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December 2005 Hobart Tasmania is one of Australia’s most often overlooked states, which is a shame because the island state has plenty of hidden sights to delight visitors. Hobart, the state capital and second oldest city in Australia, is an impressive city on another spectacular harbor. I arrive on December 30th, the day after the yachts in the famous Sydney to Hobart yacht race had arrived, and the harbor is packed with exotic yachts. Excitement hovers around Constitution Docks as a local news crew circulates and sailors scrub their vessels.  New Year’s is a great time to visit Hobart for another reason; the annual Taste of Tasmania food and wine festival. The Taste takes place on Princes Wharf and runs for one week, usually from a few days before New Year’s Eve to a few days after. Around seventy stalls sell food and drink from around the world – you can sample delectable Tassie wines and exotic African meals. It’s sort of like a gourmet food court. And the perfect place to spend New Year’s Eve.  I arrive early, with plenty of time to fill my empty stomach with delicious foods I’ve never tried. Most stalls offer a “taste” portion, a smaller sized, less expensive helping that allows you to try two or three cuisines as your meal. I make sure I have a glass of Tasmania’s finest sparkling wine in my hand as we’re ushered out to the dock to watch the extravagant fireworks display. What a way to ring in the New Year.

Horseshoe Falls

Adventure Tours – Taste Of Tasmania

As much as I like Hobart, the real reason I came to Tasmania was to experience the outdoors. The next day I’m up early, waiting for my Adventure Tours bus. I’m about to have another Taste of Tasmania – a six day tour taking in the island’s highlights. I heave my backpack into the trailer and join my fellow travelers on the bus. I’m never apprehensive about traveling alone; true travelers have a sort of instant connection. My companions for the next week include a family from Malaysia, an Italian couple on their honeymoon and even two young Australian lads. 

The Wild West Coast

We start making our way up the Wild West Coast and Matt, our energetic tour guide, fills us in on the history of Tasmania. Our first stop is Mt. Field National Park for an hour long Tall Trees Walk. We amble along the path, gazing up at the swamp gums that give the walk its name; they are the tallest flowering plants in the world. We stop for photos at the magnificent Russell Falls. 

It’s been raining most of the morning and there is no shortage of water evident here. The water thunders over the mountainside, splashing me as I stand on the lookout. Near the end of the walk we come to Horseshoe Falls, even higher and more impressive than Russell Falls. 

Too soon, it’s time to climb back on the bus and make our way to the next stop. Matt warns us that there is a lot of driving on Day One, but I’m happy to sit and watch the changing scenery. Tasmania looks nothing like the rest of Australia; it’s green, mountainous and wet. I like it. 

The long drive is broken up with several stops; we stop for photos at Lake St. Clair, have lunch in a lush valley juxtaposed by an unsightly power station and walk ten minutes through the forest to see Nelson Falls. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many waterfalls in one day; each more beautiful than the last.

Our destination for the day is Tullah Lakeside Chalet on Lake Rosebery. Even though it’s January, and summer Down Under, I’m chilled to the bone and head straight for the crackling fire. I never thought I’d be spending my summer holidays in Australia warming my hands around a log fire. The views of the lake and mountains in the background make it hard to believe I’m in Australia. I might think I was in the Alps if it wasn’t for the palm trees.
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In Port Arthur

The next morning we’re up early again and dressed in layers for a 10 km walk through the rainforest. It’s still raining and quite muddy, but the canopy protects us from most of the rain. The easy path, which used to be a tramway, leads us around streams, fallen trees and thick forest. Our destination is, once again, a waterfall. Montezuma Falls, at 104 meters in height, is the highest in the state. As we near the falls, the sound of rushing water greets our ears.  To get the best view of the waterfall, you must walk out onto an Indiana Jones style swing bridge. But from here, suspended over the valley with a front row seat, the waterfall is breathtaking. The bridge is quite sturdy, but only two people are allowed on it at once. You can also walk up a small path that takes you closer to the base of the falls where you can crane your neck to get a really good sense of just how tall the falls are.  On the way back Matt stops us at a cave and takes us in one by one to show us one of Australia’s creepy crawlies – huge cave spiders hanging from the roof of the cave. They are motionless, but I don’t hang around too long.

As a perfect end to an already amazing day, Matt leads us to the biggest sand dune of all, and then disappears over its edge in a flying leap. He encourages us to do the same, “Don’t try this at home,” he says, “try it here.” And we do. I don’t jump quite as far as Matt, but my small leap was quite exhilarating nonetheless.

