Cradle Mountain and the Dove Lake Circuit

A visit to Cradle Mountain has to be on the top of any Tasmanian road trip. To get there we drove the long way, through the national parks of Franklin-Gordon River and Cradle Mountain - Lake St Clair. It was an amazing drive through winding roads which took us deeper into the heart of "Cradle Country".

For a beginner hiker aka “non-walker” like myself the Dove Lake circuit is an easy introduction to hiking suitable for all ages. All you need is sturdy walking shoes and warm, wet weather gear for the 6.6 kilometre journey in the shadow of Cradle Mountain.

Along the walk we met hikers of all different nationalities who greeted us with a warm hello. However a German couple warned us that we had a fair way to walk when we had almost neared the southern most part of the circuit - the closest you can get to the base.

We were incredibly lucky that Cradle Mountain was clear, as we were warned at the visitor centre that it had been a cloudy day and the peak hadn't been visible. It made the late afternoon visit perfectly timed!

Throughout the walk Ryan kept stopping for photos and I couldn't help but capture heaps of video footage as I took in the miniature "waterfalls", small pebbled beaches, stairs and walkways down to the lake and just enjoying the sheer beauty of the UNESCO World Heritage Area.





The ballroom forest is a highlight of the circuit. It's a secluded area walled in by Myrtles and the deciduous Beech trees which are covered in moss. Pity it was too dark to take photos though.

When we finally left Cradle Mountain night had fallen. Thus far, we had seen lots of unpleasant roadkill on the side of the road but very little live wildlife. At dusk all of Tasmania’s creatures came out to greet us from kangaroos to wombats and wallabies. Still there was no sign of any Tassie devils...

More photos of Cradle Mountain can be viewed at Ryan's Flickr page.

Bruny Island

Bruny Island is a piece of the real, raw Tasmania. The island is a 30 km drive south of Hobart and home to seals, penguins, oyster farms and Australia's southern most vineyard. Bruny is made up of the north and south islands that are connected by an isthmus, which I like to think of as a big spit-like natural bridge.



For around $25 you can drive onto the ferry from Kettering and drive onto the island within 15 minutes. This ferry wasn't quite like the one my Contiki bus boarded from Dover, England to Calais, France; it was more a get-on and get-off no frills vessel.

Nevertheless when you first drive onto Bruny Island it could be be mistaken for Any Country Area Australia. Driving along the coastline soon dispels this idea. When we reached The Neck, we climbed up the steep stairs to the lookout which offered spectacular views over the Adventure Bay and Isthmus Bay. A penguin rookery is located nearby in Adventure Bay, drawing tourists to gawk by the side of the road.

Bruny Island is well known for its oysters and you can even buy a half dozen for $12 at the local convenience store.



Driving along Adventure Bay Beach, we passed by Captain Cook's Landing Place. Captain Cook landed there in 1777 and now even the caravan park is named after him.



The winding unsealed road through South Bruny National Park enroute to Cape Bruny lighthouse is an incredibly beautiful drive. We rolled down our windows to breathe in the earthy forest smells, even the light rain couldn't ruin the drive.

Cape Bruny is known for one thing - the lighthouse which was built in 1838 by Tasmanian convicts to forewarn ships of the nearby cliffs. The family operated lighthouse was decommissioned in 1996. I couldn't imagine what life would have been like for the wife of the lighthouse operator who brought up five children there.

Wild rabbits hop around Cape Bruny and on Easter Sunday perhaps it was mildly appropriate to be surrounded by them. As I looked over the sea cliffs, the clouds parted to let in a little sunlight to the right of the lighthouse whilst a rainbow formed over to the left. Breathing in the sea air, I had to savour this special little Tasmanian moment before it disappeared.

Cocoon - A Lovely Little Launceston Shoppe

Oh Launie, your city streets smell like yeast from the James Boag Brewery and your shops are very quaint!

Launceston is a sweet little city that slowly woos you with its Tasmanian charm. I was amazed that Cataract George is so close to the city. It was such a beautiful, tranquil wilderness only minutes away from the city centre.



On my last morning in Launceston I managed to fit in a bit of shopping in the city area. I stumbled across a very quaint shop called Cocoon at 109 George Street.



Cocoon sells a variety of homewares, beauty products, accessories and funky bits and pieces.

I bought a cute bird peg and lipgloss package for Wei and a Black Eyed Susie hairclip and hairtie made from kimono fabric that featured a babushka doll.



The very friendly sales assistant let me know that an online store will soon be available.

In the meantime, Black Eyed Susie has an etsy store which also has more unique accessories (Susie appears to be on a maternity break but will be at Niche Market in Launceston on May 3 and 4).

Sunny Day in Hobart Town

It's a sunny Saturday afternoon at Salamanca markets. The smell of frying onion hits you as soon as you enter the marketplace. Locals and tourists alike peruse stalls selling proudly Tasmanian made arts and crafts, produce and souvenirs.

I highly recommend eating a gypsy roll - lamb kebabs with a very unique strawberry chilli sauce. The long line at the stall was enough to convince me that it was worth the wait.

The most interesting thing about Salamanca markets is that it is very Green. There are stalls dedicated to preserving the forests, protecting sharks against shark-fin poaching and the Greens party stall dedicated to several environmental causes. Perhaps its not surprising that Senator Bob Brown's office is located 100 metres away in Murray St Pier.





On this day the Sea Shepherd anti-whaling ship, Steve Irwin, was docked at Mac Wharf 1 with its skull and cross-spear flag flying high.

Many local fish and chips places, like Mures and Fish Frenzy, offer a chance to soak up the afternoon sun for a late lunch or early pre-dinner bite. The beer-battered trevally at Fish Frenzy is absolutely scrumptious! Please note though that if you love a good pineapple fritter the only place that sells these is Flippers - and it is crumbed not battered. We learnt that the hard way...

The Great Tasmanian Road Trip Soundtrack

Before I start blogging about my trip to Tasmania I wanted to share my soundtrack. My brother and I drove over 900km in a little yellow Yaris through big city centres, quaint townships, amazing national parks, over Mount Wellington and down many winding roads. This is the soundtrack to our journey, built on Triple J playlists.

1. Scattered Diamonds - Hungry Kids of Hungary

2. Zero - The Yeah Yeah Yeahs

3. The Waitress Song - Seth Sentry

4. Not Fair - Lily Allen

5. You Want History - Kaiser Chiefs

6. The Summer - Josh Pyke

7. So Human - Lady Sovereign

8. No You Girls - Franz Ferdinand

9. Buttons (Remix) - Sia

10. Battle for the Sun - Placebo


The Waitress Song is a beautifully understated narrative by Melbourne MC and triple j unearthed artist Seth Sentry. It won me over on the first listen. Listen to it!