Go east young man

Dropped the family out at the airport inappropriately early then headed out for a run and to explore Hobart.  Battery Point and UTAS (University of Tasmania) were the first port of call – the former was particularly cool, with little streets heading every which way, old houses and commercial buildings everywhere and a very laid back vibe.  Back into the CBD for a chilled out few hours exploring the city and it’s history, both old and more recent.  Have to say that I really like Hobart, it’s a cool little city with much more of a sense of history than you get in the mainland Australian capitals.  I particularly love the way that the old buildings are so often reused for new offices, shops, bars and restaurants, as well as the fact that it’s so easily walkable and the outdoor lifestyle (at least in summer…) is so heartily embraced.  These Hobartians are onto something…

Eventually dragging myself away from the old buildings and leafy parks, I grabbed the car and headed for Mt Wellington.  Visible out of the corner of your eye from much of the city, this 1200-odd metre peak is as much a part of Hobart as the Salamanca Markets or bogans doing hot laps around the city after dark.  While the view from the top was non-existent due to fog, there were some great photo opportunities just below the summit and the drive up and back was fantastic.  I grew up driving on winding single lane roads in the south island of New Zealand, and being able to put the foot down through gorgeous mountain countryside on traffic-free roads justified this trip by itself.

After a leisurely couple of hours cruising northeast I ended up in Swansea, a small town on the east coast of the island.  Not really a great deal to recommend the town except it’s a convenient place to stop prior to exploring the Freycinet National Park and Wineglass Bay.  The Swansea Backpackers, however, has a lot going for it.  Labelled a ‘flashpackers’ on the website and in the guidebooks, it is only three or four years old and totally immaculate.  For some reason there was pretty much nobody there on the night that I stayed which rather limited the atmosphere, but on the flip side it meant that I ended up having a dorm room entirely to myself ($34 if your have your own linen).  I’ve paid a whole lot more for a whole lot less, both in Australia and around the world…