A taste of Tasmania

Posted on by Miriam

I’ve been to Tasmania at least five times. I’ve camped, hiked, cycled, sailed, eaten and drunk my way from one end of this island state to the other. But I still haven’t seen it all.

This holiday season I’d contemplated a family camping trip along the east coast but it didn’t eventuate. However, it got me thinking, about the reasons I why love it so much. So here are six of the best, at least in my eyes:

The mountains and pristine landscape

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View of Cradle Mountain from the Lake Dove circuit walk

To me, Tasmania is a bit of a mini- New Zealand. It’s compact but it boasts mountains and waterfalls, pristine rivers, rugged ranges and coastal paradises. There are short walks and longer wilderness treks.  In short, the scenery is breath taking, particularly along the west coast.

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Walking around Dove Lake
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Beautiful Strahan – gateway to the wild west
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Exploring remote parts of Tassie

History abounds

From the penal settlement of Port Arthur to the historic town of Richmond Tasmania has plenty of torrid stories to tell about early convict life in Australia. It’s a living history book to be discovered.

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The historic bridge at Richmond
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Living history at Richmond

Meeting the locals

From cheeky possums in camping grounds to the grumpy and not-so-friendly looking Tasmanian Devil in wildlife sanctuaries you’re bound to meet a few wild locals … just make sure your food boxes are secured if you’re camping!

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Amazing Food and Wine

Years ago in my wild youth I went on a Camping Connection tour in Tassie and ate and drank and adventured for ten days. It wasn’t fine dining but eating in the great outdoors didn’t get much better back then.

Today Tassie has an abundance of world class wineries, fine cuisine and amazing restaurants and  I’ve returned numerous times. Once for a relaxing birthday weekend with Doug where we enjoyed many wharf-side restaurants including Hobart’s iconic Drunken Admiral.

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The Coastline

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We’ve sailed across on the ferry, cruised on the Franklin River and explored the spectacular west coast. Next on the list is the Freycinet Peninsula along the east coast with its mesmorising Bay of Fires beaches. Hopefully next year.

The Slow Pace

It used to be a main-lander’s joke that Tassie was twenty years behind the rest of Australia. It was slow and old-fashioned and a bit behind the times.

That’s still largely the case today, though Australia’s most cutting edge gallery MONA in Hobart definitely refutes this claim.  But in every other way Tasmania is still blissfully remote and to me that’s hugely appealing.

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Even in peak hour the traffic moves easily

A slow, relaxed lifestyle, a sense of country even when in the larger cities, roads with little congestion.  Even Salamanca Market on a Sunday in central Hobart is leisurely.

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Slow and steady … and spectacular.  That’s Tasmania, just a short plane or ferry ride across Bass Strait, but in reality, it could be a world away.

I can’t wait to go back.

27 thoughts on “A taste of Tasmania”

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