Back to Tasmania!

We couldn’t get enough of Tasmania. This time, we flew to Hobart on the southern end. The second we stepped off the plane onto the tarmac, it was already our favorite place. Stormy, turbulent skies, but not raining. Mist tendrils clinging to steep mountains that rose abruptly just beyond the edges of town. Cool, crisp air. Perfect. And to top it off, there was almost no one around. Summer in Tasmania!

Waterfall Bay lookout, near Eaglehawk Neck, Tasmania

Hobart is nestled next to finger peninsulas that jut out into the Indian Ocean and create numerous inlets. We crossed a high bridge over the main inlet east of town and arrived in what was the most culturally and socially interesting place of the whole trip. Health food stores and co-ops were evident, restaurants fit for any foodie, farmer's market vendors filling the streets, and more old city structures with live music, bookstores, and art shops. A downtown district bustled with focused locals gathering their weekly shopping supplies. People with the "tourist vibe" were farther and fewer between.

We started our week-long stay with a walk in Fern Glade track. Scrubtits, one of the endemic species in Tasmania, reside here.

We drove up "the mountain," as the locals call it, upslope of Fern Glade and capped out at the summit at 4,170 feet above sea level. We were met with 360 degree views of the Hobart area and Wellington Range.

Getting to the top usually meant fighting high winds and going in and out of the clouds.

After a couple of days in Hobart, we prepped for a trip to Bruny Island, southwest of the main island.