Tasmania

As both me and my boyfriend have to go home in July all our annual leaves has been used for that trip. We decided to make the most of the long weekends instead. The first long weekend being Australia Day weekend at the end of January.

On Thursday morning of Australia Day we set off to the airport very early to catch a flight to Hobart, Tasmania. Hour and a half later we were picking up our rental car and hitting the road in search of breakfast.

We found a small suburb outside of Hobart having a Australia Day fair on the water front. We grabbed some breakfast and listened to the live music taking in the hilly surroundings. After a good feed we hit the road to start our drive up the East Coast

The first stop was Wine Glass Bay. After purchasing our pass for the national park we parked the car and started the short hike up the hill to the look out point. The walk is all uphill but it is a easy climb with a good footpath. The views on the way are amazing and the view from the look out point is beautiful. Once back in the car we headed up the coast to check out Bay Of Fires. The Bay of Fires starts at a small town Binalong Bay with a gorgeous beach. We decided to check out the view points and took a short 10 minute walk. On the way back a large Tiger snake slithered straight in front of me…safe to say  I screamed the place down. My boyfriend came running back checked the path was clear and we carried on back to a car at a accelerated  pace.

We had dinner at a bistro in St Helens which was nothing to rave about. We had a very limited choice due to everywhere being shut for Australia Day. The last leg of the drive that day was in land to Ringarooma. The drive to the town was full of windy mountain roads through the woods and very small quiet towns. In the last town before our final destination we came across large wooden statues carved into trees. We later found out that each tree had been planted to remember those from the town who died at war. The trees unfortunately started to rot so to save them and the memory of the soldiers they created these statues out of them.We reached our first Air Bnb by about 8PM. Our hosts where a lovely couple who had spent the last two years on their yacht sailing up and down the East coast of Australia. Their home ‘The Bank’ an our room were amazing. I think I was asleep before my head hit the pillow after such a long day of driving.

Our hosts made us a lovely breakfast with fresh fruit and yogurt. They had suggested we go up the end of the town to the top of a hill to see Ralph Falls. We drove up the windy road until we reached the top then it was a short 15 minuet walk to the view point. You walk through a rich green forest with huge trees and come out at the view point which looks over the waterfalls and the valley. Ralph Falls are the highest waterfalls in Tasmania.

The rest of the day was spent driving down the North coast. The first sop was Bridport where we tried Tasmania Scallops. The beaches in Bridport where gorgeous. I had a lay out in the sun and Mike was a bit braver and went for a dip in the sea. The sea food was a little disappointing as it was all fried and I think we thought it would have been fresh. The next stop was Low Head town. It is a old town that used to have a navy port. We checked out the light house and stunning views around the light house. After having a coffee and a cake looking over the water we did our final stretch into Lauceston. In Lauceston we stayed in the hostel ‘Art House‘. It is another old fashioned building in the city. Lauceston is surrounded by hills. Once settled into our room we walked into the city to explore. We stumbled across a small night market which was made up of food trucks, local booze and odd bits like candles and a book swap. We enjoyed some wine listening to the live music then headed for dinner at The Prickly Cactus. The meal was delicious and the Corona and Margaritas helped wash it down. The next day was a early start so it was off to bed in  preparation for our day at Cradle Mountain.

Up and on the road at 6:30AM for the two hour drive to Cradle Mountain. It was like being back at home driving through the morning fog. I started to notice the temperature dropping. When we pulled in to the car park at the entrance to Cradle Mountain it was no longer mid 20’s it had plummeted to 8 degrees. Mike went off to spend the day jumping off waterfalls and sliding down them, whilst  I  decided to head to the spa. Before my spa appointment I purchased my bus ticket and headed into the national park and did two short walks. Make sure if you walk on your own you sign in and out of the walking log books. I checked in at Waldheim Alpine Spa for my one hour bath. The bath looked over the Cradle Mountain forest and was extremely relaxing. After my bath I caught the bus to get a good view of Cradle Mountain before returning to the visitors center to wait for Mike.

He had a very different day to me… Mike met his group and hiked up the canyon where they repealed down into the canyon. The next four hours was full of jumping off waterfalls, sliding down them and floating down river. The last hurdle was hiking back out of the canyon up to the bus. He loved his day out and I think it was a tough one as he slept for a hour as soon as he got into the car. Cradle Mountain Canyoning is the company he booked with.

The last night was spent at Cooee on the North coast. It was another Air Bnb and after I had done the drive from Cradle Mountain through more windy roads I was ready for a rest. We headed to the local pub for dinner and finally got to taste Tasmania Oysters whist watching the Venus sisters battle it out at the Australian Open. Once we were full we headed to Burnie look out point then down to the bay to meet the penguins. There are Penguin Volunteers there every night and they do a small talk before you go and see the penguins. It was low season when we went so there was only around 30 penguins in the bay. The bay had 4 sets of baby penguins that were 6 weeks old. The babies come out first as they sleep all day then wake up at night and wait for mum to return from her swim to feed them. It was a long process waiting for the mother penguins to appear but it was worth the wait.

The rest of the night was spent back the Air Bnb enjoying a bottle of wine and a movie.

The last day we had to drive back to Hobart where we grabbed a quick lunch before returning the car. The trip was brilliant, Tasmania is beautiful and I am sure we will be back to explore more of this place.

I have made my first video of our trip…think the camera work can do with some improvement. Anyway check it out click here for the video.

 

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