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Crystal Serenity literally rolls into town.

Over the past few days the Crystal Serenity cruise ship has been battered by large swells in the Tasman sea. Passengers did not get to sleep until around 5am. Unfortunately, this means they are now all sleeping while a glorious day in Hobart unfolds in front of them. A tour to the top of Mt Wellington, Port Arthur and Bonorong Conservation Park are recommended for days like today.

It’s Snow Time

Hobart tourists and locals were treated with a classic  snowfall on Mt Wellington throughout the latter days of last week.

If you are in Tasmania on holiday I recommend heading to Mt Wellington (for a short trip) or Mt Field National Park (for a day trip).

Snowfall throughout Tasmania’s bushlands are spectacular to witness – they make our normally impressive scenery spectacular.

Adventurists will have fun skiing, snowboarding or  bushwalking at Mt Field. The area caters for all levels of skills but a reasonable degree of fitness is required to walk the 45min uphill track to where the ski lifts operate (rope tows). The 1hr walk around Lake Dobson is flat and ideal for those who simply want a great walk in the fluffy white stuff.

Hobart Night Tour

ravelling at night in Hobart, Tasmania, was an unforgettable experience for the family of six from Vietnam. The tour was customised a week before their arrival and their adventure included a guided tour of Cascade Brewery, guided tour of Bonorong Park with BBQ dinner and a final night time tour to the top of Mt Wellington.

Bonorong Park allowed them into the Koala pen to pat the soft, cuddly, brown bears before feeding a hungry herd of Kangaroos by hand. I’m not too sure about the Vietnamese but I was intimidated by the raging mob –

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Good Morning Hobart

aking at 5:30am in the middle of winter to view the sunset from the summit of Mt Wellington isn’t what many people say ‘is their cup of tea’. Getting out of a warm bed into the cold air is not one of my pleasures in life either. But, I’m positive, open-minded and I know it’s worth it.

Silence floods the streets of Hobart at these hours and feelings of isolation rush through me. It’s like I’m one of the early explorers travelling through unchartered (white-man) territory. I get a real buzz from it. It must have been an incredible experience for all crew on the ships commanded by the likes of Cook, Bligh and D’Entrecasteaux. I guess that’s why some served for near entire lives.

Driving through the sheltered foothills and tall, wet forests of the ascent gives me a sense of calmness and security. Tall Eucalyptus Globulus (gum trees) hang over the road like a natural blanket and are as still as a statue as I pass beneath. But the Possums and Wallabies hop and scamper in my headlights and dive head first into the shrubbery. Poor things. I feel sorry for them – if a machine 20 times bigger was charging at me (without much warning) I’d run too!

At the summit it’s a harsher story. It’s a real battle to stay alive. The tide turns (so to speak) and now i’m definitely included in Darwin’s survival of the fittest. If I had ten minutes outside without clothing on I would be a frozen statue.

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