For the last day of my trip, I spent it exploring Hobart. Hobart is a small city (comparable to the size of Darwin) in regards to Australia. However, it is by far the biggest and most populous town in Tasmania. It was only an hour away from Dunalley and where I was staying. I stopped at Cascade Brewery, Australia’s oldest brewery. Built in 1824, CAscade is Tasmania’s most popular brand. Its main selling point was that it uses Tassie’s fresh mountain water. I took the tour of the brewery and was the only one, so it was a one on one tour. It was actually pretty informational on how beer was made. After the tour, I got four free beers. I had those with lunch and then had to return the car. First, I had to clean the van as it got very dirty on the trip. I just took a bunch of wet rags and wiped it down real quick. After I returned the car, I got an Uber to the YHA and got settled.
Afterward, I explored Hobart, but there wasn’t actually much to see. I walked
This trip was the first time in my life that I realized the actual dangers of traveling alone. I was alone in the wilderness and not a single person on earth knew where I was or where I was going. On top of that, I was completely unarmed. If there was ever an attack, all I would have is my bare hands to protect myself. At a lot of the campsites I was alone, but when another car pulled up, there was always some level of apprehension. Of course, there was nothing that happened, but that was the first time that I had ever felt vulnerable while traveling.
Another difficulty I found was dealing with isolation. I turned off my phone and therefore had no communication with anyone I knew, let alone any meaningful conversation with anyone at all. I found myself often talking out loud and to no one at all. Going without my phone was a lot harder than I thought. I even cracked at one point and sent a couple of Snapchats while I was at Maria Island. I then regained composure, but as soon as I was in Hobart, I was back on my phone. It was a little concerning how attached I was to my phone, and the thing is, I feel as if I’m not attached and dependent on my phone as most of society. I think it goes to show how much technology has shaped our society. I will definitely have to try a trip like this again. However, next time, I won’t crack.
Overall though, this was an incredible trip. Tasmania is probably my favorite place on earth. And as difficult as this trip was, I would do it again in a heartbeat. It was an incredible trip and I am happy I did it in the style that I did.