The ultimate 2 week lap of Tassie + itinerary

Buckle up and join me as I unpack my unforgettable Tassie adventure and share the ultimate 2 week itinerary! This trip had it all: stunning landscapes, close encounters with wildlife (hello, echidnas!), a taste of history, and even a few unexpected challenges (including a rogue stone in the brake pads!). We explored the rugged beauty of Bruny Island, fell in love with the charming town of Richmond, hiked to breathtaking views in Freycinet National Park, and conquered the iconic Cradle Mountain. We even braved icy canyon waters and sampled our way through Tasmania's delicious local produce. Get ready for a whirlwind tour of Tassie, from pristine beaches and turquoise waters to lush rainforests and snow-capped mountains. It was an epic road trip filled with laughter, a few mishaps, and a whole lot of awe.

DAY ONE: SYDNEY TO BRUNY ISLAND

After a short 3 hours of sleep (or 15 minutes if you are my mother) we got up for a 6:00am flight directly to Hobart. After landing just 90 minutes later, we commenced our adventure. We hired a van off Camplify that was fully equipped for free camping (no power required). Although the Van was great and fit for purpose, we learnt that the Van had a few issues. This included the internal gas stove not working and most of the power outlets weren’t connected to the solar system so the microwave didn’t work, leaving us left with just a fridge, a Kmart single burner camping stove and 1 adapter to charge our phones. Listen, it was everything we needed but we were definitely expecting more based on what was advertised. I would recommend that you double check power requirements/ capabilities of any van you hire. In terms of my recommendations, I have previously hired through Normatic campers and they are absolutely fantastic and I am disappointed that we couldn’t book with them again this time around. 

We headed to the closest shopping complex and stocked up on groceries before setting off to Kettering to catch a ferry to Bruny island for our first stop. Due to a later arrival onto Bruny Island than expected, we had to cut some of our planned daily activities. We did however still make time to do an epic hike of the Fluted cape which was 6.5km with a 313m elevation gain which was well worth it for the stellar cliff views over the ocean. On the way down we saw some wallabies, and dolphins in the bay close to the shoreline which just affirmed that it was well worth the steps up. By the time we finished the walk, the sun was on its way down which gave the sky a soft glow unlike the harsh sun from when we started the walk. We stayed the night at Adventure Bay on Bruny Island.

DAY TWO: BRUNY ISLAND, HOBART & RICHMOND

After insisting that I wanted to see the sunrise at the iconic neck lookout, I struggled to drag myself out of bed and we ultimately missed the sun rising over the ocean. This being said, we were still up the top of the lookout by 6:15am and had the entire place to ourselves. When driving past the day before, the parking for the lookout was packed, so having the entire place to ourselves was a pleasant treat. In the evenings the Blue (aka Fairy aka Little) penguins can be spotted coming out from the ocean and waddling home to their nests buried in the hills of the Neck. Although we didn’t see it, we imagine that it would be a fun extra thing to do if you are staying longer. We headed back to the campsite to have breakfast and officially check out before heading to the Raspberry Farm up the road. Although we weren’t able to roam the fruit vines, we did get to sample all the jam flavours and have a cheeky scone (second breakfast) and coffee before heading off with a Jam jar to take home.

Because we missed out on a few activities the day before, we decided to see how many we could smash out. We popped into the Bruny island chocolate factory and picked up a few goodies for the road and then continued to head to the most southern part of the island. The road turned to unsealed gravel with small rocks flicking up so we took the road slow and steady. Even with the abundance of caution, the van started making some almighty screeching sounds so we pulled off and called the roadside assistance team to help us work out what the problem was. After a 90 minute wait and many prayers that it was not a trip ending issue, it was determined it was a stone that got stuck in the brake pads (or something like that). The solution was to pull-off into a little side road 50m or so back and remove the tire and subsequently the brakes and stone but as I was completing the 3-point turn, the stone dislodged itself and we didn’t need any further assistance. After laughing it off (but also low-key annoyed that it fixed itself immediately after help arrived) we continued to brave the gravel to the Cape Bruny lighthouse. I LOVE a good lighthouse and if you saw my great ocean road trip, you would know that I make an effort to stop into as many as I can. This lighthouse was simple and had an accompanying mini museum for you to browse the history and artefacts associated with it. I would say, it is worth the awful drive. We then proceeded back to the north island to catch the ferry back to the mainland.

