The easy answer? Absolutely fabulous!

The more truthful answer? Still absolutely fabulous—with a hint of angst and the occasional fear of driving off the road into the scenery itself.

If you ask AI, it sums it up rather well:

“Most major highways are sealed and in good condition, but many secondary and rural roads are narrow, winding, and sometimes unsealed (gravel). Expect sharp bends, steep climbs, and limited overtaking opportunities in many places.”

We would agree with this. As long as you adapt to the local conditions, there’s really nothing to worry about. The most challenging part of Tasmanian roads is that most secondary and rural roads have no hard shoulder. This can make meeting oncoming cars—especially local ones—a little nerve-racking at times.

Another quirk is the lack of crash barriers or guard rails on steep and twisty roads. Where they do exist, some look more like painted plywood than proper safety features. It almost feels as if the road authorities trust the dense trees lining the roads to stop cars from rolling off cliffs into oblivion.

That said, Tasmanian roads are 100% epic. The vistas, forests, fields, oceans, and rural landscapes are all spectacular. With so few cars on the road, even narrow, winding, and steep stretches are rarely a problem.

The maximum speed limit is usually 110 km/h on highways, but many country roads are posted at 100 km/h or less. In reality, you’ll often find yourself driving slower because of curves, wildlife, or weather. We laughed out loud more than once when we encountered unsurfaced gravel roads with a 100 km/h limit—there’s just no way to reach that speed on most of them!

Wildlife is another thing to watch out for. Tasmania is full of wallabies, possums, and wombats, most active at dawn, dusk, and during the night. Driving after dark in rural areas is risky, and it was quite heartbreaking to see so many roadkill animals each morning. It’s probably inevitable, but still very sad—so best to avoid night driving if you can.

In winter, especially in the central highlands and along the west coast, roads can be icy, foggy, or even snow-covered. Weather changes quickly, so conditions can vary a lot in a single trip.

Overall, driving around Tasmania was breathtaking. The scenery changed around every corner, and the views took our breath away daily. We’d recommend renting a sturdy SUV, since unpaved roads can get rough.

We hope you enjoy some of the pictures Tanja snapped from the passenger seat during our unforgettable road trip around Tasmania!