So when Jonathan sent an email to a group of friends in August inviting us to his weekend birthday getaway at a property adjacent
to Tasmania's Cradle Mountain in late October, Kate and I had tickets
purchased in about 20 minutes.
I have always wanted to go to Tasmania, abbreviated to Tassie. I am not going to
lie... There was probably a time in my life (a very long time ago) where I
would have confused Tasmania for Tanzania (not really). More embarrassingly, it was only a couple of years ago that I realized Tassie was one of Australia's six states. Of course, the Looney Toons' Tasmanian Devil was a part of my childhood (although a real Tasmanian Devil, threatening extinction, looks quite different). Tasmania is one of the most amazing places I have ever been.
It's natural landscape is like nothing I have ever experienced before, constantly changing. Green rolling hills covered with sheep and yellow flowers (you could be in England) are neighbored by sandstone cliffs covered in multicolored lichen meeting the clearest water in the world. Within the infinite forest lands lined with the narrowest yet tallest trees you have ever seen, an impressive mountain range is revealed as wombats and kangaroos roam freely. It's really indescribable and in my opinion, undiscovered territory.
It was a packed four days and to be honest I have been wanting to post on it for quite some time but have been struggling a bit. I fell in love with Tasmania (I can be a bit of a romantic) and I have a folder with over 600 worthy pics to share. I just could not edit, until now...
So here begins a detailed (and edited) photo journal of our four days in Tassie! Thank you, Jonathan for hosting (happy belated). It was an unforgettable experience.
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| The Green Machine |
Day one, we arrived in Hobart a day prior to the birthday celebration, so we could see a bit more of Tassie. After a couple of hours of last minute work at a Hobart cafe, we hopped into our Green Machine (our rental car) and began our drive to the Piermont retreat in Swansea. Along the two hour drive we passed changing landscapes, relics of Tasmania's history, a sandstone church standing alone in a deserted environment, infrastructure constructed by the convicts that once inhabited this maximum security prison. We arrived at our destination in the late afternoon with enough time to explore the local surroundings.
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| The historic Salamanca waterfront, Hobart |
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| The Piermont |
Before an amazing dinner at the Piermont's renowned restaurant (highly recommended), we explored the surrounding area happening upon Nine Mile Beach on the Great Oyster Bay. Literally stretching nine miles with vistas to Coles Bay and Freycinet National Park, the beach was completely alienated, all ours... The cool wind created sand drifts slightly elevated from the ground, not the ideal condition for the typical beach lover but for those who enjoy the beach in a coat and pants, the perfect setting.
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| Nine Mile Beach Looking at Freycinet National Park |
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| Nine Mile Beach |
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| Back at the Piermont, exploring another deserted beach... |
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| Dinner! Need I say more? |
Day two began with a stop at Kate's Berry Farm in nearby Swanswea. After a minor incident, accidentally taste testing from spoons located in the "used spoon jar" (it took me quite a bit of time to get over this), we basked in the glory of Kate's berry pie and freshly baked scones with jams (picked from the very berries surrounding us). We purchased a couple of jams and relishes for ourselves and were on our way to Freycinet National Park but got distracted by the vineyards. We made one last stop, this time at Freycinet Vineyard, to stock up for the weekend on the Pinot Noir we had the night before and then off to the national park.
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| Kate's Berry Farm (and the infamous spoon jar on the left) |
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| Freycinet Vineyard |
We arrived at Freycinet National Park with little time to explore. With a three-and-half-hour drive ahead of us, we had to manage our time properly in the park. First, we were greeted in the parking lot by a wild wallaby with a joey (a baby in its pouch) that was not afraid to get close to us, followed by a strenuous one-and-a-half hour hike to the Wine Glass Bay Lookout and a quick drive to quickly explore (at marathon speed) the cliffs of Cape Tourville, the perfectly clear water at Richardsons Beach and the majestic rocks at sleepy bay covered in an orangey-red lichen. Seriously breathtaking...
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| A wallaby with a joey |
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| A wallaby with a joey |
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| Sleepy Bay |
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| Sleepy Bay and Richardsons Beach |
We arrived just before sunset at Jonathan's birthday location, The Eagle Nest Retreat, having a quick chance to see the top of Mount Roland as clouds began to cover. Some decided to take a dip in the lakeside spa while others dove into what I am convinced was leach infested waters (I saw my first leach the next day = violating). I decided to sip cocktails before a nice and relaxing dinner with good friends.
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| The Eagle Nest II lake with Mount Roland in the distance |
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| Russell diving into the Eagle Nest II lake (photo by Matthew Michael) |
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| A relaxing evening... |
Day three was Cradle Mountain. Group one impressively climbed 600 meters to the mountains summit. Conditions were not great with little visibility but the experience seemed to be worthwhile (despite complaints of soreness the following day). Kate and I joined group two who did the Dove Lake Circuit followed by the Lake Lilla Walk, one of Tasmania's premier walks, beneath the towering spires of Cradle Mountain (which we unfortunately could not see due to mist).
Despite the weather conditions the walk was really like no other. The massive lake (a six kilometer circuit) would appear and reappear. Pathways, sometimes simply metal mesh suspended above a forest, meandered through the varying environments. Diverging paths exposed small beaches/inlets. The walk culminated in a field of wild wombats just waking up as the sun began to set. It was unreal and my first exposure to a live wombat.
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| The Dove Lake Circuit |
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| The Dove Lake Circuit and Lake Lilla Walk |
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| The Dove Lake Circuit |
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| The Dove Lake Circuit |
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| Wombats! (Photo by Greg Edelmuth) |
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| Wombats, just doing their thing... | |
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Day three ended with massages back at the house and a delicious birthday dinner hosted by Jonathan and cooked by a private chef. A well deserved way to end a strenuous day (especially for those that did the 600 meter mountain climb!).
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| Birthday dinner |
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| Birthday dinner |
Day four began early, as we had to head back to Hobart. It was a beautiful and clear morning as we said our goodbyes to Mount Roland. Off on our three-and-a-half hour ride, through the diverse landscapes of Tasmania, passing through the "town of murals" and even the "town of topiary." Who would have thought?
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| Mount Roland from Eagle Nest I |
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| Mount Roland from Eagle Nest II |
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| The "town of murals" and the "town of topiary" (for real) |
With a 7pm flight back to Sydney, we arrived at our destination in Hobart, the MoNA (Museum of Old and New Art), with plenty of time to spare. The Mona itself was truly unique. Located at a former winery and designed by Melbourne architects Fender Katsalidis for the Tasmanian collector, David Walsh, the MoNA includes the museum, restaurants, a brewery, accommodation and a vast landscape (sprinkled with art) hovering above panoramic views of the Tasman Sea.
The collection of art comes from all over the world, old juxtaposed against new, or what Walsh describes as a "subversive
adult Disneyland." The collection of work is impressive- beautiful and grotesque, traditional and progressive. As one descends underground, vis-a-vis a cylindrical glass elevator, the sandstone bunker covered in a range of art is revealed. The O, a personal iPhone turned virtual tour allows you to navigate the museum (replacing labels on walls), document your visit and the work viewed while also noting the highlights.
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| MoNA, above ground |
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| MoNA, below ground |
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Fahraad Mit Farbe by Roman Signer, Bit.Fall by
Julius Popp, Queen (A Portrait of Madonna) by Candice Breitz
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Just before our flight we drove back into Hobart for our last Tassie walk and some much needed fish and chips. The perfect way to end an extravagant four days. I will definitely be back but "that's all folks," for now...
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| The Crew (with a couple missing) |
Farewell Tassie...
