The sky-high cost of crossing the Bass Strait looks like becoming a major issue in the upcoming Tasmanian state election.
Many grey nomads have cited the huge expense of taking a motorhome or caravan on the Spirit of Tasmania as their reason for not visiting the Apple Isle in recent years … and the lower numbers are being felt.
Although the business posted a $15 million profit in 2012-13 after collecting passenger revenue of $100 million, almost 28,000 fewer people boarded the ships than the year before.
The Tasmanian Liberals have now pledged to drive down Spirit of Tasmania fares by 20% in a bid to turnaround falling passenger numbers.
The Tasmanian Examiner newspaper reports that a Liberal government would formally instruct the state-owned TT-Line to forgo profit and set prices with “the aim of increasing the number of visitors to Tasmania carried on the Spirit of Tasmania ferries”.
Liberal leader Will Hodgman estimated cheaper fares could attract an extra 120,000 visitors a year to Tasmania on the ferries.
“There have been a number of recent examples of Tasmanians and visitors to our state being charged well over $1000 for two adults and their car,” Mr Hodgman said.
Tourism Industry Council Tasmania chief executive Luke Martin welcomed moves to reduce charges, but said ensuring the company remained viable in the long term would be a challenge.
For its part, Labor has labelled the Liberal policy as “the dumbest idea they have had so far” which would put the future of the business in jeopardy.
Labor Infrastructure Minister David O’Byrne told the Examiner that a 20% drop in passenger fare revenue would plunge the company into the red and force taxpayers to cover the cost of new or refurbished vessels needed in 2017.
TT-Line is understood to have proposed running freight-only ships across Bass Strait to free up room for more tourists but the government failed to make a decision before entering caretaker mode.
Are high ferry fares keeping you away from Tasmania? How much lower would they need to get too persuade you get back on board? Comment below.
Not only Tasmania. Recently priced my van, 22′ and tug, Nissan Patrol, plus my wife to go to Kangaroo Island. Just over $1100.00. Absolutely beautiful place and we would have spent 4+ weeks there but not at that price. Tasmania is the same. The cost to get there, you would need to spend a few months free camping just to recoup the fare. Also off the list. Unfortunately as we have used motels on previous visits and would love to do more but cost prohibitive.
The ferry cost is THE only reason we haven’t visited Tassie… It’s so over the top expensive, we simply cannot afford it… If the ferry fares come down considerably, then we will plan to spend at least a month to 6 weeks there…
“Mainlanders” are the lucky ones.They have the choice of paying the high cost of the SPIRIT fare or going somewhere else for a holiday. Us Tasmanians have no choice.We often have to pay $1000 or more for the Bass Strait fare before we drive a mile on the national highways.
We have just come back from Kangaroo Island. The locals claim it is the most expensive ferry crossing per kilometre in the world. At $400 return for two people and a small Mazda 323 it comes out at around $12 a kilometre.
We would certainly like to take our motorhome to Tassie for a good month or so but I worked out the cost and the minimum was over $2000 return for us and our two dogs on the ferry.. That’s day trip one way and minimum cabin which is the only choice on return.
My wife and I have been regular visitors to Tasmania but have stopped going due to the exorbitant cost of passage seeing the cost spiral upwards over the last ten years to where it is now unaffordable, preferring instead to Motorhome around the mainland, and I am sure many people feel the same way, not good at all for the Apple isle.
Even if a 20% reduction in fares is implemented it would still be too expensive for most people, so I don’t know what the solution is to encourage people back,.other than a huge reduction in price and then it could be unviable for the company.
We’re thinking about visiting Tasmania again for 2 to 3 months in our van however will only do so if the ferry price is reasonable. There are so many fantastic mainland options in all mainland states that we’ll only go to Tasmania if we believe we are getting value for money.
We have previously camped in Tassie, loved it!! Now have a camper trailer, but there is no way it’s a cheap holiday with the fares on the Spirit of Tassie…. This is disappointing for us.
We would love to visit Tasmania but it is too expensive for our Navarra and20+ ft caravan?we would stay for at least a month if fares were cheaper.
The crossing to Tasmania should be considered as part of the National Road System, & only token charges should apply as is the case of The Alaska Marine Highway Ferry System where it is possible to take vehicles for a nominal cost.
We travelled 5 times in a car and caravan 10mtrs long combined, cost approx $1400 each time have 4wd now 20ft van, so will no longer be able to go to tasmania for our 3month holiday, i dread to think what it will cost now. Also a lot of free camps are charging.
