Travel Dates: July 12 - 17, 2015
My 2 days work of blogging just suddenly disappeared so here i am, trying to start everything again. Ugh.
Anyway, life has been crazy since my OZ trip and it took me more than 2 months to finally sat down and start sorting photos and videos. i am still struggling to compose a decent trip report as of late. But here i am trying anyway.
So, let's get started...
The Vain Traveler goes to Tasmania
"Separated from mainland Australia by the 240 km stretch of Bass Strait, Tasmania is a land apart, a place of wild and beautiful landscapes; friendly, welcoming people; a pleasant, temperate climate; wonderful wine and food; a rich history; and a relaxed island lifestyle." - About Australia
GETTING TO/FROM/AROUND
Melbourne, Victoria to Launceston, Tasmania via Jetstar - 270 AU$ (including out bound flight to Sydney)
Luckily i was given a front row seat upon check in. yay for random freebie! Too bad the flight was delayed. Boo!
seat 1C
Launceston to Hobart (vice versa) via Car
We were fortunate enough to have lovely hosts in Tasmania who drove us around Launceston and Hobart
ACCOMMODATION
Besides staying at our hosts' lovely abode, we also stayed one night in Cradle Mountain Hotel and another night at Grand Chancellor Hotel in Hobart
Cradle Mountain Hotel - 180 AU$/twin bed room/night
PROs
- good base when exploring Cradle Mountain
- plenty of activities for family and friends in and outside of hotel (e.g. board games, gallery)
- relatively clean and big hotel rooms
- free wallaby sighting outside room's balcony
- fast wifi
- expensive room rate (breakfast not included in rate)
- outdated furnitures and design
- food at in house restaurant were unremarkable
lobby
hotel room
dining experience
hello wallaby!
Grand Chancellor Hotel - 90 AU%/twin bed room/ night
PROs
- near to marina and Salamanca Square
- modern and big hotel rooms
- room view was nice
- good variety of breakfast choices
- breakfast not included in room rate
hotel room
bathroom
breakfast and view
ITINERARY
Day 0
Arrival in Launceston
touchdown Launceston (hawkseston - Tasmania's footy team)
Late dinner at Casa Amonita and Dan
roast lamb and baked from scratch sticky date pudding (best sticky date pudding ever!)
Day 1
Brekky ala Amonita
bed and breakfast feels
Quick errand at South Launceston
poser at Launceston
Roadtrip! First stop: Christmas Hills Raspberry Farm
Tip: try their raspberry ice cream!
Roadtrip! Second Stop: Tazmazia and The Village of Lower Crockpot
The highlight of our first day! This is highly recommended if you're driving from Launceston to Cradle Mountain. Moreover, family, couples and friends would enjoy visiting this place.
Tip: Allot a minimum of 2 hours to thoroughly enjoy your experience. Don't forget to bring your humour!
Check - in Cradle Mountain Hotel
Day 2
Cradle Mountain Experience
Park pass is needed to enter Tasmania's national parks including cradle mountain. we purchased ours (day pass) at the hotel upon check out. You may want to click on this link to look over what type of park pass is appropriate on your visit. Shuttle bus to cradle mountain is included in the park fee.
Tip: Exploring cradle mountain via hike of lake dove circuit will take you 2 - 3 hours. The tracks are well maintained; however, be wary of some paths that are rocky, icy and wet. If you're like me who is less fit than others, you'll still enjoy and finish the walk on your own pace.
Day 3
Road trip from Launceston to Hobart! First stop: Cadbury Visitor Centre
Tip: Try to drop by before heading to Hobart. According to my friends, some chocolates sold here are more cheaper. Plus, some treats can be found here compared to the usual grocery stores.
Lunch at Salamanca Square
Salamanca square houses the well known weekend market in Hobart. Since we were at Hobart during the weekdays, we weren't able to experience it. boohoo.
Tip: try making your hobart trip on a weekend to experience the Salamanca weekend market.
Next stop: MONA
Honestly, i have no idea what to expect in this museum. I am no artsy fartsy myself, so i can generally say it was a hit or miss for me. I found some arts weird, some were a delight.
My favorite in the museum are The Chamber of Silence and Waterfalls.
Tip: make use of the app/iphone type device prior to exploring the museum to help you navigate and understand the arts better.
MONA from Madel R. on Vimeo.
Waterfalls of MONA from Madel R. on Vimeo.
Check in at Grand Chancellor Hotel and Dinner at Cargo in Salamanca Square
Tip: wine and dine like Aussies do!
Day 4
Cascade Brewery Tour
After we checked out from the hotel, we drove up to Australia's oldest brewery, The Cascade Brewery. There were 2 kinds of tour, Brewery Tour and Heritage tour. We booked the former.
Brewery Tour lasts for 1.5 hours including beer sampling at the end of the tour. I am not a beer drinker but i did enjoy how their beer was made and the history behind it.
