I got an awesome and lucky free vehicle upgrade to a 4WD SUV because my original rental had a faulty gas gauge. After failing to convince somebody else to join me on very short notice, I set course south to Cape Raoul within Tasman National Park, stopping along Dunalley Beach and Tessallated Pavement. After hiking to what felt like the edge of the world, I back tracked to Port Arthur, declined to enter, and headed back north to a cluster of attractions near Doo Town – the Tasman Arch, Tasman Blowhole, Devil’s Kitchen and various breathtaking lookout points. With few lodging options around, I back tracked to Dunalley, catching another great sunset, then managed to find a vehicle camping spot beside the Dunalley Hotel where I made a friend over dinner before calling it a night in my spacious SUV. This was my introduction to car camping in Australia.

Tip:
Always pack a sleeping bag. Even traveling with one backpack, I made sure to have a sleeping bag. You can get a relatively compact mild weather version. Although, you may not need it to camp outside, it can be used at your lodging too to stay warm, clean and safe from cold AC units, dirty beds and bugs.

Devil’s Kitchen in the background and the Tasman Sea as far as the eye can see

Published by BE

I write about my travel and money experiences. View all posts by BE