T

he plane from Sydney was about to land when the flight attendant announced: “Welcome to the beautiful state: Tasmania!”

Tasmania is indeed well known for its beauty. Located in southeast Australia, Tassie — as locals call it — is the only state in Australia located off the mainland.

Geographically, the island is divided into five major regions.

We only had the chance to visit two regions: Hobart and the Western Wilderness. However, the experience was more than enough to see that the landscapes and views in Tasmania are amazing. Ranging from ports, museums and markets to mountains and national parks, Tasmania is too beautiful to be missed.

Most people who come to Tasmania will start their journey in Hobart, the capital city. But, there are other “ways” to get to the island.

There is an airport in Launceston, around two-and-a-half hours from Hobart. Another option is the famous Spirit of Tasmania cruise from Melbourne to Devonport, around three-and-a-half hours from Hobart.

Some people tend to consider the state “too far” as they need to cross the Bass Strait to get there. In fact, Tassie is only a one-hour flight from Melbourne and two hours from Sydney.

There are many places to visit in Tasmania. In Hobart and its surroundings, for instance, highlights are the Museum of Old and New Arts (MONA), Port Arthur, Battery Point, Salamanca Market and Mount Wellington.

We woke up to a chilly morning, just 1 degree Celsius. Our first destination that morning was MONA, a private and distinctive museum.

We took a ferry there, then spent almost two hours enjoying the museum’s collections. The next stop was Mount Wellington that afternoon.

Mount Wellington is quite close to Hobart and can be clearly seen from the city.

By 1 p.m. we arrived at the peak. It was cold, windy and snowy. There is a lookout with information about the mountain that offers a beautiful view of Hobart.

Our last night in Hobart, we enjoyed a bucket of french fries and fried fish for dinner. The next day, an early bus would take us to another part of Tasmania: the Western Wilderness.

Tasmanians call it the Western Wilderness for a reason. The area is literally wild. Even our accommodation, the Discovery Holiday Park in Cradle Mountain, was located deep in the forest amid natural surroundings and wildlife.

Cradle Mountain is the home of Australian native plants and animals such as Tasmanian devils, wombats, wallabies, possums, platypus and native birds.

Almost 37 percent of Tasmania lies in reserves, national parks and World Heritage Sites. Cradle Mountain itself is a part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. The accommodations in the area were built considering the sustainability of the environment, so that nature and the local wildlife remain unspoiled.

To get to Cradle Mountain, the easiest and cheapest way is to rent a car. However, if you don’t really like driving, the bus is an option.

Cradle Mountain is also the starting point for the world-famous Overland Track, a six-day bushwalk. Indeed, the main attractions at Cradle Mountain are tracks or walks.

There are several tracks with five grades: from level 1 to 5. Each level has different requirements and difficulties. The first two levels are the easiest.

One does not need bushwalking experience, which means everyone, even children or people with disabilities, can enjoy it.

We only tried four short level 1 and level 2 walks: Boatshed in Dove Lake, Lake Lilla Walk, Pencil Pine Falls and Rainforest Walk, and Enchanted Walk.

It was drizzling when we started. We went to Dove Lake by shuttle from the visitor center, which was just a stroll away from our cabin.

That morning, Dove Lake was covered with mist and the summit of Cradle Mountain was covered with snow. We were still shivering though we were wearing coats
and gloves. Luckily, the rain stopped for a few hours and the sun shone quite brightly.

The weather at Cradle Mountain is unpredictable and changes almost every minute. Even our local guide, James Smith, said that Cradle Mountain has what he called a “10-minute climate”.

“It is better to be prepared for all kinds of weather here, it changes quite often,” he said with a smile.

But the weather issue was nothing compared to what we experienced there. Everything was so beautiful and the lake was hypnotizing.

The air was fresh and wallabies and possums were wandering around. We even spotted a platypus floating in a pond. Those experiences were definitely something that kept us warm.

Another good thing about Tasmania is the warm welcome from the people. Locals are very helpful, and are more than happy to talk about their state and share stories.

Some may argue that Tassie is the farthest part Down Under as it is separated from the mainland.

However, Tasmania is actually not that far and is really worth the journey, just like the tagline of the state: “A World Apart, Not A World Away”.