Tasmania’s Wild Views & Super Weird Snacks

Our Spirit of Tasmania Cabin

Writing about Australia as a travel destination always feels a little weird. Ash is Australian. We lived in Melbourne for almost four years, and the kids have Australian passports even though they’ve spent most of their lives in the US. It’s kind of like reviewing your in-laws’ house as an Airbnb—you’ve spent plenty of time there, but it doesn’t quite feel like a “vacation” spot. Family travel to Tasmania, however, was different.

During our many trips to Melbourne to visit family (and during our time living there), we had ample opportunities to see kangaroos, whether hopping through the wild or lounging in an animal sanctuary. One of the best parts of international family travel is discovering wildlife in its natural habitat. In Tasmania, that meant wombats—and oh boy, were they everywhere. Wombats are basically chunky, four-legged marshmallows that waddle around like they have places to be but no real urgency to get there. We also saw Tasmanian devils, possibly a little too close for comfort, and Cooper got to do a meet-and-greet with a sugar glider—his absolute favorite animal. To say he was delighted would be an understatement; he looked like he might try to smuggle it home in his hoodie.

Despite all our time in Australia, we still did a double take when we saw signs advertising “wallaby burritos” for sale. We tried to be open-minded, but some things are just too much. However, the scenery made up for any culinary culture shocks. Tasmania was, simply put, stunning. Gorgeous views were everywhere, and between the wildlife and the landscapes, we felt like we got some solid quality time with nature.

Speaking of things I never expected to enjoy: ferries.

Long before kids, on our first wedding anniversary, Ash (in an effort to be romantic) booked a trip to Martha’s Vineyard. Lovely thought. Beautiful destination. Unfortunately, he did not yet know that he had married a woman with a tendency toward seasickness. And on the day we traveled, the entire boat seemed to share my affliction. What followed was five and a half hours of a truly symphonic vomiting experience. The trip was lovely once we arrived, but I have avoided ferries with a passion ever since.

So, when Ash announced that we’d be spending ten hours on the Spirit of Tasmania, my jaw just about hit the floor. But I have to admit—it was amazing. The whole operation was incredibly well-organized. We boarded just before dinner, found our adorable little cabin (complete with a double set of bunk beds!), had a meal, discovered the onboard cinema, bought tickets, watched a movie, went to bed, and woke up in Tasmania. Best of all, we were able to bring our car, which meant we had our own transport when we arrived. We only had to bring small overnight backpacks onto the ferry, which made everything so much easier.

I won’t say I’m a full ferry convert, but the Spirit of Tasmania definitely changed my mind. Between that and the wombat sightings, Tasmania was a trip to remember. And, in case you were wondering—no, we did not try the wallaby burritos.