The island of Tasmania is overwhelming. Streaks of sunlight highlight the vibrant green trees that cover the rolling hills and reflect the sparkling waters of the Derwent River. My biggest regret is only spending 2 days in this beautiful island state of Australia. What I would give to be able to explore Tasmania, rather than just Hobart.
Angela and I booked this trip last minute. We were bored one night and with the click of a button, we were on our way. Flying from Australia is quite cheap, about $90 each way, not that you can get to Tasmania any other way. Even though we had 2 days, we stretched those two days to their potential.
(I love markets! This is the famous Salamanca Market)
We arrived early on Saturday to Salamanca Market, but before we knew it, it was already well into the afternoon when we were climbing the gorgeous Mt. Wellington. We decided to walk up to the Pinnacle, which is about 4000 ft. high. There were signs that said the beginning of the walk would lead to a spring. 45 minutes into the walk, we came across the spring. Angela commented “It better be a real spring, and not some crappy water dripping out of metal.” Of course, with all that hard work climbing uphill, we were rewarded with a fountain that spat out literally the cleanest water ever. Apparently, there isn’t really spring, at least not by our definition; it’s just called a spring. Even though Angela was a bit disappointed, I was happy with the water. It was so cleared it looked like white vapor in the water bottle.
I came across this lovely mid-aged couple and asked them how long it would take to walk to the top. Unexpectantly, they offered to drive us up. The drive up was an experience in itself, but when we got to the top, the view was plainly just breathtaking. There seriously aren’t any words that could possibly describe the view. It was just the most untamed and pure landscape. Snow littered some parts of the ground. I felt as if I had discovered some hidden part of the earth.
(My favorite shot)
The next day, as we were finding a way to kill time before our cruise to Peppermint Bay, we came across these two boys, age 8 and 11, who “guided” us through rocks along the shore that took us along to some docks. There, we saw packs of dolphin gliding across the river and took some beautiful shots of the mountain facing the water.
(Dolphins swimming along the Derwent!)
That night, we had planned to crash at the airport to catch our early flight back (and avoid paying for another hostel night), but little did we know, they lock up the airport at night! Imagine that! So, we crashed at the only 24/7 bakery in Hobart, which is Salamanca Bakery.
(Many thanks to Richard & Alex and Daniel & Arthur, some of the nicest people I’ve ever met)
The people of Tasmania are by far the nicest I’ve ever met (yes, even compared to Belgium). It’s such an experience to be able to travel to a place somewhat uninhabited compared to where we come from. Supposedly, it was even more “pure” a couple of years ago, but more and more tourists are coming and settling. It’s such a shame that people are coming, thus destroying some of the island’s purity, but I guess it’s the ability to share the experience that makes it so wonderful.
You should also check out:
- Day 4 in Switzerland | Montreux, Confiserie Zurcher
- Day 3 in Switzerland | Davos, Sheraton Davos Hotel Walduus
- Day 2 in Switzerland | Zurich, Café Weggen & Henrici Coffee
- Day 1 in Switzerland | Genève, Cafe du Soleil
- Mt. Tammany ( w/ Banana-brownie bread & Turkey burgers!)
