Tasmania Travel Blog Singapore
Benita Vandervoort
A rental car or campervan is definitely the way to go for your Tasmania self-drive road trip. The roads are often uncrowded and sweep through diverse landscapes of dramatic coastlines, tranquil bushland and lush pastures.
From Burnie, we continued our journey to Launceston. The House of Anvers is located directly on the main highway between Devonport and Launceston and is part of the Cradle to Coast Tasting Trail.
House of Anvers has a small factory where you can see the chocolate being made, and it also has a small museum detailing the history.
We enjoyed a light Tasmanian fare for lunch at the Anvers Cafe.
Of course, we need to finish our meal on a sweet note with this great selection of chocolates and truffles.
The hot chocolates were awesome especially loved the Aztec chilli ones. Perfect for this chilly early winter weather.
Hi There, have you written day 3 up to the last day yet? Love your writeups and i must say your plans always look beautifully planned. I followed your itinerary ( half of it ) to hokkaido recently ?
Kampungboycitygal.com is a Malaysian Food and Travel blog. The "dynamic duo" has been blogging since December 2005 and now the blog generates more than 4,000 unique visitors and 8,000 page views a day and most of their travel posts have garnered a lot of positive responses and feedback. The blog has been featured in numerous local and international press such as The Star, Malay Mail, CNNGO, Travel+Leisure and New York Times.
Alberto Rey is a longtime Upstate New York steelhead guide, 2021 Orvis-Endorsed Fly-Fishing Guide of the Year, and a Distinguished Professor for Research and Creative Activity at the State University of New York at Fredonia. He and his wife have embarked on a round-the-world trip, and they have generously agreed to share occasional updates from their travels.
It is difficult to encapsulate my thoughts about our travel in Australia because of our many experiences during our 18 days in Melbourne, Sydney, Cairns and Hobart (Tasmania). I have tried to write daily summaries on Instagram and Facebook to document the trip more fully. These entries for the Orvis blog provide a more reflective overview of specific locations, videos and artwork created.
In Tasmania, our guide, Jason Barrett of Miena Fishing Village, provided a full-service experience by picking me up at the hotel; providing waders, boots, and fly-fishing gear; and then driving us two hours to our fishing location on the Tyenna River. Jason put me on the most productive and attractive stretches of the river while positioning me in the exact spots, so I could cast to the residential fish without spooking the rest of the fish on the beat. One of the most memorable moments of the trip was when the rarely-seen platypus came over to us and repeatedly swam a few feet from me as I fished. Although the fishing was not easy due to slippery rocks and lethargic fish, we still managed to have a memorable trip and landed many fish.
On the Australian mainland, in Cairns, I was surprised to learn of the generous number of fresh- and saltwater fly-fishing opportunities that were available. I was fortunate to secure a last-minute fly-fishing trip to the Hinchinbrook Channel with John Snell. As in other locations around the world, rain and high winds (20 knot winds) had limited our fishing options. The Hinchinbrook was our only option, and it provided the opportunity to wrangle with some trophy species, including barramundi and GTs along with several other saltwater species.
John met us early in the morning towing his 18-foot Hewes skiff, which he had shipped in from the previous owner in Alabama. This sleek, fast boat allowed us to fish many different mangrove outcroppings throughout the day, as the conditions changed with the tides. Additionally, the boat provided protection from the saltwater crocodiles that also ply these waters. A large barramundi hit my fly as soon as my line touched the water, but I was caught off guard and was not able to hook the fish. It seemed like a promising start to the trip, but even though John continually sped us to what had recently been productive spots, it took another six hours and hundreds of casts before I landed my first fish. After that point, others were landed and more fish were missed. In the end, the channel was incredibly beautiful. I added a couple of species to my list of fish caught, learned a few new fishing techniques with innovative flies, and convinced my wife to take on the role of videographer.
Our site is a travel blog for people 50 and over who like to travel independently - to organise and manage their own trips rather than group travel. We also like to go to places that many older travellers avoid in order to show that, with a little planning and care, you can visit almost anywhere in the world.
