Tasmanian Life

1. MONA – a modern art gallery in Hobart. Internationally recognised and quite confronting!
2. Hobart – the Salamanca market, museum, city waterfront and its seafood outlets are a must-visit. Watch out for seals eating scraps from fishing boats.
3. Mt Wellington – the view over Hobart and far beyond is spectacular. It’s especially pretty after snow has fallen. Take warm clothes.
4. Port Arthur and Tasman Peninsula – the historic penal settlement and nearby spectacular coast are an absolute must-see.
5. Binalong Bay – beautiful coastline of fiery-coloured rocks, clear water and white sand, with swimming in summer.
6. Cataract Gorge – a nice area near Launceston.
7. The Stanley Nut – have fish and chips and stare at or climb the famous Nut, which looks like a mini Uluru in the sea.
8. Arthur River boat cruise – a pleasant tour up a wild river, and your child might even be allowed to steer the boat.
9. Cradle Mountain in Lake St Clair National Park – a spectacular mountain with nearby lake, and bushwalks. Unfortunately, very busy in peak season.
10. Strahan, Macquarie Harbour and the Wilderness Railway – the must-visit on the West Coast.
11. Great Lake – a big stony lake on the central plateau, bare but impressive when the water level is down, and famous for its brown and rainbow trout.
12. Huon Valley – this beautiful area is coming of age with cider makers, bakeries, a fast boat ride, fruit stalls (in season), farmstays, and more. Great in spring when flowers bloom and lambs roam the paddocks.
13. Fortescue Bay – popular bush camp site in a sheltered bay in the south-east. Swimming, fishing and walks.
14. Recherche Bay and Cockle Creek – bush camp sites in sheltered bays south of Southport and Lune River. Try the historic railway ride along the way.
15. Wineglass Bay – a beautiful view but with a steep climb to the lookout and bay access track, and very busy in season.
16. East Coast – towns like St Helens and Bicheno are for people who love beaches and summer surfing and swimming. The evening penguin tour at Bicheno is a highlight.
17. Richmond – historic town a short drive from Hobart, has a very old stone bridge and good lunch/coffee stops.
18. Bonorong Wildlife Park – a great place to see Tasmania’s native wildlife up close.
19. Bruny Island – catch the car ferry to the island and then take a boat tour to the seal colony. Some very safe swimming beaches.
20. Maria Island – site of a historic penal settlement, with loads of wildlife.
21. Lake Pedder – this controversial lake is many times the size of Sydney Harbour, with spectacular rugged scenery. You’ll also see the Lake Gordon hydro dam. Great place for a picnic and trout fishing, but be prepared for wet conditions as it rains about 300 days a year.
22. Tahune Air Walk – this is a raised platform through the forest canopy in the south of the state, overlooking the junction of the Huon and Picton Rivers. It was partly damaged by fire in 2019 but will reopen.

There are many other stops along the way. These include wildlife parks, fish farms, lolly shops, coffee stops, pubs, lakes, rivers and beaches. Pick-your-own berry and fruit tours are available at farms in season, look out for signs.

Because of the island’s rugged geography, many of Tasmania’s roads are windy and hilly, so allow extra driving time.

Take care in the evenings, many of Tasmania’s critters hit the roads at night and are blinded by headlights.

Here’s a selection of Tasmania’s top natural attractions. Yes, there are many more, and if you plan to visit the state’s historic, artistic and culinary attractions as well, along with all the wonderful short stops along the way, you’ll need a LOT of time.

1. kunanyi / Mount Wellington

Hobart’s kunanyi / Mount Wellington is so impressive that even longtime locals regularly visit the summit.

It is only about a 20-minute drive from Hobart’s CBD, although conditions and road conditions can affect travel times.

On a clear day, the summit provides an incredible panorama of Hobart, the Derwent River, Bruny Island and the surrounding mountains and coastline. After snow, the summit can be an especially spectacular place to visit.

The road to the summit winds through temperate rainforest before reaching sub-alpine vegetation and exposed dolerite rock near the top.

The mountain offers numerous walking tracks, picnic areas and spectacular lookouts. Walking conditions vary considerably, from relatively easy walks to demanding alpine tracks.

The Organ Pipes are among the mountain’s most distinctive features, with towering dolerite columns formed during the Jurassic period.

Weather can change rapidly at higher elevations, even in summer, so warm and waterproof clothing is advisable.

2. Cataract Gorge

Cataract Gorge Reserve is just a short drive from central Launceston and is one of Tasmania’s most accessible natural attractions.

Visitors can walk from central Launceston to the gorge, while extensive walking tracks provide access to the river, gardens, bushland and panoramic lookouts.

