Immersing Ourselves in Nature in Tasmania

Tasmania has always been on my bucket list of places to visit since I saw the breathtaking scenery in a travel booklet, and I’m so happy we finally got to go!

We were lucky that we travelled part of Tasmania with WJ’s friend who was the designated driver. I’m not confident in my driving skills (especially after such a long time of not handling a car since I got my license), and WJ doesn’t have a license. Tasmania is definitely one place that’s best explored on wheels! There are buses and Uber, but they are pricey and the bus service is spotty and doesn’t bring you to many sites.

Where we went

Cradle Mountain

According to our guide, the peak of Cradle Mountain is only visible 60 days of the year. And guess what? We were lucky with clear blue skies and the peak in full view when we visited!

As we joined a tour from Launceston to Cradle Mountain, we only got a little under 2 hours to explore the area. I would have loved to walk around Dove lake, but maybe next time! If you have the time (and nerve), there are also hikes that take a few days to complete.

After Cradle Mountain, we had a quick lunch at a nearby hut, then went on the Weindorfers forest walk. The ancient forest was covered in moss – thousands of species of moss.

We also visited the Waldheim Chalet where we learned a little more about the man who fought to create and protect Cradle Mountain as a National Park.

Trowunna Wildlife Sanctuary 

Tasmanian devils, wombats, kangaroos, echidnas, spotted quolls and more: We went to say hello to Tasmania’s native animals in Trowunna Wildlife Sanctuary.

Due to COVID restrictions, we’re not able to touch the wombats (and WJ was devastated), but we could still see them up close during the tour. The sanctuary runs 3 interactive tours daily which are included in the entry fee.

The wombats look so cheeky and huggable! But apparently, they are all muscle under that cuddly exterior, so don’t judge a book by its cover!

When it was feeding time for the Tasmanian devils, everyone was so excited and crowded at the viewing area. After all, Tasmanian devils are known to eat anything and everything, and we were all curious to see them in action.

The keeper set a wallaby carcass on the ground, and the devils came out to feast. After the few startling loud cracks of the bones being crunched, there was a pungent odour wafting from the carcass. I was suddenly not hungry. Then the devils started slurping on the innards and tendrils, and any remaining hunger pangs I had fled.

After the tour was over, we went to feed the kangaroos lounging all over the sanctuary. I was hesitant at first, but managed to push aside my fear and fed my first kangaroo! Patting myself on the back for a small personal victory.

King Solomons Cave at Mole Creek

We thought that we would have time for both caves that are open to visitors at Mole Creek – Marakoopa cave and King Solomons cave. Unfortunately, we only had enough time for one and our guide brought us to King Solomons cave.

Marakoopa cave is known for its glow worms, so we were a little disappointed we didn’t get to see them. Especially as I was telling WJ how magical it was when I first saw glow worms in a cave in Perth when I was a kid, and he was looking forward to experiencing it too.  I was also keeping a look out for the Tasmanian cave spiders, but unfortunately (or fortunately), we didn’t spot any!

While we were disappointed, King Solomons cave was also pretty impressive with its ‘shiny’ rocks and stalagmites and stalactites. The cave guide even sang a song for us in the ‘room’ of the cave to showcase its surround sound quality – she had a great voice!

Alum Cliffs (Tulampanga)

After a short hike on one of Tasmania’s 60 great short walks near Mole Creek, we reached Alum Cliffs for a beautiful bird’s eye view of the surrounding mountains, cliffs and river below. It was a peaceful place to catch a breath and take in the beauty of nature.

Cataract Gorge

Just a 20-minute walk from our hotel in Launceston, Cataract Gorge was a large breath of nature in the city. We admired the swirling patterns of the foam on the water’s surface and towering cliffs as we followed the trail toward The Gorge Restaurant.

Because we arrived at The Gorge Restaurant a little earlier than the opening time, we explored the grounds and waved hello to the peacocks and peahens.

After dinner, we walked through some areas that were pitch black and had to use the flashlights on our phones to find our way. The instant we turned them on, we could make out the silhouettes of countless wallabies and possums, and we were creeped out by their eyes reflecting off our flashlights.

