I HAD BEEN COOPED UP in an airplane for 15 hours on my flight from the States to Australia — then during my layover I sat under a screen which for eight hours bathed me with the constant flickering glow of the arrival and departure of flights to other far-off lands. I capped it all off with another two-hour flight from Sydney to Hobart, the island’s capital.

By the time I strolled off that plane I was ready to be outside. Here’s what I found.


Discover Tasmania
This post is proudly produced in partnership with Discover Tasmania.


1

Mt. Wellington

We drove down Mt. Wellington in the middle of the first leg of the "Tour of Tasmania," the annual premier international cycle race of the island. What started out as a hindrance in my mind -- being stuck on the mountain indefinitely -- turned out to be pretty cool.

2

Tasmanian Devil

A scheduled visit to the Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary, where I had my first face-to-face encounter with the Tasmanian Devil, turned into an invitation to join Kyle, the sanctuary manager, and a few of his mates for dinner at a local pub.

3

Dolphins

On a Tasman Island Adventure Cruise, which skirted along the southern tip of Tasmania, we had dolphins accompanying us for a good portion of the ride, along with Australian fur seals, many species of birds, and -- for our lucky captain Ben -- a humpback whale. He spotted it but it dove before the rest of us could.

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4

Southern Tasman coastline

The constant battering of the sea against areas like Cape Pillar have left nearly 300 meter high cliffs. It reminded me of a scene out of Jurassic Park, the kind of coastline that only a set designer could dream up.

5

The Nut, Stanley

The Nut, a volcanic table formation, rises over the beach town of Stanley.

6

Cradle Mountain National Park

Cradle Mountain is Tasmania's most famous national park. With its high number of bush walks and various nature escapes, it's a great place to spend a weekend.

7

Wombat at Ronny Creek

In Cradle Mountain, I saw a wombat and its joey feeding on button grass on the Ronny Creek walk.

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8

Reflections on Gordon River

On a cruise down the Gordon River, the water was so still that it mirrored a perfect reflection of the surrounding Huon pine trees.

9

Down river from Tarraleah Falls

A place like Tarraleah might be small and there might not be a whole lot to do, but it offers up a chance to see how things were, how Tasmanians lived half a decade ago, and how much hard work has gone into making Tasmania the way it is today.

10

Sunset at Ocean Beach, Strahan

A nice shot to close out my tour of Tasmania.