The First Basin is the main visitor area and includes lawns, picnic facilities, a cafe, swimming pool and walking tracks. The Gorge Scenic Chairlift provides another way to experience the gorge, while an inclinator provides free access for visitors with mobility difficulties.

The First Basin swimming pool generally operates during the warmer months, typically from November to March, although opening dates can vary with weather and conditions.

The gorge combines dramatic river scenery with gardens and recreational facilities, making it unusual among Australian urban reserves.

3. Cradle Mountain

Cradle Mountain is one of Tasmania’s most famous natural attractions and forms part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area.

The mountain lies at the northern end of Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, surrounded by glacial lakes, ancient rainforest and alpine vegetation.

There are numerous walks in the area, ranging from short, accessible walks to demanding alpine routes.

The Enchanted Walk is a short 1.1-kilometre circuit through rainforest, while the Dove Lake Circuit is a 6-kilometre walk beneath Cradle Mountain and through a variety of Tasmanian vegetation.

More experienced walkers can tackle the Cradle Mountain summit, while the famous Overland Track begins at the Cradle Mountain end of the national park and continues south to Lake St Clair.

The Overland Track is a serious six-day wilderness walk requiring preparation and appropriate equipment. Bookings and fees apply during the main walking season.

Visitors should also be aware that access to Dove Lake is now managed by a shuttle-bus system during operating hours. A valid parks pass is required, and an additional shuttle fee applies to adults who do not have an eligible Cradle Mountain Icon Parks Pass or Overland Track Pass.

Accommodation is available around Cradle Mountain and Cradle Valley, but it can become heavily booked during peak periods.

4. Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens

The Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens are among Hobart’s most attractive visitor destinations.

Established in 1818, the gardens occupy a historic site on the Queens Domain, about two kilometres from the Hobart CBD. They contain a significant collection of heritage trees and plants, along with extensive collections of Tasmanian and other temperate flora.

One of the highlights is the Subantarctic Plant House, which recreates the cold, wet conditions experienced by plants from subantarctic islands.

The gardens also contain historic buildings and structures, including the Superintendent’s Cottage and the Arthur Wall, a remarkable 19th-century heated wall designed to assist the cultivation of fruit trees.

There is a visitor centre, shop, kiosk and restaurant, and the gardens provide a peaceful place to explore close to the centre of Hobart.

Entry is free. The gardens are open seven days a week, 365 days a year, although opening hours vary seasonally. From October to March they are open from 8am to 6.30pm, and from April to September from 8am to 5pm.

The Conservatory is currently closed for restoration, and visitors may encounter temporary path diversions associated with major tree works.

5. Tasman National Park

Tasman National Park is famous for its spectacular coastline, dramatic sea cliffs and rugged coastal landscapes.

A network of walking tracks provides views over cliffs, beaches, islands, waterfalls and the Southern Ocean. Some of Tasmania’s most impressive coastal scenery can be found around the Tasman Peninsula.

Tasmans Arch, the Blowhole, Devils Kitchen, the Tessellated Pavement, Remarkable Cave and Waterfall Bay are among the area’s best-known attractions.

The Waterfall Bay Great Short Walk provides particularly good views of the coastline, while longer walks lead towards Fortescue Bay and Cape Hauy.

The famous Port Arthur Historic Site is also nearby, making the Tasman Peninsula an excellent destination for combining natural and historical attractions.

Tasman National Park is about a 90-minute drive from Hobart via Sorell and the Tasman Peninsula.

Check current park alerts before travelling. For example, the Tasmans Arch and Devils Kitchen visitor site is closed from 15 April to 17 October 2026 for infrastructure improvements, with access to the Waterfall Bay Track from Devils Kitchen also affected during this period.

6. Wineglass Bay

Wineglass Bay is one of Tasmania’s most recognisable natural attractions and a major feature of Freycinet National Park.

The bay is surrounded by the dramatic pink granite peaks of the Hazards and has a sweeping white sandy beach and clear waters.

Freycinet National Park occupies a large peninsula on Tasmania’s east coast, with the Tasman Sea to the east and Great Oyster Bay to the west.

The Wineglass Bay Track leads to the famous lookout and continues down to the beach. The complete return walk is about 6 kilometres and generally takes between 2.5 and 3.5 hours, depending on fitness and stops.

Other attractions include the Hazards Range, Friendly Beaches, Honeymoon Bay and the many walking tracks throughout the park.

Moulting Lagoon, near Coles Bay and Swansea, is an important wetland recognised under the Ramsar Convention for its significance to waterbirds and migratory birds.

