Mount Wellington

Mount Wellington, also known as kunanyi to the  Palawa kani people, is a magnificent mountain that can be seen from all over Hobart. At 1,271 metres above sea level, the peak is often capped with snow on chilly days. 

Whether you want to go for an adventurous hike, cycle down the winding road (or if you're really keen, up it!), or simply enjoy the lookout views, there's something for everyone to enjoy on Mount Wellington.

 

When we visited the summit, the temperature was low and the winds were high. Rugged up, it was a stunning sight to watch as the clouds powered on, melting around the mountain then converging over the city.

It's only 22ks from the heart of Hobart, making it a fantastic day-trip destination for locals and tourists alike.

 

MONA

The Museum of Old and New Art, also known as MONA, is a museum in Hobart that the locals adore. MONA also happens to be the largest privately owned museum in the country. It's a very hip and happening place, with some fancy resturaunts, watering holes, free jazz on the lawn over the weekends, and of course, lots of museumy displays!

During our year in Tasmania, we found ourselves with an appreciation for Moo Brew. No, it's not a milkshake or beef-stock, but an upmarket Tassie beer. Tasmania has some of the freshest water in the world, and in turn, produces some fantastic beer. The Moo Brew journey commenced at this very location. They also have a winery that prides itself on its Moorilla wines

While we are far from museum people, it's easy to see the attraction of MONA. It's got a little something for everyone. There was a dinosaur made from plastic dinosaurs. I mean, my inner-child instantly wanted one for myself!

There's many other bizarre, weird, and wonderful art throughout the museum. The most unusual—and most discussed among people who have visited—has to be the Wall of Vaginas. While I'd say you don't need much of an imagination to guess what the Wall of Vaginas entails, it's definitely something that must be experienced to truly understand. Wandering down that isle—that's almost an entire level of the museum—will have you overwhelmed with varying emotions!

Compared to every other capital city in Australia, Hobart is a breeze to drive through. There's plenty of parking on-site, however you can also catch a ferry from in the city. No trip to Hobart is complete without visiting this interesting museum!
 

Montezuma Falls

Not far south of Rosebury, you can find a short walk out to Montezuma Falls. The highlight of the three-hour trek through Tassie bushland is the beautiful hairtail waterfall. Much of the track follows an old train line, and you can really imagine how spectacular that ride would have been back when it was in operation.

At the end of the walk is a narrow suspension bridge that offers a great opportunity to just relax and watch the water cascade down the cliff. There's also a picnic table for those who've brought along their lunch.

Along the walk you may see some native birds and critters going about their daily routine. If you see a heap of white petals scattered messily across the ground, they're from leatherwood trees. If you've not heard of leatherwood before, grab yourself some Tasmanian leatherwood honey. It's the best!

Canyoning at Cradle Mountain

Cradle Mountain is one of the best-known mountains in Tasmania. Named so due to its cradle-like appearance. The mountain is made up of dolerite rock—really hard stuff that generally rises in columns.

Dove Lake is at the base of the mountain and makes for quite a peaceful and leisurely stroll. The boardwalk is top quality, and the park is really well taken care of. It's no wonder people flock from all over the world to visit such a stunning and accessible slice of wilderness.

We did enjoy a leisurely stroll, but we had other plans piled up on our plate. Our second day at Cradle Mountain involved canyoning! What is canyoning, you may ask? To put it simply, it's awesome. I initially saw a photo in a travel booklet showing some crazy bloke going down a natural water slide, and, despite my fear of cold water, decided I wanted to be that crazy bloke. Yep, that's canyoning. Climbing, abseiling, jumping into over-sized puddles (running waterfalls) and having a jolly good time.

A mob called Cradle Mountain Canyons run tours through this exciting sport, and I cannot recommend them enough. The price may seem a little daunting, especially to someone travelling on a tight budget, but this is an incredible experience that no fun-loving thrill-seeker can afford to miss. Seriously, if you're thinking about doing this and worried about the cost, skip a few nights out or just don't eat. It will be worth it!

We were lucky to have an amazing trio of guides. Al, Felix, and Matt were knot good, taking care of all the rigging so the rest of us (especially those, like myself, who are knot terrible) could focus on having fun, splash about, and do our best to make it look like we understood how to abseil. These top guides even carted us down some smoko! Top blokes, and an amazing team!

While it's quite obvious that this is an amazing tour, some parts were downright out of this world! At one point, you are lowered into this cave that looks like something from a fantasy movie. Then, you slide on out down a twisty-turvy natural slide and pop out down a waterfall. An absolute experience!

Along with the fun and excitement, the guides are knowledgeable and share some tales about the area and the canyoning run. One particular story was about a canyoneer who stated, "No man could possibly go any further." Then we went further. Awesome!

 

 

While we didn't spend too long at Cradle Mountain, we thoroughly enjoyed our time. The sights were sensational, the walk we did was splendid, but it was the canyoning that we'll never forget! If you're interested in having a crack yourself, check out http://www.cradlemountaincanyons.com.au/ for more info.