You know you live in Melbourne when it’s common to make a casual weekend trip to Tasmania. And that’s exactly what we did! Four Americans and one Canadian set off on an adventure. Five of us packed into a tiny Toyota rental (rather reminiscent of a clown car at a circus) with endless people pouring out of it at every stop. Naturally, the first thing we did with our rental car was drive onto a ferry, to check out Bruny Island. It’s known for a picturesque lighthouse, Fairy Penguins, and a thin strip of land called “The Neck” that connects the two sides of the island.
Switching Literal and Mental Gears
Driving in Tasmania was an interesting experience, with everything being exactly opposite. This included the roads, the driver’s side of the car, and, apparently, the blinker because I caught myself attempting to signal with the windshield wipers a few too many times. One of the biggest driving learning curves for me was making wide right turns in intersections, rather than wide left ones. I was extremely focused on every move I made, especially while driving in Hobart, the city we stayed in. It felt like a mini San Francisco, with its quaint houses, and rolling hills.
A Hostel Environment
Our hostel in Hobart had slight asylum vibes, complete with psychedelic murals, the tear-stained pillows of many a weary backpacker, and a communal kitchen that would make Gordon Ramsey weep openly. At the time, we described our hostel environment to concerned loved ones as “lived-in,” “having character” or “a bonding experience.” It really was all of the above and ended up providing some good stories, and surprisingly, delicious coffee in the mornings. There were also two adorable huskies that hung out in the hammock-decorated lobby, during the day.
Cautious Adrenaline Junkies
We honestly did more activities in three days than the average person should try to do in a week, or maybe a lifetime. But, we checked off everything on our list. Our first full day, we drove to Launceston to experience cable hang gliding. This cautious adrenaline junkie sport is exactly what it sounds like. In this case, a hang glider attached to a 650-foot long metal cable, suspended over a gorge. It’s a perfect activity for thrill seekers with a healthy sense of self-preservation, and was an absolute blast! Here’s a bit more information about it, if you’re still curious:
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g255344-d3911760-Reviews-Cable_Hang_Gliding_Launceston-Launceston_Tasmania.html
Walking on Air
Our next stop while exploring Tasmania was Hastings Caves and Thermal Springs. We spelunked for a bit, and enjoyed a relaxing soak in thermal water. After which, we took off for Tahune Airwalk, a peaceful sanctuary in the middle of the woods. It’s complete with swinging bridges, and an elevated walkway above the trees, which reaches 165 feet tall, at its highest point. It began to get dark, and fearing what Tasmanian creatures lurked in the woods, upon hearing strange calls in the distance, we hopped in the car and peeled out.
We made our way back to Hobart where we bought groceries to make dinner at our hostel. While eating, we had a powwow and decided to venture out once more that night to try to see bioluminescence at a beach nearby called Ralph’s Bay. Bioluminescent plankton are single cell organisms that glow blue due to a chemical reaction, and light up the water they’re in. Suffice to say, it’s magical, and guaranteed to be unlike anything you’ve ever seen. The bioluminescence we saw was rather faint, but our late-night beach outing was still one of our favorite experiences.
On our way back to the hostel, we caught a glimpse of The Southern Lights in the distance, which was the cherry on top of the whole action-packed day. The Southern Lights are similar to their high-latitude cousin, The Northern Lights, but on a slightly different color spectrum. The colors I remember seeing most clearly were purple and green!
Tasmanian Devils
The following we day, we made our way to Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary, where all of our dreams came true. That’s right, we got to hand feed free-roaming kangaroos and their joeys! This particular species were Forester Kangaroos, which are a type of gray kangaroo. They’re smaller and more docile than red kangaroos, which are huge, ripped, and WILL kick you to the moon.
To answer the question I’m sure you’re wondering, yes, we did see Tasmanian devils. These fierce little critters seem to be what people know most about Tasmania. The little devils aren’t much different than how they’re depicted in Looney Tunes, shrieking and running in circles when threatened or feeding. Speaking of which, an interesting fact about Tassie Devils is that they have the bite force of a crocodile in proportion to body size! This being the case, they can chew through bone, but aren’t large enough to take down their prey by themselves. Therefore they wait until a dead animal carcass appears, and then engage in a wild feeding frenzy.
Unfortunately, this behavior is what is bringing them close to extinction. They accidentally bite each other during the chaos of dinnertime, spreading a cancerous facial tumor and killing each other off. There have been many efforts to conserve the endangered creatures though, and it’s hopeful that they will bounce back. Below is a link to Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary’s website. If interested, you can learn about their various conservation efforts, and the types of animals they care for.
Wineglass Bay
The final stop on our weekend trip was the iconic Wineglass Bay, which was a two-hour drive to the northeast of Hobart. We hiked up a mountain to catch beautiful views of the turquoise, crescent bay, which proved to be worth the steep climb. On our hike, we were pleased to encounter a couple of wallabies, hopping around in the cliffs! They’re very shy in the wild, but we coaxed one to us with a water bottle cap full of water, which it drank. Call us Tasmaniacs, because we were already dreaming of returning to Tasmania when we left for Melbourne the following day. It was the weekend getaway of a lifetime! Be sure to check back soon for more Australian adventures!