Freycinet National Park has a visitor centre, picnic facilities, toilets and other visitor services. A valid parks pass is required to enter the national park.

Accommodation around Freycinet ranges from camping and holiday parks to hotels, lodges and luxury retreats.

7. Lake Pedder

The original Lake Pedder was a natural glacial lake, but it was transformed into the much larger present-day Lake Pedder impoundment as part of Tasmania’s hydro-electric development.

Three dams were constructed in 1971–72 to enlarge the original lake and form the present Lake Pedder impoundment. The Gordon Power Scheme subsequently linked Lake Pedder with Lake Gordon.

The lake lies in Tasmania’s remote south-west within the Southwest National Park and the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area.

The modern Lake Pedder has a surface area of about 241 square kilometres at full supply level, making it one of Tasmania’s largest lakes.

The surrounding landscape is spectacular, with extensive wilderness, mountain ranges, buttongrass plains and rainforest.

The region is also popular with experienced bushwalkers, anglers, boaters and kayakers, although visitors should be prepared for rapidly changing weather and the remoteness of the area.

8. The Nut, Stanley

Stanley village sits at the base of The Nut, a spectacular sheer-sided volcanic plug rising about 143 metres above the town.

The Nut is in Tasmania’s far north-west and provides magnificent views across Stanley, Bass Strait and the surrounding coastline.

Visitors can climb the walking track to the summit or take the chairlift. The summit has a circular walking track of about 2 kilometres, with several lookouts providing panoramic views.

The Nut Chairlift travels about 250 metres and rises approximately 95 metres, taking around five minutes to reach the summit.

Stanley is also an excellent base for exploring Tasmania’s north-west coast and the takayna / Tarkine region. Accommodation and camping are available in and around the town.

Wildlife attractions include little penguins, seals and seabirds, with local operators offering wildlife and coastal tours.

Stanley was historically the administrative centre of the Van Diemen’s Land Company, established under royal charter in 1824. Highfield Historic Site, the former residence of the company’s manager, is nearby.

9. Tahune Airwalk

The Tahune Airwalk is a spectacular elevated walkway through the forests of southern Tasmania near Geeveston.

The walkway rises up to 30 metres above the forest floor, with the cantilever section reaching about 50 metres above the Huon River. It provides spectacular views towards the junction of the Huon and Picton rivers and the mountains of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area.

The Airwalk is 619 metres long, with the full return walk taking about 45 minutes, although visitors can easily spend longer exploring the site.

Tahune Adventures also includes the Huon Pine Walk and Swinging Bridges Track as part of its site entry.

The attraction is currently open daily from 10am to 4pm, except on Christmas Day and during hazardous weather conditions. Current admission prices are $35 for adults, $17.50 for children aged 5–16, and $31.50 for concessions.

The Tahune site is about a 90-minute drive south of Hobart and makes a worthwhile addition to a trip through Tasmania’s Huon Valley.

Spent last weekend chasing trout.

Plan was to catch one of three $25k tagged trout swimming around somewhere in Tasmania’s Great Lake, a highland waterbody roughly three times larger in area than Sydney Harbour.

Trout don’t handle well, and there’s a lot of cormorants around Tassie at the moment, so it’s debatable the tagged trout even still exist after being speared with a tag. They have been available to catch since August, and there’s been no shortage of people trying.

Keep in mind that $25k in Tassie would be perceived as $25 million by some locals, as incomes are not the same here as the mainland.

The other reason for going last weekend was to spend a day or two at the week-long fly fishing camp at Bronte Lagoon, where my girls would have a chance for some casting tuition with world-class fly fishos. The camp is held annually by East Devonport Fly Fishing Club.

I managed to reinstall new injectors and injection pump on the old Patrol just in time for the trip, and also did a front hub rebuild prompted by a leaky front axle seal.

It was not to be a long drive but is quite hilly into the highlands via Bronte and the trip would be the first test of my vehicle handiwork.

One daughter wasn’t feeling too well before we left and by the time we arrived was getting worse. B&B looked flash in the pix but we found only half a bog roll left between two dunnies, a busted toilet seat, stains on the messed up blankets, and it all looked like someone had moved out 10 minutes before we moved in. Owner didn’t answer the phone.

It sleeted in the morning but soon warmed up. Decided to fish bait to maximise chances and minimise effort, found a rare grassy spot with adjacent weed (most of the lake is lunar landscape-type rock/sand bank) and we soaked worms for a few hours for not a touch, nor saw any feeding activity.

Back at the B&B that night we got a free disco bass treat from two houses away, with some bloke raging in anger early on from the same house about God knows what.

