Blogs from Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, Oceania

Give yourself a shake, drop those shoulders, and ease yourself into all that Tasmania has to offer. Reconnect with nature, wildlife, and your taste buds on a trip to this impossibly beautiful island state. Its natural beauty is captivating, its cultural experiences are diverse, and its food and drink offerings are enviable. Get a true taste of Tasmania in its fresh apple cider, cheeses, wine, and oysters, and experience a dose of its serenity with its powder-white beaches and laid-back luxury. Reveling in isolation, naturally beautiful Tasmania is busting out, riding a tourism-fueled economic boom that's the envy of all Australia. Located just 150 miles south of the Australian mainland, the island has a rich and intriguing history as one of the oldest territories in the Australian Federation. Did you know that Tasmania is actually one ... read more

The Chicken (Tori) Karaage is spicy in Hobart. I ate it, but it got the better off me at 4am. Not the best night sleep for all as my pre-dawn poop disrupted our shared room. The Bury Me Standing breakfast bagels were great though and the sanctioned sleep-in was appreciated by all. We collect our e-bikes just after 10 and pedal the scenic Hobart Rivulet up to Cascade Brewery. A really pleasant ride along a shaded rivulet (brook) through South Hobart. The brewery is opening for business/tours when we arrive, but with everyone feeling good, we opt to extend our ride south up to Strickland Falls. The enthusiastic mechanic at Hobart Bike Hire recommended it and he wasn’t wrong. The small waterfall is about 300 metres above sea level in the foothills of Mt Wellington. The ... read more

It is only 1and half hour flight from Sydney to Hobart via JetStar an economy airline therefore restrictions on baggage etc. We left unwanted stuff in Helen's car at a secure car park. We stayed in a two bedroomed apartment in The Old Woolstore Hotel, which is close to the centre and harbour and is well appointed. It is a short stroll down to the Harbour, where we had a pleasant light lunch at Pearl & Co. A special Mona Rova ferry takes you on a short ride to MONA, the Museum of Old and New Art. The ferry ride includes tickets for the Gallery, which is very new and very weird. We were given devices which you point at the art work when you are close and it says what it is. There were one ... read more

Up at stupid o'clock and finished packing. We got flight down to Melbourne and had 30 minutes to get to next flight to Hobart. Things went by clockwork. Caught the Skybus to the city centre. Hobart is built around the bay and it's quite hilly so the views would be fantastic. From Constitution Dock we booked the Reddecker tour for tomorrow. We decided to walk the 15 or 20 minutes to the bed and breakfast. On the way we passed some very interesting bars and restaurants. One of which, Institut Polaire we planned to hit later. Our accommodation at Lowena is a 5 bedroom older house. Kevin our host is a Chinaman from Shanghai made us feel welcome and gave us the rundown on where to eat etc. Local wines and cheese platters at Institut Polaire ... read more

I sit here in the complete warmth in our tiny cabin, locked away in the complete wilderness of Tasmania. It’s wet, cold and dark outside, but for a couple that don’t really like being away from civilisation, we find the Lemonthyme Wilderness Retreat to be very nice. Waking up this morning to a bright and sunny Hobart was a bit disappointing. Our only full day yesterday had been wet and miserable, so of course the day we were due to leave there was hardly a cloud in the sky. It was a slow start, as we weren’t entirely sure what we were going to do today. We knew the drive to Cradle Mountain was the longest of the trip, yet at the same time, there was still some more of Hobart to see. Debating over breakfast ... read more