Ulverstone To Scamander: North East Coast Tasmania Food, Wine And The Outdoors
Natural beauty, food and wine make for a great combination at any time, but even more so when you’re on holiday. The North East Coast of Tasmania is famous for all three.
Natural beauty, food and wine make for a great combination at any time, but even more so when you’re on holiday. Tasmania is a place known for all three, and we think the East Coast is the best place to enjoy highlights of all without having to drive too far.
Distance: 3 Stops, 291 km total drive distance, Short
📍Stop 1: ULVERSTONE
Where to stay in Ulverstone?
BIG4 Tassie Getaway Parks Ulverstone
What to do, eat and drink in Ulverstone?
Ulverstone offers a fantastic mix of activities and culinary delights, all within easy reach of the park. Start your day with a short 10–15 minute walk to the main strip of shops, where you’ll find local favourites like Thirty Three Cups, perfect for your morning coffee or a hearty breakfast—our top pick is the Mexican Pork Belly Eggs Benedict. For lunch or dinner with a view, head to Pedro’s Seafood Bar and Grill, overlooking the river and ocean, serving up Tasmanian specialties like scallops and ocean trout. Within the park, the well-equipped Camp Kitchen and various dining spots make it easy to prepare and enjoy your meals while socialising with fellow travellers. When it’s time to explore, take a dip at Buttons Beach, just behind the park, or venture 45 minutes to Leven Canyon Regional Reserve for walking tracks and breathtaking views of the 275m-high canyon. In town, Hive offers family-friendly fun with Tasmania’s largest planetarium, rotating art exhibitions, and interactive science displays. Whether you’re craving great food, a nature escape, or cultural experiences, Ulverstone has something for everyone.
What’s the onward drive to St Helens?
Wind through the Northern route, taking you through the town of Bridport and approximately 270km in distance.
📍Stop 2: ST HELENS
Where to stay in St Helens?
BIG4 Tassie Getaway Parks St Helens is a favourite in the area with modern facilities and a great range of accommodation options regardless of if you’re travelling with an RV or looking for roofed accommodation. If you’ve got the kids with you there’s endless entertainment options including a Games Room, Jumping Pillow, Swimming Pool, Table Tennis and more. The park regularly runs activities including a Friday happy hour, it’s the sort of place that has a great community atmosphere.
What to do, eat and drink in St Helens?
A short walk across the bridge crossing Beauty Bay and you’ll arrive at the township of St Helens. There’s plenty of great options here, and for a night out and some of the best food in Tassie we love Furneaux Restaurant and Comptoir where you’ll find a menu of French classics served with a Modern Australian twist and a great wine list. A destination venue whenever we are in this part of the world is the famous Pub In The Paddock, approximately 30 minutes drive inland. As the name suggests, this pub has an isolated location set amongst rolling green paddocks and is famous as one of the oldest pubs in Australia. Activities wise, the highlight of this area is the Bay Of Fires, located 30 minutes drive north, named for the fiery orange granite rocks that surround this turquoise bay. There’s options to explore by foot or bike or simply set up on the sand and enjoy a day at the beach. If you want to get the most out of your visit, we highly recommend joining a tour and the team at Bay Of Fires Eco Tours are world class. You’ll head out on a boat and learn plenty about the region whilst exploring all the natural beauty and encountering various bird and marine life along the way.
What’s the onward drive to Scamander?
One of the shorter drives you’ll see us list between locations, it will take less than 20 minutes to get to Scamander.
📍Stop 3: SCAMANDER
Where to stay in Scamander?
Scamander Sanctuary Holiday Park is a great spot, and despite being so close to our previous stop it has an entirely different feel due to its secluded location. From an accommodation perspective this park has a focus on Glamping options, but there’s several great Powered Sites and Unpowered Sites available too. In contrast to our previous stop, this isn’t a ‘resort style’ park full of different facilities, but it has all the basics you’d expect and they are clean and well maintained. Given this more boutique style, it’s a particularly peaceful place and a great spot to go to unwind, unplug and relax.
What to do, eat and drink in Scamander?
We have deliberately put this stop in not as a base to explore the broader area further (you’ll get to do plenty of that at each stop either side), but as time to relax and connect with nature and enjoy this secluded park. Surrounded by lush greenery and just metres walk from pristine beach, take a wander around and see what takes your fancy. If you’ve brought your gear, the nearby Scamander River is a great place to go fishing and you’ll more than likely catch some bream. There’s a small lot of shops nearby to the park and our go to for a morning coffee is Swims East Coast Coffee, open daily from 7am. If you are interested in wine a visit to The Farm Shed East Coast Wine Centre is a must. It’s a great starting point to learn about and taste a variety of fantastic wines from this region and then choose where you might like to visit. We recommend visiting on your drive down to our next stop in Freycinet as it is on the route.
What’s the onward drive?
Our Itinerary ends here.