We headed to Mt Wellington which has a difficult hike up. I have hiked up the mountain previously and did not feel like doing it again in such crazy heat so we cheated and drove directly to the top to explore the peak and look over the messy little city that is Hobart. The wind was chilly so I recommend bringing a jacket. Overall the view was stunning and so iconic so it is a must have on the trip whether you are going to hike or drive like we did. We continued into a local shopping complex to pick up the groceries we had forgotten the first time around and headed to Richmond for the night. We stayed on a stunning Hicamp site that overlooked the town and gorgeous mountains. This site (located on someone’s private property) only had a toilet and no other facilities so you would need to be self contained or at least happy to skip a shower for the day. 

Another beautiful and adventure packed day.

DAY THREE: RICHMOND TO FREYCINET NATIONAL PARK

We woke up to a golden sun peaking over the surrounding mountains. After doing a quick drive through Richmond the day before, we definitely wanted to take some time to look at the town which wasn’t part of the original plan. We had breakfast by the Richmond bridge which is Australia’s oldest bridge. The surrounding park and houses were absolutely stunning and we tried to soak it all in before an abundance of tourist buses rolled in. We decided to check out Wicked Cheese shop which offered free samples of all of their specialty cheeses (which were to die for). We ended up getting a brie & aged cheddar to take on our further adventures.

We continued our drive to the Port Arthur area where we visited the Historic Port Arthur site. We probably needed a full day to do it justice but even just a half day was enough to go through all the main buildings and do the ferry tour. I am usually not interested in history but I found that being able to walk through the remains of the original (and restored) buildings made it way more engaging than a typical museum experience. I would compare it to the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village in Warrnambool, Victoria. We saw the cutest baby echidna (puggle) walking across one of the fields and honestly could have spent the entire day just watching it.

We ended our day of activities with a quick stop to the Remarkable cave in Port Arthur to view a cool cave that opened into the ocean. Unfortunately you could not walk through the cave without jumping the barricade but other people clearly had if you are more of a rule breaker ;) We then did the drive to the Freycinet national park- our next destination.

DAY FOUR: FREYCINET NATIONAL PARK

After an unfortunate accident with Jam spillage on the bed, we had to spend the morning washing sheets which honestly was probably a blessing in disguise- giving us a nice slow start to the morning. We stayed in Coles bay so naturally we had to do the Coles bay loop walk and I (a very bright spark) thought it would be a good idea to walk to Honeymoon Bay for a swim. The walk was great- mostly by the ocean…. Until it wasn’t. Honeymoon bay was lovely but quite busy with many people camped on the rocks and few people in the water. The beach was more rocky and shelly than sand so reef shoes would be the best way to protect your feet. I decided to go for a dip which was honestly lovely and not too cold. Just what I needed after a very long walk to get there. I didn’t pack my goggles but there were some nice snorkelling spots around the bay and I wish that I had brought the gear to fully experience it. If you are ever in my position- just drive and maximise your day. We ended the day with a short but step heavy hike to the Wineglass Bay lookout. I was hoping to continue on to do Hazards beach hike but we were wiped after the morning walk. The lookout was stunning in the evening as the light was soft and the weather was not too hot. IDEAL

DAY FIVE: FREYCINET NATIONAL PARK

Mt Amos…. The hardest “short hike” in the Freycinet National Park. After a light breakfast we headed to the bottom on the mountain ready to tackle the 400m elevation gain. This trail was very steep, often forcing us to use our hands just as much as our legs to scramble up the steep cliff faces. I had a slip early on as my shoes got wet in a small puddle. DO NOT DO THIS CLIMB IN RAIN and avoid getting your shoes wet at all costs- it will make the walk near impossible. Many people we passed on the way up did not actually make it to the top and decided to turn around. There were thoughts that we may have to do the same thing but the promise of what was to be at the top was enough to motivate us to push through. Although exhausting, the top gave us stunning panoramic views of the Freycinet Peninsula. We got a lot of cloud cover so our visibility wasn’t as great but still jaw-dropping. The climb down was just as difficult as the climb up and I often opted to slide down on my but instead of figure out how to actually walk down it. This was probably the highlight of my trip up until this point. The adrenaline, the sense of accomplishment and the views were everything I had hoped for. 

