To me, Tasmania feels like a stand-alone version of Australia, more reminiscent of northern Europe than its fellow states. This comes through in its woodlands, its craft, its climate, its village-like settlements. I will be back.

But first, arrival. The Hobart airport was a zoo when I arrived, perhaps because the school holiday week was about to start. Crossing the tarmac to enter the terminal, once inside there wall-to-wall people with only a handful of gates and toilets, and I was lucky to just walk on by to the single baggage carousel. Just like in Melbourne, a big red double-decker Skybus (ticket via app) transported me into downtown Hobart in about 20 minutes to one of several stops just four blocks from my hotel.

The flight is only an hour and a half from Melbourne to Hobart. I chose flying over a ferry, which accommodates passengers and vehicles on an approximately 12-hour water crossing (Bass Strait), for a quicker trip and also in order to avoid questionable winter seas that disrupt and even cancel sailings. A trip on the ferry requires added legs: getting to Geelong an hour away from Melbourne to embark, then getting to Hobart about 4 hours south from the ferry’s arrival at Devenport on the north shore. Plus, the flight actually cost a little less. In short, take the ferry if you have some time, good weather and a vehicle; otherwise, I suggest flying.

Visiting Tasmania without a car, as I did, is a bit of a radical idea. It's true that I saw a fraction of the natural wonders of the island while I was there. One of the hardest parts of travelling is deciding what to see, and what not to see, because as Colleen and I have discussed several times, "you can't see it all", unless the stay is very, very long. Given another crack at it, I would do a month in Tassie, and do things I only heard about after I arrived: walk the coast-to-coast track (five days backpacking between cabins) and the Three Coves track (three days, same configuration), both of which require booking months in advance and the appropriate season. Plus, I'd see other major natural sites I'd missed (Wineglass Bay, Freycinet, Bay of Fires, then there are several islands...it goes on and on). That said, in the seven days I had on the ground there, I did well, sans car.

Though Sydney (1788) was the first major city founded in Australia, and set amongst smaller, early-settled towns later incorporated into it, Hobart (1803) and Launceston (1806) of Tasmania were close behind, and therefore are two of the oldest settlements in Australia. The boom in British interest in new lands to conquer, I've learned on this trip, was due to the Revolutionary War cutting off access to the North American colonies for convicts and/or people in search of a better life than England could provide at that time. Early history in Tasmania included many convicts, and the worst sent over from England went to Port Arthur in Tasmania (see earlier post, here).

The shared evolutionary events, of which receiving convicts is one, between the US and Australia fascinate me, though there is also as one key distinction that stands out to me. Shared events:

• a start under British rule and receiving their cast-offs;

• Americans playing important roles in early Australian whaling and trade;

• a rural/agricultural beginning that is embedded in the culture (Australians are cowboys, do rodeos, and lament the on-going conversion of family farms to factory farms)

• a romantic ideal of "country" that borrows from Aboriginal/Native American ideals;

• almost-parallel gold rush eras that spurred settlement (Americans joining the Australian gold rush that began a few years later), and, of course,

• the World Wars.

A key distinction: the subtle but deep vein of rebellion in the US culture, going back to the Revolution, that Americans subconsciously absorb. For instance, from conversations I've had, a very informal sample, it seems that most Australians are not very interested in whether their country becomes independent from the British Commonwealth. Legal changes in the relationship over time mean that Australia is mostly a stand-alone country already, so there may or may not be much to be gained. Still, to the Americans in my audience - does your stomach turn over at the thought that we could still be part of the British Commonwealth, like mine does? A visceral reaction, for me. A hint of that "rugged American individualism" coming out. Current U.S. divides show a negative side to that.

Turns out that the four blocks leading to my hotel were along an active pedestrian street bordered by shops and restaurants, Elizabeth Street (again, how does Australia do it?). The sun was noticably lower in a winter sky; that is how much closer to Antarctica I've gotten, it was reminiscent of Iceland. Despite people-watching the office workers and shoppers keeping me company, the four blocks felt long carrying bags, though I'm sure getting better at it. My small, local hotel was kind enough to upgrade me to a large with windows on two walls and a nice view of nearby Mount Wellington. It was very centrally located, with a supermarket nearby as well as the ferry terminal. Complete with kitchenette, the room had been recently renovated and refurnished.

The steep green hillsides rising out of the sea to frame the Derwent River harbor reminded me of Ireland or coastal Maine (with less rock) or coastal England, and the cool, humid air consistently reminded me of Boston harbor; Hobart in winter is like Boston in the fall.