Next day was to be spent at the fly camp but by now my girl had double ear-aches so it was time to head home, we apologised to the fly fishing camp folk for not showing up.

Sounds like a sh.tty weekend but it was actually mostly pleasant (not so much for my daughter), we saw interesting country in decent weather, and there’s nothing nasty about sitting around soaking worms on a sunny day.

With the water level down, bank fishing was unlikely to be red hot anyway, it tends to be better on rising lakes.

Saw a deer near the cabin, a group of wedge-tailed eagles, heaps of rosellas, the stark alpine scenery, and we cooked up a storm. In other words pretty much like a standard day on my farm, lol.

Best of all the front wheel didn’t fall off and fuel economy improved, although the rebuilt hub ran a bit warm, maybe the new grease pack or I might have to loosen it off a touch.

Lastly, driving back into town, I saw that diesel fuel is cheaper in the highlands than at my local bowser, although a servo just down the road from town is 40c/L cheaper. Very odd.

Will return, but next time with the boat, clean blankets and a couple of bog rolls.

They have released a few tagged prize trout across Tassie, but not for $25k each, and they didn’t put one in my local river.

Never forget how good you northern fellas have got it!

Pic of the water running in is Tod’s Corner, a spot where there are heaps of trout but you can’t fish in the running water and you can’t use bait in the vicinity, it is probably where old mate $25k trout is happily resting.

I asked Chatgpt if the proposed $2b Hobart stadium could turn a profit.

The question came to me after I attended the Hobart public hospital emergency department. It was PACKED, with stretchers in the aisles.

Why spend on a stadium when the hospital desperately needs resources?

Here’s Chatgpt’s answer.

****

A $2 billion stadium for an island of 500,000 residents is very unlikely to be profitable in normal conditions. Here’s why:

—

⚖️ 1. Population and Market Size

A population of 500,000 is relatively small.

Even if every resident attended a few events a year, the total ticket revenue and concessions would usually fall far short of recovering a $2 billion capital cost.

Large, profitable stadiums (e.g. in New York, London, Tokyo) depend on millions of nearby residents, tourists, and corporate buyers.

—

💰 2. Scale of Investment vs. Economic Base

$2 billion equals $4,000 per person on the island — a massive per-capita cost.

The local economy likely cannot support enough high-value events (international sports, concerts, conventions) to cover the cost without heavy subsidies.

—

🎫 3. Revenue Streams

Typical stadium revenue sources:

Ticket sales

Concessions & merchandise

Naming rights & sponsorships

Corporate suites

Non-sporting events (concerts, expos)

In small markets, most of these are limited. Sponsorship deals and TV rights are usually smaller too.

—

🏗️ 4. Operating Costs

Even after construction, yearly maintenance, staffing, and utilities can reach tens of millions.
If events are infrequent, the operating cost can easily exceed annual revenue.

—

🧾 Bottom line

A $2 billion stadium on an island of 500,000 people would almost certainly lose money in direct financial terms.

Some pix from Geeveston’s annual car show. This was only a few of the vehicles displayed. Made me wish I bought that old FJ back in the day!

My kids were enjoying a school holiday movie when they saw something staring at them from the other side of the glass.

It was a big tiger snake moving along the brickwork.

It was either very curious or staring at its own reflection in the windows.

I went out to move it along. It was not happy to see me, doing the cobra thing with its neck.

We rarely see tiger snakes on the farm, but when we do its not around the dams, as you might expect, but at the house.

A few years ago we had a small one banging its nose against the back door.

We had a bigger one lying next to the bins, which my wife discovered as she took out a rubbish bag.

We forget they are around and get lazy watching our step.

Suffice to say, the recent visitor made us wary again, especially in warm weather.

We hear secondhand stories about horses, dogs and cattle getting bitten in farmer’s paddocks, but it’s not happened here, as far as I know, and we have many pets and other animals roaming around.

As a former Adelaide resident, I found SA’s eastern brown snakes more concerning, as they were common, very fast, and actively hunted in daylight.

The tiger snakes here seem to just mooch around, until disturbed.

Out in the forests, around the button grass and rivers, they are abundant. We often see them while walking.

They move quickly at times and one raced out onto a bush track in front of us, presumably while hunting.

We also see them on roads.

Tassie has two other snake varieties. I know they occur locally, but I’ve never seen a copperhead or whip snake in the Huon.

Keeping the grass short is important in fire country in summer.

I run a Kubota TG1860 ride-on mover, which I have kept going without resorting to buying pricey OEM parts.