Luckily, we booked an Uber and decided against walking back to our hotel. It would have been impossible in that darkness!

Bruny Island

We went on a hunt for the elusive white wallabies that can only be found on Bruny Island. We sadly did not find a single one, but managed to spot several ‘regular’ wallabies relaxing on the grass, so we weren’t overly devastated.

At the Neck, we climbed up the Truganini Lookout for a bird’s eye view of both water bodies on either side of the slim strip of land. It was so windy up there! And the sun only peeked out of the clouds after we walked down from the peak. The beach just below the lookout is also where the fairy penguins’ nests are. They only come back to shore at night, so we didn’t have a chance to spot the tiny birds. You’ll have to stay overnight on Bruny Island!

As there is just one main road to follow on Bruny Island, it seems that all the visitors end up at the same locations. We saw many familiar faces at the food and liquor places we stopped at. Since we had a pretty late start, we didn’t get to do any exploring of the many trails and the southern end of the island where the lighthouse is. We’ll have to come back another time, and factor in an overnight stay so we can spot the fairy penguins!

Wineglass Bay, Freycinet National Park

Along the hike starting from the car park, there were stripey trees and odd rock formations. We were also lucky enough to spot a wallaby! It hopped out from the shrubs and bounced away in front of us.

The lookout point was a bit of a letdown as we were expecting to see both bays clearly. It was also quite cloudy so the colours were a bit dull.

We felt winded after the easy hike to the lookout, so we decided not to carry on on the trail to Wineglass Bay. There are 1,000 steps and another distance to get to the beach, and we were not confident we could hike for an additional 1.5 to 2 hours, especially with skies that were threatening to break. We really have to get back in shape!

Mount Wellington (Kunanyi)

Just a short 30 drive from Hobart, Mount Wellington was freezing and overcast when we arrived at the peak. In the city, we were experiencing temperatures between 10 – 15°C and it was nice and sunny. We were not prepared for the drastic change in weather at all. WJ’s friend only had a denim jacket and had bare ankles. Luckily, WJ and I had beanies and gloves packed in our bags, and I had a scarf I quickly wrapped around my neck for extra warmth.

It was pretty amazing what a different landscape there is so close to the city! All around us, the plants were covered in a layer of ice. And it even started hailing minutes after we reached the peak! We sympathised with the people wearing shorts in the negative degree celsius weather – Shorts!

Salamanca Place

We didn’t get to trawl the booths at Salamanca Market because our flight back to Melbourne was on a Friday. Salamanca Market only opens on Saturdays!

While that was a disappointment, we still enjoyed exploring Salamanca Place and walking by the docks. I also had the best fries in my life at The Brick Factory. Just thinking about it now makes my tummy rumble!

Richmond Bridge

We took a minor detour to Richmond on the way to catch our flight at Hobart Airport. Since most of the places were closed in the evening, we spent most of our time chilling around the Richmond Bridge.

There were so many different species of ducks there, and cute little ducklings waddling around. After seeing a few kids pet the ducklings without any of the duck parents going crazy on them (or even looking like they care), I couldn’t resist and also pet a few. They were so soft!

I’m proud to say that I have fed a kangaroo and pet little ducklings during this trip. I’m scared of most animals and this is a huge step for me! Maybe one day I’ll be brave enough to hug a wombat too.

MONA

Our guide from a previous day trip told us most people either hate MONA or love it – there is no in between.

I beg to differ.

While I did not like many of the pieces inside the Museum of Old and New Art (many of them are too explicitly sexual or dark for me), I liked the vibe in the unpaid area outdoors. There was live music playing, people lounging on bean bags, and the delicious smell of barbecue wafting in the air. Out in the open, it was truly a breath of fresh air and quite the contrast to the dark and somewhat gloomy vibe I felt inside MONA

I also did not like that if I wanted to find out more about the piece I was looking at, I had to read about it in my phone. It’s a bit annoying to have to hold my phone in my hand and fiddle around with it when I’m trying to understand and appreciate the art in front of me.