Go to Tasmania
Seriously.
I’ve just come back. Doesn’t matter if you are a family, or travelling with friends or as a couple, there are heaps of things to do. Here are some highlights from my holiday. (I know this my writer’s blog, not a travel blog, but it was such a great trip, I can’t resist a quick post.)
Cradle Mountain
The first place we visited, for three nights. We splurged on a cabin at Cradle Mountain Lodge, and were rewarded with wildlife coming right up to our deck, from where I took this picture. Pademelons with joeys in their pouches. Wombats grazing. More animals there than on the very beautiful walks. I’m going back.
Strahan
We met up with family here, because my in-laws once worked in mining nearby. Took a wonderful cruise out to Gordon River and Sarah Island, where we had our first lesson about Australia’s tragic convict days. Beautiful scenery, very comfortable boat, sobering stories of the past. Nearby are the Henty Dunes (pictured), which the Roaring Forties have pushed thirty metres high.
Zeehan
There is a mining museum here with one of the best mineral collections in the world, despite the tiny size of the town. I don’t collect rocks, but I was fascinated by what I saw. Walking through the historic buildings nearby felt like stepping back in time. Relatively few people come here, yet anywhere else it would be crowded, the exhibits are so varied and in such good condition. The mineral pictured is local: crocoite.
The Wall
Half-way along the road through the wilderness between Strahan and Hobart, artist Greg Duncan is carving the history of Tasmania in Huon pine. Still incomplete, The Wall is a brilliant chance to see a sculptural work-in-progress, and it is already stunning. Other carvings in the gallery are almost indistinguishable from the real objects they emulate.
Hobart
This is my daughter, eating at Salamanca Place in Hobart, where there are lots of good restaurants.
What can I say in brief? Hobart is far smaller than Sydney, in a good way. Easy to get around, without compromising the quality of the food, the galleries or the historical attractions. I loved Luisa’s Walk, a theatrical journey through the Female Factory, one of Hobart’s early gaols. Within driving distance of Hobart, we found the Tahune AirWalk, Richmond, Bruny Island, and many quality vineyards. Port Arthur was closed while we were there, due to the terrible fires that destroyed 80 homes on the Tasman Peninsula, but there were still too many other things to see to list. For me, highlights were the Bruny Island Cruise, and Domaine A Lady A Sauvignon Blanc. Yes, a wine. It has redefined my understanding of what a Sauvignon Blanc can be. Splurge on a bottle from the vineyard, and have it with local oysters.
Mt Wellington
While in Hobart, we visited the top of Mt Wellington. As someone who’s spent time in New Zealand, I am still unsure why we call our Australian hills ‘mountains’, but the view from up there is amazing. And it snowed. In mid-summer. My kids were ecstatic. They’d never seen snow before. Yet later that week we took them to the beach.
The highlights didn’t stop there. One place I didn’t visit was MONA, because it’s not really suitable for young kids. I’d have loved to visit if I didn’t have them with me. As an Australian who’d never visited Tasmania before, I hadn’t realised it had so much to offer. I’ll be going back. And I’d recommend Hobart and Cradle Mountain in particular to any overseas visitors, for the wildlife in its natural state, and for the ease of access to so many World Heritage listed attractions.
