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Great Eastern Drive: Bicheno to St Helens, East Coast, Tasmania
Photo: jacobharrisau · CC BY-SA 2.0 · cropped

Drives Tasmania, Australia The East Coast of Tasmania

Great Eastern Drive: Bicheno to St Helens

Tasman Highway, A3 · Bicheno → St Helens

Leisurely47 mi1 hr 10 min2,200 ft climbHigh point ≈ 200 ftOne way
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The drive

The northern half of the Great Eastern Drive follows the Tasman Highway (A3) from Bicheno north through Chain of Lagoons to St Helens. It is 75.5 km (46.9 mi) and takes about 1 hr 10 min, over gentle curves with the sea nearby for long stretches.

A bypass between Falmouth and Chain of Lagoons opened on 2 December 1991, replacing an older route through St Marys that had steep grades. Scamander is the last town before St Helens, 18 km out. The drive ends in St Helens, the largest town on Tasmania's north-east coast and a game fishing and oyster town on Georges Bay.

Bicheno, the starting point, is a fishing port and beach resort with a little penguin colony on Diamond Island, and guided tours to a protected rookery are available. The turnoff to the Bay of Fires leaves from St Helens.

Along the way

  1. Bicheno (Tasman Highway)
  2. Chain of Lagoons
  3. St Helens (Tasman Highway)
Elevation
2,200 ft of climbing · high point ≈ 200 ft
BichenoSt Helens
Curves
Mostly gentle curves
BichenoSt Helens
GentleHairpins

Good to know

  • Much of the Tasman Highway on the east coast is two lanes with few overtaking opportunities, so be patient behind caravans.
  • Wildlife is on Tasmanian roads at dusk and at night.
  • The Tasmanian Government has run upgrade work on the Great Eastern Drive, including overtaking lanes, so check for current roadworks.

Open all year, weather permitting. Roads close for snow, fire, storms and repairs: before you set off, check Tasmania Police: community alerts and road conditions.

Questions about this drive

How long does the Great Eastern Drive from Bicheno to St Helens take?

The Great Eastern Drive from Bicheno to St Helens is 46.9 miles (75.5 km) and takes about 1 hr 10 min.

Is the Great Eastern Drive twisty?

No. The Bicheno to St Helens section of the Great Eastern Drive is mostly gentle curves on the Tasman Highway.

What is the Great Eastern Drive?

The Great Eastern Drive is the marketed name for the Tasman Highway (A3) along Tasmania's east coast between Orford and St Helens.

What towns are on the Great Eastern Drive between Bicheno and St Helens?

The Great Eastern Drive between Bicheno and St Helens passes Chain of Lagoons and Scamander before reaching St Helens.

What you get in the app

Turn by turn, on this roadSpoken directions along the exact route. Carve never reroutes you onto a faster one.
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More drives near here

All 15 drives in Tasmania, Australia ›

Distance, time, elevation, curves and intensity are from Carve's route. Checked 2026-10-28.

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Map of Great Eastern Drive: Bicheno to St Helens, from Bicheno to St Helens