I was looking down at my lap eating a Ritz cracker when I heard a scream. My first thought was that my travel mate saw another skink on the road, but when I looked up I saw that we were in the bush, no longer on the gravel road. Less than a second later the new Ford stopped moving and I saw smoke coming from the blue hood. Thinking that the car would explode within seconds, as action movies would have you think, I rushed my travel mate to get out of the explosive car. When she tried to open the driver door only to find herself trapped in the car by the bush and branches, I yelled at her to hop over into the backseat and out the back door.
Within minutes of fleeing the car some drivers stopped to watch the explosion, help us out. Then the car exploded. No, the car did not actually explode. But these lovely Tasmanians, two women and three kids helped us phone the police using an emergency call, as we had no service like in most parts of Tasmania. The group was on their way to have a barbecue at Mt. Williams National Park in northeastern Tasmania (where we were headed before our crash) in celebration of Australia Day.
Hours later, we excitedly watched the car we destroyed get pulled out of a ditch. I hadn’t imagined I’d befriend a tow truck driver while in Tasmania, but some small chat and 200 kilometers later we arrived in Launceston. Our trip had begun in Hobart with a scenic view of Mount Wellington and Tasman National Park, followed by a historic day at the former penal colony, Port Arthur–which was probably my favorite part of the whole trip aside from the tow truck adventure. The third day was spent driving along the east coast and exploring Freycinet National Park.
Having totaled our car on the fourth day of our trip, you might think that would be the end of our planned two-week adventure. Luckily, we were completely unscathed and had purchased car insurance–something you should definitely do whenever renting a car. We spent the next two nights in Launceston before hooking up with two other travellers. Having slept the previous three nights in the passenger seat of a sedan, I welcomed the luxurious comfort of a hostel bed…I know “luxury” and “hostel” are oxymorons, however, after sleeping in an airport and in car seats, I’ve learned that luxury is subjective.
Anyway, were able to rent a car again from another rental company and under our new travel mates’ names. We set out on the sixth day of our trip to Devonport and stopped to see a giant Penguin in a town aptly named Penguin.
The following day we went on a 23 kilometer hike along Rocky Cape National Park. It was a beautiful view along the water on a very rocky path, as the name suggests. The lack of other hikers meant the path was unkempt and after our six-hour hike, my legs appeared to have been severely mutilated by cats. For part of the “path” you are actually climbing on coastal rocks, so you must keep a look out for the pink ribbons or else you can easily veer off track, just as we did. Make sure to have plenty of water, because having to ration two liters of water while hiking in 25-degree weather for six hours leads to unsettling thoughts like, “I’m going to die” and “No one will ever find us” especially when you veer off track…instant mood killers. Fleeting thoughts of death aside, it was an enjoyable hike.
That night we went to bed in our tent (not sure if this is an upgrade or downgrade from the car seats) all rugged and smelly. The next morning we went on a short yet steep hike around the Nut, which is a volcanic plug in a town called Stanley, in the northwest coast of Tasmania. The hike offers beautiful views of farmland surrounded by the bluest waters from the east and west sides. Later that day we drove south and arrived at Cradle Mountain, where we hiked up to Mount Hanson’s Peak and walked around Dove Lake. In addition to the stunning mountain views, we saw a couple of echidnas, which are adorable spiked marsupials.
The next day I headed back to Launceston where I spent my final night in Tasmania before heading back to Melbourne. I left a week earlier than I had planned, as I felt the seven days I spent there were enough, and I missed civilization a bit as well. All in all, I’d definitely suggest visiting Tassie if you’ve got at least a few spare days.
