We are a family of 5 and travel frequently down under from the UK. With family in Tassie we explore the wonders of Tasmania year on year.

A recent trip took us to Bruny Island. Small, yet big, this Island is an absolute gem!
Artisan producers hide away here and make the most beautiful produce. Cheese, oysters, breads, conserves, pork, lamb, smoked goods, wine – it has it all! The 2011 Pinot from the Bruny Island Winery is a must try!

We stayed at a property, Sunset Bay Escape – and it was terrific. A beautifully designed holiday home with the most spectacular views – we never tired of the changing seascapes … the house has so much glass which soaks up the panoramic views of the Harts mountains, sea and Satellite Island.

To make your stay on the island truly memorable I would strongly suggest a stay here!
We danced on the deck – the house has the best music collection….we cooked in the fantastic and amazingly well equipped kitchen and the DVD library is awesome.
The roaring fire was superb on some chilly nights. We have stayed in many holiday homes but this one lacked nothing! So special and so well designed….loved every moment.

We walked, swam, kayaked and took a zillion photos of the spectacular scenery. We saw fairy penguins and dolphins and seals on the Eco Boat cruise. We fished off the local jetty and even caught squid! The best thing about Bruny is the diversity of flora and fauna. The best thing about the accommodation was that the owners thought about all the finer details! Bruny is magic and so is this house.

We will back some time in the future. Well done and lets hope Bruny Island continues to expand its luxury accommodation market as there are houses on the Island being classified as Luxury but they are a very poor cousin next to Sunset Bay Escape. Thanks Brianna (the owner) who was terrific to deal with and was so knowledgeable. Thank you!

We were very fortunate to avoid the pre-Christmas madness and escape to the stunning Freycinet Peninsula for an incredible 4 day family hike. Our boys (ages 8 and 10) had the time of their lives, running free on pristine beaches, swimming in the spectacular Wineglass Bay, exploring the native bush, getting in touch with nature, and learning a lot along the way.

I wondered how they would cope without any kind of screen entertainment (no iPods, iPads, iPhones, no TV, no electricity), and was pleasantly surprised by how good it was for them and how enthusiastically they embrac

ed this wonderful experience. Our two guides were fantastic, encouraging the boys and sharing their vast knowledge of the area, its history, flora and fauna.

The simple lodge is truly beautiful, an architectural delight, and the abundant delicious food, lovingly prepared by our hosts, was greatly appreciated after a long day hiking the wilderness.

We can highly recommend this experience, you will be forever grateful for the precious memories created sharing this unique adventure with your family.  

www.freycinet.com.au

Had a fantastic getaway recently to Tassie

With only a week annual leave from work we flew into Hobart (Virgin Airlines) and hired a car from RedSpot Car hire (no hassles)

Day 1:

Such a beautiful morning drove to Mt Wellington to soak in the magnificent scenery and then decided to explore the Salamanca Market. Had a great meal at the Bull & Chain Grill – enjoyed the local produce & wine. Strolled around the marine, so relaxing, peaceful.

Day 2:

Drove to Port Arthur. Had a fantastic tour guide – she really knew her history. The tour also included a cruise on the bay. Did some research and discovered a couple of relatives. Boy, did they endure some harsh punishment for what now is a minor crime (stealing a horse!).  Drove to Richmond and explored the quaint woodwork / antique shops. Spent the night at  Swansea

Day 3:

Travelled about 50 kms to Freycinet National Park for a morning walk before heading to Cradle Mountain. We had regular breaks as we drove through the small country towns. The folk at Chudleigh offered some friendly tourist advice over a local coffee. Arrived at the Discovery Caravan Park (Cradle Mountain). A well kept park. Ended the day with a stroll around Dove Lake.

Day 4:

Tackled the walk from Ronny Creek to the Cradle Mountain Summit. The last part of the climb was challenging over huge boulders and facing a cold wind. Met many interesting people along the way. 6 hour return.

