Travelling in the opposite direction! | I just threw all my plans overboard | Tasmania
For the second time in my travels, I somehow ended up moving in the opposite direction to everyone else. It’s starting to feel like a tradition.
At the beginning of this trip through Australia, I explored Queensland and New South Wales during my east‑coast adventures. Most travellers started their journey in Sydney or Melbourne and made their way north to Cairns. I, of course, did it the other way around — Cairns to Sydney. Totally by accident, but it became a running joke among the people I met on the road. Two years later, I’ve somehow managed to repeat the pattern on a completely different island.
Highlights from Bruny Island
When I began my Tasmania adventure, I kicked things off in Hobart and headed south toward Bruny Island. Most travellers go the other way — looping the island clockwise, starting in Hobart and driving up the east coast before finishing with Bruny as a weekend add‑on. I started with Bruny instead, and honestly, it couldn’t have worked out better.
I spent three incredible nights camping and hiking around the island. Hitchhiking was my main form of transport (because why not?), and even though Bruny’s bus schedule is practically non‑existent, I still managed to reach every spot on my list. When you travel that way, the journey becomes as memorable as the destination.
Bruny was everything I hoped for and more. I made it all the way to the Cape Bruny Lighthouse and even spotted the famous albino wallabies! I camped near The Neck, the narrow stretch connecting North and South Bruny, and completed every trail in South Bruny National Park. Long hikes, crystal‑clear beaches, and the kind of silence that only comes from being far away from everything — absolute bliss.
There’s something unique about camping alone on an island that small, with waves on both sides and the Milky Way above. It’s the sort of moment that reminds me why I started travelling in the first place.
I’ll soon be putting together a Bruny Island After‑Movie, and maybe even a Things to Do list for anyone planning to visit. But for now, let’s get back to how I ended up turning my whole route around — again.
A change of plans (on brand)
After finishing my last hike on Bruny, my plan was simple: take the ferry back to Kettering, return to Hobart, and use the capital as a base for side trips. But, as usual, my plans lasted about five minutes.
While hitchhiking back toward the harbour, I met a lovely traveller who happened to be driving up the east coast of Tasmania. We started talking, and before I knew it, she offered me a lift to Freycinet National Park.
It wasn’t just a small detour — Freycinet is hours north of Hobart. But it was also high on my to‑do list, and the opportunity was far too good to pass up. So, true to form, I threw my “planned” itinerary out the window and said yes.
From Bruny to Freycinet
After four days of camping and hiking, I won’t pretend — I desperately needed a shower. My bag still smells faintly of campfire and sunscreen. But the idea of heading straight into another adventure outweighed the need for comfort.
By the next morning, I was on the road again, heading up the coast toward Coles Bay, the gateway to the legendary Wineglass Bay. Sitting in the passenger seat, watching the Tasmanian landscape roll by, I realised that this is the part of travel I love most — the moments that aren’t planned yet somehow feel absolutely right.
So, once again, I’m travelling in the “wrong” direction — and it feels fantastic. Every time I stop trying to design the perfect route, the trip finds its own rhythm. Tasmania already feels full of those small surprises: people who offer rides, places that make you stay longer, and detours that turn into highlights.
What happens next? I’ll leave that for the next post. For now, it’s time to pitch my tent near the coast of Freycinet, rinse off the last of the Bruny sand, and see where this island decides to take me next.
Adventure, after all, rarely moves in a straight line.
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