Kelso Sands Holiday Park, Tamar Valley, Tasmania

“Wildlife Heaven, in the stunning Tamar Valley” Date of review: May 22, 2011- New

March 5, 2011: We had spent a week working our way up to the Tamar Valley, near Launceston, in a rather nifty camper van, having landed in Hobart. We had one very good reason to go out of our way to stay here, and that was the promise of seeing wombats around the site after dusk. In fact so concerned were we that we might miss them, Alison even phoned ahead around 5pm to see what time we could expect them.

I thought the owners would think us barking mad with a retort of "they're wild animals you stupid city fools, how the hell would we know, idiots." On the contrary, we were told to expect them at 6pm sharp, so we put the foot down.

No sooner had we hooked up the van and gone for a stroll did we meet this little beauty above, creeping out from the forest. She appeared first up with her young one alongside. She was simply adorable, and oblivious to us being there. I was sat around 6 feet away when I took this shot. We would have left happy if we had just seen this, but as the light faded, the whole park transformed into a bona fide wildlife reserve. We were actually approached by a cute possum near the main office - he confidently strode up to us to say hello. By 9pm there were more wombats, pademelons (the smallest of the kangaroo family) and possums in the park than caravans, it was incredible, and you had to be careful you didn't trip over them en route to the shower block. Our camper van was surrounded by the time we returned. Fantastic.

The Tamar Valley

As the for the campsite itself, we found it spacious, well kept and peaceful. It is a BIG 4 site, so you would expect it to have good facilities and it doesn't disappoint. There was a fully equipped campers kitchen and a large and modern shower block. Kids are well catered for with an outdoor pool, kids playground, jumping pillow and huge playing fields which run out onto the beachfront. The only disappointment for me was having to pay for using the showers - not only is it irritating having to take dollars with you, it's also a little naughty when you are already paying around $30 for a pitch. They really should do a re-think on that, as I am sure it leaves a sour taste with most guests, and it was the only site in Tassie where we stayed that charged.

As for the region itself, it's a beautiful drive up from Launceston, through the Tamar Valley, with its expansive estuary and vineyards, and there is no shortage of things to do. We called in to the Tamar Ridges vineyards for a spot of wine tasting, and we can highly recommend it for sampling (the staff are really friendly), purchasing and the views. Launceston is around forty minutes away, and worthy of a short visit, but if you are touring the area, we highly recommend basing yourself here instead, the wombats won't disappoint.