L’Officiel Malaysia – July 2019

Living 158

parks—visited by more than 200,000 people a year—only a
few see beyond the perfect curve of Wineglass Bay, the jewel
in the crown of the park that’s overshadowed everything else
here ever since colonial times. For the record, Wineglass
Bay is one of Tasmania’s most photographed views, and
deservedly so when we hiked to witness the scenery ourselves.
After 30 minutes into it, unforgiving, rugged beauty greeted
us at The Wineglass Bay lookout. You can view Wineglass
Bay from several vantage points but we recommend either
the Mount Amos or Wineglass Bay lookout; Mount Amos is
generally reserved for more experienced bushwalkers while the
Wineglass Bay lookout walk is shorter and easily accessible to
walkers of varying abilities.

Just stick to the designated path and watch out for venomous
snakes slithering in the heathlands and the thick scrub. This
is Australia, after all. The sun was setting—a blaze of orange,
reds and purple peeked out through the gaps in the dense
forest as dusk started to take over—as we made our way down
to Freycinet Lodge (freycinetlodge.com.au/+61 3 6256 7222)
to stay for the night. Tucked away in the coastal scrub of the
national park, its newly renovated pavilions provide the ideal
base for those looking to explore the park by day and retreat
to some luxurious seclusion by night. The space is beautifully
utilitarian, warm and well-kitted out. And the best part? All
of them have outdoor bathtubs. After a day on the trek, we
couldn’t think of anything better than a quiet little soak with a
glass of wine.

You know you’re in for a great day when you wake up to a
colourful sunrise and an ocean as still as a millpond. We
headed out early to Freycinet Air (freycinetair.com.au/+61 3
6375 1694) to experience the scenic flight because there was

no better perspective to appreciate the mountainous Freycinet

Peninsular than from the air. The 30-minute flight took us over

Wineglass Bay and the Hazards and continued down south of

the Peninsula where we landed on Maria Islands.

Maria is accessible only by ferry (and small planes) and contains

the most intact example of a convict probation station in all of

Australia. Famous as Tasmania’s only island national park,

this island is originally inhabited by the indigenous tyreddeme

people and as there are no vehicles on the island (which is

probably one reason why the furry locals are so laid-back

here), visitors have the option to walk or cycle their way on the

eucalypt forest tracks, past historic ruins, rugged cliffs and

mountains. Keep an eye out for the abundant wildlife along the

way, especially wombats, kangaroos and pademelons.

While they are certainly cute and may even appear to be cuddly,

it’s important to remember all Tasmanian native critters are

wild animals and should be respected when entering their

habitats. The best way to do this is by sticking to designated

trails, leaving no trace when exploring the wilderness areas,

and appreciating the furry friends from a distance.

THIRD STOP: LAUNCESTON

Many kilometres later, we were back on the road again to

Tasmania’s northern city called Launceston. Life is good at this

small town; the pace is slow, the fresh produce is glorious, the

locals are friendly and the adventures are numerous. There’s a

spectacular scenic gorge to walk along, food trails to follow and

vineyards boasting premium local wine and gourmet menus all

within minutes from the heart of the city.

We made our first stop at Cataract Gorge, an astonishing urban

Josef Chromy Tasmania - Courtesy of Tourism Tasmania and Rob Burnett

Freycinet Lodge - Courtesy of RACT Destinations

Wineglass Bay - Courtesy of Jason Charles Hill