The last few days in Tassie were no less exciting than the week leading up to them. We had an early morning on Sunday to get our things in order and get back to Hobart to return the rental.

After some delicious breakfast at the Kentish Hotel, we drove the last leg into the city, gassed up, and returned the car. Our next stop was the hostel (we booked the same one we were in last weekend - the Brunswick Hotel) where we dropped our bags in the luggage storage and then we were off to meet our tour group for the "Mt Wellington Descent"!

This little adventure took us up the mountain that is extremely close to the city. Just 21 km from downtown and you are 1200m high, about 12 degrees colder, and chillin on a peak above the clouds. It's absolutely amazing!

Our trip involved a shuttle to the top of the mountain where our driver filled us in on some of the local history and info about the mountain. At the top we had some time to take a few pictures and then get fitted with a bike.

The ride down was easy, as you didn't need to pedal for the majority of the descent. The hardest part was avoiding cars on the road and making sure you didn't take a corner with too much speed.

We did get to do a little off-road section where I got to show off some of my HOC mountain bike instructor skills: complete with a minor wipeout trying to go around a gate ;) Apparently Hobart is well known for the extensive and exciting mountain bike trails really close to the city. It was really cool to check them out, even if only briefly.

The entire 21km descent, including several pit stops, only took us about 90mins! The only muscles that were sore were our wrists from squeezing the brakes so hard!

After a quick lunch break we headed out to check out the city now that it was a little busier as this weekend wasn't Easter. In true Canadian-in-Oz fashion, we decided to do this via pub crawling:
Stop #1 - the Lark Distillery to sample some Tasmanian whisky!
Stop #2 - the Hope and Anchor Pub for a fireside pint (they literally had a fire on in the fireplace!)
Stop #3 - 42 degrees, the fancier of the places on our tour, for craft beer/cider on the dock in the harbour.
Stop #4 - Preachers: I can't say enough good about this place. It was a super hipster joint in Battery Point with an excellent selection of draft beers and great food. Plus outside it was all tables, benches, and an old city bus converted into dining area! (!!!). Obviously we are our burgers in there!
Stop #5 - along the way I made a local friend so joined them for a night cap at the Alabama Hotel which was a cozy hotel bar with some very cool and unique vibes: great way to cap off the evening.

It was off to bed early then, as we had an early flight to catch! We flew out at 8 this morning and we were back in Melbourne shortly after 9: a little sore, a little tired, but very satisfied.

Overall, Tasmania was an unbelievable place. The history, the parks, so much nature/wildlife, the drives, the hikes, the people, and the beaches were all unforgettable. My only regret is that I didn't have more time to spend exploring, maybe taking some time to relax for a day or two on a beach, and definitely getting to the west side of the island to the mountains and rainforests there. It would be particularly cool to do the Overland Track at Cradle Mountain - but that will have to be for another trip.

If you ever have the chance, I highly recommend visiting Tasmania, whether you are alone and looking to make friends or with a family and little kids, there really is something for everyone here!

I loved Tassie, and I would love to come back some day. I'll have to keep an eye out for job postings at UTAS!

Keep it real, make it wild, stay weird, and get to Tasmania!!!