On New Year's Day, Tom and I continued north two hours to St. Helens. We stopped at St. Mary’s to explore the natural beauty surrounding this off-the-beaten path heritage town.
Mathinna Falls is a sequence of four spectacular waterfalls totalling over 100 m. The first and most accessible waterfall is a short walk from the trailhead that leads right to the base of the falls. A steep ascent leads to the second waterfall. Getting beyond the second falls is difficult and potentially dangerous. Pack bug spray!
Day 9: Blue Tier Giants
On Wednesday morning, Tom and I set out on a 4.5-hour journey west. While Tasmania is a small island, there are few direct routes because you're often driving around mountains or bodies of water. Fortunately, there is very little traffic.
We stopped for a short walk (1 hr, 3.2 km) in Blue Tier near Weldborough. This track passes under massive trees, including Australia's widest tree with a girth of 19.4 m! Be prepared for humidity and leaches.
Back in town, we grabbed lunch before continuing on to our lodging at Panorama Hotel. By this point, we were feeling a bit tired. Traveling for two weeks is exhausting!
Day 8: Bay of Fires
Lining Tasmania’s northeast coast, the Bay of Fires is the perfect combination of white beaches, tropical waters, and granite rocks splashed in orange lichen. It was named by English navigator, Tobias Furneaux, in 1773 when he saw fires burning along the coast that were lit by Aboriginals. We explored various nooks and crannies around Binalong, Cosy Corner, and the Gardens. Despite the dreary weather, the turquoise-orange contrast was stunning. And the waves were fierce!
Lifebuoy Cafe was a diamond in the rough.
Day 9: Blue Tier Giants
On Wednesday morning, Tom and I set out on a 4.5-hour journey west. While Tasmania is a small island, there are few direct routes because you're often driving around mountains or bodies of water. Fortunately, there is very little traffic.
We stopped for a short walk (1 hr, 3.2 km) in Blue Tier near Weldborough. This track passes under massive trees, including Australia's widest tree with a girth of 19.4 m! Be prepared for humidity and leaches.
Bridestowe Lavendar Estate grows 260 acres of French lavender–the only variety suitable for perfume and cooking. Since its beginning in 1922, the farm has been built on a philosophy of exceptional quality and innovative, efficient, and sustainable agriculture.
Launceston is a cultural and gastronomic hub. It's home to a tight-knit and diverse community of winemakers, artists, distillers, designers, growers, and nature lovers from around the world. Situated at the confluence of three rivers, Cataract Gorge is the leafy heart of "Launnie." We stopped for lunch at Florence Cafe.
The sanctuary is also home to the closely related spotted-tail and eastern quolls. The spotted-tail quoll is a powerful hunter that is resistant to snake venom. They are endangered due to habitat loss from the logging industry. Tasmania’s three largest carnivorous marsupials are all now threatened in the wild.
Prior to extinction, Tasmanian tigers were the largest carnivorous marsupial. These curious striped animals had once roamed across Australia and Papua New Guinea. Early European farmers blamed animal losses on the tigers, even if evidence pointed elsewhere. In 1888, the government began incentivising the killing of them. The last known Tasmanian tiger died in 1936, and the species was declared extinct in 1986. It makes me sad to wonder which of today's species will become extinct before future generations get to meet them.
The Three Falls Circuit (2 hrs, 6 km) winds through the base of the park. Travelling clockwise, Lady Barron Falls is first.
We spent the evening nearby in a cozy, riverside yurt. This was the only place where we stayed one night instead of two, and wished we had more time to explore the southwest part of the island.
That evening, we met our friend Kevin at the final night of Taste of Tasmania.
Day 13: Sea Kayaking
On Monday morning, Tom and I caught our flight back to Melbourne. We loved our time in Tasmania, and are eager to return. Even after two busy weeks, there is so much more to explore!
As we neared Cradle Valley, we ascended through farmland and forest. The temperature dropped a refreshing 15 degrees by the time we reached our bunk rooms at Discovery Parks. Similar to Freycinet, lodging at Cradle Mountain is limited and books far in advance. Also note that cell phone service is limited outside of Telestra and Optus.
Day 10: Cradle Mountain
Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park spans seven of the state’s 10 highest mountains. Wildlife, alpine charms, and glacial lakes combine to form rugged beauty.
Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park spans seven of the state’s 10 highest mountains. Wildlife, alpine charms, and glacial lakes combine to form rugged beauty.
Similar to popular U.S. National Parks like Yosemite and Zion, Cradle Mountain uses a shuttle system to reduce motor traffic inside the park. Based on my research, I learned that you could drive in before the shuttle starts at 8 am. However, we arrived to the entrance shortly after 7 am to find out that there is apparently enough parking space for only 35 cars. We were car number 37. So my advice is to drive in early, or just roll up to the visitor centre at 8 am to catch the first shuttle.
Once we arrived inside, we began our hike from Ronnie Creek. This is where the epic six-day Overland Track starts. Wombats frequent the fields around the creek from dust until dawn, although we saw a few on our way out.
Tom and I climbed at a brisk pace to Marion's Lookout for a terrific view of Cradle Mountain and Dove Lake. Ideal conditions.
From there, we pushed on to Cradle Mountain. The jagged summit looks daunting from afar, but it does not require technical climbing.
