Some places you remember for a single view. Bruny gave me a dozen. Sea cliffs dropping straight into the Southern Ocean, a thin ribbon of sand with ocean on both sides, an empty beach curving away into low cloud, and a lighthouse balcony with the whole wild south of the island laid out beneath it. I went on a grey, drizzly January day, and it was still one of the...
I have visited 43 countries and passed through more cities than I can count. Launceston is not a city that announces itself loudly. It does not have a famous harbour or a skyline you recognise from postcards. It is compact, quiet, and slightly hilly – the kind of place that rewards walking rather than rushing. I spent two nights here as a base for exploring...
I had just come back from a full day at Cradle Mountain. Most people would have called it a day. But it was only early evening, my hotel was in the Launceston CBD, and someone had mentioned that Cataract Gorge was walkable from the city centre. I had nothing but time and slightly tired legs, so I went. That turned out to be one of the better decisions of the Tasmania...
I have visited 45 countries, and I have seen some genuinely beautiful places along the way. Cradle Mountain belongs in that list. Standing at the edge of Dove Lake with the mountain’s jagged dolerite peaks reflected in still blue water, I understood immediately why Tasmanians speak about this place the way they do. This guide covers everything you need for a...
Most people flying into Tasmania head straight to Hobart. I didn’t. I flew into Launceston instead — and it turned out to be a great decision. Starting in the north put me right at the beginning of a route that took me through Cradle Mountain, the historic village of Ross, and eventually down to Hobart by bus. If you’re planning something similar...