Hello and welcome to this week’s edition of the mrlukeniktravels blog, coming this week from Hobart, Tasmania. I have crossed the Bass Strait from Melbourne and am now taking in the beauty, as well as the weather, of the state of Tasmania. After the warmth and calm weather of Melbourne it is a bit of a shock to be in the rain and strong winds. In fact, during a hike to the summit of Mt Wellington, I encountered snow and ice today! As autumn advances I shall be heading towards the tropical climate of Cairns and the north east coast. During the past week I have been getting used to living and driving a new vehicle. Home is now very much more mobile for me now. I write this post on a campsite next to the appropriately named Seven Mile Beach. The wind is bending the trees nearby and kicking up sand everywhere. With that, onwards…
Last Wednesday I finished up my last stay in a hostel for the foreseeable future and took the car on the ferry to Devonport, Tasmania. The crossing takes place overnight, arriving ten hours later on the other side of the Bass Strait. Grey skies and drizzly rain greeted me off the ferry as I began my adventures here. After stocking up on supplies I headed west along the coast to Stanley. It was nice to escape the crowded roads of central Melbourne and have some empty tarmac in front of me. After a night near Stanley I headed down the west coast spending a few days to get here in Hobart. Tasmania has 19 national parks of varying sizes and they are all very beautiful. Travelling south, rocky coasts are replaced by wooded hills, temperate rainforest and finally rolling open plains. I can’t complain there isn’t any variety!
Part of this new stage of my trip has involved changing from living in hostels to, essentially, living in car. Although that might sound uncomfortable, the bed set up I have now is far roomier and comfier than many a hostel bunk bed. I should know, I’ve slept in a few by now! My routine now involves camping, cooking on a gas stove and making the most of the great outdoors. While creature comforts, Internet connection and supermarkets may be harder to find, it is a welcome change of pace and outlook. Having a car- especially a 4WD- means freedom to travel off the beaten track and at my own pace. Travelling in my own accommodation means that, within the rules, I can stop wherever I like. Although the day is pretty much over for me by last light, there are some beautiful night skies to enjoy as compensation. Driving in Hobart, with all it’s one way streets, however, is not a pleasurable experience!
Having a new vehicle to drive has also required a bit of adaption for me. Being in command of a Nissan X-Trail is different ball game to the Toyota Vitz I had in New Zealand. Despite being wider and of course longer, it is nice to have some more power under the bonnet for climbing up hills. At the moment my experience driving in the New Zealand mountains has stood me in good stead.The roads here in Tasmania can be quite twisting and steep. I hope by the time I return home I will be a better driver! As I mentioned earlier, having a 4WD allows me greater freedom off-road. I also have the use of cruise control which will come into play in the bigger distances to cover as I travel north back on the mainland.
That is almost all for this week from Hobart. Next week I shall be back on the mainland, heading out of Melbourne and into Victoria state. I plan to do hook shape heading along the coast, up through the Grampians and Goldfields before heading towards New South Wales and Canberra. From now until then I can be fund on my Twitter feed @mrlukeniktravels. I will soon be back to posting on Instagram too, I working on some good content (I hope), @mrlukeniktravels is the place. All that remains to say ism until next time, stay safe and travel on!
N.B. Hopefully the UK hasn’t set off all it’s nuclear missiles or something by next Monday- if that is the case- it has been a pleasure! :<).