In July 2011 my family and I went for a winter holiday in Tasmania. We were there for a week, spending four days in Hobart before driving north to Launceston to spend a further three days there.
During the holiday we discovered that 7 days was nowhere near long enough to explore Tassie, and vowed to return one day for longer. And that’s what we did in April of this year, this time for 10 whole days.
Okay, not exactly a huge extension to our visit of eight years ago, but long enough for us to appreciate even more of Tasmania and get to know this beautiful island even more.
Here is a quick glance of the ground we covered, courtesy of Google maps…
Our route
Of course, for such a long trip as this, we had an itinerary.
Port Arthur
On our first full day, a Friday, we set off in our rented car to go and see the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Port Arthur Historic site. We took a wrong turn along the way, but even that allowed us to enjoy some marvellous views…
Dunally, Tasmani
Eaglehawk Neck
Eaglehawk Neck
If you don’t know much about Port Arthur’s history, it’s very much worth looking into for many reasons. For a 19th century penal settlement with a tough reputation though, it sure was in a pretty setting…
Port Aurthur
Caught a glimpse of a rather fine sunset on the way back home…
Eaglehawk Neck sunset
Salamanca Market
On Saturday in Hobart, Salamanca Market is a must do, and we did. As far as markets go, I have to say, this is probably one of the best. Thoroughly enjoyed walking up and down the stalls for a couple hours on the Saturday morning, enjoying the sunshine and the unique and mostly locally made goods.
Markets don’t photograph well, so here’s just one image…
Salamanca Market
Richmond
On Saturday afternoon we went to Richmond, a quaint little town with bags of history. It is home to Australia’s oldest bridge still in use, built using convict labour in 1823. And a fine piece of work it is too…
Richmond Bridge
Mrs Bobinoz treated herself to a Traditional Tassie Curry Scallop Pie, yes that really is a thing…
Traditional Tassie Curry Scallop Pie
The highlight of Richmond for me though was the classic motorbike display in the village hall. Entry was only $5, but as we walked into the hall my jaw literally dropped. Inside was many millions of dollars worth of old bikes. If I recall correctly, the guy running it said about $30 million AUD in all.
Within this collection was the 1951 Vincent Black Lightning which set a world record at auction in 2018 when it sold for $929,000 US, about AU$1.3 million.
1951 Vincent Black Lightning
I was also told that every single motorbike on display here was owned by a Tasmanian living on the island and that they all regularly meet to go for a ride on Sundays. Well, why not, the roads are perfect for it.
Richmond certainly likes old things. Even Mrs Bob and Elizabeth were fascinated by these bikes, so $15 well spent.
Peppermint Bay by boat
On Sunday we headed out to Peppermint Bay for a fine Sunday lunch in their restaurant. Beautiful journey out…
Journey by boat
This was our boat…
Peppermint Cove boat
That’s not our boat…
Not our boat
Mona
Monday morning we had breakfast in the café on Mount Nelson, enjoying the very pleasant views…
Mt Nelson
Then we headed off to Mona, the Museum of Old and New Art. We were told to allow all day for this by pretty much everybody who knew we were coming to Hobart, but we thought ‘it’s an art museum, couple of hours at most.’
Boy were we wrong.
This place is not just an ‘art museum’, it is the largest privately funded museum in the Southern Hemisphere and owned by David Walsh. He is a Tasmanian, a millionaire, and apparently gained most of his wealth through gambling.
Mona is his ‘gift’ to Tasmanians, and it is spectacular. The entrance is just behind this tennis court…
Mona entrance
…and straight underground climbing down three sets of stairs. Then the fun begins as you make your way around this huge collection of art.
Mona hallway
Huh?
Mona tunnel
Yes, I’m just showing you a couple of passageways and tunnels, none of the art. For that, you really MUST go to this place. I will definitely be going again, no question. Without doubt it is the most spectacular collection of art I have ever seen.
Maria Island
Maria Island is located at 4 o’clock on the Tasmania map at the top of this page, just underneath the town of Triabunna, from where we caught the boat…
Maria Island boat
Maria Island
My girls wanted to see wombats in the wild. The big question was would we or wouldn’t we? Well, yes, we would! Within five minutes of our arrival, we saw two of them together. In the absence of knowing their names, I’m going to call them ‘Big Wombat’ and ‘Little Wombat’. Here they are…
Maria Island – Two Wombats
After that, we couldn’t stop seeing wombats. Wombats, wombats, wombats! To be frank, in the end, I got fed up taking photographs of them all, but here are just a few more for you…
Another Wombat
And Another Wombat
And Another Wombat
Not just wombats, pademelons too…
Maria Island – A Pademelon
My girls = V. happy, Maria Island well worth a visit.
