We asked two of our team members in Tasmania to share why they love the “Natural State” and their favourite spots to visit during their downtime. Tassie’s beautiful national parks, waterfalls and scenic drives are clear winners.
Mojtaba Karami – Senior Engineer
Currently working on site in Rosebery, a small town on Tasmania’s famous West Coast. Mojtaba has compiled his favourite West Coast hikes and tourism spots below.
Cradle Mountain
This is one of the best hikes I have ever done in Australia and just 50-minutes drive from Rosebery. Cradle Mountain has many hikes with various distances from three hours to six days all with spectacular views of the surrounding mountains and lakes. The area is snowy in winter but the paths are safe and designed for all seasons. Whether hiking or staying at one of Cradle Mountain’s many hotels, you will find it’s a perfect place to enjoy the unique nature and wildlife of Tasmania.
West Coast Wilderness Railway
The West Coast Wilderness Railway runs between Queenstown to Strahan. The station in Queenstown has a café and bar that are fantastic. The museums and galleries about the history of the railway are well worth a visit. Queenstown is a beautiful forty-minute drive from Rosebery with great walking tracks to stop at along the way.
Horsetail Falls Track
Impressive falls await at the end of this short walking track near Queenstown. The walk enjoys pleasant views of the town and waterfalls.
Mount Murchison Hike
A twenty-minute drive from Rosebery, this track is a challenging 3-4 hour hike and good half-day exercise. There are sections where you need to use the permanently installed ropes. The beginning of the track leads through beautiful bushland, and from the higher elevations, you enjoy fantastic views over the surrounding area and lake. In winter, when it snows, the area becomes even more beautiful.
Stanley and The Nut Chair Lift
Stanley is a small, beautiful town at the Northwest tip of Tasmania with cozy restaurants and cafes. There is a 2km track next to the town up to the nut with spectacular views over the ocean. There is also a chairlift if you prefer not to walk.
Mount Montgomery Hikes
There are good hikes near Penguin (between Burnie and Devonport) with various levels of difficulty. The shortest one takes just two hours, while the longest track needs a whole day. Or, if you prefer, there are mountain bike trails alongside the walking tracks. All have beautiful views over the ocean.
Mount Farrell Hike
There is a nice hike near Tullah through bushes and onto higher elevations with fantastic views over Tullah, Lake Rosebery, and Lake Mackintosh.
Montezuma Waterfalls
A beautiful 8km return walking track through bushes leads to an amazing waterfall with a suspension bridge at the foot. These waterfalls are a quick 10-minute drive from Rosebery, where I am based on-site during the week.
Luisa Luengas – Hobart Office Manager and Associate Engineer
I’m drawn to mountains, and the rugged landscapes and geology in Tassie are just incredible and never cease to amaze me.
My partner and I have been trying to clock at least one hike in every one of Tasmania’s nineteen national parks, and accessing the most remote ones is proving to be an amazing challenge.
One of my favourite hikes so far is the South Coast Track, which I did with a group of friends last year. We accessed the park via an 8 seater light aircraft which dropped us off in Melaleuca where the hike began. We walked for eight days to traverse the park and during that time we camped in diverse settings, climbed mountains, crossed rivers, swam in the ocean, sun-baked at the beach, and showered in a waterfall. We even got a visit from a cheeky spotted quoll.
Hobart is a lovely place to live and work. I enjoy the fresh produce, the quality of the seafood and the delicacy of the wines and gins. My favourite time of the year is during Dark Mofo Festival which happens before the winter solstice. Although it takes place in the middle of winter, the activities are designed to make you feel connected to others and to experience what makes this place so unique.
For me, this island is a paradise.