The alternative belts that worked for me are an 11A0890 on the fan, B2692 on the 48″ deck, and a B57 kevlar on the clutch.

I’ve added a relay to the starter solenoid to make sure the starter motor gets 12v+ every time, otherwise it just “clicks”.

The stop solenoid packed it in so I ran a stainless wire though to the engine and tied it to a lever to turn it off.

Replacing the deck bearings has proved easy enough though a bit time-consuming.

Keeping the deck going has required welding of small cracks on the outer edges.

Some day the diesel injectors and pump will need work and it will then be out of my hands, fingers crossed until then.

Can always bring the sheep and horses in when the mower is down and grass is growing.

I am told people used to make fun of the Huon Valley because it was so cold and damp everything went moldy.

Maybe that is true, I don’t know.

What I do know is that it is the driest I have seen it on the farm in our 12 years in Judbury, and the weather bureau is backing up my observation.

According to the bureau’s soil dryness index, Judbury had the driest soil in the state on January 25, 2024.

That’s right – not the dry midlands, not the dry east coast – part of the “cold and damp” Huon Valley was bone dry.

There is no data for neighbouring Glen Huon or Lonnavale, but the available figures show Huonville’s soil is far less dry.

We have had a couple of 40C days during our 12 years here.

But overall the climate has been mild, with a drying trend.

Twelve years ago we had to wear gumboots outside in winter and spring because the paddocks were boggy.

Not any more.

So we aren’t going moldy. Far from it.

What is in store next year?

The once reliable sorta-spring-fed dam in our gully is bone dry.

Yes, it is summer, but I don’t recall the dam drying out like this before in our 12 years here.

It has only emptied when a pipe burst or when I was irrigating too much and it drained out.

The dam was only half full during the winter and the soil has no moisture to top it up.

During our first five years here this dam was always over two thirds full.

Given the renewed interest in this subject, note that this story was originally posted in November 29, 2023. After this was written, Leggo’s said its tomato paste had reverted back to Aussie tomatoes again. Most recently, in July 2026, a testing company claimed Chinese tomatoes were found in tomato products claimed to be Australian … see the ABC report here.

Leggo’s tomato paste, which until recently was labelled an Australian product, is now labelled as having less than 10% Australian ingredients.

It doesn’t say on the jar where the other 90% comes from.

At Huonville Woolworths in southern Tassie a 500g jar of Leggo’s tomato paste was $4.80 (Nov 2023), while a 500g jar of generic tomato past labelled “Produced in China” was $1.40.

Looking further, I found that all processed garlic products in jars at our local Woolworths are from China.

I could not find garlic products from other sources other than fresh garlic cloves.

Given how polluted Chinese water sources are (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-36022538 and https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8631815/), and that highly toxic pesticides have been found in Chinese produce, including tomatoes (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0147651321005406), one wonders about the risk of Chinese food products being tainted.

And with tomato paste and crushed garlic products, it appears our only choices are to buy Chinese or from unknown sources, or stop using them.

It is not just potential heavy metal and pesticide contamination that is a concern.

In frozen imported goods such as berries, pathogens such as hepatitis have been imported in Chinese food in the past (https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-02-16/how-did-frozen-berries-become-contaminated-with-hepatitis-a/6120872).

Is Leggo’s tomato paste now made from Chinese-grown tomatoes? Or do they use Italian or other tomatoes? And are Australian authorities on the ball enough to detect tainted imported food?

I put questions about their tomato paste to Leggo’s, they replied promptly but did not say where their tomatoes now come from. Leggo’s’ response, in part: Thank you for your email regarding the country of origin of the Leggo’s tomato paste. Leggo’s has been made in Australia with quality ingredients for over 100 years. We make our sauces and tomato pastes with love and care, sourcing our ingredients from local farmers and communities where possible. At the heart of our operations is Echuca, Victoria, where we make our delicious sauces. Unfortunately, due to extreme weather events in Victoria, there is currently a shortage of locally sourced tomatoes. As a temporary measure, we have partnered with trusted overseas suppliers to ensure you, our valued customers, can continue to enjoy our quality sauces with absolute confidence. Where possible, we continue to use Australian tomatoes in our products and look forward to returning in full to Australian grown tomatoes next season. Despite these difficult times, we continue to manufacture our delicious sauces at our Echuca site in regional Victoria to support local manufacturing.

I hope they revert back to Aussie tomatoes as soon as possible.

Australia’s food labelling laws appear to be woeful, allowing such horrors as “Made from Local and Imported Ingredients”, which is about as cynical as the sales slogan “Buy Now and Save”.

Lastly, below is a screenshot taken from the Leggo’s website today (30/11/2023).