Tasmania - the “natural beauty” part of the vacation
Mar 17th, 2007 by Nick
I am not sure when I latched onto the idea of Tasmania as a major part of the vacation. My first pass at a trip plan last year had me hugging the coast and doing the city hop: Cairns, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide. I figured that the drives between the cities would give me a chance to see the countryside, areas such as wine valleys and mountains.
When I still had the five-week plan, southern New Zealand was going to be the “natural beauty” part of the trip. With that out, I was looking for a place to go for 2-3 days to poke around. Hey, there’s an island near Melbourne, what about that?
The more I looked into Tasmania, the more intrigued I became. What started as a 48-hour side trip moved to three days, then four. Right now, it’s at five in the plan.
Here are four reasons why Tasmania suddenly took a prominent position in the trip itinerary:
1. TWENTY National Parks. That blows me away.
2. I can rent a car for a relatively low price. Without trying very hard or applying discounts, I can rent a full-size car for A$75/day plus insurance. If I do it right, I only need it for three full days.
3. Reputation among the locals. Almost everybody I’ve asked on discussion boards who lives in Australia has recommended it.
4. It balances Sydney and Melbourne. I’m going to be spending over half my trip in two cities and their environs. I like the idea of meandering for a few days.
