By Rama Gaind.
Discover all there is to see and do in Hobart, Tasmania, including Mt Wellington.
Remembering life is a journey, not a destination … and no matter how where and when you get out on the open road … be sure to find adventure at every turn!
Some experiences are worth the drive. For example, take Tasmania’s seven-day west coast road trip, starting from Hobart, then travel the 301kilometres to Strahan.
If you are an antique lover, try to stop at New Norfolk with stores dotted around town, or a little further Salmon Ponds is the oldest trout hatchery in the Southern Hemisphere where you can feed the fish and walk around the historic buildings. You will pass Tarraleah, home to a hydroelectric scheme back in the 1930s and now converted to an art-deco village. A further 50 kilometres and you will reach the Derwent Bridge, gateway to the southern end of the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park.
Make sure you check out the Wall in the Wilderness, a stunning wood carving depicting the area’s history. Stop for a rest at the iconic Derwent River Wilderness Hotel, and enjoy a pub meal and/or drink, later passing the mining town of Queenstown before staying for two nights in Strahan.
Views of Stanley, surrounding countryside and Bass Strait are amazing from the top of The Nut, the143-metre-high mass.
Spend the day exploring the village, nestled on the shores of the Macquarie Harbour. Explore the pristine temperate rainforests of the Gordon River on a boat cruise taking you through the World Heritage Wilderness and onto Sarah Island, once a notorious convict prison. Step back in time on a wilderness adventure onboard the West Coast Wilderness Railway, a steam railway journey travelling along a historic track between Queenstown and Strahan, passing breath-taking scenery that is only accessible by rail.
Ensure you have plenty of fuel before you embark on the next leg of your journey to the spectacular Cradle Mountain. During the 138-kilometre drive, you will pass the mining town of Zeehan, where you can visit the West Coast Heritage Centre or Spray Tunnel, a 100-metre-long train tunnel once used to transport ore from the Spray Silver Mine. If you are game, go inside with a torch and look for glowworms.
Cradle landscape
After passing Roseberry, Cradle Mountain offers a diverse landscape rich with wildlife, including the Tasmanian devils, quolls, wallabies, wombats, echidna and several bird species. Discover the many walking trails ranging from easy to difficult in and around the national park. Shuttle services run daily from the Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service visitor centre into Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park. Go on the two-hour walk around Dove Lake or simply sit back and admire the sheer beauty of the lake and surrounding landscape. In the afternoon, take a short drive to nearby Devils@Cradle to get up-close to the Tasmanian devils for the unique after dark feeding tour.
Strahan is a village, nestled on the shores of the Macquarie Harbour.
From Cradle Mountain to Stanley is 175 kilometres. Drive northwest to the historic fishing town, with its well-preserved colonial buildings. Stanley is notably known for the ancient remains of a volcanic plug that rises 150 metres above the ground, otherwise known as ‘The Nut’. Take the chairlift to the top or make the climb on foot for spectacular 360-degree views. Travel around the coastal Rocky Cape National Park, or the scenic Tarkine Drive, looping you through the world’s second largest temperate rainforests with its natural and dramatic landscapes. Stanley serves the freshest produce sourced from the nearby waters and land. Try the famous fish and chips, fresh lobster from the trawlers or the mouth-watering Cape Grim beef.
On Day 8, it’s time to head back home to Hobart on a 400 kilometre trip. You may wish to extend your stay in Launceston. Stop in Elizabethtown and visit Ashgrove Cheese for local cheese tasting, or Christmas Hills Raspberry Farm for a sweet or savoury treat or Van Diemens Land Creamery for an ice cream (try the unusual flavour of Pepperberry and Leatherwood Honey)
Travel for this package is between 18 February and 20 March 2022, and the offer ends on October 30 2021.
Lonely Planet Best Day Walks Australia allows you to pick a hike that works for you.
Two other trips to book are:
- Top End Loop Self Drive, 7 days, NT, for travel between: 17 January and 28 February 2022. This offer ends 18 October 2021
- Western Australia’s Coral Coast Highway by campervan, 10 days, travel between: 1- 30 November 2021 or 1 February-31 March 2022.
These offers end 30 October 2021.
Armchair traveller
Last week’s column about letting our dreams be our escape plan to travel is just one way to beat the travel-less blues. Another, of course, is by reading books. It’s so easy these days to become an armchair traveller — or explorer — while you wait impatiently for the reality to materialise!
One comprehensive guide — Lonely Planet Best Day Walks Australia — gives you a chance to escape into nature so you can not only stretch your legs, but relish the opportunity to break free from the city and immerse yourself in stunning scenery, discovering small towns and experiencing local life through 60 short, achievable walks featured in the book.
There is so much to see and do in Australia. Let your journey begin now!
DETAILS BOX
Flight Centre
T: 1300 462 125
T: 1300 782 588
