When I booked my flight to Tasmania, I had absolutely no idea what I was going to do when I got there. I also had no idea how incredible a time I would end up having!
In the airport in Sydney before I left, I Skyped my friend Steven (HI STEVEN) who asked me to make sure that he got home safely from his night out (it was 3am UK time at this point)…. from the other side of the world, but okay! 😉 We were chatting, and then he said “WHY are you going to Tasmania?” – and I literally didn’t know. I guess I wanted to wander around, stop for lots of coffee breaks, read and write a bit, and just relax. I’d booked to stay there for three days, so I was anxious of spending three days in the cold, with not much money left, by myself. But hey, I chose to be excited for it because this was the point of me traveling solo with my backpack and all – to have some Kirstie time, and to think about what I want in my life, find myself and all that. When I landed in Hobart, it was grey and cloudy and absolutely freezing – well, it was 14 degrees which felt so, SO cold having just come from the Gold Coast and Sydney, and after the amazing summer I’d had in Auckland. Luckily I’d bought myself a blanket-like-scarf in Sydney which I didn’t take off the whole time I was in Tazzy, but BOY it was cold.
I didn’t really read much into Tasmania before I traveled there so I was expecting lots of jungle and for these guys to be running around everywhere (not really, but y’know, child-like imagination and all).
I stayed at the Montacute Boutique Bunkhouse in Battery Point, Hobart. It was the best hostel I’ve ever stayed in, anywhere in the world. It’s run by the lovely Ant and Rose who, as soon as you walk in the door, make you feel right at home. I’d definitely recommend staying here if you’re ever in Hobart – I paid $35AUD per night for an 8-bed female dorm, which is a little more than average for a hostel, but it’s so, SO worth it.
When I arrived, I got settled, wrestled with my backpack some more and then headed out to the supermarket. By this point it was about 6pm and oh, it was COLD. I had a great time in Tazzy, but there was rarely a moment when I didn’t have goosebumps. As I was walking, I was trying really hard to get myself excited for the few days ahead of me, but I couldn’t help but feel terrified of having a miserable time because I was by myself, mainly because I was rapidly running out of money and there isn’t all that much to do in Hobart itself. When I got back to the hostel, I met the lovely Jo and Nikki who I ended up spending all of my time in Tazzy with – well, lucky Nikki flew off to Bali the day before I left for some much needed heat!
We got the ferry over to Bruny Island, a tiny little place with gorgeous views, a chilly wind and about 10 people living there (well, maybe a few more, but we didn’t see many!) It was really nice just driving around, chatting about our travel stories, exchanging hints and tips on where and where not to go, and having some girly time – I didn’t realise until then how much I had needed to spend time with other girls in the same boat as me! So thank you, you two 🙂 We went to a cheese factory, a chocolate and fudge factory and an oyster farm, and had such a wonderful day.
I absolutely loved my three days in Tasmania. It’s such a beautiful part of the world and so cheap and easy to get to if you’re in Australia. GO THERE 🙂
my world from the other side 