Shared by Rachel Sing Ee
The final decision of visiting Tasmania for out first trip to Australia has proven to be a wise one. We also decided to travel by motorhome to save our time in packing/unpacking and check-in/out, which was another wise decision.
Growing up in a humid country, Malaysia, and travelling to a winter country would be an adventure for us. The motorhome we rented had a heater that runs on diesel, which was really useful when we’re not on powered site. We managed to keep ourselves warm every night. The motorhome is a 2-7 berth size and it is just nice for 4 people. If there are more than 4 it would be quite packed and hard to move. Also, with a place to cook, we save a lot on food.
We started from Launceston moving towards Hobart. Our first mistake was not renting GPS, which could have help us estimate our driving time. Anyway, that’s another story. After spending our first night parking beside Princes Park, we drove to Sheffield to take pictures of the unique murals and I decided to change into my wedding gown for some pictures for our upcoming November wedding. Not only we could take wonderful pictures to show our family and friends but it would also be memorable because it’s REALLY cold without wearing any jackets!
We spent our 2nd night at La Trobe Mersey River caravan park. There we spotted only one wild platypus. There were a farm of alpacas nearby too. It was something new to us. Too bad they were far and we couldn’t take any pictures. We visited Beauty Point and Beaconsfield. We all loved the Seahorse World. It is really worth visiting. We also had fish and chips, and hubby loves the freshness of the fish. He is very particular about fresh food.
We spent our 3rd night in Campbell Town, parking near the public toilet. It’s a very quiet town and for the first time in my life, I saw the best night sky. The stars were simply amazing! We headed towards Oatlands and wondered around the mill and town for 2 hours. The wind is really strong in Oatlands, no wonder it’s a place to build the mill. Then we reached Bonorong Wildlife Park, which is up at a hill and had a great 2-3 hours there. The animals were simply adorable.
After that, we headed towards Hobart for Cadburry and MONA. Cadburry was really nothing much to visit. MONA is a must provided there’s no children following. I do think some arts should be place at a different section, which is not meant for children to enter. Anyway, it’s really eye opening and we all loved it.
We spent a night in a caravan park 17km from Hobart. We visited Salamanca Market. It is a great market and we bought quite a few items. Stoneware mugs with our names, wool socks, beanie, beautiful Tassie pictures, bandana and not to mention food. Budgeting is very important as the temptation to buy runs high. It rained on and off many times and it was rather cold on that day. In the afternoon, we took the AUD25 bus tour up Mt. Wellington. Thank goodness the sky was clear then. The adventure was waiting for us at the top! It was 150/kph wind and -10 degrees Celcius on that day! But I see snow for the first time and my face was never blown by wind that much before! It was freezing cold but none of us complained as it was an experienced we all wanted! The sceneries were breathtaking too.
We bought a tour to cruise around Port Arthur and visit Port Arthur too. It was really an experience out at the sea though I got a little seasick. The Devil’s Kitchen and Candlestick are amazing. As for animals, we only manage to glance at the seals that were a distance away. There were no whales or dolphins on that day. At the Port Arthur Historic Site, I enjoyed reading the pieces of convicts histories and the use of the buildings.
On our 6th and last day in Tasmania, we hang around Hobart and took another round of wedding pictures. With a heavy heart, we flew to Melbourne on that night. I hope I could visit again as I missed out Mole Creek, St Helens, Bicheno, Wineglass Bay and Cradle Mt.
Some advice:
1. Ask before you pay for any entrance tickets, “Will I be able to see everything/all animals stated here?/ Are there any sections closed for visitors?”
2. Bring thermal wear. More than 1 set if travel for many days.
For the Motorhome:
1. Check the motorhome thoroughly with the representative before driving away. take pictures of any defects.
2. Understand how every single thing functions and try your hand on it, while the representative is still there.
3. Bring a few pieces of cloth to clean the table or water vapour.
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