Making it in Melbourne: Come to Tasmania!
You know you live in Melbourne when you can make a casual weekend trip to Tasmania. And that’s exactly what we did! Four Americans and one Canadian set off on an adventure. Five of us packed into a tiny Toyota rental (rather reminiscent of a clown car at a circus) with endless people pouring out of it at every stop.
Driving was an adventure with everything being exactly opposite – the roads, steering wheel and, apparently, the blinker because I caught myself attempting to signal with the windshield wipers a few too many times. They point at both directions, so they’re not very helpful at all. I’m currently in the market for a large “American Driver” sticker to put on the side of the next car we rent, so keep an eye out and if you find one, let me know. The good people of Australia will appreciate it.
Our hostel in Hobart had slight asylum vibes, complete with the tear-stained pillows of many a weary backpacker and a communal kitchen that would make Gordon Ramsey weep openly. But at the time, we described our hostel environment to concerned loved ones as “lived-in,” “having character” or “a bonding experience.” It really was all of the above and ended up providing some good stories, and surprisingly, delicious coffee in the mornings.
We did more things in three days than the average person should try to do in a week, or maybe a lifetime, but we checked off everything on our list. There was a cable hang glider, caves, swinging bridges, hot springs and a wildlife sanctuary involved, among a lot of other things. We also made a day trip to Bruny Island, an island off an island if you will, as well as to the iconic Wineglass Bay on our last day.
To answer the question I’m sure you’re all wondering, yes, we did see Tasmanian devils. These nasty little critters seem to be what people know most about Tasmania. They aren’t much different than how they’re depicted in Looney Tunes. We’ll cut them a break for being mean, as they’re probably grumpy about being on the edge of extinction and all.
Call me a Tasmaniac because I will definitely be returning there the next chance I get… Maybe even next weekend, homework permitting.
Want to learn more about studying abroad? Visit the Grand Canyon University website or contact us using the Request More Information button.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Grand Canyon University. Any sources cited were accurate as of the publish date.