Tip: one of the must experiences in Hobart so give this one a try
Mt. Wellington Experience
Okay, let me tell you a secret. I have never experienced snow until our trip to Mt. Wellington. And let me tell you, it was fantastic and memorable.
Tip: Bundle up and have fun!
Mt. Wellington from Madel R. on Vimeo.
Mt. Wellington - Human Proud from Madel R. on Vimeo.
Mt. Wellington - Slow Motion from Madel R. on Vimeo.
Day 5
Early flight to Sydney (that's another story. hehe!)
#OOTD
Prior to this trip, i wracked my brains out thinking what winter gear should i bring for this getaway. More so, the idea of packing for 3 cities with only 20 kg gave me a nightmare.
In all fairness, i survived the cold winter of Tasmania and let me show you how i did it...
3 simple tips to get through a winter weather:
Lunch at Salamanca Square
Salamanca square houses the well known weekend market in Hobart. Since we were at Hobart during the weekdays, we weren't able to experience it. boohoo.
Tip: try making your hobart trip on a weekend to experience the Salamanca weekend market.
Next stop: MONA
Honestly, i have no idea what to expect in this museum. I am no artsy fartsy myself, so i can generally say it was a hit or miss for me. I found some arts weird, some were a delight.
My favorite in the museum are The Chamber of Silence and Waterfalls.
Tip: make use of the app/iphone type device prior to exploring the museum to help you navigate and understand the arts better.
MONA from Madel R. on Vimeo.
Waterfalls of MONA from Madel R. on Vimeo.
Tip: wine and dine like Aussies do!
Day 4
Cascade Brewery Tour
After we checked out from the hotel, we drove up to Australia's oldest brewery, The Cascade Brewery. There were 2 kinds of tour, Brewery Tour and Heritage tour. We booked the former.
Brewery Tour lasts for 1.5 hours including beer sampling at the end of the tour. I am not a beer drinker but i did enjoy how their beer was made and the history behind it.
Tip: one of the must experiences in Hobart so give this one a try
Mt. Wellington Experience
Okay, let me tell you a secret. I have never experienced snow until our trip to Mt. Wellington. And let me tell you, it was fantastic and memorable.
Tip: Bundle up and have fun!
Mt. Wellington from Madel R. on Vimeo.
Mt. Wellington - Human Proud from Madel R. on Vimeo.
Mt. Wellington - Slow Motion from Madel R. on Vimeo.
Early flight to Sydney (that's another story. hehe!)
#OOTD
Prior to this trip, i wracked my brains out thinking what winter gear should i bring for this getaway. More so, the idea of packing for 3 cities with only 20 kg gave me a nightmare.
In all fairness, i survived the cold winter of Tasmania and let me show you how i did it...
jumper: Forever 21 | Denim Shirt: from Rumah Mode | jeggings: Uniqlo | wool socks: H&M | Boots: S&H | purse: coach
bubble jacket: strativarius | jumper: Forever21 | infinity scarf: H&M | gloves: Uniqlo | Beanie: Forever21 | pants: Uniqlo | boots: S&H | Sunglasses: Dolce and Gabbana | earrings: Forever21
gray turtleneck: Uniqlo | Blanket Scarf: H&M | pants: Uniqlo | boots: S&H | purse: coach | belt: H&M
scarf: H&M | pants: Uniqlo | wool socks: H&M | boots: S&H | bubble jacket: Strativarius | russian hat: borrowed from friend | aviator sunglasses: rayban
3 simple tips to get through a winter weather:
- Uniqlo's heattech - i swear to this! they have tons of heat tech items but you could always go to basics: long sleeved shirt, tights/leggings and gloves
- Layer - for this trip, i have a minimum of 2-3 layers excluding the bubble jacket
- Accessorize - mix and match to make your winter look chic. blanket scarf turned into poncho, sunnies, hats, etc
Last Thoughts about Tasmania
This winter escapade was a reunion for the 3 of us and as usual it was one for the books. My friend, Jen, and I really wanted to get away from everything even just for a while and pushing through with this trip was one of the best decisions we had for this year.
Despite a short trip to Tassie, which i think you should at least spend a minimum of 7 days to really enjoy the experience, those 5 days were truly memorable. I for one, realised how easy it was to laugh out loud again because let's face it, we are so caught up with the demands of life that laughing non-stop over silly things become non-existent. i had never laughed that much since this trip and i missed it.
Moreover, it was also the company that made this trip epic (do people still use this word?). it was so easy to be carefree and forget the rest of the world if you're in the right company. Suffice to say, this trip made me realise that despite the pressure of adult life, it's still possible to have fun and laugh like it was the only thing that matters.
Again, i am eternally grateful to our Tassie hosts, Amon & Dan for giving us such a lovely tasmania experience. and of course to my soul travel buddy, jen, for sharing the craziness with me.
Photos by Jen and Madel
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