Brandon Boot’s Take on Hobart

Due to the timing of our trip, we were not able to spend a night in Hobart – so we knew we wanted to make the most of our day getting up early and hitting the road. Luckily, we lined up perfectly with the Salamanca Markets where we spent our morning browsing and sampling local Tasmania craft, food, and spirit vendors.

After a morning spent browsing the markets, began the drive to the top mount Wellington. If you have the time, make sure you plan as there is a large variety of hikes that can be done.

Crunched for time, we drove to the top and were quickly soaked in the fog. If you are in Hobart for a few days try to time your journey to the top on a clear day as the conditions can quickly change.

We could not leave Hobart without stopping at the nearly 200-year-old Cascade Brewery, it felt like we were in a movie, the sun was shining through the trees, a live jazz band was playing, people were dancing, it really felt like we were in our own little world. Even if you are not a beer drinker is still worth the stop. We now had a decent drive to Tarra Leah where we would spend the night before heading to Strahan. Would highly recommend doing this drive in the day, visiting Tassie in the winter meant our days were short-and this part of the drive is riddled with massive forests and some of the tallest trees Australia has to offer. The town of Tarraleah, really is not much of a town, more so a village that is really in the middle of nowhere, what isn’t in Tasmania though right? Filled with old homes from the early 1930’s surrounded by walking trails, heaps of wildlife, no cell service or Wi-Fi. Truly off the grid, a place we could have spent many more nights at.

Tarraleah to Strahan (2 Hour 41min)

We arrived in Tarraleah after the sun had gone down, we spent the morning exploring Tarraleah-to our surprise we came across some Scottish Highland Cows that live on the property among other wildlife throughout the scenic walking trails.

On our way to Strahan, we stopped at Lake St Clair, Mendelson Falls where we would enjoy lunch, walk through the dense, and lush forest of the wild west coast of Tasmania. Before reaching Strahan, we drove through Queenstown, a quietening town with loads of history. Here you can hop on the Historic Wilderness Railway or enjoy the views of the horsetail Falls and Crystal Blue Iron Blow Lookout. After a few long days of driving, we used our time in Strahan to slow down, enjoying an easy walk at Hogarth Falls, dinner at Hamer’s Bar & Bistro, and off to bed at the Strahan Beach Tourist Park before heading to Cradle Mountain for two big days of hiking.

The West Coast of Tasmania is far more remote than the East, we had heard this before coming but did not know what to expect. The roads are filled with a contrast of tight corners/dense forest, and long wide-open straights with breathtaking views creating an amazing driving experience.

Strahan to Cradle Mountain (1 Hour 52min)

Driving to Cradle Mountain we passed through a few other quiet mining towns (Zeehan & RoseBerry) make sure you stop in at Roseberry if you need any groceries or snacks before heading to the National Park – it’s your last chance to do so and will save you lots of money Upon arrival to the cradle make sure to stop at the visitor centre, everyone there is informative and makes planning your hiking a whole lot easier.

Be sure to pack for all seasons, the conditions at Cradle Mountain are known to change very quickly at any time of the year. We booked our accommodation at the Waldheim Cabins, the only option of accommodation that is in the National Park allowing us to park for a few days to enjoy the national park. The cabins were awesome, fully equipped with essentials, the hiking trails at your doorstep, and only a 15-minute drive from the visitor centre and restaurants. Before settling into our cabin, we went on the enchanted Forest and King Billy walk, a perfect warmup through the rainforest filled with some of Australia’s oldest trees and views of Cradle Mountain.

Cradle Mountain

Hike with essentials, the hiking trails at your doorstep, and only a 15-minute drive from the visitor centre and restaurants. Before settling into our cabin, we went on the enchanted Forest and King Billy walk, a perfect warmup through the rainforest filled with some of Australia’s oldest trees and views of Cradle Mountain.