MONA

One of the best museums I've ever seen, the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) is like the Getty in LA in that it is a daytrip destination, with a ferry ride (if you choose) and multiple outdoor spaces and food venues for hanging out. The museum itself includes multiple levels underground, and a bit of a dark ambience throughout. (In one temporary exhibit, viewers were cautioned to go slowly and be careful because there was so little light). Many of the transitional spaces are vaulted, and there are frequent bridges and tunnels. Painting, prints, sculptures, and sound art are all incorporated. One room (the best room) is for women only. The raw-ish concrete waffle slabs and poured walls, as well as exposed stone, lend texture to the experience throughout. Put this on your bucket list.

Salamanca Market

On Saturdays, the Salamanca outdoor market is a happening. Beautiful food, coffees (of course! this is Australia after all) crafts and Tasmanian goods are widely available, as is great people-watching. From there, an historic neighborhood extends east and south, for good strolling and architecture-spotting.

Launceston

In hopes of seeing more of Tasmania, I decided to go to Launceston for a few days. I've been hesitant to rent a car this trip, because I don't want to spend my time driving and parking and putting in gas, picking up and returning vehicles. There's the expense, and I was leery of driving on the wrong side of the road without even a spotter in the car. So, I took a bus from Hobart to Launceston, enjoying endless views of green sheep pastures along the way - again, Ireland. The trip itself was on-time, the bus was comfortable and not half-full, and the cost "return" was A$35. However, by the time I'd returned to Hobart, I understood that the intercity bus system in Tassie and Launceston in particular was in a bit of disarray, with the private operator recently reorganized and the website not up to date or even legible. I'd even needed help from the local tourist information office in Hobart to book a ticket, while in Launceston there was no longer a facility, as the bus company had been forced out of the previous digs, called "Transit Center" ironically. Plans to take travel to other nearby towns and natural areas from a Launceston base evaporated, between poor weather and obfuscation. Tasmania may be one location to get - or bring on the ferry - a car.

I'd booked an AirBNB in a residential neighborhood adjacent to the downtown, West Launceston, and based on some clues I expected to climb a hill to get there...but oh-my-goodness, this was the steepest urban hill I'd ever walked up. Like, I've never even imagined a hill so steep. About three of the five long blocks up were accomplished by stairs, while cars took a series of switchbacks over yonder; when the stairs stopped, the incline required stepping on my toes. It was a great neighborhood to be in because of the amazing views out over the main of the city on the floodplain, where the North Esk and South Esk rivers come together to form the Tamar River; also, because of proximity to the famous Zig Zag Trail connection downtown to Cataract Gorge, a beautiful natural area adjacent to the town. The hosts were exceptional, the unit had everything I needed, I recommend staying in that area, just make sure you take a taxi (A$8) to get there if you are carrying luggage.

Launceston is home to roughly 75,000 people, and more and older historic architecture than Hobart. Such interesting styles. Kids with double-digit ages wandered the town unchaperoned, which is not uncommon in other smaller Aussie cities, reminding me of my childhood. This time of year, mid-July, mornings are foggy, cloudy or even frosty with a reasonable hope of it burning off for the afternoon. A four-by-four block downtown was small but densely active with food and retail offerings. Industrial areas long the river are midway through redevelopment; park, water management and walkway infrastructure is there, including a pedestrian bridge, but the active building uses are still under development. [Please see end of this post for photos of Launceston’s architecture.]

Zig Zag track and Cataract Gorge

Cataract Gorge is one of the most-lauded natural features in Tassie, and it was a 30-minute hike from my AirBNB. A walk along a gorge leads to a rocky volcanic crater, waterfalls, a hydro plant, a park, a suspension bridge, and a cable car. The Zig Zag track (named for switchbacks) connects the gorge to the downtown, and is a pleasant, though not flat, hike. The city end places the walker in a system of riverfront parks also pleasant to explore.

Queen Victoria Museum

This local and natural history museum exhibited Australia's role in space, a revolving show of extensive wildlife photography, and the history of trains in Tassie (the museum is located in old rail yards, featuring a few old sheds, engines and cars).

Library

I love to visit libraries in the towns I stay in, especially in Oz where people are still in love with actual books. The libraries offer an insight into the community - are they active and up to date? or out of date and quiet? Big or small? An impression of a community’s library leaves this book worm with the impression of a community. In Launceston, it was clear the library was a center in the community. After school, parents and grandparents brought kids in for programs and choosing books. One little boy, maybe five years old, explained to his grandparents how the library card worked. The cafe there was clearly a regular meeting place for groups in the town, and it was fun to people-watch there.

It was a two-day event to get back to Hobart and fly out to Darwin, from nearly the extreme southern part of Australia to the extreme north coast, from a cool martime island to the tropics. But Darwin was the top of my list of places to see, and I was finally going to be there. Up next.

Additional Launceston architecture shots