It’s no secret that Tasmania is one of our absolute favourite parts of Australia to visit. It is so easy to get to yet feels another world away when it comes to its incredible wilderness and landscapes.
Not to mention that food and wine… We could spend countless days sampling the tastes available in this innovative little state – not only is it blessed with a natural bounty of seafood and an amazing climate for produce, it also has some of the most passionate producers in the country.
So, we need almost no excuse to take a trip to Tassie and, having visited a number of times, we have certainly covered some ground down there.
Tasmania is the perfect place for a road trip. It is compact, the roads are great, every incredible destination is really accessible, and you can’t miss all those little treasures that lie along the road as you travel (*cough cough.. wineries).
So for many reasons, we choose to sail to Tasmania on board Spirit of Tasmania whenever we can.
Our number one reason is that we can take our own car.
Luckily, we live in Victoria so driving to the pier in Port Melbourne is pretty easy. And, as we mentioned earlier, we love a road trip in Tasmania, and in the comfort of our very own car? Even better.
When you sail to Tasmania, you can pack everything you need into the car and you are set! No hauling suitcases, car seats and strollers to and from an airport AND with no luggage restrictions, you can pack the tent, the surfboard, the golf clubs and more – without paying excess baggage! You can even take your pet!
And here is our hot tip: zero luggage restrictions means you can load up your car when you’re down there with Tassie wine to bring home!
Not to mention, you’ll save hundreds of dollars not having to rent a car down there! We also love driving our own vehicle. We are familiar with it, it is the perfect size for our family, and we don’t have to worry about keeping it clean and tidy!
When we sail to Tasmania on Spirit of Tasmania it is the beginning of our adventure. It is not just a means of getting there. There is no airport/airline stress, no pressure trying to keep the kids still and quiet on a plane, no expensive taxi rides or car parking fees for the airport; the minute we board the ship, we settle in, relax and begin our Tasmanian holiday!
And usually, it begins in the TMK (Tasmanian Market Kitchen) and then relaxing in one of the lounges! You can start to indulge in Tassie food and wine on board – that’s right, TMK offers Tasmanian-inspired dishes so your culinary adventure starts here…
The kids love to run off to the kids play area and game zone where they can get their energy out before we head to the cinema for a movie. There is all kinds of entertainment on board so us adults don’t miss out either. The last time we sailed, we enjoyed live music in the Lounge Bar with a local Tassie craft beer.
We love a night sailing, where we can sleep for quite a bit of the journey. We book a Four Bed Cabin and after we are done eating, drinking, watching movies and chasing the kids around the Kids Play Area, we can all settle into our beds and have a good night’s sleep before our arrival into Devonport the next morning.
There are 222 private and shared cabins of different varieties on board, and 121 recliners so there really is something for all kinds of travellers and budgets.
And once you arrive? You simply drive off the ship and presto! You are immediately on the road and ready to explore some of Australia’s most stunning treasures!
But don’t just take our word for it… In the words of Mark, the captain of Spirit of Tasmania who we were so lucky to meet on one of our crossings, “It is touted as one of Australia’s greatest journeys…”.
Would you choose sea over sky on a journey to Tasmania? Let us know in the comments!
An adventure on high seas, half the fun of a destination is the journey. Spirit of Tasmania would be amazing, glorious food, make new friends, contemplate the scenery of Tassie – a hidden gem, historical, breathtaking scenery.
It most certainly is! I have been twice and can’t get enough of the place, fab food, views, walks and history water that tastes like wine I love it!
Hi guys. Thanks for the info. I’m sailing back to Melbourne with my girls on New Year’s Eve for something a bit fun and different. Can anyone tell me if the Spirit of Tasmania accepts cash or credit cards onboard (to pay for meals and entertainment) or do we need to purchase tokens or something like that before we travel? Sorry if it’s a silly question!
No such thing as a silly question! We checked on the Spirit of Tasmania website which says “ATM is available on board and EFTPOS facilities are available at all outlets on board the ship.”. Hope that helps! https://www.spiritoftasmania.com.au/onboard-experience/facilities
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