We felt very sore post Mount Amos- I had blisters on my heels and toes and mum had bruised toes so we decided to take on some of the less strenuous attractions around the Freycinet national park. We did the short track to walk around Cape Tourville lighthouse. This gave us a whole different view of the glorious mountains but also keep a look out for wildlife. During whale season this would be a great place to whale watch- some signs around the lighthouse outline which species of whale you might spot. These include; sperm whale, humpback whale, orca, and bream whale?. The winds were starting to blow in and get really rough so we took shelter back at the park and had lunch in the camp kitchen. 

We were both exhausted after lunch so we had a nap and chilled in the van for a few hours before heading out to [insert beach name] across from our site and walked the length of it. Seeing the mountains so close to the beach provided such a stunning backdrop and the sand was nice and firm which made it super easy to walk on (my favourite). Overall, I really enjoyed our few days at the Freycinet national park and I would definitely make an effort to go back. 

DAY SIX: BAYS OF FIRE

As we drove away from the stunning Freycinet national park, we were greeted with heavy and boisterous thunderstorms. With the weather starting as less than ideal, we had to scrap our plans to visit the stunning St Columba Falls. This turned out to be a good thing as the tracks had been closed due to damage. We stopped in a small seaside town (Bicheno) to check out its infamous blowhole but decided against getting out of the car with the lightning and thunder. As we started to approach St Helens the rain softened giving us hope for the afternoon. We decided to pull up on the wharf and have Fish and Chips from the famous Skippers seafood which we ate in the van as we watched the rain slowly disperse. With our stomachs full and skies blue, we continued to the iconic Skeleton Bay in [insert town] and ‘The Gardens’ which were both iconic ocean-side white rocks that were covered with orange lichen. I believe that this colouring is what gave the area the nickname ‘Bays of fire’. 

We spent a little bit of time enjoying the sun and climbing over the rocks before deciding to head back to St Helens to take a shower and get a decent park at the Recreation ground for some free parking. We were parked next to a lovely older couple and their dog ‘Mary’ who regularly visited our van throughout the evening. 

DAY SEVEN: LAUNCESTON

As we started the day in a free camping site in St Helens, we had a quick breakfast before heading to the wharf to use the amenities before really starting our day. Stop number one was to be the ‘Little Blue Lake’ in Gladstone. This insane blue pool shouldn’t really be swam in due to the high levels of aluminium in the water. This pool is not natural but rather a result of open mining and it truly does make for a great short walk and photo along the way to Launceston. Although the lake was interesting, what was more interesting were the roads we took to get there… 48km of potholes, gravel and just generally awful roads… our 40min trip turned to over an hour. Turns out we could have stayed on the highway and saved the stress so maybe double check your google map directions before you start driving. 

Once we were back on solid roads, we remained on the highway until we reached the iconic Bridgestone estate lavender farm. When we pulled up, it was a $20 entry per person and we immediately thought ‘Great another tourist trap but we were sooooo wrong. The hills were lined with rows of purple lavender which was just stunning but that was just the tip of the iceberg. We picked up some lavender ice-cream which honestly tasted like it was straight from heaven. We then wandered the aisles and took our #instagramworthy shots. I think most people would leave after getting their photo but really there was so much more to this estate. We went on a free walking tour where we got all the insights into the history of the farm, and the production process. We then went to the lavender cafe for some sweet treats including lavender scones, lavender latte & lavender lemonade (all of which were to die for). We easily spent close to four hours in total and we could have stayed longer if we didn’t have more places to be. 

While we were in the vicinity we visited Lillyvale falls which, unlike the farm, was not worth it. We then finished our drive into Launceston where we did a quick lap of the gorge. I remember Launceston and the Gorge as an extremely overrated hole but this visit changed my mind entirely. There was a hive of activity. Walks were open, people were swimming in a sparkling blue pool which had free entry. Some people were even swimming in the gorge itself. When I visited in the winter- there was no activity. Half the walks were closed due to flooding, the pool was covered and I thought “really? This is the best Launceston has to offer?”. Having seen it now in full swing, I wish I set aside more time to stay in Launceston to experience more of what it has to offer (and go for a cheeky swim). 

