Exploring Tasmania (4K)

G'day welcome to Tasmania. After dodging a couple of lockdowns on the mainland we've made it over to Tassie. Couldn't be happier to be here and I wanted to make a video to show you just how beautiful this place is. So if you're curious what we got up to or just want to see how incredible this state is then stick around. I'm going to show you a few towns, the national parks and plenty of wildlife. My name is Ricky Dunne and since 2009 my life has revolved around travel. Few things excite me more than waking up in an unfamiliar place that's waiting to be discovered. Vibrant cities, rural villages, out in nature, I love it all. And luckily my wife Nat feels the same. Our adventures are only just getting started so join us as we explore the world in a life done differently. We kicked off our Tassie adventure in Hobart. It's the state's capital and a really beautiful harbour side city full of historic buildings. I'd been to Tasmania a couple of times for work but this was Nat's first visit and she came well prepared for the end of winter with plenty of warm clothes. I really do love this city. It's beautiful, full of old world charm and there's no shortage of things to do and places to explore. It's a popular foodie destination too. Unpretentious and really high quality. The perfect combination. Seafood is what they're most famous for but my culinary highlight was a free range chicken ramen from Bawa Izakaya. Just under $20 and months later I'm still thinking about it. We were only in the city for a few days but tried to squeeze in as much as we could. Starting with nearby Salamanca where every Saturday the streets come alive with one of Australia's most famed outdoor markets. We came across plenty of food, art, music and a lot of alcohol. If you're a whiskey fan I reckon Tassie is the place to be. We do a lot of our exploring on foot, often without any real plans. This was the case when we made it roughly 30 minutes from the middle of town and discovered the city's botanical gardens. A really good find as they're free to enter and full of beautiful trails. A short drive from Hobart is Richmond, a pretty little town whose claim to fame is being the home of Australia's oldest bridge that's still in use. We enjoyed an afternoon wandering around and learning about some of Tasmania's convict history which included building the bridge in the 1820s. 30 minutes from the city by car or ferry is Hobart's must-do attraction Mona. At David Walsh's Museum of Old and New Art you'll find dining options, accommodation, a brewery and even a vineyard. But the main drawcard is located within a three level subterranean cave that's cut into 240 million year old sandstone. It's here we found the weird and wonderful exhibits the museum is famous for. Sadly nothing I show you will do the museum justice but if you ever get the chance make sure you visit. We'd had a fun few days in Hobart but we're now just about ready to head to our home for the next month. In possession of a hire car we made a quick detour to visit the top of Mount Wellington which is also known as Kunungi. This is an awesome spot and at 1,271 metres high I don't think you could find a better view over Hobart. The weather up here changes very quickly and we even had a bit of snow. We headed south through the Huon Valley to our Airbnb in Dover passing endless rolling hills, apple orchards, national parks and peaceful white sand beaches. Our cottage here cost just under three thousand Aussie dollars for the month and we loved our stay. Having grown up in Queensland a fireplace is still a bit of a novelty and it was a big selling point in choosing this home. It made for a cozy setting while watching my beloved Melbourne Demons win their first premiership in 57 years. Dover is absolutely teeming with birdlife and some have made it into our fireplace. It wasn't without a little stress but before we knew it we had them free and back enjoying the crisp Tasmanian air and the marvellous landscapes over Dover. That snow-capped mountain is Adamson's Peak and it made for a stunning backdrop throughout our time here. We returned our hire car soon after arriving and would regularly make the one-hour return journey into town for groceries, although luckily Woolworths also delivered. A bus service to Hobart provided easy access to regions further north but whenever we had a few days off we would hire a car and explore some nearby areas. We're gonna take a little road trip and check out Bruny Island. It's about an hour and a half to get there. I've heard great things. Let's see what it's all about. Tassie's compact size makes it perfect for road trips and this was the first of many. To take the car on the ferry to Bruny Island cost us $38. To see the National Park a pass cost $40 for the day or $80 for two months. Considering it's valid at all National Parks except for Cradle Mountain it's a no-brainer. Weather can be