1st Light - Our bite of the Apple Isle
It was with the red earth of Broken Hill still in the tread of our shoes that we received a targeted Facebook advertisement from Cruisin Motorhomes offering heavily discounted van hires. We turned to each other and asked “where should we go?”
In unison, Tasmania was chorused between sips of White Rhinos, and we then and there committed to a 2 week lap of Tassie in the autumn of 2022. Learning from our NSW trip, the detail required, the planning and preparation needed in successfully tackling such a monumental task, we booked the camper and flights on the spot but only began itinerising our journey 14 days before we left. Why not? We now knew how to shag this spider!
Jump forward to March 25th and we boarded our dawn flight to Hobart with all the camera essentials - you now know what we carry - excited for our journey ahead. That in itself was our first obstacle for we needed to pack light, bring only limited clothing and equipment, as everything else would have to be purchased on arrival. Even the decision on what sized salt & pepper we purchased meant we either ate the leftovers at the airport or hid them in the back recesses of the van for the next renter to use.
Morrison was a convenient companion for our 2021 outback adventure, but we upsized for Tasmania and moved ourselves into a 4 berth suite on wheels. He was a little larger, meaning we could swing a bigger cat, and had more fridge room for the essentials….again, you know what we mean.
After touchdown on Taswegian soil, day 1 consisted of grocery shopping, grog shopping, visiting friends (shoutout to Deborah and Mart Dix for airport transfers and hospitality), then spending the afternoon at one of Hobarts shinning jewels.
MONA, museum of old and new art, is located within the Moorilla Winery on the Berriedale peninsula 20 mins north of Hobart. It is the largest privately owned and operated museum in the southern hemisphere and a great substitute for recreational drug use and pornography in the region. Founded by David Walsh in 2001 as a showcase for his alternative art collection, it is famed for its central themes of sex and death and houses over 1,900 artistic works from David’s own collection. The world renowned facility is filled with art that is both fun and provocative leaving you either wondering or punching you directly in the face.
Even the building is a masterpiece that appears at street level to be dominated by its surroundings. But on entry, a spiral staircase leads into three larger labyrinthine levels etched into the side of the cliffs around the peninsula. Devoid of any windows, the atmosphere is intentionally ominous, and reminancient of New York’s Guggenheim albeit in reverse and way more macabre.
This place is a must see on any visit to Hobart and we walked away 4 hours later both exhilarated and gob smacked. We caught up again with Deb & Mart on the banks of the Derwent River overlooking the famed Tasman bridge for fish and chips, a chat, and our first sunset before returning to their historic residence for the night. Day one was complete, but the real journey would start at sparrows.
Tasman Bridge, Hobart Tasmania
FatPap & the Wine Wench
Peter Lee & Lyndall Dalley. Friends who share a love of photography, travel, food and of course grog.
One is a Garbo, the other an Environmental Scientist. Through the lens, each sees the world differently.
Together, they always agree on its beauty.