However, the latter part requires boulder scrambling that should not be attempted in wet weather.
The wide summit provides 360-degree views of alpine perfection. At 1,545 m (5,069 ft) above sea level,
Cradle Mountain is the sixth-highest mountain in Tasmania.
Instead of returning the way we came, or via Dove Lake, we followed Face Track to Hanson's Peak.
The neighbouring Mount Campbell trail was closed, so we descended to the Dove Lake circuit from Hanson's. We snapped a few lake photos around the busy lake before returning to Ronnie Creek via Lake Lila. This was a solid 20-km day hike that probably took us around six hours. Carry at least two litres of water.
The scenery at Cradle Mountain is second to none, but I would likely only return during low season. The park is relatively small, with only two major trailheads. However, we might have been unlucky in visiting on the park's busiest day to date.
After a shower and refuel, we visited the conservation sanctuary, Devils @ Cradle. You can go anytime with a general admission ticket, but we booked into the 8:30 pm feeding session tour. The sanctuary is part of a breeding program to prevent the extinction of devils. They are endangered from a contagious disease that has no treatment. Fortunately, there is a vaccine in the pipeline, which would allow captive devils to be reintroduced in the wild.
Tasmanian devils are the largest carnivorous marsupial, and have the strongest jaw per body size across the entire animal kingdom. The devils live only five years, breeding annually at ages two, three, and four with a cap of four joeys per pouch. They regulate the ecosystem by controlling the wallaby population, and are effective scavengers, often cleaning up the bones left behind by other predators. They are endurance runners (vs sprinters), and rely on their sense of smell for hunting; they cannot climb and have poor eyesight. Especially when feeding, they vocalise in a range of shrieks and growls.
Pademelons are the most common marsupial in Tassie. Sadly we saw many on the side of the road. Wombats, most closely related to the koala, are furry waddlers that have 30-year lifespans. The elusive platypus is not a marsupial, but inhabit the area along with their closest relative, the echidna.
Day 11: Mount Field National Park
On Friday morning, Tom and I drove 4.5 hours southeast. The drive out of Cradle Mountain was lush and mountainous. We stopped to stretch our legs at Nelson Falls. This short walk follows a burbling river to an impressive set of waterfalls. The mossy forest, featuring sassafras, myrtle, and a variety of ferns, hints at the high rainfall in this area.
On Friday morning, Tom and I drove 4.5 hours southeast. The drive out of Cradle Mountain was lush and mountainous. We stopped to stretch our legs at Nelson Falls. This short walk follows a burbling river to an impressive set of waterfalls. The mossy forest, featuring sassafras, myrtle, and a variety of ferns, hints at the high rainfall in this area.
For lunch, we ate at the Possum Shed Cafe. Westerway is abundant with fruit and flower farms.
Just a few minutes away is Mount Field National Park. Across its base, waterfalls pour through cool-temperate rainforest, while high above are dramatic peaks dotted with glacial lakes and classically Tasmanian alpine plants like pandani, scoparia, pineapple grass, and cushion plants. The park is, with Freycinet, the state's oldest national park. In winter it transforms into one of Tassie's two ski fields.
The Three Falls Circuit (2 hrs, 6 km) winds through the base of the park. Travelling clockwise, Lady Barron Falls is first.
The track continues through the Tall Trees section. As we saw in Blue Tier, Tasmania has some of the world’s tallest and oldest forests. Eucalyptus regnans (Latin for "to reign"), also known as "mountain ash" or "swamp gums," are Australia’s tallest trees. They grow up to 100 m in height, and are the second tallest flowering plant in the world.
Horseshoe Falls is next. All three falls on this track are composed of marine Permian siltstone, faced by retreating sandstone layers. The final stop is famous Russell Falls. Nearby recesses are lit with glow-worms at night.
We spent the evening nearby in a cozy, riverside yurt. This was the only place where we stayed one night instead of two, and wished we had more time to explore the southwest part of the island.
Day 12: Mount Wellington
Mount Field is just under two hours west of Hobart. Before we reached town, we drove to the summit of Mount Wellington (kunanyi). For Hobartians, "the mountain" is part of daily life; a place to walk, ride bikes, play in the snow, just 30 minutes from the city centre. Towering 1,271 m above the city, the summit affords sweeping views across southern Tasmania.
At the base of the mountain, we stopped for drinks at Sullivan's Cove Distillery and Cascade Brewery. Then we dropped our bags at our final bnb and returned our rental car. On the walk back to Sandy Bay, we ate lunch at the buzzing Salamanca Market. With over 300 stallholders every Saturday, it is the best place to find local and handmade products.
Day 13: Sea Kayaking
On Sunday, we booked into a sea kayaking tour of the Tasman Peninsula. Our guides drove us to Fortescue Bay, where we unloaded the kayaks and gear. Damian and Sarah shared instructions and explained our route. Due to the windy conditions, we did not paddle out to Cape Huay. Instead, we explored the neighbouring bays. There we spotted a family of white-bellied sea eagles.
I enjoyed the experience of navigating big ocean waves. We also had a really fun group. However, I was disappointed that the conditions did not allow us to maximise our time on the water. Back in Hobart, we shared out last supper at Solo.
