Getting a Mini Excavator Across Bass Strait: How Freight to Tasmania Works
Sea freight, ports, depots and timing for a Rippa machine bought from the mainland. What to expect from order to unloading in Devonport, Burnie, Launceston or Hobart.
Every machine sold to Tasmania crosses Bass Strait. It sounds like a complication; in practice it is a well-worn route that Rippa Australia arranges end to end, and a Tasmanian buyer sees one price and one delivery.
The route
- Gold Coast to Melbourne by road freight, one to two days.
- Melbourne to Tasmania by sea on a scheduled freight service to Devonport, Burnie or Bell Bay. Sailings run most days; a machine waits for the next available slot.
- Port to you by road: depot collection at the port or in Launceston or Hobart, or door delivery by tilt tray.
Allow five to ten days from dispatch, longer around public holidays and in rough weather.
Depot or door
Depot collection at Devonport, Burnie, Launceston or Hobart suits buyers with a rated trailer and is usually the cheaper option for machines under 3 tonnes. Door delivery by tilt tray is the sensible choice for the R32 PRO and up, for farms and for anyone without a trailer. Hobart and the East Coast add a day and a leg to the price.
What affects the cost
- Machine weight and size (the R06 shares a load; the R57 PRO needs its own).
- Depot or door, and how far from the port.
- Attachments travelling with the machine.
- Sailing schedules; a machine that misses a sailing waits.
Ask for the freight figure with the quote. Rippa Australia prices the whole run so there is no surprise at the wharf.
On arrival
Inspect before you sign. Check for transit damage, confirm attachments are present, photograph the serial plates, and note the hour meter. Machines arrive with enough fuel to unload and test; have diesel ready. If you are collecting at a depot, bring rated chains and check your trailer and tow vehicle against the towing check.
Parts afterwards
Filters, tracks, teeth and hoses ship by air or road freight and take a few days; the sea leg is only for the machine itself. Most Tasmanian owners keep a spare filter set on the shelf.
See the current range and prices on the machines page, and the Tasmanian region guides for what suits your district.