Whenever we mentioned to Australians on the main land that we were going to spend three weeks in Tasmania, they usually looked at us in surprise, followed by the question: “What on earth will you do in Tasmania for three weeks?” At the time, we didn’t really know how to react. But now, we could confidently answer: “There’s so much to do and see in Tasmania. Three weeks are actually not long enough!” We even had to slip into turbo gear in order to get to all the places we wanted to visit. For the first time on this whole trip, we were not brave enough to miss out on certain attractions and tried to fit far too much into our itinerary. As a result, we felt a bit rushed road-tripping around this beautiful and diverse state of Australia and could not take it in as much as it deserved. Yes, less would have been more. But our Tasmanian Turbo Tour in our high-top camper was still a winner. Much to the credit of the amazing and approachable wildlife. Check out our highlights (further down) and you’ll know what I mean.

Some of our highlights:

• Freycinet National Park: Climbing up fancy looking boulders and rock formations to Mt Amos – in order to get a view onto the famous Wineglass Bay. On this hike, the journey was definitely the reward. Exciting stuff.
• Bay of Fires with its white sandy beaches, turquoise blue water, special orange rocks and an idyllic freedom campground (> Cozy Corner North). Our idea of a perfect place to unwind.
• Watching the animals taking over Cataract Gorge (Launceston) after sunset.
• Looking for platypuses in Latrobe while the sun turned the evening sky into a dramatic fire ball.
• Admiring the thought provoking work of the “50 Best National Geographic Photographers” in Burnie’s regional Art Gallery (temporary exhibition).
• Adoring the fairy penguins showing up on the shoreline in Burnie at dusk. They were cute and entertaining at the same time. No wonder the girls could hardly break themselves away from the spectacle.
• Meeting Diane and Gerry, an adorable couple that volunteers in Burnie’s tourist information. They did not only give us handfuls of fresh plums, they also invited us to their house for a tasty afternoon tea.
• Coming face to face with some super cute wombats in Cradle Mountain National Park.
• Getting enchanted by glowworms and spooked by possums on our night walks to the Russell Falls (Mt Field National Park).
• And living like Sardines in an Apollo high-top camper, of course!