When Heartland Boy and Heartland Girl visited Perth 4 years ago, she remarked that she would liked her children to grow up in an environment with lots of space and greenery. Unfortunately, that is not happening in Singapore right now (they stay in a 3BR HDB BTO) and the next best alternative would be to look for such environments during their travels. Tasmania fits the bill perfectly, being nearly 100 times larger than Singapore but with a population of only 515,000. That is surely a lot of space and greenery for toddler Olympia to explore.
For a more curated type of environment, they took a 5-min drive to the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens. The park was located alongside the coast and it makes for a breezy and leisurely stroll with a stunning landscape as the backdrop.
Unfortunately, Olympia did tread with trepidation when on the grass as she was not used to this new surface area. She cried when left alone on the grass and refused to take a single step forward, shattering the vision that Heartland Girl has always envisaged of free-wheeling kids on the green. Thankfully, Olympia was very excited to see the different types of plants and flowers on display, when seated in her Doona trike (got it from Jarrons & Co on Lazada) of course.
Of course, no trips to Australia would be complete without seeing its national animal, the kangaroo. Over at Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary, a short 30-min drive from Hobart city, the kangaroos roam freely.
Besides kangaroos, they also saw the wombat, tasmanian devil, koala bear etc. Olympia had the opportunity to pet the kangaroo, oblivious to the fact that she had just tasted wallaby meat that very morning at the Salamanca Market.
Being a region known for Pacific Oysters, Heartland Boy even attended a paid tour at Barilla Oyster Farm (located near Hobart airport) to learn more about how they are farmed locally. To satisfy his appetite for oysters further, Heartland Boy took a cruise to the famous Bruny Island to try them at Get Shucked.
Besides the feasting, they also took the opportunity to scale the Truganini lookout, located in the middle of Bruny Island. It offers a vantage point to view native wildlife and the vastness of the sea.
With such amazing produce on offer, it is little wonder that the food in most restaurants are freaking delicious. One exceptional meal that he had was at The Agrarian Kitchen Eatery in New Norfolk, a restaurant awarded 2 Chef Hats in Australia. The cooking was simple and spot-on as the chefs ensured that the local produce was always made the star of the show. Its menu is ever-changing as the restaurant celebrates seasonality everyday.
While en route to Port Arthur Historic Site, they stopped by Port Arthur Lavender Farm for its famous lavender ice cream. Besides the restaurant, they also went to the farm where the lavender are grown and took plenty of photos for keepsake.
Most of the attractions in Tasmania are extremely kid-friendly. Over at Cataract Gorge in Launceston, the most popular trails (First Basin Loop, Bridge Walk) are all sealed boardwalk that makes it super accessible for strollers.
On their 8-hour long flight from Singapore to Sydney, Heartland Boy was fortunate enough to snag a bassinet seat. Being able to place Olympia in the bassinet for her naps offered timely respite for the parents. This ensured that they could have their in-flight meals with both hands, and in peace.
In addition, Heartland Boy realised that the private-hire drivers in Australia are super concerned about babies being strapped in proper car seats. Some initially turned them away until Heartland Boy explained that the Doona stroller doubles up as an approved car seat.
When travelling in the month of November, it is still common for temperature to plunge to a high single digit at night. It can get quite cold when the wind blows, so do pack appropriate winter wear. Also bring along an umbrella as there could be some light showers. For Singaporeans, the best time to visit Tasmania would probably be late December (to coincide with the holidays) where the climate is still reasonably cool.
Thanks for your compliments. I believe that you have made an excellent choice! I spent about 8 days in Tasmania but i didnt think its enough. A couple more days would have been perfect. I am sure you would enjoy your holidays there!
Hi! We are considering going to Tasmania with our 19 months old. Coincidentally the reason we want to go Tassie for family trip is because of masterchef Australia! Can you please share with me your itinerary? Thanks
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