Back at the chalet, the rain has stopped and we have the chance to take advantage of the Adventure Tours canoes for a ride around the lake. After dinner, as if we haven’t had enough excitement, Matt sets up a karaoke machine. He’s surprisingly good and several others follow his lead. Definitely an adventure filled day.

On the last morning of our west coast tour we need a little more energy than on previous days. Today we visit one of Tasmania’s most famous landmarks; Cradle Mountain. The tall, craggy mountain is just visible under the clouds, and thankfully it’s not raining. The weather dictates whether or not the mountain can be climbed on any particular day, and today we’re out of luck. (Or in luck, depending on which way you look at it. Matt says it’s a very tough climb.) 

Instead, we climb up to Marion’s Peak. The uphill climb gets my heart racing and for the first time in three days I can takeoff  my jacket and my sweater. The views of Cradle Mountain keep getting better and better as we get closer. Lakes cover the land below us, tufts of green and brown break up the gray rock and the mountain looms in the background. I really don’t know how anyone makes it to the top; to me it looks nearly vertical. 

We take our time going back down to the bus and enjoy the scenery. We have about an hour’s drive to recuperate from the hike before we pull into Sheffield. This is an unscheduled stop, but Matt took his last group here and they fell in love with it, as do we. And not just because the sun is shining for the first time in about a week! 

Sheffield is a tiny town surrounded by fields and a great view of Mt. Roland. Known as the town of murals, many of the buildings are covered by detailed murals telling the story of the town’s history. The pictures are absolutely beautiful and make Sheffield one of the most unique places I have ever visited. I spend an hour wandering around the town’s main street inspecting the murals. I do find time to pop into one of the many bakeries; there’s nothing like freshly baked small town pastry. 
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From Sheffield we drive to Devonport, the third largest city on the island, where we spend the night. Matt drives us up to Mersey Bluff for some photos of the Bluff Lighthouse. It stands on the shore near the Bass Strait which separates Tasmania from mainland Australia. The stark white lighthouse, with two bright red lines running down the side, stands watch over the blue sea.  The six day Taste of Tasmania tour is actually a combination of two three-day tours, and we say good-bye to some of our new friends that night. We stand on the dock as the Spirit of Tasmania, the ferry connecting Devonport to Melbourne and Sydney, makes its way out of the harbor. We wave to the passengers starting their overnight journey back to the mainland. The East Coast The first stop on the East Coast tour is the third oldest city in Australia, and the second largest city in Tasmania - Launceston. A very refreshing city, Launceston sprawls over hills surrounding the River Tamar. We head straight for Cataract Gorge – a short but surprisingly good walk along the South Esk River as it makes its way to the Tamar. Striking vertical cliffs line the riverbanks, creating such a magnificent view that it graces the bottle of Boag’s Premium, the north’s most famous beer.

Cradle Mountain

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At the end of the gorge we come to a lovely park, complete with peacocks strutting their stuff in front of oblivious wallabies. We take a chairlift back to the car park, giving us a new perspective on the gorge and the river.

En route to our final destination of Bicheno, we stop at the small historic site of Ross. Ruins of an old women’s convict prison still stand in one of the fields, and we wander around the building, imagining what it would have been like to live there after being transported all the way from Britain. We eat lunch next to a much photographed bridge with an interesting history. Daniel Herbert, a convict stonemason, received a pardon after completing detailed carvings on the bridge’s arches. 

Bicheno represents our first opportunity to do something truly Australian in Tasmania; go to the beach! Adventure Tours owns its own house in Bicheno and we stop here to unload our gear. Four bedrooms have been converted into dorm rooms, and we have the whole place to ourselves. Because the maximum number of people on any tour is 21, the house is the perfect size for us. We spend the rest of the day on the beach while Matt prepares supper.

At ten p.m., most of the group participates in an optional extra - Bicheno Penguin Tours. After dark every night, Little Penguins, the smallest penguins in the world, make their way from the sea to their burrows. A guide walks us along a pathway, pointing out the tiny but noisy penguins as they find their homes. The noise they make must compensate for their size – my ears are ringing after we leave! The area is a sanctuary for the birds and one of the best places to see them in the wild. 

