Tasmania was not an original destination I had planned. Last minute I decided to trade Melbourne for Tasmania. Honestly, I couldn’t find anything in Melbourne that I was just dying to see and Tasmania has Tasmanian Devils!!! Yes, I came to Tasmania solely based on the fact that I wanted to see the Tasmania Devil, don’t judge (or do but I won’t care).
When I first arrived in Tasmania I really didn’t know what else there was to do but quickly found out that Tasmania’s main attraction is its interesting colored rocks and natural beauty. Hobart seemed like one of the main hubs of Tasmania so that’s where I started out. Hobart was build between a mountain (Mt Wellington) and the ocean.
The hostel I stayed at offered free rides up to Mt Wellington every Monday and Thursday. It only took about 30 minutes to drive up the mountain into the clouds. The day I went was a rather cloudy day, which at first I was kind of bummed about, until we made it to the top of the mountain. We literally were IN the clouds as they rushed past us in a mystical kind of way. Rachel (American), Lise (Belgium), and I decided that rather than take the bus back down that we would hike down.
Best decision of the day! The clouds kept the hot sun at bay for a large part of the morning, which was nice. The scenery is absolutely gorgeous in Tasmania! The formations are so intriguing and the landscape is just so different than anything I have seen back in the States. Once we got below the clouds, we had a breathtaking view of Hobart and the harbor. I can see the attraction of Tasmania. Two and half hours later after gracefully climbing (read stumbling) down rock formations and moseying along the path, we made it to the bus stop that would take us back to our hostel.
The next morning, still slightly sore from hiking Mt Wellington, I waited for a bus that would take me three hours away to Freycinet National Park. Freycinet in just south of the Bay of Fires but still contain the same fiery orange and red rock formations that this area is known for.
During our bus ride we learned about Tasmanian Devils and stopped along the road to see some Pattymellons and sheep. Sheep are EVERYWHERE in Tasmania, it’s funny, they look kind of like greyish-brown tree stumps along the road until you realized that, no in fact, those are sheep and tons of them. Pattymellons look like miniature kangaroos and are most likely descendants of them. Cute little buggers.
Finally, we made it to Freycinet National Park and Wineglass Bay. A 45-minute hike up to the lookout gave way to a view that was just magnificent. All along the climb up to the lookout you get peeks and glimpses of this beautiful view but once you make it to the lookout you get to see the whole bay.
Utterly breathtaking, this gorgeous blue-green bay gives way to white sand, that turns into mountainous forest standing tall guarding the bay as if it is its protector. With a bright blue sky with a few wispy clouds as a backdrop, this view might as well be out of a postcard, almost surreal!
Did I mention there were wild kangaroos along the trail? Kangaroos that would let you walk right up to them to take selfies!
After descending from the lookout we drove a little further to a beach. This wasn’t the typical beach you would thing of though, burnt-orange rocks gave way to the crystal clear water of another bay. Pictures don’t do this justice but there is a ready this are is called the Bay of Fires. These rocks look like they were caught in a dragons fire emerging this beautiful hue of reddish-orange. I could gush over these rocks and bays forever but you guys would get sick of reading.
I will end with this. If you ever get the chance to go to Australia, it is worth a visit to Tasmania. So far on this trip I can easily say this is one of the top places I have ever visited. Truly breath-taking!