Traveling to Tasmania

I recently traveled to Tasmania, which is an island state of Australia. Tickets to Tasmania were exceptionally cheap during this time, so my friend and I decided to take advantage of the cheap airfare. Tasmania is not too far from Melbourne either, so it was ideal to go for a short trip: it takes about an hour to get from Melbourne to Hobart—the capital of Tasmania.

We stayed for four nights in an Airbnb in Moonah. Moonah is a suburb north of the central business district. Generally, the further you stay from the central business district, the cheaper the accommodation. Luckily, our Airbnb was near a bus line with buses that ran pretty frequently to and from the city.

On the first day we bussed to the central business district and went into the Tasmanian Travel & Information Center. At the center, you can inquire about things to do and where to stay around Tasmania as well as sign up for guided tours and buy Tasmanian souvenirs.

There was a large selection of offerings available to pick and choose from. Unfortunately, most of the tours were either too expensive or did work well with our schedule. We did not rent a car since both my friend and I were terrified of driving on the left side of the road, so we decided to sign up for a shuttle bus tour of Mount Wellington. The shuttle tour was $30 and lasted for about two hours (which is inclusive of 35 minutes spent at the summit). The views were absolutely beautiful from every vantage point.

The next day, we visited the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery in the central business district. Entry was free, which makes it a fun and affordable activity. The art and exhibitions featured notable Tasmanian artists and revealed the history of Tasmanian culture and the natural environment.

The main reason we decided to go to Tasmania was for Dark Mofo. Dark Mofo is the winter version of MONA FOMA (Museum of Old and New Art: Festival of Music and Art), which is an annual arts and music festival based in Hobart. The festival goes on for two weeks and there are a variety of events that take place: gallery openings, art performances, film screenings, live music, laser shows, DJ sets, etc. The most seminal part of Dark Mofo is probably the Winter Feast. The Winter Feast is essentially a large night market where stallholders offer different types of foods and beverages.

On the last day, we went to the Museum of New and Old Art (MONA) in Berriedale. We took the bus to get there, however, there is a ferry that most visitors take to get to MONA. The museum is owned by David Walsh, an Australian man who made his riches from gambling. The museum is described by Walsh as a “subversive Disneyland.”