Top tips for travelling on the SPIRIT OF TASMANIA with a pet / dog

If you want to visit beautiful Tasmania with your caravan and pet, there is only one option for you, and this is going on board of the SPIRIT OF TASMANIA. We have put together some tips and everything you need to know for you from our experience. If you want to have a more detailed view of our sailing journey across the Bass Strait you can view our short video at the end of this blog.

Everything you must know before sailing with Spirit of Tasmania

1. Check out their website:

Before you start your journey to Geelong (In our case it was Port Melbourne) make sure you check out Spirit of Tasmania’s website and familiarise yourself with the procedures once you arrive at the port. We were already nervous as we never have been on a Ferry this size with Ozzy and our Caravan. We were soaking up any information we could get in the hope it would ease our nervousness. In hindsight it was a very easy process and no worries at all.

2. Plan ahead

Plan enough travel time, so you don’t get stressed if you get stuck in traffic jam. Check-in opens 2.5 hours before sail time and closes 45 minutes before sail time.

3. Bio Security

All passengers on the Spirit of Tasmania have to comply with Tasmania’s strict biosecurity regulations. So therefore, it is good to know what you can take or what you can’t take with you. It is not allowed to take any fruit, vegetables, plants, honey, fish or fish products on board. We were waiting in line when it was our time to proceed to the biosecurity section. They did a thorough check and went into our caravan and looked inside the fridge, all cupboards and even the space under the bed. Our car also underwent a thorough check. We didn’t had anything with us that wasn’t allowed.

4. Boarding with pets / Kennel booking

There are a few extra steps you have to take when travelling with a pet on board of the Spirit of Tasmania. We have booked a kennel (deck 3 and 5) for Ozzy as this was our only option when we travelled to Tasmania. We put Ozzy’s bedding in the kennel so that he had it a bit more comfortable. Now these days, you have the option to leave your pet in your caravan on the journey. You can contact Spirit of Tasmania before your travel and they sent you a indemnity form that you fill out and sent back. It basically says that you are responsible for your pet and that it is at your own risk. We would, if we would go again, choose to have Ozzy in our Caravan while onboard the Spirit of Tasmania. That would be our choice but the kennel is ok too. They look after the pets during the journey as the passengers are not allowed on those decks during sailing.

5. Cabin or Sleeping chair

Well, this is really up to you. The travel time onboard the spirit of Tasmania takes approximately 9-11 hours. For us it was clear that we spend some money for a cabin and go for a night sail. The idea was that we would arrive in Devonport early in the morning fresh from a good night sleep. Fair to say, it came not the way we planned it. During the night the sea was really rough and we fell out of our beds because it was shaking that much. And the sound that came from the hull was the worst we ever heard. We couldn’t wait to get off the ship in the morning to explore Tasmania.

6. Rough sea

We had some seasick tablets with us as a precaution. We used them on the way from Geelong to Devonport. It didn’t help as with the lack of sleep but at least we didn’t feel sick. But the thought of Ozzy in the Kennel made us sick and this had nothing to do with motion sickness. Thank God our journey back was all smooth sailing. You never know what you get, so be prepared.

7. Bars and Restaurants on board

There is a restaurant on board that offers breakfast, lunch and dinner menus. The menu options are on their website and you can have a look even before you are on board the ship. We took our own food with us, as we are on a budget and trying to save some money where we can. The souvenir shop also sells sandwiches and other snacks. We relaxed for a bit in one of the bars with a glass of wine before retiring to our cabin for the night.

8. Tourisms bureau / Information centre

We were enjoying spending time in the visitor centre on board and going through many of the brochures on display. Lots of brochures are there for you to take. We purchased a Holiday Pass ($82.40 per vehicle) which covers 2 month entry in National Parks and also includes the use of the shuttle bus at Cradle Mountain. You will visit at least one National Park even when you travel with a dog. By purchasing the National Park Pass onboard the spirit of Tasmania saves you time later on while you travelling through Tasmania.

9. Get off the Spirit of Tasmania

They woke us up in the morning early enough to have a shower. We even had time to grab ourselves a cup of coffee from the bar on board. Then it was time to head to our deck, get Ozzy out of the kennel, have some big cuddles and settle in our car ready to embark. Our first stop right after embarking was a wee stop for Ozzy and a walk so he could stretch his legs after being 9 hours in the kennel. Then it was time to fill up our nearly empty fridge.

Follow our journey around Australia on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube as we show amazing experiences and visit wonderful places.

This link takes you direct to our first Tasmania episode on YouTube.

Enjoy TASMANIA