Day 5:

Drove to Launceston with a morning coffee at Sheffeld. Checked into the Hotel Charles in Launceston. Well looked after. Very central. Explored the shopping prescient before walking to the Cataract George.  Nice sunny day.

Day 6:

Picked up at 8.30 for an Extreme Mountain bike adventure with Vertigo MTB. Rode the Blue Tier Descent. Very challenging but a beautiful part of the world … east of Launceston with great tour guides who really knew their stuff.

What a week it had been … so much to do surrounded by beautiful scenery … so many more places to go.

I’ll definitely be back.  Loved the Tassie Experience.

It really does recharge the batteries.

While being serenaded by Jo Stafford’s rendition of “Autumn Leaves“, you will arrive at Fentonbury, approximately 72 kilkometers west of Hobart.

If you travel well along the B61 Gordon River Road and ignore the turn to Gordon Lake, (accidentally traveling straight along the C608 Ellendale Road), you to find yourself joining with the A10 Lyell Highway.  Fentonbury, named for Michael Fenton, is situated between Westerway and Westeria.

Drive slowly, because you will be frequently distracted by many colourful Autumn scenes, as in the photo.  It is a pleasant diversion.

Tasmania, is a rich state, if only for its spectacular scenery and friendly people.

Editor’s note: the area near Westerway/Fentonbury (Mt Field National Park) was one of the locations used as the setting for the movie ‘The Hunter’, now screening across the USA and Canada.

Robert Cassidy is a Hobart based photographer.

Hello!

When I arrived in Tasmania last October the first thing that came to my mind was… Shopping! Although I must admit that I was a little in shock when I found out that there were no big shopping malls in Hobart, unlike Abu Dhabi and Dubai where we have the one of the biggest shopping malls in the world. Mmm… I guess I have to face it my shopping lifestyle might come to a halt.  So what’s the alternative? Well, good thing there’s the Salamanca Markets!

Indeed the Salamanca Markets is famous even on the other side of the world where I was. It can be comparable to the ones that we had in the Emirates they called “souqs” meaning “markets” in Arabic. Our first Saturday here in Tassie, my partner and I decided to go to the Salamanca. We took the bus from our suburb in Springfield and arrived in Hobart in less than 15mins. Wow! I could definitely enjoy the roads here!

We arrived in the Salamanca and I felt that vibe… if you know what I mean, the shopping vibe. I could say people here in Tassie were no different from the ones in Abu Dhabi or Dubai. They all want to have a good bargain and they love food. Yes! The smell of the sausage “barbie” was killing me and I have to take a bite. Yum, the level of spice and the mustard gave it a little bit of a kick. Sausage stalls were all over but I got the ones from the stall opposite of the soft drinks stall. Really good sausages! Apart from the sausages, there were stalls that offer espresso coffee, kebabs, Asian dishes like the potato spuds with a touch of Asian flavor, milk shakes, home made ice cream, pancakes, and of course one my favorites, the “chocolate fudge” stall and many others. There were also restaurants all over the place located in the sidewalk.

So we continued our window-shopping there were all sorts of stuff. Handicrafts, apparels, shoes, books, art crafts, plants and flowers, fruits and vegetables and so much more. I must say that we don’t have anything like it back in the Emirates, except for the Global village that happens every December but mostly china made products were on display. Unlike here in the Salamanca, I must commend the locals’ effort in selling Tassie-made products. Bravo! Let’s start with the crafts. Several stalls offer uniquely made crafts products, which range from pots, utensils, knitted products, other crafts for the homes, and I found one very unique stall that sells these hand made things, some sort of a futuristic feel…

As we walked along the stalls, I noticed one more unique aspect of the Salamanca that I was kind of something new to my senses. The busking performances! Wow, being an enthusiast of musical performances, I was really surprised. Firstly, as you enter the Davey street entrance and walk along a little bit, there sits a guy playing one of the most phenomenal guitar music I’ve ever heard in my life. His name is Cary Lewincamp, simply beautiful music. Check him out in Salamanca every Saturday. I also enjoyed the other busking performances and noticed that Salamanca after all is the center for performing arts in Hobart. Well, that made sense!

