Family camping with the
Wild Road Wanderers

Wondering how to camp with young kids in winter?

The Wild Road Wanderers – Jess, Jed, and their sons Banjo and Axel – have it figured out. From their stargazing safari tent at Port Arthur Holiday Park, complete with a clawfoot bath and curious wallabies, this family of Instagram adventurers (56K followers and counting) proves winter is Tasmania's best-kept family secret.

Camping with family on Turrakana / Tasman Peninsula

The Batheram family’s winter trip to Turrakana / Tasman Peninsula begins at Tasman National Park Lookout, a jaw-dropping introduction to the peninsula’s natural beauty – only an hour’s drive south-east of Hobart. The clan soaks up spellbinding views towards pristine Teralina / Eaglehawk Neck, Pirates Bay and rugged Cape Hauy rising wildly from the sea.

It’s a special experience for a captivated Banjo, scanning the coastline through binoculars for whales and eagles – some of his favourite animals. Jess says every new adventure on their road trip around Tasmania sparks a reaction of pure awe from Banjo.

Visiting Port Arthur Historic Site with kids

From the lookout, it’s then a 25min drive southward in the trusty truck to Port Arthur Historic Site – an extensive collection of more than 30 World Heritage convict buildings and ruins, preserving its past as an 1800s colonial prison settlement. It’s a top spot for families to take their older kids on a spine-chilling ghost tour.

For three-year-old Banjo, a less-frightening adventure from the old church to the massive penitentiary inspires him to ponder the past. And for 18-month-old Axel, the spacious lawns provide a perfect toddling patch.

Camping at Port Arthur Holiday Park

A 5min drive north of the convict site, the day ends with an overnight stay at NRMA Port Arthur Holiday Park.

After taking his bike for a spin on the holiday park’s pump track, Banjo loads up on cheese, tomato sauce and salami in his first pizza-making experience at the on-site woodfired pizza oven.

Then it’s a short stroll to the spacious stargazing safari tent for a family snuggle by the electric fireplace and a calming soak in the elegant clawfoot bath, overlooking Stewarts Bay from their private deck. Just beyond the deck, Banjo feeds a curious mob of wallabies while colourful parrots fly overhead and the soothing sounds of dusk descend.

When darkness falls, the family bundles under blankets on their private deck. Banjo scans the star-filled sky and shouts with glee – he's spotted a Martian. Or perhaps just Venus. Either way, it's magic.

How the wanderers went wild

Jess and Jed first met in the snowy depths of winter. “We were little snowboarding bunnies,” Jess reminisces. This encounter kindled a life of adventure, 14 years and counting.

They’ve driven around Australia in their refurbished fire truck, but arriving in Tasmania five years ago, Jess recounts their profound first impression: “this feels like home”.

Along with their two cheeky sons and playful pet dogs, they’ve roamed everywhere: from Cockle Creek in Tasmania’s far-south to Strahan way out west and, Jess’s favourite, Falmouth, “a beautiful little seaside town in the north east”. They’ve even taken little Banjo hiking up famous Mount Amos, basking in the beauty of Wineglass Bay below.

A family of winter people

Jess’s most important piece of advice for Off Season family travel? Don’t fear the cold.

“It just makes you feel alive,” Jess says. “Rug up all the kids, get outdoors and run around. You’ll soon warm up.”

“Tasmania offers so much to do outdoors like swimming, hiking, fishing, mountain biking, good surf.”

Our winter ritual would be to go down to the beach and watch the sun come up with a cup of tea, then take a swim in the ocean and have a natural ice bath.

At the opposite end of the state in northern Tasmania, a favourite winter memory for the family is riding toboggans and savouring hot chocolates up at snowy Ben Lomond Alpine Resort. Jed vividly recalls the cinematic moment driving up Jacob’s Ladder when a “waterfall of mist” cascaded off the top of precipitous Ben Lomond into the valley below.

He says the Wild Road Wanderers are winter people through and through. You too can become a winter person in Tasmania – start planning your Off Season holiday today.