Tasmania - Hitting the Highlights

Port Arthur

      The best time of year to visit Tasmania is during its summer, December through  March .  The temperatures are mild  and there are a lot of festivals and events on offer during this time.   If you have lots of time, just follow your nose on roads less travelled for some great discoveries-as you might do anywhere else.  But just like most trips we take, time is limited so let’s hit a few highlights:

     Port Arthur.   You can’t visit a penal colony like Tasmania without visiting at least  one prison and Port Arthur is the best preserved of the lot.  A prisoner’s life was a wretched one and that is abundantly clear here.    No walls or fences and yet, no escape.  Great vistas, though.

     Salamanca Markets.    Go Bohemian, go local, go cheap…just go to the Salamanca Markets every Saturday in Hobart.   Natives and tourists alike enjoy this experience and bargain hunting opportunity.

        Cadbury Chocolate Factory.    Located in suburban Hobart, this is a hugely popular attraction.  It costs $7.50 to  see the high school science lab type presentation of how chocolate is made (hey, no one does factory  floor tours anymore) but the bonus is the huge shopping area with all of the products Cadbury offers.   Locals pay the fee to shop here for their cheap and fresh chocolate.  Cadbury will even mail a huge box of goodies  you’ve  picked out right from the sales floor. Alas, only to an Australian address.

      Hobart Regatta.    A horse race stops humanity in its tracks in Melbourne.  Far more natural for a boat race to seize the public  on an island state.  It’s not just a boat race in February, it’s a long weekend of activities for everyone.  Lots of shoreline to watch the regatta.

      Launceston.      Launceston, at the confluence of three rivers,  has charms Hobart seems to be lacking.  Historic buildings in great condition abound.  The state’s viticulture industry is centered here.  The Cataract Gorge is a lovely place to spend the day.  And my personal favorite Tasmanian National Trust site:  the Old Umbrella Shop.

     Evandale.    Location of the National Penny Farthing Championship Race, home to the Commonwealth’s most decorated soldier,  also home to famous landscape artist Glover, a colonial mansion sits on the hill (Clarendon), an old-fashioned general store anchors the town shopping section and , in general,  looks more England than England.

    Faery Penguins.     Head north to Burnie or Stanley to see faery penguins come out of the sea at night to tend to their nesting chicks on shore.  Vigilant volunteers  are quick to point out the rock-hopping penguins to visitors and quicker to make sure visitors don’t mess with the penguins.   Flash photography is not allowed so the lasting images of this neat experience will be in your head.

    Of course this isn’t an exhaustive list of things to do in Tasmania. But it will get you started  on your journey through this beautiful state.   If you are a walker, you are in great luck.  There are numerous hikes of all durations  here.  Indeed, some of the best places are accessible only by foot.

WHERE TO SLEEP?

     There is no shortage of hostelries in Tasmania although finding an ensuite room (bathroom inside room) for under $100 a night can be tricky.  If you don’t mind a bathroom down the hall, plenty of country pubs offer decent accommodation for less than triple figures.   Three unique options :

      The Empire Hotel.    In Queenstown.    Showing her age a bit but still a treasure.  The central blackwood stairwell is listed with the National Trust!  Supper in their intimate restaurant upstairs is worth while.

      Pendragon Hall.    In Hobart.    So many decommissioned churches are repurposed as art  galleries, museums or homes.  The undercroft of this church is rented out as lodgings.  Awaken to sun filtering through stained glass windows.  Ideal for multiple-day stays as multi-media entertainment and food preparation is possible in this self-contained unit.

      Jail Cell.        Maria Island.     Maria [ma RYE ah] Island is a national park with no services (you pack in, you pack out-including trash) but with an opportunity for people to enjoy plenty of hiking by staying overnight in one of their jail cells.  Surprisingly spacious with a fireplace for cooking and picnic table inside. Coin operated showers in the next building.  A unique experience.

    Pub in the Paddock.   Pyengana near St Columba Falls.   A true country pub—out in the bush, old and with lots of character.  Close to the St Columba Falls and near an excellent dairy which brush massages its cows.  But they’re not the only ones pampered.  Pub in the Paddock has Priscilla, a beer swigging pig.  For a mere buck, you too can share a drink with Priscilla, queen of the paddock.

    

       It is so easy for visitors to Australia to catch the big eastern state cities like Sydney and Melbourne while ignoring gems like Tasmania.   I can’t    guarantee that a Tasmanian Tiger will come out of extinction long enough for you to take a photo of it, but the detour here will be memorable nonetheless.  If nothing else, come here for the only tolerable summer in OZ.

Waiting for my massage

Arrow: Mark of the Convict