The next day we strap on our hiking boots for a climb in Freycinet National Park. We walk steadily uphill to the Wineglass Bay Lookout – a hike well worth the effort. This half moon beach is consistently voted into the top ten beaches in the world. The white sand and blue water backed by green hills may have something to do with that. When we’ve taken our photos, we make our way down to the beach for a swim. Luckily it’s a hot day, because this is truly the coldest water I have ever been in. Eventually my body goes numb and I enjoy the perfectly clear water. 

Our next, and final, stop is historic Port Arthur. Adventure Tours owns another house here and we unload and eat before our optional extra for that night – The Port Arthur Ghost Tour. Port Arthur, one of the most famous convict prisons, was where the transported convicts were sent if they committed another crime after their arrival. Because the “worst” of the offenders were sent here, the history of the site includes some rather grisly tales. Many believe that this is why the site is haunted.

The ghost tours start after dusk and are operated only by the light of candles in lanterns. It’s more of an atmospheric eeriness, rather than an all out terrifying experience. The guide leads us through various buildings, which are all very dark, and tells spine-chilling tales of ghost sightings. I won’t discuss any of the individual stories here, but many of them involve strange things showing up in photographs. 
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View from Mt. Wellington

In the morning, Port Arthur looks completely different. It turns out to be one of the most interesting historic sites I have ever visited. We wander through the separate prison, where inmates were separated into tiny brick cells. In the chapel, we stand inside the individual compartments designed to separate the prisoners while they worshipped.  There are about thirty well kept buildings left at Port Arthur. Each tells a small part of the Port Arthur story. What is left of the hospital stands eerily on the hillside, and reminds me of several of the ghost stories from the previous night. It doesn’t need to be dark to be spooky here. The Commandant’s House, set on a hill overlooking the harbor and said to be haunted by several ghosts, provides an insight into what life would have been like for free people living on site. As we head into the coffee shop for a break, I hear a woman chatting excitedly to a group of about ten people. They all seem to be staring at her camera and passing it around. Curious, I go over. I can tell by the conversation that the woman has just seen a ghost - well almost. After snapping a photo, her camera suddenly refused to take any more photos, insisting that the memory was full. Knowing that she had only taken thirteen photos, yes thirteen, she flicked through the ones she had just snapped.

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When she got to the thirteenth photo, what she saw stunned her, and it was this photo I was now staring at, unsure of what I was seeing. In front of the fireplace is the outline of man. He is wearing a cape and a hat, which I can see quite clearly. Others in the group claim to be able to make out his face, but I can just detect the thin outline of the figure. I’m not saying it was a ghost, but I’m not saying it wasn’t. All I know is I’ve never seen anything like it. I may not be a believer, but now I’m not sure if I’m a skeptic.

Adventure Tours, www.adventuretours.com.au, run 3, 6 and 7 day tours around Tasmania. Travelers of all ages and nationalities come together for the experience of a lifetime. If you don’t want to sleep in a dorm room with your new friends, upgrades to motel/hotel are available. It really is the best way to see the highlights of Tasmania, worry free. 

The following is a list of articles that Dawnelle has written for the magazine:

Western Australia Part Two ~ Time Travel And Mermaids 
Sensational Sydney ~ Falling In Love With Sydney
Worth My Weight In Gold ~ The Final Leg Of Western Australia
Go West ~ Australia’s Other Coast
Australia’s East Coast Islands ~ Island Hopping
Travels in Australia - More From The East Coast Of Australia
Travels Down Under ~ The East Coast Of Australia
Turtle Hatchlings - Wet, Sloppy Seal Kisses and Feeding Dolphins 
Islands ~ From The Caribbean To The Mediterranean
Cancun ~ The Daylife
Crikey! Crocs And Devils And Platypuses ~ Oh My!
Western Canada Part One ~ Walk With Dinosaurs
Western Canada Part Two ~ More Adventures In Western Canada
Istanbul - History Comes to Life
Teaching English In Turkey - Falling In Love With Turkey
Charmed, I’m Sure! ~ In Morocco 
The Country Of Eternal Spring - Guatemala
Pure Life - Traveling Through Costa Rica
I Dream Of The Sea ~ Diving In Roatan
Britain - Beyond London
Scotland - Castles, Monsters and Fairy Whispers
Luck Of The Irish ~ The Emerald Isle
Island Hopping In Greece - Mediterranean Summer
When In Rome…..Eat Ice Cream ~ Italian Adventures

To contact Dawnelle Click Here
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Wineglass Bay

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