Hobart to Launceston Drive 2026: Midland Highway, Roadworks, Stops and Biosecurity

Hobart to Launceston routes compared

The Midland Highway (National Highway 1, signed A1) is the direct road. Wikipedia describes it as mostly two lanes, one in each direction, with overtaking options and at-grade intersections, and with small portions of grade-separated dual carriageway at the Hobart and Launceston ends. It is also called the Midlands Highway, and in the 2000s it carried the label The Heritage Highway.

Two longer options leave it. The Lake Leake Highway (B34) meets the Midland Highway near Campbell Town, according to Wikipedia, and links it to Swansea on the east coast. The Esk Highway (A4) is 82 km long and joins the Midland Highway at Conara Junction, just north of Campbell Town. Wikipedia says it passes Avoca, Fingal and St Marys, then climbs the curvy 6 km St Marys Pass to meet the Tasman Highway near Falmouth. Conditions on both roads could not be confirmed for this guide, so check the weather before you take them.

The Midland Highway, town by town

By OSRM the legs are Hobart to Kempton 49 km (42 min), Kempton to Oatlands 35 km (26 min), Oatlands to Ross 37 km (28 min), Ross to Campbell Town 12 km (11 min), Campbell Town to Epping Forest 23 km (18 min) and Epping Forest to Launceston 46 km (34 min). Oatlands, Ross and Campbell Town are all on the highway, so it works as a trip with short stops rather than one with a long gap.

Ross has a stone bridge over the Macquarie River, which is the photo at the top of this guide. Ross Caravan Park and the Campbell Town stopover below are listed by Northern Midlands Council, and Kempton and Oatlands by Southern Midlands Council. The Tasmania camping loop covers the rest of the island, so this guide stays on the Hobart to Launceston road.

Roadworks and winter conditions

Look at the RoadsTas roadworks map before you set off. A search extract of an Australian Government release says safety upgrades at the Midland Highway and Lake Leake Road intersection in Campbell Town were due to start on Monday 21 September 2026. Work was to run 7am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, with lane closures and a reduced speed limit during working hours, and completion was expected by the end of the year, weather permitting. Whether it started on time could not be confirmed.

A search extract of a Tasmanian Government release dated 5 September 2026 says the final 10 km stage, Campbell Town North to Conara, has its environmental approvals. It says a construction contract was expected in the coming weeks, with work starting in late 2026 and running until late 2028. That stage adds widening, sealed shoulders, overtaking lanes in both directions and flexible safety barriers. The State Growth and Premier's pages for these projects blocked scripts, so the details come from the extracts. Obey signposted limits through any works, because current limits on the highway could not be confirmed.

Cold weather is a real factor in the Midlands. The Tasmanian Road Safety Advisory Council warns of black ice and moss on the road, especially in shady areas, and says fog, snow and ice can be experienced in some areas. It advises you to check the weather forecast before setting out. A statement from the Department of State Growth on ice or snow on the Midland Highway could not be confirmed. Tasmania Police's Community Alerts page is where it directs motorists for road conditions and closures.

Driving rules, wildlife and fuel

The Tasmanian Road Safety Advisory Council lists the default limits as 50 km/h in urban areas, 100 km/h on rural roads and 80 km/h on gravel roads, unless signposted. It says to always drive on the left and to pull over in a safe place to let others pass from behind. It also says travelling 150 km may take 2 hours, and to plan no more than 300 km per day and take frequent breaks.

The same pages say to slow down and look out for animals on the road, especially at dawn and dusk. For a late departure from Hobart, aim to be off the Midlands stretch before dark. Fuel stations and their opening hours along the highway could not be confirmed, so start with a full tank in Hobart or Launceston and add fuel in a town before the tank runs low. The fuel planning guide has the range sums.

Where to stop and sleep

AussieCamps data lists no campground within 12 km of the route, so overnight options come from councils. Southern Midlands Council lists the Kempton Roadside Stopover near Station Park: free with a donation suggested, 48 hours maximum, for self-contained vehicles only. At Oatlands it lists the Lakeside Stopover off High Street on the Esplanade, free with a donation suggested and a 72-hour maximum. Ross Caravan Park appears on Northern Midlands Council's 2023/24 schedule of caravan parks, with fees set by the lessee, so ring the park for rates and availability.

In Campbell Town, Northern Midlands Council describes a free 48-hour area for self-contained caravans and mobile homes in Blackburn Park Reserve, on the south-eastern side of the Red Bridge. A permit is required, free for up to 48 hours, through the council's online form or on (03) 6397 7303 in business hours. Showering, washing, toilet use, cooking and sleeping must all be done inside the vehicle. The council says liquid waste must not go onto the ground, near trees or into the river, with a fine of up to $205 per unit, and it says you cannot reserve a place.

The rest areas in the AussieCamps data are St Peters Pass near Oatlands (toilets, picnic tables, barbecues), the Campbell Town Weighbridge rest area (a heavy vehicle area) and Conara (picnic tables, barbecues). Use them for a leg stretch. Whether a night there is allowed is a separate question, answered in the overnight rest area guide and the Tasmania camping rules guide.

Dump points on the Midland Highway

Southern Midlands Council lists a free dump point with water on Williams Street at Wellington Street in Oatlands, open 24 hours, which it describes as size ok for greater than 20 metres. Its Kempton dump point is on Old Hunting Ground Road behind Victoria Hall, open 24 hours and free with water. The council says it suits cassette toilets only and is difficult for large motorhomes to reverse into.

At Campbell Town, the Northern Midlands page lists no dump point, but a Spirit of Tasmania listing, valid to 6 October 2027, places a free one at King Street Oval with potable and rinse water. Ask the council if you are unsure. The only one the AussieCamps data holds on this corridor is Brighton Showground at Pontville, free with toilets, about 29 km from Hobart, so a gap in the data is not proof of a gap on the road. The dump points guide shows how to use one.

Tasmania's fruit and vegetable rules

Tasmania has its own biosecurity rules, so they matter for anyone arriving from the mainland. Biosecurity Tasmania's food page lists these as not permitted: fresh fruit and vegetables, including potatoes, fresh herbs, garlic, ginger and onion. It lists cooked, baked, hard frozen, canned, preserved, commercially dried, freeze dried and home dehydrated after cooking as permitted. The page says fresh and processed plant foods must be declared on arrival and inspected. For the Spirit of Tasmania, it says you can bring food to eat on board but must dispose of it in the bins or at the Biosecurity Inspection point when leaving the terminal.

The page does not set out a separate rule for arrivals from mainland Australia, and it does not cover moving produce within Tasmania, so nothing about the Hobart to Launceston drive itself could be confirmed. You can ring Biosecurity Tasmania on 1300 368 550. The interstate biosecurity guide covers other borders.

Plan the Hobart to Launceston drive in AussieCamps

Build the drive as a trip in AussieCamps. Put Oatlands, Campbell Town and Launceston in as stops, and each leg shows its distance and drive time, plus a forecast for the day you expect to get there. The app holds 1,838 campgrounds, 5,552 rest areas and 1,393 dump points taken from park agencies, road authorities and public datasets, and a place page lists the facilities those sources publish, with a notes field for your own remarks.

You can read stored place details, open saved places and use the guides when there is no signal. Map tiles, routing, weather and photos need a connection, so load them before the Midlands stretch. The app is for iPhone only, free to download, with in-app purchases.

Places along the way