Mounts, MONA + Bruny Island | Tasmania Diaries (part two)

Following our first successful day out with the car, we continued to make the most of our wheels.

30.03.2023

We were at the car just in time before the parking metre started for the day. We’d decided to head up Mount Wellington first thing, hopeful that despite the clouds we might get a nice view…

We did get a nice view at the lowest pull over viewing area. The low clouds over the city and coastline were atmospheric. But the higher we drove, on steep, twisting gravel paths with hairpin bends you had to take at 25kmph, the clouds took over and we had to drive through them! I took the drive very slowly and cautiously. Because of the cloud, we couldn’t see past the edge of the road, which was probably for the best or we would have realised how high up we were. Even at the top we couldn’t comprehend it, because when we stepped out the car we were blasted around by the wind – unable to consider venturing near the edge. My skin was instantly wet with mist and I found it difficult to breathe because of the intensity of the wind. Mount Wellington stands at 1271 metres above sea level and on a clear day you can see the stunning scenery for miles. Today all we saw was white cloud and the inside of the car when we almost immediately got back inside. 

After the slow drive down (and a flat white on route to warm us), we headed to MONA – Hobart’s Museum of Old and New Art. We paid the (somewhat pricey?) $35 entry fee and then spent several hours there. The gallery was full of a variety of exciting and multidisciplinary works, some of which provoked questions and confusion, others that had us mesmerised. Our favourite was a piece that used water droplets to create words that fell through the air. The visual spectacle, paired with the harsh noise of the water hitting the drain, was captivating. 

After another ‘car picnic’ of leftover pasta, we got on the road to Mount Field National Park where we wanted to chase waterfalls. We did the walk that took us to each one, all of which varied in shape and size. There were three. Russell Falls is the closest to the visitor centre and the tallest. After admiring it from below, we followed the steps up to stand at its peak where we caught a glimpse of a beautiful rainbow. The second waterfall was the smaller but still beautiful Horseshoe Falls. Third, much further on, was the impressive Lady Barron Falls. Here, the water gushed – clearly the area had had its share of rainfall. The power of the water and the beauty of the waterfalls prompted us to feel very reflective, and before we finished the walk we stopped for a moment with our notebooks. 

That evening we treated ourselves to takeaway pizzas and packaged the leftovers to take for lunch the following day.

31.03.2023

Friday was a day trip to Bruny Island. We took the car to the ferry and across the water. Our first stop on the island was at a bay in the north. It was cloudy and cold so we wore rain jackets to dance on the beach. The water was clear towards the shore but then bright turquoise, even under the grey sky. Like a lot of Tassie’s beaches, it was surrounded by hills, which created further beautiful scenery. 

We drove to find coffee. Along a road in Lunawanna, a large white sign had ‘COFFEE’ displayed in large letters. We headed inside to a beautiful modern building with a coffee machine, and a fire burning in the corner. There was art being exhibited, prints hanging from the ceiling, and a basket of ‘free books – please take.’ We sipped oat flat whites by the fire whilst perusing books as the rain started outside. 

That rain cleared before we headed back to the car. Warmed through, we decided to head to the lighthouse at the south-west of the island. We parked up by the museum and then walked up the hill, admiring the coastal views that surrounded the edge of the land. The lighthouse itself was just that, and we decided to forgo the half-hourly $15 tour. Instead, we soaked up the sunshine that had started to warm our faces and admired the view.

Next, we headed to Cloudy Bay, which, despite the sun at the lighthouse, was exactly as the name suggests. Another beautiful, atmospheric, cold beach. But then the clouds did start to shift and blue sky became visible. We decided to drive to the Neck of the island, where we wanted to climb the lookout whilst the clouds were lesser and the sun was out. We timed it perfectly. The wind was strong but the sky was blue and when we reached the top of the lookout, a full rainbow appeared over the ocean. 

We admired the view from above and then descended, heading towards the beach. Along the way, I paused at the sight of the yellow spines of an echidna amongst the grass. I paused to watch as the animal snuffled its way through the undergrowth. 

We made it to Adventure Bay in time for more clouds to start a fine mist of rain over the sand. We saw a fellow traveller who was camping on the island. He offered us some wisdom, which felt extremely appropriate on this day:

“If you don’t like the weather, wait ten minutes.”

After driving back from a day of adventures, we rested at the hostel for a while, before making dinner and getting ready to go out. We spent an hour at Irish Murphy’s sipping pints of expensive ginger beer and struggling to communicate over the volume of the live music. We angled our chairs to watch the brilliant performances of the drunk women in front of the stage as their moves spanned various genres. We applauded them on the way out and they thanked us for being ‘awesome’. 

We headed back to the hostel, keen for some rest before our adventures took us further afield the following day.