Freycinet National Park
On Wednesday we drove to Freycinet National Park, we wanted to see Wineglass Bay. I’m not sure how many steps we climbed up to get the view, but someone online suggested it’s about 600. My daughter’s fitness watch said we had climbed the equivalent of 51 flights of stairs.
Worth it though, what a view…
Wineglass Bay
Then we went all the way back down again.
About 10 minutes drive up the road, still in Freycinet National Park, is Cape Tourville Lighthouse. Bizarrely, in the space of those 10 minutes, the sunshine disappeared, the warmth turned to a chilling breeze and the views became dark and mysterious…
Cape Tourville Lighthouse
If we’d have had more time, we would have certainly explored more of Freycinet National Park.
Driving up east coast Tassie
After spending the night in Bicheno and checking out the blowhole the following morning…
Bicheno Blow Hole
We began our Tasmanian East Coast drive up to Binalong Bay, passing through Scamander, Georges Bay and The Gardens. Here’s what that journey looked like.
Scamander
Georges Bay
The Gardens
Binalong Bay
Fishing Anyone?
Three days in Devonport
We chose to stay in Devonport for the last three days as it was about an hour’s drive from Cradle Mountain, another ‘must see’ when in Tasmania. So we saw it and this is what it looked like…
Cradle Mountain
Cradle Mountain
Takes around two hours, probably a bit more, to walk around the lake, but well worth it. As the map of our journey above shows, we also drove along the north-west coast of Tasmania through to Stanley, and as much fun as that was, I think I’ve shown you enough of my holiday photos for now.
It’s just that I haven’t finished with the wildlife yet.
We saw a wild rabbit living on the grassy area on the centre of a roundabout…
Wild Rabbit in Tassie
Made my daughter’s day, because rabbits are banned where we live in Queensland.
We saw a rather big kangaroo in Narawantapu National Park…
Big Roo
And we hadn’t quite finished with pademelons either…
Pademelon
I’ll end though with my favourite sign from Tasmania…
Pint Anybody?
My doctor would not approve and no, I didn’t.
We approve of Tasmania though, it just gets better and better the more we see, and for sure we will be back for even longer next time.
hi, for these posts and for someone thinking of moving to australia with my family, i would like to see the costs of these trips? If i lived in Australia (Perth or Syney area) i would still feel we will fly and holiday all over Australia, but for example, this trip to Tas – what would it cost?
Good question, and of course, every holiday to every different location in Australia would be different. If you choose to live in Perth, for example, flights to other parts of Australia would be much more expensive because Perth is so remote compared to elsewhere. Flights certainly aren’t cheap here like they are in Europe with Ryanair and easyJet.
This holiday in Tasmania for us (two adults and one child) would have cost of something like $2000 for all the accommodation in the different places we stayed, probably about $1500 for the three return flights, and then with car rental and spending money, that’s probably another $3000 or so more for that.
So I’d say this cost us probably between $6000 and $7000, but when we go on holiday, we do like to live as though we are on holiday, so we don’t skimp on the restaurants and entertainment.
Great trip report and pictures Bob, thanks for posting them. I’ll have to go back through quite the list of places you’ve been, as I recently got granted a PR visa and we should plan many of the same. Should be over some time in October all being well in the Brisbane area. Will definitely owe you a few beers (will have to read back on what you said was drinkable!) after we get over and settled in.
The beers here in Brisbane have improved massively over the years, much more on offer now since I wrote my top 10 beers and lagers posts. We have breweries springing up all over the place, so you won’t be disappointed with what’s on offer.
Hope you get to love Brisbane as much as I do, and if you do spot me in a pub, I’ll have a pint of Young Henry’s please 🙂
Hi Bob, As a two headed Ex Tasmanian, you shoulda gone west coast as well A trip up the Gordon River would leave you asking me, why I ever left. The answer “Cherchez la femme” Besides you get a bit dizzy after touring all over Tasmania for many years and never being able to get off. Savage river Iron Ore mine might alo be a great place to visit if they let you. I worked there a while.. At ICI noble Explosives which supplies the mine.
Strange, your picture is only showing one head? Nevermind 🙂 Well, I’m pretty sure you “trouvé une femme” after leaving Tassie, but I get your point. Great place to return to though for a holiday I would think.
As for the west coast, we wanted to leave something left to make it worth returning again, but we did consider it for this holiday, but didn’t think we had enough time to do it justice. My understanding is that Strahan is well worth a visit and the kind of place you’d want to stay for three or four days at least.
So all that is still to come for us on our next visit, as well as Gordon River and the wall, whatever that is, but apparently it’s another must see and I think it’s on the way out west from Hobart. Looking forward to that next time.
Good to hear from you again John, take care, Bob