Would love to visit Tassie, and would stay for up to 8 weeks in the summer season. I doubt if we ever will. As SFR nomads, we are considering cancelling our private health insurance to keep our costs down as other prices spiral out of control. How on earth could we afford or justify paying the’ monopoly prices’ charged on the Spirit?
I have just completed a trip around the mainland I looked at doing tassie to but the cost of the spirit of tassie for one person and caravan was way out of my price range and with not a lot of free camping makes it a very expensive place to visit.
How will Spirit of Tasmania lure grey nomads back | The Grey Nomads | Travel & Holiday Information Australia : Road Trips, Caravans & Motorhomes replica bags
hi all please stop whinging about a few dollars for a trip to Tassie
go soon before the libs cut all trees and stuff
I/we reckon its one of the best places in world to visit
just do it. enjoy life pete
Pete, You need to learn to tell the difference between a whinge and a simple statement of fact. We are not ‘whingeing’ about the cost, we are stating that it is too expensive for the average SFR Nomad to justify or afford, which is why we, as a group, have to cut Tassie out of our itinerary This is in response to the question above. Setting aside your shot at the government, I’m sure you genuinely care about the Tasmanian forests – and I for one would love to see them – but unless something is done to make the ferrying of our RVs and vans affordable, we will be forced to stay away. If more of us could get over there to see the forests, you might just acquire a few more allies for your cause…
Hi Pete, you must be rich if the Spirit trip is a few dollars to you 🙂
I have no doubt that I would LOVE Tassie and when the message gets through about how beneficial making the crossing a bit cheaper – we’ll see you there!!
The cost is ridiculous. By preventing tourists from crossing Bass Strait in motorhomes and caravans, the government is effectively choking the economy. The extra revenue/taxes being paid by the retail sector would be going into the governments coffers. This alone would help defray the running cost of a government owned shipping line. Tasmanians that are faced with this problem every year have started to leave there caravans on the mainland and I know that some even leave a tow vehicle there as well. This in itself means that Tasmanians are not using there RV’s in Tasmania, are further loss to the state. 20>30% reduction is about right. As for cutting ALL the trees down, absolute rubbish..
I would Love to go to Tassie.. But due to the simple fact that it would cost we to much to get the MH + Trailer over there.. no thank’s..
IT’s not worth the cost to me to go there..
Juergen
Very keen to spend 2 months in Tassie slowly cruising around enjoying all the sounds, sights and tastes. The price of getting there is getting out of range of everyone. Tourists spend a lot of money on their holidays so Tassie and its occupants are the ones missing out…..but the Spirit of Tassie makes a profit from cost per vehicle not volume of vehicles!! Their loss as stated in others comments they are not using it !!
The problem for mainlanders seems to be the season they wish to travel and the length of time they wish to stay. Peak fares are expensive but if they are considered with a longer time frame of say 3-4 months it is not so bad. Overall fuel costs are cheaper because distances travelled are much shorter than mainland trips, freedom camping is still alive and well so camping costs are contained. Tasmania cannot be appreciated in 4-8 weeks it requires several months. My experience with a motorhome over 8trips is that the costs are comparable with a winter trip from Victoria to North Queensland over months. I do feel for Tasmanians who wish to winter in the North but that is the price of living in paradise for 9 months of the year. Caravans,well they are expensive to use the ferry.
We were heading over to Tassie by the end of the year for around 9 months – but we’ve had to have a re-think now as our expenses are going up all the time and the Spirit sounds as if it would be a prohibitive cost.
Surely the Tassie Gov. could subsidise the travellers – even if it makes a conditions of a fair length of time stay.
Vicki the Tassie government have no money. the federal govt needs to step in and make bass strait part of the national hwy system. then you would be able to come. as for the other comment about the trees. Tassie people have a right to make a living the same as anyone else in Australia. forestry has been the industry here for generations of people
Airfares return for two month stay range from $68 to $224 for one person. How about a caravan/MH swap system or swap housing and vehicle for a couple of months. I am sure travelers must have done this. I would be happy to do something like this with a caravan/tug swap.
The prices quoted were ex Melbourne for set travel dates.
I’ve been receiving news letters from the Spirit of Tas. for two yrs, thought I might get a cheaper trip across!?@#. No such luck! Two pensioners Plus a car and camper trailer tent, $947.00 ! Ouch Hello the Great Ocean Road, good bye Scamander! ( Too bad. I love Tasmania) Is there any cheaper way to get across?
hOW MUTCH IS IT TO TRAVEL TO Tas by boat. Ihave a motor home. KIM.
What is the cost of travelling to Tasmania? I have a motorhome.
It is cheaper per person to 4 day cruise to New Zealand (twin birth), how can that be so? Why are the rooms so expensive, is the accommodation that flash?