A short break in Tasmania
16 Nov 2017
Graham Stevens, of the Probus Club of Breakfast Point, shares his tips on how to make the most of a short break in stunning Tassie.
My wife and I fly into Launceston on a balmy afternoon in April, while Sydney is battling storms. Our hire car is waiting at the airport and soon we are in town. The city is very accessible. The main tourist attractions are the Cataract Gorge and the Tamar River. We, however, have decided to head south to Hobart and then travel east to spend some time on Tasmania’s beautiful coast.
Enjoy the journey
Before setting off on our adventure we decide to visit the National Automobile Museum of Tasmania. En route, we stroll past the sad faced snow monkeys that live in Launceston Park. The museum is run by volunteers and is celebrating its 21st anniversary this year. Many of the historic cars and bikes are owned by members and the exhibits change regularly.
It should take about two and a half hours to drive to Hobart, but with stops in historic towns like Campbelltown, Oatlands and Ross, we use up the day. A lunch stop at the TKO Bakery in Oatlands takes us back to the golden years of Hollywood; a fascinating collection of Errol Flynn photos and memorabilia commemorates Tasmania’s early swashbuckling export.
Out and about in Hobart
Hobart is vibrant. We wander through the open-air street food market in Franklin Square and find a little tapas bar around Constitution Dock. There are plenty of places to eat and be entertained. No Saturday in Hobart would be complete without a trip to the bustling Salamanca Market, which features local and handmade crafts and fresh artisan produce. Spare a thought for the white wallabies of Bruny Island; the unique albino wallabies are featured around the market in a range of guises, from steak to stubbie holders.
The impressive Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) is also a must visit. It’s confronting, erotic and disturbing – but certainly never boring. MONA might be a bit of a challenge, but if you have the vision and imagination to build a world-class gallery like this in Australia’s least populated state capital, you are entitled to display whatever you want – and owner David Walsh does just that!
A bit of history
Just outside of Hobart is the windswept Maria Island, a former convict penitentiary and now a national park. There are up to five ferry trips each day to the island from the port of Triabunna. We spend the day exploring the weathered painted cliffs and fossil fields, and soaking up the history. The abundant kangaroos, wombats and Cape
Barren geese choose to ignore us.
Just north of Maria Island is Coles Bay and the stunning Freycinet Peninsula, but we opt to stay at the little seaside town of Bicheno. The fresh fish and chips at The Gulch are to die for.
The next morning we meander north via the old timber town of St Marys to St Helens and the spectacular Bay of Fires. We are captivated by the history room at the St Helens Visitor Centre, which includes a fascinating audio-visual look at the lives of the Chinese tin workers who passed through the area on the Trail of the Tin Dragon.
Something unexpected
A few kilometres up the road, a solitary carving points the way to the tiny hamlet of Legerwood. There is a large crowd gathered at the park, so this must be a popular attraction. As it turns out, our fellow tourists are actually parents waiting for the school bus and my wife and I are soon left alone with the sculptures. We learn that after World War I the residents of Legerwood planted a copse of nine pine trees to remember the local soldiers who never made it home. Ninety years later, the trees were declared a safety risk and, rather than lose the memory, the tiny community invited skilled chainsaw carver Eddie Freeman to bring the soldiers to life in sculpture. Today they stand side by side in the park, alone but not forgotten.
GETTING AROUND
The distances may be short in Tasmania, but do not expect to travel quickly between towns; there is always plenty to distract you along the way. Along the east coast the roads are narrow and winding and often the only difference between the byways and the main roads is the line marking on the highways. Nevertheless the traffic is light and the scenery is engaging.
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