DAY EIGHT: CRADLE MOUNTAIN

Our original plan was to spend today getting to Cradle Mountain as early as possible but we didn’t want to miss out on touching the Bass Straight at the northern end of Tasmania. With this in mind, we headed to Devonport to visit the Mersey Bluff Lighthouse. This was a fairly quick stop which also included a shameful Maccas coffee run. We then continued along to the top of the coastline until we came to Bernie. We wanted to find some platypus so we headed to the Fern Glade Platypus Reserve. By the time we had arrived it was already lunch time and although we walked the entire length of the reserve, no platypus were spotted. Feeling a little disappointed we headed off to Cradle Mountain. After checking in to the holiday park, we headed straight to the visitor centre to buy bus tickets for the mountain shuttle. These tickets are valid for 72 hrs and we wanted to be on the first bus on the following day so it made sense to buy them the day before. 

On a quest to make the most of the nice weather, we spent the evening doing some of the smaller walks around Peppers lodge and shop. This gave us the opportunity to do some wildlife spotting as the sun set. We started with the Knyvet falls walk where we saw a family of pademelon wallabies and at the base of the lower falls, we also managed to see platypus which was especially exciting given we missed out on seeing them earlier in the day. We then continued our walking efforts to do the Enchanted walk where we had similar luck in seeing more wallabies and wombats.

We headed to Devils @ Cradles to do the night feeding tour but we did not pre-book and the tour was full. We ended up booking the tour for the following day which ended up being perfect.

DAY NINE: CRADLE MOUNTAIN

Day nine brought us overcast and foggy sky and rain- not quite ideal weather for Cradle Mountain. With limited days on the mountain, we tried to make the most of it and headed to Ronny’s creek to begin the Overlander track. We walked the steady boardwalk tracks, keeping our eyes peeled for wombats and other wildlife- they were probably hiding from the incoming rain as we only saw the butt of a little wombat as it scurried behind a rock in the distance. The incline was steady, taking us though the grasslands and rainforest area with a small waterfall before we saw the lakes. There are a few little lakes along the overland track but we didn’t get to appreciate them fully due to the white-out fog. Our original goal was to go all the way to the top of Marion's lookout but unfortunately by the time we reached the end of the overlander track the wind and rain was too intense and we knew it wouldn’t be safe to do it. We headed down the Wombat pools trail and followed it through to Dove Lake. There is not too much to talk about as we didn’t see anything in the bad weather, however we did still have fun marching around in our ponchos and making the most of the day. We decided to walk around Dove Lake as the tracks were quiet. It is a relatively easy circuit so we smashed it out in just over an hour. With our feet sore and bodies wet and cold we decided to head back to camp for an easy breezy afternoon in the van. 

We booked the Devils @ Cradle night feeding tour at 8:30pm which gave us something to look forward to. After a light dinner we headed out. This tour was excellent! Our guide was very knowledgeable and we got to see some of the incredible Devils and Quolls exhibit some of their natural feeding behaviours. Tassie Devils are not territorial animals and prefer to scavenge for their food more than hunt but Quolls- particularly the spotted tail Quoll are very territorial and are keen hunters (which was surprising given how cute they are. I was excited to hear that they are in the clinical trial stage for a vaccine for the Tassie devil facial cancer that has plagued large amounts of the populations across Tassie. I am hopeful to never see this cute and low-key chaotic species go extinct in my lifetime. I am hoping that more awareness comes to the Quolls which are currently the most endangered species in Tasmania. 

DAY TEN: CRADLE MOUNTAIN

Today was our big Canyoning day! We booked a tour in Cradle Mountain to go canyoning in the Dove Canyons and I did not fully realise what I got into. I would like to preface that this was an incredible experience- it tested my limits both physically and mentally and I have no regrets doing it but I probably wouldn’t do it again. It started with a 40 min moderate walk into the Canyons. This should have been very easy, but with the beating heat and heavy gear bags that we had to carry- it was more of a struggle than I thought it would be- this being said all the boys were fine so maybe I just need to hit the gym more. We were in 3 layers of thick wetsuit that was physically painful to get into but we needed it jumping into 8 degree waters. Due to the cold fronts the day before- the water was extra chilly.

