03/06/23
Hobart, Australia
Val & Ed dropped us off at the airport and off to Hobart, Tasmania we went via Virgin Airlines. 4hr15min flight and we went forward in time by 2 hours. 24°C in Hobart and the wind followed us there.
Travel days add that extra meh feeling especially when timezone shifts happen.
There’s an Express bus you can take that takes about 20mins and is 19.50AUD. We ended up taking an Uber as it was roughly the price of 2 adults for express bus but front door drop off.
We stayed at YHA Hostel Hobart.
We checked in and went for dinner at Ja & Jon where we shared a beef brisket pho (15.50AUD) & lemongrass beef bun cha (14.90AUD). After dinner, we walked around Salamanca Markets area which was pretty much dead during the time we went as they are normally booming on the weekends.
I do love the mix of old architecture and the new I’ve seen.
Tasmania had some of Australia’s largest and most notorious penal settlements. To alleviate overcrowding in the main land of Australia, convicts were sent over to Tasmania. It also had the largest female prison. Convicts were used as servants.
03/07/23
Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
13-17°C with a mix of sun, wind and rain.
Original plan was to do a Day Tour to Mt. Field, Mt. Wellington, Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary and Richmond with iWander Tasmania. But I didn’t double check the date I had booked and unfortunately booked for the next day and only realized as we were standing and waiting at the pick up point and the tour operator confirmed pick up time for the following day. Always double check your confirmation dates and also know when the free refund deadline ends.
We instead booked a 2hr Kunanyi Mt Wellington Explorer Bus hop on hop off tour (40AUD). Our driver/guide was Paul.
Once we booked, we had some time before we were to head on the tour so we went for breakfast and to explore a bit. We went to Jackman McCross for brekkie – rabbit, ham hock & mushroom pie (12.50AUD). We walked around Battery Point where the exterior of majority of the homes are still the historical ones from the 1800s with little description signs of what they use to be. Many of the places have been turned into vacation accommodations.
The weather here definitely keeps you on your toes. Similar to my experience of Melbourne, you can experience all 4 seasons in a day. It’s incredibly windy. This is also the only place so far where I’ve seen some locals still wearing masks for covid prevention.
It’s a very clean city and walkable. Going from Salamanca to the CBD, there is a good slope to get up to the shopping areas.
Time for your hop on tour, we got picked up at the bus stop and off we went. We drove up Pinnacle road which is very windy and originally paved only to get up to the Springs Hotel.
Up at the top of the Summit of Mt Wellington, we were given 30 minutes to explore. There’s an indoor and 2 outdoor observation decks. Up top, It was 5.1°C but felt like -10.5°C with windchill but also with 100km/hr winds. 1271m elevation.
We thought it was hailing up top but the wind made the raindrops feel like it was hail hitting against us.
I was literally blown side to side but made it out to one of the outdoor platforms. At one point, it looked like the clouds were clearing up as we got a rainbow but that was it. 30 minutes was more than enough. It literally took the wind out of us.
After all that, we went back to our Hostel to warm up and rest.
For dinner, we met up with my friend Valerie who has been living in Tassie for the past 5-6 years. We probably haven’t seen each other since 2015 but as Valerie said, there’s not too many people who make their way to Tasmania so a meet up was a must. We went to Boodle Beasley for dinner. We got the platter for 2 B – pulled pork sliders, slaw, chicken katsu w/fries (28AUD) & Boodle salad w/beef brisket (14AUD).
03/08/23
East Tasmania, Australia
8-17°C.
Day 1/4 of the Great East Tasmania tour with Under Down Under Tours.
Tour guides were Justin & Keegan.
We got driven to Epping where we met up with another vehicle filled with a group who had just finished the 4-day west coast tours. Some people were ending their tour so we swapped spots with them in the new vehicle and joined the remaining group to do the 4-day east tour. 24 people in this group.
