Tasmania is one of those funny little places you hear about as a kid, commonly linked to a hyperactive cartoon character who took over our TV screens on Saturday mornings. I don’t know about you, but until arriving in Australia I wasn’t even sure Tasmania was somewhere I could visit, let alone spend three weeks exploring.

 I originally hopped on the quick 45 minute flight to Hobart to finally get through the last couple weeks of my regional work so I could apply for a second year visa. After leaving my treehouse home in Mission Beach I spent Christmas and New Years with the Melbourne crew all the while knowing I would have to leave again soon. Cherry picking awaited me in Tasmania and while I didn’t want to go I knew I had to. The promise of a second year in Australia hung in the balance, and I was a short 14 days away from being ready to apply.

I won’t spend much time on the farm days, since they were almost identical day to day. Wake up at 5am, toss on a few layers of cherry juice stained clothing, throw together a make-shift brekkie at the campsite, trek down to the rows and rows of cherry trees where I would pick cherries one by one for 10 hours; I soon realized picking fruit was indeed not my strong suit as I was consistently out-picked by almost every other worker there; back to the campsite to shower and pass out at 7pm, dream of picking cherries, wake up, repeat. The days were long and I missed the comforts of home more than ever. Every single day I was stuck inside my own head, wanting nothing more than to quit and go back to my normal life, apply for the visa with less days than I needed, and hope for the best. But I convinced myself one day at a time that I could get through this, and it would all be worth it in the end. Each day I got a little quicker, and learned to appreciate this time I had to myself amongst those never-ending rows of cherry trees. I treated it as both a mental and physical game, and forced myself to win and be better from it. This is not to say I actually started to enjoy the job, just that I got through it. And boy was I happy to get through it.

 

 

The end of my farm days eventually arrived and I made the trip back to the town of Hobart to meet Courtney, Felix, and Koni – my adventure team for the next week. Nothing in the world felt better than seeing their faces and knowing we were about to set out on a life changing trip around Tassie. With a bit of guidance from our wonderful Jump Tours tour guide and friend Andrew, we were ready to hit the open road with a map, a couple of tents, and a thirst for adventure.

The next 6 days were spent driving the entire loop of Tasmania, stopping off at every waterfall, mountain, and hiking trail we could find. Mt. Amos overlooking the stunning white sand beach of Wineglass Bay was first, and it did not disappoint. I think the most amazing part about hiking is that even though you already know what you’re about to see at the summit you hike towards it anyways. I guess that’s where the saying it’s not the destination, but the journey that counts, comes from. Pushing yourself up each new step towards the top is where the real adventure lies and is what you walk away from with the most memories. Of course, the feeling of reaching that summit is one of the best in the world, but it’s how you got there that really sticks.

Our days were jam-packed, and no matter how hard we tried, not once did we arrive at a campsite before dark. This being my first actual camping trip, I was useless when it came to setting up camp – especially in the dark. Huge shout-out to Court and Koni for taking on set up responsibilities – thanks guys, you rock ;) If you had asked me a year ago if could I picture myself sleeping in a tent for three weeks I would have laughed at the thought. The only time I’d slept in a tent was in my own backyard, and even then, woke up in my own bed in the morning. But over the course of this adventure I actually grew fond of the comfort a tent and sleeping bag brought. It was small and secluded, but was all we needed. I think it’s very important to push limits by finding yourself in uncomfortable situations and making them comfortable. Camping and getting in touch with nature while saving $25 a night by not sleeping in hostels was the best decision we could have made on this trip and is something I recommend everyone does at some point in their travels.

 

 

On the fourth day, and after spending endless hours swimming in waterfalls and water holes we reached Cradle Mountain National Park where we planned to spend the day completing the summit hike. After waking up at sunrise in the parking lot of the National Park (only place we could find to camp!) we headed up to the visitor centre to plan our route only to be told they did not “recommend” hiking the summit that day due to forest fires in the area. We felt gutted and defeated before even beginning. Sometimes in life it is important to listen to others opinions and recommendations, and others times it’s good to go with your own – in this case, we went with our own and did what we were all thinking – hike it anyways. The forest fires were miles away and would take hours to move in even if the winds did happen to blow in our direction. Slightly hesitant but determined we set out on the trek and spent the day making our way closer and closer to 1545m. It was a perfect bluebird day where we were and while there were times taking one more step seemed impossible, every inch of the journey was more beautiful than the last. The views around every corner were spectacular, it was like standing in the middle of a postcard. No matter how hard I tried, there was no way to capture views like that on my camera. It truly was one of those “you had to be there” kind of experiences.

 

 

For the last leg of the climb we were legitimately rock climbing, scrambling on all fours to reach the next boulder, praying we wouldn’t slip and fall with nothing to catch us. I was in my element and savoring the chance to free climb. When we clambered over the last boulder and stood with two feet on top of this mountain we just conquered it took a moment to sink in. I gazed around at the few other hikers crazy enough to make the trek against the opinions of park rangers and realized how lucky I was to be somewhere this breathtaking. I used to dream of doing the things I get to do now. I took deep breaths and closed my eyes – there was no place I’d rather be. As I sit in this trendy Melbourne café and think back to this moment I get the shivers all over my body. Cradle Mountain was so, so special. It was my first real day trek and I was the happiest, head in the clouds kind of happy – literally. I could have stayed there for hours.

 

 

We started to notice the smoke moving in and decided it might be time to make some movements. Climbing up a mountain is difficult, but climbing down was another story, filled with laughter and lots and lots of bum sliding. Climbing down is definitely harder!

After Cradle we set out towards a quaint fishing village called Strahan and ended up ordering some of the best seafood I had ever eaten from a little take away shop on the main road. Good things really do come in small packages, and in this case, small towns.

Nearing the end of our trip we were all tired but content with what we had accomplished in six short days. Tasmania was magical, more magical than I could have imagined. It reminded me of a mini New Zealand in that way. Around every corner lay an adventure, and we jumped at our fair share of them. I went through a multitude of emotions and attitudes while in Tasmania and learned more about myself in those three weeks than I ever had before. I couldn’t have imagined the adventures I encountered in Tasmania, and I think that made all the difference. Throwing yourself wholly into a environment you are unfamiliar with is where the real journey begins and the opportuniry for growth flourishes. Not knowing where to go or how to feel about something is what being open minded is really about. My best piece of advise is to stop reading the tripadvisor reviews or the lists and forums about what to do or what to avoid, and just go. Go at everything you do without the background – create your landscape as you go. I promise it makes all the difference.

So thank you little island of Tasmania. You are wonderful and special and I’m so happy I spent time exploring you.