Tasmania Bound- Any Suggestions?

[CapturingTheNight]

Hi all,
Heading off to Tasmania in a couple of days time. This will be my first trip there and I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions of things or locations that I simply MUST do/see? It will be very much a whirlwind visit with me only being able to get a week and a half off work. So I will be there for only 7 nights. The main purpose of the visit is to maybe, just maybe, photograph my first aurora display. Fingers crossed for clear skies and solar storms. I will be basing myself down around Hobart for 6 of the 7 nights but on the last night I have booked in to Cradle Mountain. Have to try for a nightsky scape there but I am fully aware that the weather could well be against me especially this time of year. I know I am going to freeze my proverbial off, but on the plus side accommodation rates are brilliant out of season.
Cheers
Greg

[Octane]

I have no suggestions, but, wish I could join you!

P.S. Congrats on the DD. :D

H

[Omaroo]

Greg - Port Arthur, of course! Some of the most glorious country in Australia.

[Colin_Fraser]

My wife and I went there for a 2 week holiday. Loved it so much we quit our jobs and moved over there. Stayed 5 years.
So much to see. Port Arthur is great and the night ghost tour is chilling.
Salamanca market on Saturday morning is terrific if you like that sort of thing. The gardens between Salamanca place and the CBD are interesting with all the old tombstones there. Cascade Brewery is special and difficult to leave once inside.
You could probably spend a whole week in the Hobart area and only see a portion of it.
If you are driving between Hobart and Launceston visit Richmond and Ross, two historical towns just off the highway.
If you manage to get to Launceston, Cataract Gorge is a must see.

Enjoy your trip.

[Astro_Bot]

I had the fortune/misfortune (you be the judge) to grow up in Tassie. I left when I was 18, so my memories are rather dated.

I recall that Lake St Clair/Cradle Mountain and the Overland Track were pretty good. Port Arthur, obviously. Orford, Maria Is., St Helens on the east coast (although these are more like holiday spots for locals). Freycinet Peninsula. South of Huonville down to Southport/Hastings is a nice drive. "The Nut" at Stanley (but that's way up NW). Any of the "wild rivers" that are easy to get to (or take a boat ride on - there are tours). Pretty good trout fishing, if you're into that, but I don't remember which lakes/rivers were best. Mt Wellington in Hobart, if you like lookouts. A drive through Queenstown in the west used to be an eye opener on account of what the smelters did to the landscape (it may still be that way). Little country markets dotted all over the place are probably still good, especially for ornamental woodwork, and little cafes with traditional Devonshire teas. A day walk into a forest should show some spectacular old trees, and I remember 400+ yo trees when I went - you might be able to combine that with a visit to a wild river.

That's about all I can remember at the moment.

[colinmlegg]

Good luck Greg, hope the sun goes crazy for ya. Next stop, Antarctica? ;)

[CapturingTheNight]

Thank you so much for the suggestions Chris, Colin and RG. :D I have two nights booked at Port Arthur so that area is already on the list.

[CapturingTheNight]

Haha. Thanks H. :D I thought the same when I heard about your NZ trip. Getting more excited by the minute. Yeah the DD was a nice little surprise last night.

Thanks Colin. Me too. LOL :lol: Would need a bit more capital to do an Antarctica trip (or an Artic Circle trip). This is the cheap but low percentage aurora chase.

[iceman]

Wow, i'm jealous! Good luck!

I hope you get to see some aurora. It's on my bucket list too!

[PeterM]

You MUST go to MONA just outside Hobart - Museum Old & New Art.
A trip to Tassie and not seeing this would be a disaster.
I am not art freak infact barely into it. MONA is different and I mean different, plan to spend at least half a day, that still won't be enough.
The Anver chocolate factory, The Edge Of The World (N/W), Lake St Clair. The Gordon River Cruise, Stanley, Nelson Falls, The Railway between Queenstown and Strahan is a MUST do ride. Derwent Bridge - stunning. Ok we spent several weeks in a caravan last year so you wont see all this but there is so much to see. Go to the Richmond Jail again near Hobart and stand in one of the solitary dark cells with the door shut - don't do as I did and suddenly open the door and scare the crap out of an English tourist.

[Miaplacidus]

Many places, of course, having lived here for a dozen years now.

One of the nice little "secret" places I have taken visitors to is the Old Penitentiary, walking distance from the city centre. I haven't been for a couple of years, but hopefully they still have tours (seemed to be run by volunteers). A couple of hours here, and you get to see an incredible amount. The old court rooms. The solitary confinement cells, located underneath the pews of the chapel. The gallows where they executed so many wrong'uns.

A nice, relaxed, bite sized complement to Port Arthur (which is a BIG day). Right in the city of Hobart. And no one ever seems to hear about it.

http://www.penitentiarychapel.com/

[graham.hobart]

Russell falls, The pipeline track on Mount Wellington for the views espec' in the snow.
Bruny Island.
East coast drive- Scamander, Bay of fires etc all that beauty.
Port Huon for a quick day trip to drop a line in the water and try and catch some escapees from the salmon farms!!
Have fun:thumbsup:
Graham

[Tinderboxsky]

Definitely endorse a visit to MONA as per PeterM's comments.
I you want to see some of the rugged Southwest, then a day trip to Lake Pedder, taking in the Scott's Peak road return trip will immerse you in the rugged beauty of the World Heritage area.
The view to the south from the Hobart CBD is blocked by the Mount Wellington foothills and Mount Nelson, so not the ideal place to be to view auroras. Two south facing lookouts close to Hobart that would be worth checking out, in case of an aurora, are the Mount Nelson Signal Station (10mins from CBD) and The Springs lookout (100 meters before THe Springs picnic area) part way up Mount Wellington (15 mins from CBD). Both are looking away from Hobart so you miss most of the city light pollution.
IMO, the best dark sky lookout facing south is at Pierson's Point which is about 30 mins south of Hobart. It just happens to be over my back fence!

Enjoy your visit.

Steve

[CapturingTheNight]

Many thanks for all the great suggestions everyone. I will certainly be googling a few of them to find out more. I am actually not staying in Hobart itself Steve. I have booked into a place at Oyster Cove south of Hobart for the majority of my trip and will use it as a base to travel throughout the south.

Hopefully I can tick it off my bucket list Mike.

[Miaplacidus]

Well not far from Kettering, then, if you're after a ferry trip to Bruny Island. South of the south island has super dark skies.

Or further south of Oyster Bay past Dover you can do Hastings cave.

I'm sure you'll have fun.

[GraemeT]

The one and only aurora that I saw was at Port Arthur Caravan Park. At the time, the sites were surrounded by tall hedges and no lighting on the access road, hence dark skies. My kids were fascinated by the brilliant stars, multitude of polar orbit satellites, and then the magic aurora!