Andreas (Germany), Katie x2 (UK), Mark (UK), Tanja (Germany), Ian (Argentina), Leslie (Australia), Karen, Aaron (Ireland), Wietske (Belgium), Marion (Germany), Lena (Germany), George (France), Katherine, Caroline, Katrine (Denmark), Cindy (Netherlands), Paul, Joyce, Clarisse (France), Will (USA), Kathy & Ken. Many of them are on working holiday visas living in Australia while working and travelling around.
We drove from Hobart to the northeast coast. We stopped at the Town of St Helen’s to have a picnic lunch at Cosy Corner Beach of Bay of Fires. Bay of Fires has turquoise waters, white sands and orange lichen cloaked boulders. Many bays and super long. Algae and Funghi to create lichen and their colours.
We drove to our end location for the night in Bicheno (bishino). Bicheno was a fishing/whaling village. A guy decided certain places needed names in TAS so he would ride around and pull out books and point to a random word and boom that area was named after it. Bagdad came from the Bible chapter of Arabian nights.
We stayed at Bicheno backpackers.
Dinner at Tasmania Coastal Seafood – We ordered the full serving with boar fish and chips (20AUD), 2 scallops (4AUD) & and tartar sauce (2AUD).
A few from the group (Bev went) went to watch the penguins return to shore at night and get up close and personal while the rest of us chilled at the hostel together.
For a potential free option to see penguins, look for sandbanks and rocks. Rocks at the end have potential to see penguins between 830-930PM.
Will, Tanya & myself ventured off near Waubs Bay and around the bend to find an area where there was less light to stargaze. The full moon had other plans as it lit up the sky.
So sad the Aurora Australis didn’t have any activity. I attempted to shoot timelapses at the blow hole but alas, there was nothing.
Some tidbits of Tasmania & Australia:
-Usually no rain between November-March
-Droughts, floods and bush fires are the natural disasters if anything but no earthquakes or tornadoes
-Tasmania is the state of cars and driving more than 20-30mins seems far to them
-Driving speeds – 10% so if it’s 60KM you can go 66KM or if its 80KM you can go 88KM but really it’s up to your judgement. There are speed trailers in TAS and those are more strict. In Perth, there are cameras that average the speed. Double demerit points on holidays. 12 points and the points reset after 3 years.
-Sydney and Hobart are the oldest cities in Australia 1800-1803.
-They use Derwent river for hydropower
-Coal mining still happens in Australia but the use of solar and hydro are on their way up.
-Each states and territory has its own separate labour day. We just go happen to have been in Perth for theirs and here in Hobart for theirs.
-There are no real Predators in the wild for the animals in Tasmania so the road is the biggest killer.
-Usually it’s the possum and wallabies that are roadkill so be careful driving dusk to dawn
-Bin Chickens – Australian white ibis
-Island off an island off an island. There are 8222 islands in Australia. It would take 29 years to see every beach in Australia.
03/09/23
East Tasmania, Australia
Day 2/4
8-22°C
Some people from the group had a 615AM meet up to go up the hill behind the hostel to watch sunrise. We grabbed brekkie & lunch at Blue Edge Bakery – turkey cranberry brie sandwich & chicken curry pie (13.80AUD).
Next stop was Freycinet National Park. We got 3.5hrs of free time to hike and hang out.
The 4.5 options were:
1A-Wine glass bay beach – walk to the lookout, fast walkers take about 30min – if you go down the other side to the beach 1000 steps down, 30mins down but the way up takes a bit longer and I think by far the hardest part.
1B-Wine glass bay beach & Hazards Beach – Walk past Wine Glass Bay Beach over to Hazards Beach before returning and to Wine Glass Bay beach before heading back up.
2-Easiest option is to the lookout and back to carpark (30min each way) and be driven to the lodge with a lovely view and beach at Richardson Beach. This is an option for those who are not as physically capable of walking up and down all the steps.
3-Hike Mt Amos – hardest – 5hr walk but you need to do it within 3hrs.
4-Mt Amos – hectic – if it rains the day before or 2 days before then it’s a no go. It’s smooth boulders to climb. 3-4hrs but can be done 3hrs. Best view but no beach. Cannot do it if you don’t have good grip on shoes. Descending is difficult and you will need to slide down and lots of tension on your wrists. Super fit can do it in an hour.
