My time in Tasmania is far too short. But I am glad to visit its two largest cities, Hobart in the south and Launceston in the north, to get a taste of each one.

First — this is The Red Velvet Lounge in Cygnet, the town where my WWOOF host family lives. I don’t get to stop at this coffee shop but isn’t it cute? A few weeks later I read about it in Air Asia magazine. Wish I had popped in for a latte!

This is Hobart, a city I fell in love with over the span of a Saturday afternoon.

I leave my bags in storage at the bus station to wander around and grab lunch.

Shortly thereafter, I find myself in the Tolhurst Downunder Bookshop.

This is Gary, the friendliest used bookstore clerk I’ve ever met. Upon entering he explains the layout of the store and offers to help me find anything. After browsing, I asked about a specific title I’m after — Mr. Penumbra’s 24 Hour Bookstore. It’s a long shot but Gary looks it up and they do not have a copy. I purchase Pride & Prejudice (featuring a fun cover by Pulp! The Classics).

I ask Gary if I can take his photo and he happily obliges. He explains that awhile back someone else took his photo and it ended up winning a photography contest. I’m not sure mine will score any prizes but I am happy to document meeting this jolly guy.

I press on towards the waterfront in search of the weekend market.

I see a sign that reads “Dark Mofo” and I don’t get it. Turns out it will all make sense the next morning in Launceston.

Salamanca Market is delightful. It’s a beautiful, crisp winter morning as I stroll through booths of homemade goods and carts of savory food.

You won’t believe it… while perusing a table of used books, Mr. Penumbra’s 24 Hour Bookstore practically jumps up and calls my name.

On my way back to the bus station, I return to the used bookstore and share my good news with Gary. He is absolutely delighted that the book “found” me. I am in such good spirits! I grab a mocha as I exit Salamanca Market and the barista is so touched when I photograph her handiwork. I’ve only meet a few people in Tassie today but I love them all.

This storefront cracks me up. “Tasmanian Home Brewing Supplies… The Hobby With Benefits.”

And this gives me a laugh — the local bus company is called Tassie Link, and the local tattoo shop is called Tassie Ink. What a difference a letter makes. Perhaps this is where fellow WWOOFer Marc got his infamous “3” tattoo?

I catch the bus north to Launceston, which is affectionately called “Lonnie” by the locals. It takes about three hours and the countryside is beautiful.

I walk to my hostel at dusk and snap this colorful shot along the river. It is brutally cold.

The next morning I rise early to settle my plans to hike Cradle Mountain. I have time to grab coffee by the river and check out the Dark Mofo exhibit (does that ring a bell?) which is on display for the morning only. The hostel receptionist tries to describe it to me (“a big angry fish”) but I’m still not sure what to expect as I set out along the river.

I’d like to reiterate just how cold it is. The walkways are slippery with frost and patches of ice.

Side story: the night before, the fire alarm went off around 1am and we all huddled in the street while a firetruck made sure it was only a false alarm. I had to ask for an extra blanket to warm up after. BRRR.

This is it… an angry fish… with boobs?

A little backstory on this creature — it’s only a small part of Dark Mofo, the annual Winter solstice festival run by the Museum of Old and New Art. It’s the largest privately funded museum in Australia and is funded by Tasmanian millionaire, mathematician, and “professional gambler” David Walsh. This museum, built into the cliffs of Hobart, sounds fascinating and I wish I’d had time to visit. Check out this CNN article for the full scope on its structure and contents (you will not regret clicking on that link… this museum is B-A-N-A-N-A-S).

While the Dark Mofo festival takes place in Hobart, the museum sent this creature to Launceston for the morning so that other Tasmanian cities could partake in this solstice celebration.

Guests can get inside the hot air balloon basket to rise about 10-15 feet off the ground. It’s not as cool as an actual hot air balloon ride but still fun for the crowd.

I walk back via a skate park and notice this hindsight view of Dark Mofo.

Before departing for our tour of Cradle Mountain, guide Mike graciously stops at the Cataract Gorge upon my request. These are my only daylight hours in Launceston and the gorge is on our way out of town. We walk up to the bridge (see our silhouettes below?) and gaze out over the water.

We climb higher to this vantage point looking down over the bridge below.

That swimming pool across the way is hopping during the summer. Not today.

A look back at the bridge we crossed earlier.

There is a cable with little gondolas running over the water. We don’t try it but it looks fun.

There is frost and snow dusting the shaded rocks.

A few shots of the pool. I can imagine this is a popular spot when the weather is warm.

I stay at The Pickled Frog in Hobart. The decor is very fun — it feels like a rustic old lodge.

I love this reading nook:

I cozy up by the fire with a glass of mulled wine and edit photos. A lovely way to pass a chilly evening.

This wraps up my time in Tasmania. I need to come back with about 2-3 weeks of free time in order to properly see the island — there are so many mountains to climb and beaches to visit, plus that crazy art museum. Considering that I never planned to visit Tassie in the first place, I am SO grateful that I made the trip. My WWOOF experience will always be one of my fondest travel memories and I have no doubt that the natural beauty of the state will lure me back in the coming years.