Well, I must say that I didn’t have enough time to experience all the stalls since most of them closed at 3pm. Oh crap! But overall I definitely enjoyed the short trip and ever since, Saturday became our Salamanca Market day!

My first thought about the Tasmanian Overland track is that of rainforests, waterfalls, vast mountains and perhaps some mud. But to my surprise we were blazoned with 39 degree heat traveling up from Hobart to Cradle Mountain ready to start the walk the next day in equally heat wavering conditions.

The Cradle Mountain hike up Marions lookout and higher to the pinnacle of the mountain was incredible, with clear vistas all around till a small change came through. A rumble of thunder and heavy slosh of warm rain and then the day cleared again to continue the hike to waterfall valley.

Greeted by the Wildcare volunteers and shown the hut and camping rules, we settled down at the end of a long day, ready for more vistas of great beauty. Each hut was warm and welcoming though we camped mainly as it was a warm week. We did an 8 day version rather than the 4-5 day version, so we could rest after climbing Mt Ossa (Tassies’ tallest mountain) and swim in the river, and complete the hike the traditional way by walking to Cynthia bay rather than the ferry. In fact some of the best rainforest is missed by cutting off the end leg of the journey.

The rangers throughout the trip were energetic and happy to please and the tradies working on more duck-board were great to chat to about their incredible track work. The duckboard is not there to make it easier, in fact it appears in areas that have become braided by human feet, so the environment wins out this way, not to mention the wombats who seem to travel the same short sections of wooden road

The Lake Windermere section gave us beautiful views of Barn Bluff and Cradle in the distance and a hint of what was to come with Mt Oakleigh peeking around the corner of one lookout. Lake Wills was lovely even though misty, and the sunset of Barn Bluff with the golden buttongrass in the foreground very poetic.

In fact each section we walked, we found dazzling colours, magnificent towering mountains and divine canyons of rolling green. The leatherwood trees were dropping their petals, so that the ground was a carpet of white confetti and the sound of happy native bees. Bubbling creek, rushing rivers and crashing waterfalls kept the day full with side trips of splendor.

New Pelion hut provided a great swimming hole down by the old 1865 hut, and a verdandah with a view of Mt Oakleigh that dominated every window and camera lens. A tiny Barn Bludd and Cradle sat on the horizon as the moon rose, the sun left its last rays on Mt Oakleigh and the planets of Mars, Saturn and Venus lined up in the sky. The Pademelons, Possums and Wallabies oblivious of the view as they hoped around the hut in hope of an accientally dropped scroggin nut or two.

Mt Ossa, was a blue day, no wind, after a long hike up Pelion Gap. Views to the four corners of Tasmania. Frenchmans Cap could be seen, along with Mt Murchison, Mt Geryon, Walls of Jerusalem peaks and so many more hundreds of mountains stretching up from their glacial valleys.

Cathedral mountain was out view as we camped at Kia Ora. We stayed here two nights with Mt Cathedral changing colours and dominated the sky as the hours rolled on by. Laying in the sun, reading a book and sipping a tea, it was luxury on the wooden camp platforms.

The next day brought waterfalls, Fergusson Falls (names after the ranger Fergy who bears a plaque on a trunk of a tree nearby, the hikers best friend), D’Alton Falls and Hartnett Falls, along with a huge march over the Du Cane Gap 1070m at the end of the day to Bert Nicholls hut (newly replacement for the old windy ridge hut).

Mt Geryon’s three heads sat above us as we cooked a salami pinenut risotto. Yes we had beaten the land speed record and had time to do some proper camp cooking, complete with a cup of tea and some dark chockie for dessert.

The next day was a roll down the hill past the bowling green, a place where the wallabies commune, and onwards to Narcissus hut, crossing the river to sit and eat lunch. The hikers were finishing up their trail, but we decided, the ferry wasn’t for us. There was lots more to see. In fact the best of the rainforest was still to come.