unpredictable in this part of the world and with rain falling we decided to skip South Bruny National Park and cruise around the island instead. We got our hearts pumping with a walk up to this lookout at the neck and apparently you can see lots of penguins here in the evening. The sun briefly came out for us while we were checking out Adventure Bay which is one of the most popular areas here and a lovely beach. Bruny Island is also a big destination for foodies and with the sun disappearing again we decided to use the opportunity to stock up on some local produce before heading back home. As much as we liked Bruny it was another island that stole the show. A little over an hour's drive northeast from Hobart is Triobana where we caught a ferry to Moriah Island. We only had a day here and decided to spend it hiking to the Fossil Cliffs. Within minutes of disembarking the ferry we were surrounded by wildlife, something that was constant throughout the day. Along with spectacular scenery a big draw card for Moriah Island is wombats. These little lawnmowers are everywhere and they're incredibly cute. They're actually the closest living relatives to koalas but far more interesting to watch and to do it in a location like this with almost no one around was simply awesome. We've kind of got used to it now but the weather changes so fast in Tasmania. One minute it's sunny, the next that's all laid up again. She's always laid up anyway. These are the Fossil Cliffs and there's loads of fossils in them and it's also very pretty. Moriah Island has had an interesting history that includes convicts, cement production, whaling and over 40,000 years of indigenous culture. Locals will tell you Moriah is like a miniature version of Tasmania. I'm going to tell you that from the fraction I saw I reckon it's one of the most underrated destinations in Australia and I've been lucky enough to visit a few. As we took the ferry back to the mainland our only regret was not securing a accommodation within the old penitentiary. Would have been nice to stay longer but there's always next time. We interrupted our time in Tasmania for a short work project back on the mainland and after a few weeks away we flew into Launceston, the state's second biggest city. To the locals it's Lonnie and while much quieter than Hobart there's plenty going for it. In our few days here we visited Cataract Gorge, exploring by foot and on kayaks and it's hard to believe all of this is literally minutes from the city. Throughout our time in Tasmania we couldn't help be reminded of the UK but it's not just the lush green landscapes and the beautiful old buildings. This curry from a restaurant called Pickled Evenings was as good as any curry I've had on Brick Lane. It's one of the many great venues to eat and drink here, not surprising with the food and wine region of the Tamar Valley at Launceston's doorstep. We had a hire car for our first week so went to check it out but sadly wind and rain stopped us from filming much. The sun did come out for us when we headed east of Launceston. Within minutes of leaving the city we were driving through rolling hills and wineries reaching the coast about two hours later. We made it to the seaside town of Bishanoe and decided to pay a visit to the Bishanoe Blowhole before heading further north towards St Helens. There are plenty of spots to stop along the way and even on a very windy day the beaches were spectacular and we found no shortage of places to enjoy fresh seafood. After doing just that we made a final stop at Bay of Fires just outside of St Helens and I'm told these rocks look incredible at sunset but sadly we didn't have time to hang around. After a fun few days it was time to head to our next base roughly two hours drive away. We headed north of Launceston to Devonport where you can catch the ferry to Melbourne. We then followed the coast west passing some stunning landscapes. We couldn't help but make a quick stop in a cute little town called Penguin. In the evenings you can see colonies of little penguins that live here and the town's folk clearly appreciate. Our home for the next month would be Burnie. It wasn't somewhere we planned on visiting but with limited availability over December it was a good choice and we're happy we stayed here. We rented a unit that cost $3,500 for the month that offered expansive use over the harbour. There was plenty to like nearby too. On foot we discovered this waterfall only minutes from the middle of town and in the evenings we could watch a colony of little penguins come to shore. An unexpected surprise was this take a piece leave a piece art installation under the highway. We would walk past this every couple of days and new works kept popping up. Add to that a few decent dining options and we were both very happy here. Five days a week were dominated by work. When we had a few days off we'd hire a car. Our motivation for staying in Burnie was to see more of the state's northwest. It's a region I hadn't been to and I'd heard it offers some of the state's most dramatic scenery. First on our list was Guide Falls. Only 25 minutes drive from where we were staying it was easily accessible with a nice little walking track and we had it all to ourselves. 