We decided to change it up a bit and stay at a couple of pubs on the way down the west coast

Derwent Bridge Wilderness Hotel

Location~ West Coast

Cost ~ Free Camp

Places of Interest near by

• Lake Saint Clair
• Switchyard Bay
• Cradle Mountain National Park
• Lake King William
• The Wall in the Wilderness

Derwent Bridge Wilderness Pub is located between Hobart and Strahan on the West Coast. We decided to stay here as it was free to park up and camp and it had good reviews for pub food. We were lucky to find a spare camping spot as this place is very popular and central to a lot of lakes and national parks.

Derwent Bridge is just down the road from Lake St Clair, Australians deepest freshwater lake. This small town is also on the Southern edge of Cradle Mountain and Lake St Clair National Park. There are a lot of walking trails along the lake shores and mountains for you to enjoy or you can take a trip on the ferry and enjoy the views of the surrounding peaks.

The Ida Clair ferry operates daily during summer and advance bookings during the other seasons.

Tourist also come here to see The Wall which is located on the Lyell Highway. Book on line this place is not open during the winter months. The Sculptor Greg Duncan found this tiny pocket of land for his inspiration to create The Wall. He wanted to carve works that depict the history ,hardship and preserverance of the people of the central highlands and pay homage to the individuals of this protected area. The wall is over 100 meters long and is well worth the visit. The cost to get in to this place is $13pp.

Pub 2 ~Gretna Green Hotel

Location~ West Coast Tasmania close to Hobart 1.5 hour drive

Cost~ Free Camp

Things to Do

• Visit Centopath
• St Mary’s Church
• Gretna Green Pub

Gretna Green is a tiny village located on the Lyell Highway. It was formerly known as Stony Hut Plains for many years. The name Gretna was adopted in the early 20th Century from a local farm named Gretna Green and also an Inn established in the 1860s that bore the same name.

The Gretna Green pub is the heart and soul of this community. The pub is basically it and it where you meet all the locals. We met Brad the custodian and with 17 years experience with this pub was a wealth of knowledge. Country pub dinners are always the best and i could not resist the bangers and mash which were insanely delicious.

The camping and restaurant are busy from 6 onwards no bookings required as they are super fast and efficient. Great place to stop and relax for a day before moving on.