In need of a break from work, as we haven’t had any time off in the last 6 months, I think we needed and deserved this one!
Leaving work early Thursday, we headed straight for the airport and headed for Hobart! When we arrived, we had an early dinner and headed straight to bed, ready for our holiday to begin!
Friday we decided to have a relaxing day, heading out to the infamous museum called MONA. It is all about old and new age art and intertwining the two together. I have always wanted to visit, as we have been to Tasmania before, but never had the chance. This time I made sure we went, and I guarantee it is worth it. Our boys absolutely loved it too, unsure whether 2 primary school kids would enjoy it, but they had a blast. We spent nearly the whole day here, having a break mid way for lunch. I would recommend this as one of the MUST VISIT places.
Friday night we walked along the harbour of Hobart, which was absolutely stunning. The trees have fairy lights hung over them, making the walk very magical. We settled on an Italian restaurant, lots of pasta and lots of bread, just what we needed. After dinner we walked along the pier and admired the views, whilst burning off dinner.
Saturday morning, we headed out early to have a feast for breakfast of eggs, bacon and sourdough, or pancakes for the boys. We then had a wander through the weekly Salamanca market. It is decked out with handmade and local creations, filled with quirky and unique gifts, along with delicious food and drinks.
We then headed for our next destination, 3 hours away along the long windy road to Bicheno. We hired a car at the airport so we could get around with ease and comfort.
We stopped off for a break at Freycinet National Park. It added more time to our trip, but so worth it. This is about 2 hours from Hobart and has the most stunning views. We went for a walk to the Wineglass Bay lookout. This takes about an hour return, and you end up at an amazing white sand beach.
We kept driving and stopped off at a beach further along the road. The boys jumped out of the car and headed straight for the rock pools. They loved it here, looking for any creatures they can find. Despite the fact that it winter, they still managed to go for a dip in the water.
Thirty minutes passed and we arrived at Bicheno. We booked a house to stay in whilst we spent a few days up here. Walking out the back of the house, we stepped onto our own private beach! This was unreal, we couldn’t believe it, and we loved every second of it. We spent the rest of the day eating and walking along the beach. We ended up at a blowhole; the boys were blown away, literally. I have never seen one before, and from the expression on the boy’s faces you could tell they haven’t either.
Sunday we headed out to spend the day at Nature World. This is a very hands-on experience and perfect if you have little ones. They have everything here from snakes to wombats to Tassie devils. Despite the chill, we spent a lot of time outside, feeding and petting all the different animals. We set aside an entire day to visit here, and trust me you need it.
They have walk through aviaries, if you are lucky enough some of the birds may sit on your shoulder or head. Being immersed in a huge enclosure full of all different birds, big and small is a lot of fun.
They have a restaurant here as well, so no need to rush around; lunch is all done for you.
Monday we decided to go for a drive around the area and do a bit of exploring. We stumbled across a berry farm that specialised in our favourite strawberries. You get a little bucket and are free to collect as little or as much as you want. Our boys really enjoyed this, picking and tasting all our own strawberries. We may have picked more than we could eat, but we ended up buying some ice cream later and had them together for dessert.
Monday night we headed out and had an amazing dinner at a seafood restaurant. Tasmania has some of the best fish you will ever find. If you ever visit, you MUST have a seafood dinner or lunch at least once. You will end up having it more than once after trying it... I know I did! The boys had a simple meal of just fish and chips, and we opted for a seafood marinara. They were both absolutely delectable.
Tuesday we headed back to Hobart. We ended up staying in a small house in Sandy Bay, just out of Hobart. We walked around this small town and checked out all the local shops. We found a delicatessen and patisserie shop called Lipscombe Larder. We came back here more than once, it has delicious home cooked breads and gourmet cheeses, everything you could want for an amazing picnic or cheese platter. Absolutely delicious eats for the whole family, even some little gourmet desserts.
Our last full day in Tasmania, we headed to Willy Smith’s Apple Shed. It is a organically grown apples turned into delicious ciders in the Huon Valley of Tasmania. We had lunch here, and my oh my the food was incredible! I would recommend the roast pumpkin bruschetta, served with goats cheese and pesto. They have a small museum as part of the cider house, a history on the 4 generations of family that have built this business to where it is at today.
For the rest of the afternoon, we wandered around Hobart, checking out the shops and old buildings, before flying back home tomorrow morning.
We highly recommend Tassie for a family holiday! It was awesome to get away and go exploring, even if it was just for one week. Below are some of our favourite memories from our mini vacay. What's your favourite holiday destination to take the little ones? Let us know in the comments below!