30 minutes by car we found Boat Hover Beach and I confess I had no idea such picture-perfect beaches existed up here. Driving an hour west from Burnie is the town of Stanley. Stanley is home to the Nut which is the remains of an ancient volcanic plug and on a rather gloomy morning we made the steep 450 meter walk to the top to explore a two kilometer circuit and take in some views. I did not expect I would see a little forest up here. Tassie is full of surprises. That forest wasn't very big but we spent a little while in there watching paddy melons go about their business. They can be quite skittish but as one left another always seemed to be around the corner. The north had exceeded our expectations but the two trips I was most excited for were still to come. The first of these was Queenstown roughly 150 kilometers south. I've heard the weather can get a little wet and wild on this side of the state but there were no such worries for us. After stopping briefly in the very pretty town of Tulla we made our way alongside Lake Plymsul taking in what would have to be one of the most epic views in Tasmania. Queenstown itself was a good looking place and we'd both like to come down here again and experience some of the iconic train journeys on offer. But on this occasion we just had lunch and continued towards nearby Iron Blow Lookout, a remnant of the region's mining history from when gold was discovered in the late 1800s. The impacts of this bygone industry are evident for miles in what the locals have dubbed a moonscape. A part of me loves the contrast to the rest of Tasmania. The other is a bit grossed out by the destruction of such an incredible landscape. Across the road is a great little track with views of Horsetail Falls which is massive. But the spot that took the cake for us was another 20 minutes away at Franklin Gordon Wild Rivers National Park. A riverside boardwalk and a trail through lush rainforest brought us to picturesque Nelson Falls. After reluctantly leaving we took a one hour detour on the way home winding our way through the mountains to the small harbourside town of Strawn. We didn't stay for long but enjoyed a stroll along the Gordon River before making the two and a half hour drive back to Burnie. It went so fast and before we knew it a month had passed and our time in Burnie was up. All right car's all packed up let's go to Cradle Mountain. It was a picture perfect day as we set off for the final part of our trip. A weekend staying at the only accommodation within Cradle Mountain National Park. After 90 minutes on the road we arrived at the Visitor Information Centre and purchased the most economical pass for our weekend stay which was once again two months access for $80. Before heading to our accommodation we checked out a couple of easy trails near the park's entrance. We didn't see much wildlife but there were some great views and we knew there was plenty more to come. There are a few options to stay outside of the park but there's only one option inside and that's Waldheim Cabins. The accommodation is very basic with limited mobile coverage and shared facilities but if you're lucky enough to score one of these you get access to the park when nobody else is there. Upright and early we headed out to explore starting with a one hour hike to Dub Lake. When the park opens a bus takes visitors right up to the lake itself but as we walk the six kilometer circuit it remains so peaceful. We found so many amazing spots to stop and take in the views and I'll never forget this day. For the more adventurous you can hike to the summit or if you're really up for a challenge the iconic multi-day overland trek starts here too. Come 6pm the park closes and as golden hour set in loads of wombats, wallabies and paddy melons surrounded us and just when we thought it couldn't get any better we spotted a couple of echidnas. And that brings us to the end of our Tasmanian adventure. On the way back to Launceston we made one final unplanned stop to see Liffey Falls which just reinforced how many incredible places there are to discover within Tasmania. We had an unforgettable two months here maybe even more special by catching up with some local friends. This won't be our last trip to Tasmania in fact it may even be our home someday but for now overseas adventures await. If you'd like to see future videos you can subscribe to the channel or follow on social media and if you have any feedback on what we've created here or your own tips for Tassie you can write them in the comments or feel free to send a message. Until next time, thanks for watching.