We abseiled into the canyon and that was it- no backing out. Abseiling would prove to be the easy bit. Our first real obstacle was a small 5m jump into one of the pools. I slipped and swallowed a bunch of water which shook me a little bit and made me extra nervous. After sliding and climbing over a few rocky sections we came to our first large jump. This was the stage that I started to think that I made the wrong decision. I wouldn’t say I am scared of heights but I hate free jumping- particularly on heights over 7 or 8 meters. I feel like I thought there were going to be options to slide down things or jump but the reality was you could only jump a lot of these obstacles. If there was any wildlife nearby, there certainly wasn’t after the scream I did jumping off that jump. Further down the canyons there were natural slides which sent us flying out over waterfalls which was incredibly fun but you drop so fast that ‘blink’, and you will miss it. There were a few more jumps, another abseil pass and we were at the end. I was blue and shivering, but proud of what we had accomplished. What goes down must come back up… so we began an intense scramble and hike back up the mountainside (in our wetsuits) to get back to our dry clothes at the top. 

I was bruised all over and my body ached. Time for a hot shower. I had hoped to go out for more walks while the weather was great but I was absolutely fried after the tour and decided to take it easy instead. We even went out for dinner at the lodge down the road. Overall a great day!

DAY ELEVEN: STRAHAN

After an early goodbye to the glorious Cradle Mountain, we headed down towards Queenstown for our Wild West Railway experience. We jumped on a restored steam train that was originally used in the O.G mining days. We were in the Wilderness carriage which meant we had less people and got a bunch of little extras along the way including a drink, and a few Tasmanian-made (or grown) snacks. We stopped at two historical stations to experience panning for gold in Lynchwood (we were unsuccessful) and had a look at some of the mining history at the other site. The stations were merely an opportunity to stretch our legs, to me the most interesting part was watching and listening to the running of the steam train. We were at the back of the train at the start giving us uninterrupted views of the cool-temperate rainforest but on the wait back we were behind the engine of the train so we got to see the driver using the pipes and steam to get the locomotive to chug along- definitely an experience you don’t want to miss.

Continuing on our mining journey, we checked out the Iron Blow Lookout which was a pool of water in an open cut mine that had been abandoned. It was eerie seeing such stretches of dry, ruined land with very little vegetation or life on it so close to one of the world’s best heritage sites. We then headed to our final stop for the day- Strahan! 

To end the day we walked along ocean beach on the outskirts of Strahan so we could say we had touched the edge of the Western side of Tassie. It just happened to be the best place to watch the sunset so we pulled up and got comfy to watch the sun say goodnight for another day. 

DAY TWELVE: STRAHAN

Day 12 was planned to be a cruisey day (literally). We had a full day dedicated to the Gordon River cruise experience. We dished out on the premium upper deck experience which gave us unlimited drinks and regular snacks and meals and exclusive access to the upper deck. I think doing this cruise is essential if you are visiting Strahan but you could easily book the standard deck and get the same experience minus the food (so pack your own picnic). Our first site on the cruise was a quick trip to Hells gate- the entrance to the river system from the ocean. This is where convicts coming to Sarah Island would enter from the ocean. Sarah Island was known as Hell on Earth which is how this passageway got its iconic name. We then got to pull up alongside some local Gordon river salmon farms which was super interesting. Seeing the fish jump around and learning how they get fed, monitored and how this type of farming minimised the impact on the natural ecosystems of the area was really eye opening, particularly as a salmon lover myself.

We then entered the Gordon River. We got to see the native trees and learn about the different types of wood. It was interesting how each type of tree had its own characteristics. For example the myrtle tree had a gorgeous citrus smell which filled the forest with a sweet scent. The most iconic tree was the protected Huon pine tree. These trees are unable to be harvested and are protected but timber mills are able to salvage naturally fallen trees and use that pine. Huon pine was known for its incredible boat making properties. It doesn’t rot the same way that other timbers do and it is easier to shape and very buoyant. Convict labourers who worked in the shipyard on Sarah island made ships primarily from this Huon Pine back in the day and they say that the ships that were built on this island were some of the finest of all. 

We then headed to Sarah Island itself and did a short walking tour of the main parts of the Island. I think Sarah Island was one of the cruelest and most violent convict camps that we visited in Tasmania. It was reserved for the worst of the criminals. Most were violent, murderous men who were known repeat offenders. A few people tried to escape, many were successful but were often caught. We heard the story of one man who escaped with a few other men and when recaptured they found the bones of his fellow escapees with him… he had eaten them (ew). The management of the camp were often awful men who inflicted physical torture and punishment of the highest extremes to the convicts. It was a real eye opening tour.

