Tasmania - Part 1

Part 1 - My Tasmanian Adventure

I have lived in Sydney, Australia for several decades and I have always wanted discover Tasmania so I finally planned a trip, bought my plane tickets and rented a car and discovered what Tasmania has to offer. 

I landed in the tiny airport of Launceston and eagerly picked up my rental car. The drive into the main city was very quick, a brief 15 minutes. It's a small town but I sense there is a lot of charm as I drive by River Tamar. 

In terms of accommodation, I book a room at the Commodore Regent Hotel. There's a steep driveway as you drive into the car park. 

The Commodore Regent Hotel is comfortable with nice beds, standard bathroom and the basic amenities that you would need. As it's particularly hot in the Australian Summer, I'm glad there is an air conditioner.

From the outside the Commodore Regent Hotel reminds me of the older styled flats in Sydney in the 70's and 80's however the interior feels more modern (except the bathroom).

So it's time to go for a drive and time for some lunch. I drive up to Beauty Point after stopping at a few wineries. I stop by and have lunch at the river cafe (blog post here). The river cafe has a spectacular view.

Nearby is the Platypus House which is a tour where you can see platypus' and echidnas. If you have never seen these creatures before then it's a good opportunity to see the platypus eat through some tanks, in a small pool and to see the echidnas eat.

However as I had some exposure to these animals before the brief 20ish minute tour didn't seem interesting enough to pay $25. If you could pander at your own pace it would be interesting as the echidnas in particular seemed really hyped up and were running around but the tour seemed rather brief.

Now to Tamar Valley and their wonderful wineries. There's a lot of choice within driving distance and I soon find myself having favourites - all the wine is lovely but I am loving meeting and talking to all the locals.

My favourite winery that I visited was Holm Oak Vineyards. They have such a large variety and range of the wines and the staff were SO lovely. Free tastings are available and you can also purchase a create your own small cheese platter to accompany the wine. 

Their riesling taste a lot less acidic than your usual. The pinot noir is not as heavy and their chardonnay is quite fruity. I highly recommend!! The staff are so helpful.

Goaty Hill is also a popular winery, with tastings available at $3 or refunded if you purchase any wine. After all the tastings, I feel quite tipsy and drink. It's a quiet night for me to rest from the day.

Part 2 to come soon.