We wandered the afternoon through the Narssicus to Echo point section with Mt Olympus overhead, and Lake St Clair lapping at our heels. Fungi in yellow, fiery reds and giant form peeked out from the lush green moss and lichen covering the myrtle rainforest. The fresh water of Australia’s deepest lake (180m) washed ashore with rippling waves as the wind ruffled it’s surface. A weather change was coming, but the drizzle and cloud only made the walk through the forest more magical.

Echo Point hut was small but warm complete with it’s own jetty for easy water collecting. Pademelons watched us from hidden paths and we waited for a platypus with no luck. With fellow campers, we had a wonderful time chatting about experiences, their views on Tassie and her beauty, and the delight of hearing they would be back for sure.

Sadly, day 8 had come, with a short walk back to Cynthia bay from Echo point, we took our time, enjoyed the rain dropping from the forest canopy and delighted in the sandy shores and the gushing streams. Galaxia fish wriggled in the streams and leatherwood petals fell.

And there it stood the final sign with Overland written on it, we’d made it. Civilisation meet us at the Lake St Clair visitor centre with a sudden reality check. People wearing sandals, children giggling and a gift shop filled with memorabilia.

A quick change and off to have lunch at the Hungry Wombat just outside the park, filled our bellies while our minds still were overflowing with memories of the past few days.

This may not be the hardest walk to do in Tasmania, but it does take fitness, and weather will always play a part of how your experience will play out. But whether it rains or shines, you’ll never forget the experience of walking the Overland track; that you are alone with Nature herself at times, and how lucky you are to do that right here in our backyard.

For an island, Tasmania is shy, but if you wait and put in the effort, she’ll come right out and dazzle you with her beauty and diversity.

Do the Overland track and change your life

With just one month to see as much of the world as possible, I couldn’t resist a quick stop in Tasmania while visiting Australia. After a painless one-hour flight from Melbourne, I touched down on this beautiful island. Just under 200 miles south of the Australian mainland, the country’s only island state - nicknamed “Tassie” - has a unique and compelling history.

For more than 25,000 years, Aboriginal tribes lived here in isolation. The estabishment of a British penal colony in 1803 shattered that peaceful isolation. In the years that followed, more than 700,000 men, women and children were forced to migrate to Tasmania. In addition to the convicts, hundreds of penal administrators, civil and military officers and their families arrived and made a lasting impact on the island. Tasmania’s settlements prospered from the forced labor of the convicts who suffered brutal conditions at Port Arthur. Most of the convicts shipped here worked hard and eventually won their freedom, going on to establish new colonies as free citizens. In 1856, Tasmania was granted self-government and the convict era finally came to an end. A period of economic growth followed, fueled by exports like wool, meat, fruit and timber shipped from the bustling port of Hobart.

Today, in addition to specialized exports, tourism plays a vital role in Tassie’s economy. Visitors come here for the spectacular natural setting, adventure activities and the history. The restored ruins of Port Arthur have been converted into a peaceful visitor attraction and remain a stark monument to Australia’s convict era.

For many of us who don’t know the story of the island’s difficult history, the word Tasmania first brings to mind the famous Tasmanian devil. But unless you visit the Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park, you’re unlikey to get a look at the world’s largest carnivorous marsupial. Since the 1990′s, devil tumor facial disease has drastically reduced the devil population in the wild leading them to be listed as endagered. On my last trip to Sydney, I’d learned a lot about the Tasmanian devils and even seen a few at the Taronga Zoo. They’re about the size of a small dog and actually kind of cute…until you see their teeth, of course.

I’d left a lot of planning for this stop until the last minute including where I would stay for my one night on the island and what I wanted to see. Luckily, fate intervened in the way of alert Tassie reader, Rachel, who saw on my site that I was visiting Tasmania and couldn’t have been more helpful with hotel suggestions and sightseeing advice. For a one-day trip, I really had two options: the Port Arthur Historic site where I could delve into Tassie’s troubled history or Freycinet National Park, one of the island’s most spectacular natural wonders. Deciding I wanted my brief visit to focus on the natural scenic beauty of Tasmania more than its history, I opted for the park.

