Tasmania Travelogue | Chasing the Aurora, Seeing Penguins, and Meeting Wombats in Tasmania
It's a heart-shaped island at the southernmost tip of Australia. A friend told me it was "wild, beautiful, and not many people."
Day 1: Overlooking Hobart from the Clouds
Landed in Hobart at 10 AM, and headed straight for Mount Wellington. The winding mountain road ascended in circles, and the view outside the window gradually changed from cityscapes to misty mountain forests. At the summit, at an altitude of 1271 meters, the wind was strong enough to blow a person away, but the entire city of Hobart unfolded below like a map. The distant sea and sky merged, blurring the boundaries.
Coming down the mountain, we正好 caught the Salamanca Market, which was still open on Saturday. The market was in the city center, crowded but not packed. An old man was selling his hand-carved wooden spoons, each with a unique pattern. I bought a lavender teddy bear, and the owner said it would keep my wardrobe smelling nice for a long time. The hot curry scallop pie from a stall had a crispy crust and a fresh filling; I was surprised by how delicious this combination was.
After the market, we drove to Richmond, a small town. The town has Australia's oldest stone arch bridge, built in 1823, and still in use today. The town was incredibly quiet, with only an occasional elderly person strolling slowly along the street. After a quick tour, we returned to downtown Hobart in the evening.
On the way, we visited the Cascade Brewery at the foot of the mountain. It's Australia's oldest brewery, and just looking at the building, you can tell it's ancient. I ordered a glass of their signature beer and slowly drank it in the courtyard. The air at the foot of the mountain smelled of fresh grass, and I didn't want to leave.
Day 2: Chasing White Wallabies on Bruny Island
Woke up early on this day, drove 40 minutes to Kettering Wharf, and took a ferry to Bruny Island.
The boat hadn't gone far when someone shouted, "Dolphins!" Sure enough, a few were leaping and playing at the bow, as if guiding us.
First thing on the island - eating oysters. Bruny Island's oysters are famously fresh. I ordered half a dozen, squeezed some lemon juice, and with one bite, the salty freshness of the seawater and the sweetness of the oyster meat exploded in my mouth. Later, I couldn't resist adding another dozen.
The Neck is a magical place. Standing on the observation deck, to the left is a raging sea, and to the right is water as calm as a mirror, separated by a thin sandbar in the middle. Nature can sometimes be more humorous than humans.
On the beach at Adventure Bay, I actually saw a white wallaby. It wasn't pure white, but more of a creamy color, squatting in the grass, watching me motionless.
Before heading back, we checked out the famous "bread fridge" and the taste was excellent.
We stayed in Hobart again tonight. After visiting Maria Island tomorrow, we'll drive north to Launceston, which will save us a lot of time for Cradle Mountain the day after tomorrow.
Day 3: Charmed by Wombats on Maria Island, then Headed North to Launceston
This day was the most therapeutic day of the entire trip.
Took a ferry to Maria Island, and right after getting off the boat, we saw two wombats munching on grass by the roadside. They were round and waddled as they walked, like moving plush toys. They weren't afraid of people at all, eating independently, occasionally looking up at you, and then continuing to graze.
I chose the Painted Cliffs hiking trail, which takes about three hours round trip. The path wasn't difficult, and along the way, we saw kangaroos, bandicoots, and a kind of bird called the Cape Barren goose, which looked quite clumsy. The Painted Cliffs are actually natural mineral colors on the rocks, with layers of red, yellow, and green, as if someone had splashed paint on them. You can rent bicycles on the island, but I chose to walk to slowly enjoy more glimpses of the wombats.
We left the island around 3 PM and drove straight to Launceston. The roads in Tasmania were better than I expected, with little traffic and good scenery. Two and a half hours later, we checked into a hotel in Launceston. After dropping off our luggage, we went out to find food and discovered that this small city was even quieter than Hobart, with few people on the streets. We ate at a Thai restaurant which was quite good and didn't disappoint.
Day 4: Hiking Cradle Mountain, Murals of Sheffield, Arrived in Stanley in the Evening - then Saw the Aurora
We left Launceston in the morning and drove two hours to Cradle Mountain National Park. The temperate rainforest here was unlike any other forest I had seen before. The tree trunks were covered in moss, and the air was damp. Walking into it felt like entering the Fangorn Forest from "The Lord of the Rings."
I took a 1.5-hour short route. At the end of the trail was a glacial lake, with water so clear you could see the rocks at the bottom. Along the way, we encountered a leisurely family of wombats.
After descending the mountain, we made a detour to the mural town of Sheffield. To be honest, I didn't have high expectations for the murals, but the one painted by Eason Chan was quite interesting and very spontaneous.
Leaving Sheffield, we continued driving northwest. Two and a half hours later, we arrived in Stanley. This small town is built on a narrow peninsula, and the most conspicuous feature is the volcanic plug called "The Nut," which looks like a giant cake sitting by the sea. We are staying here tonight.
As dusk fell, we prepared to watch the penguin parade. A group of little blue penguins waddled out of the sea, queuing up to burrow into their nests on the shore. They were very small, about thirty centimeters tall, and their way of walking was adorable.
After watching the penguins, we weren't in a hurry to go back. The aurora forecast showed a high KP value, and the weather was clear, so we decided to wait a bit longer and try our luck.
We walked to the open grassy area near the observation deck and turned off all flashlights. Looking up, the first thing we saw was the Milky Way - so many stars that it made us dizzy.
Soon after, a faint green light rose from the horizon, like someone drawing a thin veil in the sky. Then pink also appeared, not the violent dancing of the aurora borealis, but a gentler, quieter diffusion, like the sky gently breathing. It lasted for about twenty minutes, then the aurora slowly faded, revealing the Milky Way again. We were really lucky today.
Day 5: Last Glimpse from The Nut
Excited the night before, I didn't sleep well, but still woke up early the next day.
We first came to the orange-red photo frame, facing the sea and the distant volcanic rock. As I was taking photos, a beam of sunlight hit, making the whole scene look like a movie screenshot.
Afterwards, we headed to the big "Nut" volcanic rock. It only took a few minutes to go up by cable car, and the view from the top was well worth seeing. After coming down, we walked around the small town. The colonial-era stone houses were well preserved, and the gardens were filled with unknown flowers. It's a place that makes you want to settle down.
We had lobster for lunch in Stanley, then started driving back. We didn't rush, slowly passing through Devonport, and stopped at a roadside lookout to watch the sea for a while. Six days and five nights in Tasmania, neither long nor short. I saw mountains, the sea, a prison, penguins, wombats, and the most beautiful starry sky I've ever seen - and an unexpected Southern Lights display.
In closing
If you also want to fit Launceston and Stanley into your itinerary, don't be too greedy. We skipped Wineglass Bay and Bay of Fires this time, but gained a full day at Cradle Mountain and that aurora. It was worth it.
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