A couple of weekends back I went out with my family on a pretty exhilarating journey up our 1200+m backyard mountain - the beautiful kunanyi/Mt. Wellington Night. We did a Night Tour which began as the sun descended and darkness fell over the landscape. The tour offers a unique perspective of the mountain and its surrounding wilderness (and if you’re extremely lucky - a chance of spotting the southern lights!)

On a brilliantly sunny day, Kelvin and I embarked on our first hiking adventure on Mount Wellington. Our plan was to begin with the Sphinx Rock track, then transition to the Lower Sawmill Track for the Octopus Tree on Shoobridge Track, and conclude our hike by following the North-South Track back to the Springs.

We had an epic day of great weather down in Southern Tasmania last Saturday – blue skies and sunshine. A day which simply called out to me to take a trip down to the Tasman Peninsula with stunning vistas.

I recently had the opportunity of visiting the historic town of Oatlands. Located in the “Heartlands” on the Heritage Highway to Launceston, there are a few historic towns worth the visit. Oatlands is a little over an hour from Hobart and one of the most beautiful country towns in Tassie with a high concentration of old sandstone buildings. I personally have wanted to approach the Premier to rename the highway to the “Tassie Whiskey Way” as when you leave Hobart, you have the Lark Distillery in Pontville, then Old Kempton Distillery in Kempton and slightly further afield Callington Mill Distillery in Oatlands.

This is the kind of tip you're torn about sharing because you cherish the location so much. The Mersey Forest is a stunning area that might surprise you on the way to Cradle Mountain or Tamar Valley, just past Deloraine and Mole Creek, or you might hear about it from locals or friends.

I am not sure what it is about the Northwest of Tassie but having lived on the East Coast in Coles Bay, I find myself mesmerised by the Northwest. Pristine white sandy beaches and the Hazards have given way to temperate native forests, giant trees, and rivers. I believe this partly might have to do with my concern for climate change, deforestation, and the protests I have witnessed outside parliament house, but I think more importantly it’s also because of my newfound appreciation for giant trees and conservation. I seem to always be on the lookout for these ‘big Tasmanian beasts’ when I go for a drive anywhere outside Hobart city.