Three weeks ago I had the opportunity to visit Tasmania for a short five day getaway with family. I was lucky enough that my examinations ended earlier than normal, and as a result was able to accommodate the trip into my schedule :)
With regards to popularity, I'm not too sure how much Tasmania fares on that spectrum. All I did know about the state was that it isn't quite the metropolis of a city if you're looking at having a vacation that revolves around that aspect. That said though, there were a few art galleries and museums that were worth visiting. However, we didn't have the time to visit these places as we were only there for a very short period and our main focus of the itinerary was to visit the Cradle Mountain.
Altogether, we spent the first two nights in Hobart before spending the next two up in the Cradle Mountains. The final night was spent in a hotel next to the Hobart airport before catching our early morning flight back home.
Hobart in itself was quite an interesting city. Not the type of city I would live in, but picturesque-wise it was definitely breathtaking. The city centre isn't as congested as the other cities around Australia, and there aren't a lot of high-rised buildings either. Given the hilly nature of the city, I doubt high-rised buildings would be safe. Mountains can be seen from almost every spot, and the number of stars that could be seen at night was just magnificent. It was beauty beyond compare and in this aspect, Hobart has lots to offer. My dad was the main driver throughout the trip (curses Aisyah, you should have your license by now!) and I think he was pretty taken aback by how steep some of the slopes were!
We stayed at a nice little two storey motel / apartment whilst we were there. It was located atop a hill and the view was just gorgeous at night as it overlooked the city and the Tasmanian Bridge. However, seeing as we were only there for two nights, we weren't given the unit with the better view. It wasn't too bad however, the place was really cosy and (rather big) for a pax of 4 people. I think I should mention now that my dad actually made bookings for five people as my aunt was originally supposed to join us on the trip but due to personal reasons backed out at the last minute.
We technically only had one full day to spend roaming around Hobart. We arrived Hobart at around 4 in the afternoon on the first day and as it was winter, the days end really early in this part of the world. The sun sets at around 4.45 and by then there's hardly anything to see at the time. So we made full use of our second day in the city by visiting Mount Wellington and roaming around the weekend markets (Salamanca Market).
The highlight of my short day trip in Hobart has to be the journey up to Mount Wellington. It is during times like these that I am grateful to be the passenger in the car because I get to enjoy the beauty of the scenery around me whilst my dad drives us up to safety. I'll let the pictures below do the talking :)
The view was simply breathtaking from the top of Mount Wellington. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone who's visiting Hobart. It wasn't too far from the city, it took around 30 minutes to get there by car. I love places like these, it really reminds me of how vulnerable we humans are as compared to mother nature. Such beauty :)
The Salamanca markets was quite an experience too. Over in Melbourne it reminded me a lot of the South Melbourne markets, except that the vibe was a lot more relaxing somehow given the live bands and the number of people that were chilling by the grass. That, or maybe it was the overall feel a person gets when she's on a holiday :P It was nice to walk around and view the crafts and food that were available, it was a nice end to the day :)
The next morning saw us leave bright and early at 8.30 to head over to Cradle Mountain. This without a doubt was the highlight for my dad. I'm pretty sure he travelled all the way to Tasmania to visit the Cradle Mountains.
The journey to the mountains wasn't exactly the smoothest one. Weather wise, it was cloudy and gloomy that day (and for the rest of the time we were there) and the mist was really thick as well. That, coupled with the long windy road and five hour drive took a toll not only on the driver but on the passengers too. I was the navigator for the trip, so my responsibility was to make sure my dad was alert the whole time. This also meant that I had to stay awake the whole trip too.
 |
| The mist that we saw for three straight hours. |
We arrived Cradle Mountain at close to three in the evening. Sadly, the weather up in the mountains wasn't the most welcoming. It was raining the moment we arrived and pretty much stayed the same way for the next few days we were there. I find that this isn't so weird in Australia where the weather tends to get wet when they're in the midst of changing seasons. There is also no scientific fact or proof behind my previous sentence so don't quote me please :P
We stayed at one of the lodging places there. Besides the tourist information centre, Cradle Mountain hosts several different lodging sites. The place we stayed at was really cosy, and we particularly liked it because of the indoor heating that was provided. Though I'm pretty sure all the accommodation sites had indoor heating given the location. But really, we were very satisfied with our place.
Seeing as how it's a nature park, getting along the cradle mountain was fairly easy. Should you wish not to drive up to the starting points of each hiking route, the only journey you need to make is to the information centre (there is only one there). A shuttle service is provided for anyone who wishes to get along the mountain, and all you need to do is purchase a ticket for the shuttle and you can bring yourself around the area the entire day. There are several different passes that are available depending on how long you're going to be there, but we purchased the day pass as we were only going to be tackling a 2hr hike.
We took the Dove Circuit, and I was really bummed out that the weather was not in our favour because it voided us from what would have been a beautiful view. Needless to say, I was just very grateful then to have been safe and sound where I was and tried not to complain too much. Besides, it was still very romantic in its own way despite the wetness of it all.
In the evening we visited a conservation centre that housed the MVP of the wildlife in Tasmania - the Tasmanian Devil. Now I'd seen a tasmanian devil before - not personally but in pictures - but I'd never heard the sound the animal made. We took a shuttle to the centre (the shuttle picked us up straight from the reception of our accommodation). Our driver warned us to not be alarmed upon hearing the cry of the animal, a warning I took almost too lightly.
I don't have any photos from that night as it was freezing cold and we were out in the open to view the animals. What I can say is that the photos wouldn't have done any justice to the sounds that I heard that night. The Tasmanian Devil without a doubt was given the name "devil" because of the way it sounds. I wish I could describe it aptly, but the closest I can get is to ask you to imagine every possible sound you'd ever heard an animal make and mix all that up together.
One thing I enjoyed the most about being up at the Cradle Mountains was the amount of wildlife I got to see right up close. There were pademelons, wallabies and wombats
everywhere. In fact, we saw a few paddy's right in front of our deck.
As opposed to the mainland, majority of the wildlife in Tasmania have a high survival rate as dingos (the main predator) isn't found there. In fact, we saw several more whilst we were hiking along the Dove Circuit. Our driver also brought us along for a little sightseeing session after our conservation trip. All we needed was a spotlight really, most of the animals were out hunting at night and it wasn't too difficult to run across one. That said, the speed limit up in the mountains was set to about 40km/h for most of the areas. Mainly for the safety of the drivers but also due to the animals that cross the roads on occasion. May I add that the pace in which a wombat waddles across is really really slow?? It's so ridiculous... ly
adorable!!!! :P Imagine a stubby square lump waddling across the fields hahaha how cute?!
We left early the next day to make our 5hr journey back to Hobart. We stayed at the airport hotel as our flight was at 5.30 in the morning the next day. We arrived Hobart in the evening, had dinner and then slept before waking up and leaving at 4.30am for the airport.
Overall, I'd definitely want to visit Tasmania again. I'd love to go to the Cradle Mountains once more in a better season and hike up their other tracks. There is so much to do up at the mountains if you're an enthusiast about nature, hiking and camping. It's also really friendly for families with children as they have several trails that cater to people of all athletic levels. I'd also love to explore Hobart a lil more and travel to Launceston because I've heard that city has lots to offer too. All in all, Australia's just a beautiful country that has lots to offer :)
Looking very much forward to my next holiday in the future. I enjoy all sorts of holidays, but it's always a different sort of relaxation that comes with a holiday that exposes you to the beauty and wonder of mother nature. Just me, the sky and the trees.
I hope this lengthy post makes up for my month long absence, I've missed this space very much.
Till then,
xx.
Photos taken and edited by me.
