From what I’ve heard on the street, Tasmania has recently been ranked as the most sort after destination to travel to in 2017. Either I’m ahead of the trends or I’m just lucky…or I completely made that up! Last week Moo and I travelled down south to spend 6 days and 5 nights to see what all the fuss was about.
In 30 seconds (or thereabouts) here was my overall experience: Beautiful scenery, road-kill everywhere. Deliciously fresh ingredients but not always executed well. Plenty of mountains to hike and a decent backdrop to wine tasting and lastly, the Mona is outstanding. If you’re a time poor kinda person that should suffice for you but if you’ve got a few extra mins, read on for my top 5!
Visit the Mona
We didn’t have much time in Hobart, just enough for a tasty breakfast at Pigeon Hole Cafe and a romp around the main Salamanca area. Plus, we weren’t here on Saturday, so the infamous markets would have to wait till our next visit. So, we opted to drive to the Mona (Museum of Old and New Art). Versus taking the ferry due to our late check out time and were glad not to be restricted time-wise. I think we were at Mona for just on 4 hours. The premise of the gallery is to focus on two very important things in life: sex and death.
An almost piss take on art snobbery with the aim to remove any feeling one might have about being an art newbie. It wasn’t obnoxious, and I didn’t at all feel like it was pretentious. Instead it was quirky, weird and thought provoking – which I really do think what art should be about. We also ate lunch here and sampled some Moo Brew (trust me, just a coincidence), which was delicious. You can also stay here, which looked and sounded divine. Check this out, a fountain that falls as a different word every 2 seconds!
Hike Mt Amos
This was were I spent my 30th birthday and I have to say, it was pretty amazing. Nothing about the area was over the top, just a pretty darn relaxing place to spend a few days (that is Coles Bay, by the way). We’d heard this was a better route to climb to achieve the famous picture of Wineglass Bay. That is, instead of the walking to the look out, and I couldn’t agree more. If you’re mobile – you can do it. Just take your time and choose your footing carefully. It took us about 45 minutes to summit. As you can see from the feature image, it was worth climbing over all those boulders for this magnificent view.
View Cradle Mountain
There are many options (20!) to view CM and the surrounds. Read my previous blog for more info. Keep in mind the temperature around cradle is about 10-15 lower than anywhere else in Tassie. Packer beware. It took us 5 hours of romping and various weather conditions before we’d seen the mountain from all angles, including up close and personal.
Visit the Tamar Valley wine region
We only had a short taste of the region, but I’ve book marked this to research further when I’m back in Tassie in three weeks time. We visited Tamar Valley Ridge (owned by Brown Brothers, who also own Devils Corner) and it was superb. Try the sparkling wine, it is award winning for a reason. We also had their cheese platter which didn’t last long on the plate.
Get Shucked
Eat Oysters Everywhere! Even if you don’t like them, give them a go! They are so fresh, and so tasty. If you really can’t be persuaded (wimp!) opt for the fish of the day on any menu and you’re bound to have a fresh and delightful meal. Our favourite meal was at the Freycinet Marine Park , it was quick, fresh and flavourful!
Enjoy Tassie and don’t forget your scarf and gloves for Cradle Mountain. I’ll be posting more about Tassie in the next few weeks as I attempt to trek the Tarkine. Wish me luck!
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