Adventures on the other side of the world? Bring it on. Adventures close to home when you’re short on time? Even better.
At the start of last year, I had high hopes for month-long adventures in faraway corners of the world to escape Melbourne’s long, cold and notoriously grey winter. I’m a summer lover, so winter always feels like everything slows down, hibernation mode sets in and the urge to escape is stronger than ever.
Suddenly, spring sprung from nowhere, and the window for big adventures had passed. Whoops. The end of the year looked packed – I had my sister’s wedding, work events, birthdays, engagements, and the usual commitments I couldn’t skip out on for huge amounts of time.
Admittedly, it was entirely my fault for not being organised, as usual. I wasn’t ready to give up on my search for adventure before the year was over. That’s where the short-but-sweet, six-day Tasmania Adventure came and saved me from the travel blues. Tassie had always been on my travel wish list thanks to the promise of wildlife sightings, challenging alpine treks, remote beaches and plenty of wineries to explore. But what made it more appealing was that it’s just an hour’s flight from my home city of Melbourne.
A quick, close-to-home trip was the best decision, and Tassie was the perfect place.
Jetlag? Don’t know her
After work on Friday night, I trotted off to the airport for a quick flight and landed in Hobart with plenty of time to explore the city. On Saturday morning, I fueled up with coffee and a bagel, and by 8 am, I was standing in the hotel lobby, ready to meet the group. See ya, jetlag.
Leave the details to someone else
I had two non-negotiables for visiting Tassie – hiking Cradle Mountain and swimming in Wineglass Bay. Before the trip, I recall not having the time or energy to think about the logistics of exploring solo.
I checked the trip map, confirmed that my two non-negotiables were included, and trusted that the rest of the itinerary was planned by someone who knew where to go and figured the rest would be a pleasant surprise. All I had to do was show up at the right place and time on the first day.
No need for a holiday after a holiday
I’m a creature of habit and sometimes find it challenging to step outside my everyday flow. The major appeal in booking this trip was the itinerary length – perfect for time-poor travellers like me – but long enough to take a break and recharge.
This trip also landed perfectly over a public holiday, so I could maximise my time and use minimal annual leave and I didn’t come back feeling exhausted and needing downtime after the trip.
A chance to learn little bit about mountains, cities, coastlines and more
There is so much to love about Tassie. Great food, varied landscapes and the possibility of wombat sightings. The best part of this trip was getting a short but sweet preview of the island. Our leader, Steve, was a proud Tassie local and a total legend. If there was a sight to see, Steve shared everything he could about each place. His knowledge of the flora, fauna, history and landscapes seemed to have no end and really helped our group squeeze as much out of our trip as possible.
Switch off, unwind and get your nature fix
Thanks to many studies and research, it’s no secret that spending extended time in nature is good for the soul, and this trip provided just that. We zipped around the island pretty quickly (but not too fast – and still had plenty of time to chill). There was still, however, a decent chunk of driving time but that worked in my favour to help me get into the travel groove and switch off.
On day one, we hit the road and swapped the city of Hobart for the winding country roads before reaching our first stay for the night by the beach at a small coastal town called Bicheno – famous for seafood (the Lobster Shack is a must-visit), craft beer and close proximity to Freycinet National Park. What a way to start the trip!
The rest of the trip’s landscapes were beautifully contrasted – the West Coast was greener than green while the East Coast proudly was all about white sand and blue-water beaches, and the cities each had their own unique heartbeat. Launceston (or ‘Launnie’ to the locals) – the biggest city in the north of the island – was an unexpected highlight. I fell in love with how local producers, winemakers and distillers were celebrated all over the city at markets, restaurants and independent stores. Then, there was the former port town of Strahan, filled with maritime history and framed by mountain wilderness.
New conversations with new people
Nothing beats chatting with people from all corners of the world and bonding over a shared excitement for a new destination. We had a mix of travellers of all ages – in their late 20s and upwards of 80 – and travellers from the USA, New Zealand, England, and some Aussies.
I absolutely remember landing in Tassie last year and feeling close to hitting burnout before the end of the year. However, when I returned to Melbourne, I left feeling energised from new conversations, refreshed after time in nature and fulfilled from exploring without having barely planned a thing.
This six-day Tasmania Adventure is one way to get out there and see some of the best bits of this island.