The hybrid option that Bev, Aaron, Clarrise and myself did was to go to Wineglass bay lookout, down to the beach but once you get to the path at the beach, you go right and take the path to Hazards Beach camp and walk an extra 30mins to get to Hazards Beach. Relax a bit at Hazards Beach then walk back the same way for 30 mins then relax at Wineglass Bay Beach. We even had wallabies join us on our walk. By far going back up was the hardest.
Next stop was Tourville lighthouse – it is solar powered. You can walk the boardwalk around the shore and maybe spot some dolphins, whales or seals.
We stopped by The Pondering Frog for an ice cream break. Berry blend ice cream (7AUD) was delicious but they also have chocolate coated options.
We made a bathroom break and we even got a double rainbow over Maria Island on the way back to Hobart.
After everyone settled into their accommodations (back to YHA Hostels Hobart for us and a few of the group), we decided to eat as a group at Grinners Dive Bar. I got the Cauliflower Wings (15AUD), Agrio Fish Taco (8.5AUD) and a local BlackBerry Sour called BlackBerry Bandits (12AUD).
Before calling it a night, a few of us went to Tom McHugo’s (right beside the YHA hostel) and had some local cider (14AUD).
03/10/23
Bruny Island, Tasmania, Australia
Day 3/4
730AM call time. We did a Day trip to Bruny Island. Lots of breathtaking views on the island. First off was a 15min ferry ride over to the island then an hour drive down to the southern point by the lighthouse of Cape Bruny.
We were able to taste the bread & cheese made locally on Bruny Island. Afterwards, a short slightly inclined walk up to the lighthouse.
Our next spot was Adventure Bay. We walked the coast to Grass Point for the views.
We stopped by the famous Truganini Lookout – 200ish steps up. The parking lot ruins the image of the infamous top view looking at the neck but nonetheless wonderful views from the top.
We also had stops for Honey tasting & Oyster tasting.
All in all, a great day with decent weather and a more leisurely day than the day before.
We made our way back to Hobart. The gang decided to continue the day together and we went to Street Eat @ Franko – Franklin Square (4PM-9PM) for the evening. Lots of food options (food booths) and a great ambiance with live music.
I got Lucky Sri Lankan – Beetroot Curry plate (22AUD) & Indonesian Martabak – taster Tasmania chicken Martabak w/satay sauce (9.50AUD) & Canopy Ice Cream – Lavender Blueberry ice cream (6AUD).
We danced up a storm to disco and when it all came to an end at 9PM, a few of us kept it going for an hour longer at Mango Bar Karaoke.
03/11/23
East Tasmania, Australia
12-19°C
Day 4/4 of the Great East Tasmania tour.
Tasman Peninsula for the day to end off the tour.
First stop was to Richmond to grab brekkie and look at the sandstone bridge. The oldest bridge still in use in Australia completely made by Irish convicts in 1823.
We visited Pirates Bay Lookout, Tasman Arch & Devil’s Kitchen (30min walk). From that point, the group split off. A few of us went to Remarkable cave and did the Crescent Bay walk to the lookout while the others went to Port Arthur – open air museum of the old jail and a little boat cruise.
We got about 3 hours to explore/walk around. The Crescent Bay Trail gives you views of the sand dune beach to the ocean and all in between. We even saw some snakes up close and a short-beaked echidna.
It’s been an incredibly fun experience touring with this group of unique individuals intertwining to get the best out of Tassie in a short period of time which made this tour that much more rewarding.
We ended the tour but since majority were still in town, we went for one last dinner at Brick Factory in Salamanca. I got the Aussie Pizza (24AUD), a Mango Sour (14AUD) and a Ginger Beer (10.50AUD).
We ended up at a rooftop bar and just chilled and chatted the night away. Apparently staying out until 1130PM is rather late for Hobart standards.
By far, Under Down Under Tours especially this specific tour was one of the most interpersonal tours I’ve been on. Yes the group was already together 4 days before we joined but it was such a good array of people from all over. So many different ethnicities and ages but everyone gelled well as a family like Justzen our Tour Guide kept calling us.
