tasmania's most reliable-weather coast. January and December bring peak holiday crowds and a real chance of the Coles Bay car park filling before you arrive, which is more of a planning issue than a safety one.
Wildlife warning: do not drive at night
Wombats, pademelons and possums are active on Tasmanian roads from dusk across the bushland sections of this route, and across the Midlands farmland if you take the inland loop return.
Live road conditions
This complements rather than duplicates our 7 Days in Tasmania and 2 Weeks Tasmania: Full Island Loop itineraries, both of which cover this same coastline as day-by-day holiday plans with specific overnight stops. Use those itineraries to plan your days, and this guide for the road logistics — fuel, timing, and the honest answer to how many days the drive itself deserves.
The common mistake is treating this as a one-day transfer between Hobart and Launceston. It isn't — Freycinet alone rewards a full day, and the coastline between Bicheno and St Helens, including the Bay of Fires, is worth slowing down for rather than driving past.
There are two ways to drive it. One-way, Hobart to St Helens (then on to Launceston), is what the stops and legs below cover. As a loop, you add the Tasman Peninsula before the coast — Port Arthur Historic Site, plus the short walks to Tasman Arch, Devils Kitchen and Remarkable Cave — backtrack via Sorell to rejoin the route at Orford, then return from St Helens to Hobart inland via Fingal, Campbell Town and the Midland Highway. That's ~680 km and about seven days in total, and it avoids retracing the coast or finishing in a different city from where you started.
Port Arthur is convict-era and 1996-memorial ground. Tasmania's own visitor guidance asks people to treat it as a place of mourning and reflection, not a photo stop, and that tone is worth carrying into how you plan the day rather than rushing it to stay on schedule.
The stops, in driving order
- 01
Hobart
0 km in · StartCritical supply point — Full capital-city services before the coast road begins.
The start, with full capital-city services before the coast road begins.
Tip: Leave with a full tank — services thin out, though never disappear, once you're past Sorell.
- 02
Orford
85 km in · 1hThe official start of the branded Great Eastern Drive, and the departure point for ferries to Maria Island.
Tip: Triabunna, right next door, is the practical service town for this stretch.
- 03
Swansea
147 km in · 45mA small coastal town on Great Oyster Bay, with views across to the Freycinet Peninsula.
Tip: A good lunch stop before the Coles Bay turnoff.
- 04
Coles Bay (Freycinet National Park)
192 km in · 40mCritical supply point — The base for Freycinet — restock here before continuing north.
The base for Freycinet National Park and the Wineglass Bay Lookout walk — the single best-known stop on this drive.
Tip: A Tasmanian Parks Pass is required. Do the lookout walk at first light before the car park fills.
- 05
Bicheno
232 km in · 35m, backtracking to the highwayA working fishing town with a blowhole, a penguin colony and some of the clearest water on this coast.
Tip: Penguin tours run at dusk — book ahead in peak season.
- 06
St Helens
327 km in · 1h 15mCritical supply point — Last full services before Launceston, or before the inland turn if you're looping back to Hobart via Campbell Town.
The end of the official Great Eastern Drive, and the gateway to the Bay of Fires' orange-lichen granite and white sand running north from Binalong Bay.
Tip: St Helens has the last full services before Launceston if you're continuing on.
Drive planning: legs, fuel and conditions
Three paces, same road: highway pace, a towing or 4WD rig, and what the day actually takes once fatigue and photo stops are in it.
| Leg | Distance | Standard vehicleHighway pace, no stops | Towing / 4WD rig90–100 km/h cruise | Realistic paceFatigue + photo stops | Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart → Orford | 85 km | 1h | 1h 10m | 1h 10m | Sorell, Orford/Triabunna |
| Orford → Swansea | 62 km | 45m | 55m | 55m | Swansea |
| Swansea → Coles Bay | 45 km | 40m | 50m | 45m | Coles Bay |
| Coles Bay → Bicheno | 43 km | 35m | 40m | 40m | Bicheno |
| Bicheno → St Helens | 95 km | 1h 15m | 1h 30m | 1h 30m | St Helens |
| Whole route | 4h 15m | 5h 5m | 5h | ||
How we get these: standard is moving time at signposted highway pace. Rig time assumes a 90–100 km/h cruise and slower acceleration — roughly 20% longer. Realistic pace adds a 15-minute fatigue stop every two hours (the national driver-fatigue guidance) plus about ten minutes an hour for photos, fuel and legs. Plan daylight around the realistic column, not the standard one.
| Leg | Distance | Fuel | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart → Orford | 85 km | Sorell, Orford/Triabunna | Sealed |
| Orford → Swansea | 62 km | Swansea | Sealed |
| Swansea → Coles Bay | 45 km | Coles Bay | Sealed detour off the coast road to the Freycinet Peninsula |
| Coles Bay → Bicheno | 43 km | Bicheno | Sealed, backtracks to the highway then north |
| Bicheno → St Helens | 95 km | St Helens | Sealed |
What can go wrong
- Wombats, pademelons and possums are active on Tasmanian roads from dusk, and this route runs through bushland for long stretches — and, on the loop option, Midlands farmland too. Avoid driving after dark if you can.
- The Coles Bay car park for Wineglass Bay Lookout fills early on fine days, especially over summer — arrive at first light or expect a wait.
- Weather on this coast can turn quickly even in the reliable summer season — check the forecast for Freycinet specifically before committing to the lookout walk.
- The Bicheno-to-St Helens leg is the longest single stretch on this route — treat it as a genuine drive, not a quick hop, if you're doing it at the end of a long day.
- On the loop, St Helens back to Hobart is roughly 260 km of inland driving. Treat it as a genuine driving day, or split it at Campbell Town, rather than tacking it onto the end of a long circuit.
Conditions change seasonally and after storms. Check current conditions with the road authority before relying on any of this.
Common questions
Similar drives to compare
Routes in the same part of the country, or with the same vehicle demands.
- Tasmania's West Coast & Cradle MountainTasmania · ~580 km, Launceston to Hobart via this routeRead the guide
- Western Wilds Tasmania Road TripTasmania · ~325 km, Devonport to ZeehanRead the guide
- ACT & Southern Tablelands Road TripNew South Wales · Australian Capital Territory · ~290 km across both spokes from CanberraRead the guide
- Adelaide Hills & Barossa Road TripSouth Australia · ~210 km round trip from AdelaideRead the guide
- Atherton Tablelands Road TripQueensland · ~200 km loop from CairnsRead the guide
- Blue Mountains & Central Tablelands Road TripNew South Wales · ~400 km full loop from SydneyRead the guide
Day-by-day plans built on this route
Where this is researched from
- Tourism Tasmania — Official Great Eastern Drive route branding and visitor information for the east coast and Tasman Peninsula
- Transport Tasmania (Department of State Growth) — Road conditions and closures
- Parks Tasmania — Freycinet National Park access, passes and conditions
- Port Arthur Historic Site — Site ticketing and visitor guidance
This is a researched guide, not a firsthand trip report. How we research.
Spotted something we should update? Let us know.