In 2021, we decided to see more of this great land of ours by relocating to another state and basing ourselves there. We are not quite ready to be on the road full time and so this has been an 'in-between' stage. From Central Queensland, we moved to Hobart, being lucky enough to secure a fantastic job there that allowed us to be able to explore Tasmania. We moved in the midst of the pandemic, which became a blessing as Tasmania was relatively protected and we were able to explore as soon as we arrived. We are not sure how long we will be in Tasmania but we know after 20 months we still have not seen and experienced all that we want from Tasmania. Over the years, we had made small trips to Tasmania for family reasons and we knew we wanted to really experience all it has to offer. It was funny how people told us how 'slow and backward' living in Tassie would be but coming from Central Queensland we find it progressive and perfect, don't confuse 'laidback' with 'nothing to do'. There is so much to see, do and experience.
Most weekends we head off and explore new aspects of Tassie. If you love Australian history, nature, good food and good wine/spirits, then you will love Tasmania. We are not sure how we will ever leave. Coming from Queensland, we quickly learnt how to travel and explore according to the seasons, there can definitely be four seasons in one day. Tasmania is very cold for us. Winter in Tasmania needs some adjustment, but we try to embrace the advantages of this. We can hike and explore at any time of the day. If we are time-poor, there is always something to do and see within an hour of where we are living. There are vineyards, historical towns, local beaches and the great outdoors all waiting to be explored. As soon as you set off somewhere, you are on an amazing road trip with unexpected stops.
We have travelled down to Tasmania with our y62 Patrol and our Austrack Camper Trailer. This has provided us the opportunity to explore rarely seen places of Tasmania on some wild tracks. However, we have quickly discovered that the camper trailer has become a seasonal accommodation option. From April to late October, it is simply way too cold to sleep inside the canvas for us. So a quick search of BnBs shows the many historical cottages and the charm they offer when travelling and exploring Tasmania. They are a luxury accommodation option for us but well worth the opportunity to stay in them. The cottages themselves have so much to tell us about the history of Tasmania and Australia.
There have been many highlights since we arrived and just naming them in this blog does not do them justice. They are going to need some dedicated writing and explaining (need to commit to that). We still return to Queensland regularly, to see our family and friends (the hardest part of leaving Queensland) and we still have a property on the Sunshine Coast, and appreciate how lucky we are to continue to explore Queensland. Most of the time this is via our Harley Davidson Triglide Ultra Classic Trike, which we kept in Queensland. We have big plans for 2023 and plenty more on our 'must-do before we leave Tassie' list.