THE PERFECT WINTER GETAWAY - in a location that'll be sure to raise a few eyebrows

20 HOUR DRIVE FROM ADELAIDE CBD (if it was even possible to drive)

Now, I know my blog is marketed as a South Australian blog focussing on the ten kilometres that surround the CBD, however, we all need an escape sometimes. So why not share with you the trips I do take, outside of my ten kilometre home in South Australia.

The first trip I would like to share with you all is a trip which is very close to my heart and is my only big trip for the year. It is, in fact, the first holiday I had with my partner. My partner and I were itching to get away this year, we may have fallen privy to the excitement of it all and were set on going overseas. For months, we looked into where we wanted to go and settled on three locations which we believed where the cheapest overseas options, these being, New Zealand, Bali and Japan (oh how naïve we were). After then looking in to flights and accommodation we quickly realised that our uni student, casual working budgets just weren’t going to fit the bill, so, it was back to the drawing board. In the end, we decided on Tasmania, the small island tacked to the bottom of our homeland, a choice that shocked many as our holidaying months were set to be June/July, or in other words, Winter.

Tasmania has long created a reputation for it being icey cold, particularly in Winter, and so let me tell you, we had plenty of raised eyebrows when we raved about our grand plans to road trip around Tasmania.

Despite the pushback, nothing could dampen our spirits, we were excited to embark on our first trip away. Being under 21 we didn’t really have any other option other than to take ourselves, and our car, across the border on the Spirit of Tasmania as car hire, once we were in Tasmania, was astronomical. We drove to Victoria where the ship disembarks from and found our place on the ship. Look, I won’t go into too much detail, but trust me when I say, do not take this transportation method, it was by far the worst part of the trip. Between nausea and sandwiches between snorers, it was certainly not the most enjoyable part of the trip.

Finally, we arrived in Tasmania and were en route to our first destination, the capital, Hobart. The drive there was one of the most memorable drives I’ve ever had, my partner and I’s mouths were gaped open from start to finish. It didn’t even feel like we were in Australia, it resembled the likes of an English countryside. There was an abundance of untouched scenes, rolling hills and snowcapped mountains, little houses dotted occasionally along the road. When we eventually reached Hobart we found our Air-BnB which was just as described on the app, petit and gorgeous, a relief as neither I nor my partner had ever used Air-BnB before. Our favourite part of Hobart, which I’m sure comes as no surprise, was the iconic MONA museum which encapsulated everything weird and wonderful, you really do have to see it to believe it.

From Hobart we went to Strahan, a petit town on the edge of the Gordon River. It’s also worth noting that along the way we noticed a mysterious, and as we later found out, auspicious location which is known as ‘The Wall’. What you will see at ‘The Wall’ is incredible and hard to put into words, any description would probably come short. However, a little pre-amble would be that it’s a 100 metre wall of sculpted Huon Pine made by Greg Duncan, trust me it’s worth the stop. While in Strahan we couldn’t not do the Gordon River cruise which was informative and a much smoother and enjoyable ride in comparison to our initial route to get to Tasmania. We also had the best gnocchi of our lives at a quaint and underrated restaurant on the main road known as Bushman’s.

We then made our way to sleepy Launceston, which was really, the downtime of our trip, we spent our time exploring the markets and indulging in local produce. We of course visited Cataract Gorge and conquered our fears by hopping on the chair lift which is situated 308 metres above the ground. We also visited the fine dining Stillwater restaurant for dinner which was absolutely divine and we would recommend it as it was the best restaurant we went to while in Tasmania.

By far, our favourite part of the trip, which went from strength to strength, was the stretch between Bay of Fires and Freycinet, home to the iconic, Wineglass Bay. My partner and I decided to try the glamping trend and well, it’s safe to say that the owners, Anna and Tom, at the Bay of Fires Bush Retreat have really nailed it. After a long day of travelling from Launceston, down the coast, we opted for a cooked meal upon our arrival rather than making use of the gorgeous camp kitchen and boy were we impressed (and thankful). It really was the perfect way to experience the beauty and nature of Tasmania and personally, it was what I had envisioned our trip to be. We sat around the communal fires and made friends with the others that were staying on site. The pod of king size glamping tents and the accompanying amenities were modern and simply stunning. As you enter your tent you are greeted with wine glasses, marshmallows to toast, hot water bottles, luxury sheets and even a heater and Wi-Fi password – what more could you want. Freycinet came in close second for the highlight of the trip, Bay of Fires taking the cake for me. We stayed in a magnificent Air-BnB in a secluded area of the forest where a good 70% of the house was windows so you could fully embrace the environment of Freycinet National Park. Freycinet is really the time for activity, with an abundance of walks and activities to engage in, you’ll be busy from your first day to your last day.

While the gem that is Tasmania is slowly being uncovered, it is still incredibly underrated, and particularly untouched in Winter. Don’t be scared off by the anticipated cold and windy torrents, instead consider visiting Tasmania, especially in Winter, when you can get there for half the price and the phenomenal views, remain just as astounding.