After docking back into Strahan in the later afternoon, Mum and I wandered the Main Street and did some shopping in the local timber mill. It was humbling to see how raw trees are treated, cut up and turned into the timber we use and see today. The Strahan timber mill still used the same techniques and technology as they did over 150 years ago.

We finished the day with a short walk to Hogarth Falls. We kept a lookout for platypus but only seemed to be laughed at by the many local kookaburras.

DAY THIRTEEN: MOUNT FIELD

Day 13 was a big travel day with lots of little stops. We started by heading back to Queenstown to attack the horsetail falls walk that we skipped out a few days prior. It was a relatively easy walk aside from the endless steps and minimal reward. There was barely a trickle but we did get talking to some people that had set up camp at the top to watch some mountain bike racing. Queenstown had some of the most epic looking mountain bike tracks. We didn’t see the racers come past but I’m sure it would be exhilarating. We then continued to the Nelsons Falls to see some of the most gorgeous cascading falls we had seen so far. It was an easy and quick walk and well worth the stop. 

We then continued our way back inland to the Lake St Claire national park (this is where the overland track ends from Cradle Mountain). We did a few short walks but the flies were awful and the humidity even worse. The highlight was platypus bay (via watersmeet) which was a cute little bay off the lake but unlike the name suggests, there were no platypus in sight. I actually had my first fall of the trip doing this easy boardwalk and got some epic scrapes on my hands and ankles but luckily the only thing that got seriously hurt was my ego. 

To end the day we headed for Mount Field (hoping to get a camp spot). We pulled in and luckily, we managed to snag the last powered site. The Mount Field national park is a stunning place to stop over but in peak season, I can imagine scoring a campsite could be difficult. Platypus can be spotted on the river if you are lucky behind campsite 23 and 28 so aim for those spots (we only heard about this much later). 

DAY FOURTEEN: HOBART 

We started our last full day with a big hike that covered all the falls in the Mount Field area. This started with Russell Falls, Horse Shoe falls, the tall tree walk and Lady Baron falls. The walk was simple enough and there was plenty of wildlife up and around as it was quite early in the morning. Have I mentioned how much I love echidnas? To end the walk in the best way, we grabbed a hot drink from the cafe before heading off on our next adventure. If you are a keen platypus hunter, the visitor centre has a sheet of most recent platypus sightings to get you started. We then headed to the Westerway Raspberry Farm . Drawn in by the crowds, we had to see what it was all about. We ended up getting a punnet and picking some fruit. It not only had strawberries but also blueberries, raspberries, boysenberries and every other type of berry under the sun. I had never seen a blueberry bush (more like a mini tree) before which is crazy considering I eat a ridiculous amount of blueberries in general.

We then headed to Hobart to round out our trip but first back to Richmond. We loved this quaint little town so much at the beginning of the trip that we wanted to spend a little more time there. We arrived in the early afternoon and had a quick lunch before wandering the streets. There are many cute little shops that you can browse including local art galleries which have a bunch of local art, there was a bookshop, a lolly shop, many boutique clothing and miscellaneous shops. There was a timber shop which had some gorgeous pieces. One day I am going to own a luxury chess board, handmade with wood. There was also a lavender shop which we missed as unlike the bigger cities, most things closed at 3pm. 

We then headed to our final campsite for our trip located in Hobart. 

DAY FIFTHTEEN: HOBART to sydney

Today was our home day. We didn’t have too many plans for the day but we started by cleaning the van and prepping it for the return. This included folding away the bed, emptying the fridge, sweeping and giving the dusty outside a good clean. I think Mum made it look better than how we got it.

I was a little devastated that the lavender shop was closed in Richmond the previous day as I wanted to get some Tassie ingredients so I could cook at home…. Sooooo we went back to Richmond. First we stopped at Wicked Cheese to pick up some funky chocolate flavours to bring home for the boys. We then parked up and finished our shopping at the lavender shop. I got some lavender honey, melting moments and culinary lavender for some recipes. 

We then decided to visit Richmond jail. It was a great little facility which allowed for self tours. Each section had original artefacts and great signage so you really got to understand how the whole facility worked and operated. I find it funny how the convicts often became jailers. 

We then headed into Hobart for lunch and returned the van to its owner. After flight delays and a connection through Melbourne, we arrived home late into the night and that was the end of our adventure.