Since time was short, Rachel recommended renting a car and making the drive to Freycinet National Park directly from the airport. She wanted to come with me and show me some of the sights but unfortunately she couldn’t get the day off work. So instead she gave me driving directions and even suggested all the best places to stop along the way.

After landing at 9:30am, by 10:00am I was in a rental car and on my way! The drive north to the park wound through softly rolling hills and vineyards and along the coastline. It was incredibly scenic and I stopped several times to get out and take pictures.

Thanks to all the stopping, it took me a full 3 hours to reach the gorgeous Freycinet Peninsula. Dominated by the 1500ft-high granite peaks known as the Hazards, it’s easy to see why Freycinet is so popular with visitors. Once inside the park, I stopped at the Visitor Center, paid my entrance fee and picked up a map. With miles of pristine sandy coves and dramatic rocky outcroppings, Freycinet is a nature lover’s wonderland.

The peninsula is home to abundant wildlife including road-crossing marsupials and a large variety of birds. In addition to numerous camp sites, there are dozens of hikes available ranging from short 10-minute walks to a lookout point to full day or overnight hikes with camping. One of the most popular hikes is up to the lookout point for the perfect arc of white sand known as Wineglass Bay.

Obviously, any bay involving my favorite type of glassware sounded like the perfect spot for me so I started my exploration of the park with the 90-minute roundtrip hike up to the lookout point. I was lucky again with absolutely perfect weather and my efforts to get to the top of the steep trail were rewarded with a postcard-perfect view of the bay…absolutely spectacular.

From there, I hiked back down the mountain and drove around to some of the starting points for the short hikes indicated on my park map (since the longer hikes weren’t realistic with my time constraints). I spent the afternoon visiting several of the other beaches and lookout points including Cape Tourville, Carp Bay, Sleepy Bay and Richardsons Beach and then spent a little time in the town of Coles Bay before getting in the car to head back toward the main town of Hobart. I was hoping to get there in time to see a little of Australia’s second-oldest capital city before dark.

With Rachel’s help I’d booked a room at the Salamanca Inn in Hobart which was in a lovely part of the city right near the harbor. Historically home to a generation of whaling clipper ships, Salamanca is lined with a long row of sandstone former warehouses along Sullivan’s Cove. Today, the neighborhood is the trendy home to art galleries, cafés, restaurants and a terrific Saturday market (which unfortunately I would miss).

I made it to the hotel and checked in with just enough time to take a walk around the harbor before sunset. Since it was Valentine’s Day, the restaurants along the water were packed and couples walked hand-in-hand everywhere I looked. I walked around the entire waterfront from Victoria Dock to Constitution Dock as the sun set behind the mountains casting a pinky-orange glow over the sailboat-filled marina. It was completely gorgeous.

Next, I wandered into a wine bar near my hotel to sample a little Tasmanian wine since I hadn’t had time to stop at a winery during my sightseeing that day. The bartender let me sample a few varieties before I decided on one and ordered a glass. It was quite good but I was surprised at how expensive Tassie wines are (compared to the nearby New Zealand wine region, anyway). I suppose the smaller number of wine producers – versus larger markets like Australia and New Zealand – leads to the higher prices.

After that, I headed back to my room…I had a big night planned. The main reason I’d selected my hotel from the choices Rachel had given me was because the website said they had washers and dryers on each floor. I really needed a washer and dryer! It’s one of those little things on a RTW trip that can just make your day. So, at the hotel that night I did two loads of laundry and washed every single thing in my suitcase. Now I feel like I’m traveling with a whole new wardrobe.

