Phase two of the trip is now underway, and so far I really, really like Tasmania. Hobart was a fun old city to roam around in. It struck that balance of being not too large, artsy without being impractical, and historical but still functional. I roamed around last night, then again this morning starting before sunrise. From there it was a short and scenic drive down the coast to the Bruny Island ferry, and I’ve been exploring this island since. It’s big – it takes at least an hour to drive from one end to the other – and it’s got a really unique rural character. To cite one example that gives a sense of the place, I passed two derelict freezers sitting by the road (obviously unpowered) with a big sign in front of them that said “Bread”, and this is apparently the island’s bakery. Both were empty when I got there, but there was a big note inside indicating that loaves of sourdough were baked fresh each morning, placed inside, and cost $10 AUD each, and obviously sales were all on the honor system.
One highlight today was the food. When I booked lodging I was advised to bring supplies since there aren’t any grocery stores on the island, and very few restaurants. Instead, they told me that food is mostly sold by the people who grow, harvest, and make it, so my options would probably be limited to wine, chocolate and oysters. After enjoying an amazing lunch of oysters from Get Shucked, I think I’m OK with those limited options.
The lodging for the evening is at Inala Nature Reserve where I’ve rented a cottage for two nights. After checking in I was planning on going out to find the island’s white wallabies, but instead I spent the rest of the day wandering around the 1500 acre reserve, photographing pademelons (think mini kangaroos), falcons, parrots, and other birds. New Zealand was amazing, but it had no native mammals and only a tiny number of bird species, so being in a place with tons of birds and mammals literally at my doorstep feels particularly good. And the white wallabies will hopefully still be out there tomorrow.
