I just got back from a week in Tasmania and totally fell in love with the place! Let me tell you a little bit about this little peace of paradise…

We arrived in Hobart Saturday evening, checked in at YHA in the city centre (super location and friendly staff) and got an evening snack (fish&chips) from the cool floating kiosk Flippers at the harbour.

The following morning we were picked up at 6:30 in the morning to do the 6 Day Taste of Tasmania tour (Adventure Tours Australia), which was pre-booked at KILROY). It felt quite cold (especially coming from warm Sydney) and our guide Matt reminded us that we are closer to the Antarctic than Cairns (in northeast Australia). BRRR, no wonder we were cold!

We were a group of 16 people with the following nationalities: Swiss, Korean, Japanese, American and Finnish. First we drove to Mount Field National Park, where we stretched our legs on the Russell Falls and Tall Trees walks. Then we continued on to Lake St Clair for the view of Australia's deepest lake. BEAUTIFUL! On our way to our overnight place at Strahan we explored a bit at the Franklin Gordon National Park. We spent the night at the Adventure tours Australias own exclusive house with a garden in Strahan - so nice to stay at your "own" house and not a hostel!

The following morning we went for a nice walk in the sunshine and tried to spot some platypus in the water. Later we walked around for hours at the Henty Sand Dunes and spotted paw prints of wild Tasmanian Devils. Really cool place! Then we continued towards Cradle Mountain National Park where we stayed at a nice lodge.

Day 3 we spent at the Cradle Mountain National Park and you could hike on your own, choosing the route according to your own level of fitness and hiking experience. Some of us chose the more difficult paths taking us up on the actual Cradle Mountain. It was challenging, but really rewarding. My absolute favourite day of the whole tour! Amazing nature and views and wild animals too - caught a photo of a wombat munching away on some grass. Cute! We drove over to Devonport in the evening and once again stayed at our "own" house with a fireplace!

There were some floods that blocked our way the following day so we had to make a few detours, but we didn't mind… We got in quite early to the small, quiet seaside town of Bicheno. Beautiful seaside with penguins jumping around!

Got up the next morning really early to catch the sunrise… Then we hiked around Wineglass Bay, admired the views and drove down all the way to Port Arthur (and saw the Remarkable Cave on the way). We spent a few hours at the Port Arthur Historic Site, took a very quick boat cruise around the harbour, walked around the area getting to know the interesting history of the place and what it used to be. Lots of interesting stories! Then we spent the whole afternoon around the most adorable and energetic Tasmanian Devils at Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park. And then sadly the 6 day tour had come to an end when we reached Hobart in the evening…

Luckily we had two more nights left to explore Hobart after the tour. MOA - the museum of ancient, modern and contemporary art, which opened less than three months ago is worth a visit! Awesome place! Really weird and kinky sort of art, but at the same time really cool and exciting! There is a winery right next to it, so you can taste wines after seeing the artwork (you kind of need to get over what you've seen by drinking, haha). The museum is free of charge! The best way to go there is by ferry. It takes 45 minutes/ way and costs 15 dollars return/person. You can also get there by bus if you like, but the ferry is much cooler and you get to see nice views on the way!

Salamanca Markets at Hobart is also worth a visit. It takes place every Saturday between 8:30 a.m and 3 p.m. It's a really nice outdoor market where you can find souvenirs, antiques, wooden objects, funky jewellery, art galleries, cafés, food stalls and much more.

People go and see Tasmania - it truly is an exotic place and really a piece of paradise!

- Alexandra / KILROY Finland