Kate Hutchinson used to work with us at Travel with a Cause for a short period. These posts highlights the wonderful island of Tasmania and the amazing destinations that Kate visited and experienced first-hand.
Hello! My name is Kate and I used to work with Travel with a Cause Team. Through this blog, I hope to share my organic experiences while visiting Tasmania with you, as I enjoy my life as I go from tourist, to temporary resident and budding Tassie specialist. But first, let me introduce myself.
I’m a recently turned 25-year-old originally from the UK who boarded a flight to Darwin, Australia back in April 2014. Arm-in-arm with my best friend, I began the two years which would whirl by in this magnificent and multi-faceted country-come-continent. Through my time in Australia, not only have I done my fair share of city hopping and beach breaks, I have dug trenches in the tropical Northern Territory, scuba-dived at night on the Great Barrier Reef, driven in the shadow of rugged New Zealand mountains with my parents, hurtled down northern Japanese mountains on a shaky set of skis, and flitted across five out of six states in pursuit of Australia’s unprecedented music festival scene. After spending almost a year in Darwin in total, I decided to relocate to Tasmania three weeks ago to dig out my Doc Martens from the bottom of my battered backpack, breathe in the cleanest air in the world, and move into a city centre apartment with my partner.
After visiting Tasmania briefly back in February, I was eager to return the minute I got the chance. Given that my primary motivation for the visit was a music festival and my boyfriend who studies at UTAS, I only had a very vague idea of the beauty that this island state possesses. However, every expectation I had was completely exceeded by my first morning here, as we began the drive from Hobart to the north-east countryside. We hired an unnervingly rickety Wicked Camper to escort us to the ‘boutique-radical’ Party in the Paddock, held annually in Burn’s Creek, near to both Ben Lomond National Park and Launceston. Despite rocking precariously onto one wheel at every corner I took a little over-enthusiastically, we made it to the festival in one piece, having passed through several noteworthy Tasmanian destinations along the Midland Highway in the process. With the weather on our side, we stopped in the sun to let our eyes chase the winding lanes leading to Oatlands (home of the famous Callington Flour Mill), Campbell Town and Ross, and allow our poor, exhausted engine take a hard-earned break. The Party in the Paddock itself, which boasts a partnership with the mental health awareness charity, Beyond Blue, was simply brilliant. Not only did the infant festival, which focused on showcasing the talent of independent Tasmanian and Australian artists, seem perfectly matched to the natural farmland which serves as its backdrop, the welcoming of those of all-ages gave the festival a youthful, free fervour, which was utterly contagious.
The music was loud, the face-painting strong and the crowd just great fun, and, after three days and two long nights of partying, we left in tandem with 3 cars full of our new friends; this time opting to take the coastal route home. We meandered through Swansea town, opting to make our stop 5km south at Cressy Beach, where we swam in the ice-blue bay and dug our toes in the white sands. After stopping intermittently to take sunset shots during the drive home, we arrived back in Hobart (a little sunburnt and hell of a lot hungry) and decided to satiate our screaming stomachs with a late-night visit to The Standard. Hidden down Hudson Lane, this place appeared as a burger-wielding mirage, and I gratefully gobbled my succulent pulled-pork burger and sweet potato fries before I had vacated the alleyway it resides in.
Returning to Hobart from the festival, I soon realised my stay of only four days was not enough, and I extended my stay by another four. My hospitable host took me to Parliament Lawn to bask in the hottest day of the year and indulge in an afternoon beer. I twice dabbled in the $25 ‘Parmi and a Pint night’ from The Brunswick, gleefully devouring the innovative ‘Stanley Nut’ and ‘Carnivore’ versions of this simple and classic Australian meal. I spent hours turning pages in Fuller’s Bookshop, ate frozen yoghurt at Vita: Nature + Culture, and went to a hard-core show at the cheap, alternative grunge bar, The Brisbane Hotel, all the while living in an apartment based right behind the historic Theatre Royal on Campbell Street. I sampled craft beers with friends at the World’s End Brew Pub in the university district of Sandy Bay, enjoyed a hazelnut latte while my clothes were washed at Machine Laundry café, and watched my other half play soccer at the KGV Oval in Glenorchy, where I was again, completely spoiled by mountain views (whenever I took my eyes off the game, which wasn’t very often I promise).
Kate traveling around Tasmania
It was a wonderful week, visiting Tasmania leave a very lasting impression on me. Before I had even boarded my flight back to Perth, I had made the decision that I would return for a longer stint here. Not only to explore the many miles of coast we only scratched the surface of, engage with Tasmania’s rich history, and visit world-famous tourist hotspots, but to live like a local in the way I had tried in every Australian destination I had favoured so far. And so, after eight months, I arrived in Tasmania once again, to be greeted by the vast and picturesque mountain landscape as I crossed the Tasman Bridge, ready to begin my next adventure.
Over the next few weeks, or possibly few months, I will share my experiences with you as I explore and engage with this beautiful state, as the latest addition to the TWAC family. I hope you enjoy!!
If you are interested in obtaining insider information about any of the places I have visited, don’t hesitate to contact me at info@twac.com.au and I would be more than happy to create you your very own personalised itinerary for your Tasmania stay.