Swansea

Little Australia

/ mikeosbornphoto / 27 Comments

This island state sitting at the foot of vast Australia has a charm and mood all of its own – at times familiar to this Briton who took a road trip there recently. We took in main cities Hobart and Launceston, the stunning east coast and the changing character of its north side and interior.

If you’re tempted to go to Tasmania armed with your camera, here are a few reasons to go south…

  • Its coastal landscape is second to none, including gold and orange rocks
  • If you’re lucky with the weather, the sky is an amazing azure, thanks to a lack of European pollution
  • The towns and cities have a beguiling mix of colonial and contemporary architecture – and unique charm
  • Its clarity is great for night photography – and a chance to catch the Southern Lights

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Swansea
Launceston
Freers Beach
Launceston
Launceston
Museum of Old and New Art, Hobart
Freers Beach
Penguin
Burnie
Bicheno
Hobart
Launceston
Bicheno
Swansea
Swansea
Penguin – the town where they make numerous appearances
Ross
Bicheno
Swansea
Swansea
Hobart
Ross
Oatlands

Velvet sheen - clean (2)

Southerly seaside

/ mikeosbornphoto / 10 Comments

Anchored shellAustralia’s island state of Tasmania sits to the south of that vast land mass, a hour’s hop by plane from Melbourne.

Tassie is about the size of Scotland or West Virginia, and packs in an awful lot of coastline. We drove from the coastal capital of Hobart up the east coast, passing through seaside towns with familiar names like Swansea to the ochre rocks of Bicheno.

Our travels also took us to the north, stopping at Beauty Point and stunning Freers Beach at Port Sorrel. The tide was out and there wasn’t another soul there – apart from hundreds of sand crabs scuttling around.

The towns are comfortingly sleepy and old-fashioned, while the coastline is beautiful, especially under a cobalt blue autumn sky. If you’re going to Tasmania, don’t stray far from the seaside.

Velvet sheen - clean (2)

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Hobart craft