The next morning I met Rachel for breakfast in Salamanca before she headed to work. It was great to finally meet her and we had a lovely time talking travel and comparing notes on places we’d been. She and her boyfriend are planning a two-month tour of Europe this summer (or winter for her) and while she was researching places to stay in Mykonos she came across a link to my blog on Marietta’s apartment site (where I always stay when I’m there). When she realized Tasmania was on my upcoming itinerary, she decided to reach out with an email. And I’m so glad she did! She was so great to help me out with my last minute planning and it’s always so exciting to meet people around the world who are reading and enjoying my little blog.

I thoroughly enjoyed my 24 hours in Tasmania and I can definitely see why it’s been referred to as “Dazzlin’ Tassie.” There’s plenty to do here to fill an entire week and I’d love to return someday and see more of the eastern coastline and especially to explore the convict trail and Port Arthur. So much history amongst all that natural beauty.

But alas, later that morning it was time to head back to the airport. I had a full day in transit ahead to get to Vanuatu including a 5-hour layover in Sydney. I decided to make the most of my layover in Sydney and hopped on the train to Circular Quay for lunch at Sydney Harbor. It was another beautiful summer day and I couldn’t help but think my lucky streak with weather would have to come to an end soon. Hopefully, it will hold until I get home.

Next stop, Vanuatu!

I think God wanted me to experience the time of my life. That was the reason why I chose Tasmania out of the many states of Australia to visit if I won this ‘Unexpected Australia Adventure’ jointly organized by one of our local radio stations and newspapers. At that time I didn’t know exactly what Tasmania was about. After all, when it comes to Australia – Sydney, Perth or Melbourne come  to my mind, not nature-based Tasmania.

For the 10 days 9 nights adventurous trip, we would be going to Melbourne (which was the destination chosen by the deejays) then Hobart. I had a fun and memorable time at Melbourne but what I experienced at Tasmania totally left me speechless.

From having the honour of staying at the Islington Hotel with drop-dead gorgeous exteriors to heavenly interiors (I was definitely not complaining about the magnificent view of Mount Wellington from our room) to taking a private plane to Tasmania’s spectacular South West World Heritage Area, my life was simply busy with having fun during that period. Whether it was having an outdoor lunch with super friendly locals and superb views at Meadowbank Wines, a scrumptious seafood feast at the Peppermint Bay Restaurant or a delectable luncheon at Zum (Salamanca Place), every meal at Hobart just left me yearning for more!

I felt so much grown up when I got to cycle down Mount Wellington with the big guys! As the journey got rather curvy and steep as we headed down, I was the only willing female left in the group to continue the full descent. The experience was truly awesome to the max as I got to do some sightseeing while trying my best not to run into trees! I’ll never look at cycling the same way again!

Another interesting outdoor activity that we did was to kayak on the harbour. What made this kayaking activity memorable was the magnificent view that passed by, the clear water we glided on and the adorable creatures that accompanied us. This was indeed an enriching experience to see Hobart from another angle.

This was truly a once in a lifetime experience which gave me the opportunity to fall in love with nature and beauty through so many interesting activities. Tasmania seems like a nature haven that is out of this world for anyone who has been there, and I will definitely come back for more. I almost fell in love with an Australian guy; there isn’t anything here that one would not fall in love with. Anything wonderful can happen here! It is simply a nature lover’s haven, a pleasure seeker’s paradise.

(Editor’s Footnote: The air operator to Tasmania’s South West (TasAir) pictured by the writer, has unfortunately gone into administration and has ceased operations. Flights however are available over the same routes by established operator Par Avion)

My wife and I were residents in Hobart for 5 years through the late 80s. Despite that there are still many parts of Tasmania left for us to visit.

We recently returned from a 6-week visit staying in the north and west. One week in January 2012 was spent at Cradle Chalet at Moina from which we drove to Cradle Mountain National Park on a couple of occasions. Rain and cloud prevented us seeing the actual top of Cradle Mountain but we did have an enjoyable walk on the boardwalk from Snake Hill back to the visitors centre.

There were very few other walkers and imagine our surprise and delight to find on the boardwalk waddling towards us a wild Tassie devil. It came within 20 metres before reluctantly giving way to us and jumping off into the button grass. Magic!