Can you imagine an even more remote place to work from than Tasmania? I can’t — for now.

Me and Tasmania — Tasmania and me

Last February, I was lucky enough to spend 4 weeks on that “small” island South of Australia’s main land. Yes, I wrote Australia. Tanzania is a very different story. Please stop asking me about life in Africa. 😃

During my time in Tasmania, I worked 4 days a week and had 3 days a week to explore Tassie with my little family — my favorite travel companions.

We changed apartments once to explore as much as possible and therefore stayed 2 weeks in the North of the island, then 2 weeks in the South. Tassie is an island on which you can easily end up in very remote spots, like we did in the North. We stayed in a small cottage in Riana. Our next (human) neighbors were 500 meters away. To get to our house by car, we had to open and close 3 fences to prevent the cows from changing the fields that surrounded our cottage. It’s been a remote dream!

Our cottage in Riana, Tasmania

Moving down to Hobart after 2 weeks almost felt like a shock. People. Cars. Buildings. A city center! Though admittedly, our cottage in Hobart with a view towards Mount Wellington was in a calm neighborhood. Only a few wallabies visited our garden each evening.

That clocks are ticking differently in Tasmania can be seen on dialogues like this one (with Gerke, the landlord of the Riana property):

I: “So how come the street you live in has actually your family name? Is it pure coincidence?
Gerke: “Nah. At one point, Tasmania decided that all roads got to have a name. So someone suggested to give it my family’s name as our house is the oldest in the street.”
I: “And when did that happen?”
Gerke: “A few years ago.”

Makes me wonder if they actually had internet access before they had a road with a name… but I forgot to ask!

Please click through the 2 albums below and read the captions to learn more about our fabulous four weeks in Tassie.

North (Riana and around)

Cradle Mountain — my favorite National Park in Tasmania

Cradle Mountain

Shadow Play

This boat shed is from the 1940s and still one of the most popular photo motives in the Park

Pink ripples in the sky above our cottage in Riana

You never see them coming, but once you’re back home they are all over your shoes and trousers

Saw a few too many of these during the bush walk around our cottage

A superb fairywren, whose feathers turn bright blue for the breeding season

Honeyeaters…

…in front of our cottage window

Butterfly fun

Love the different materials and matching colors in this photo

Still wondering why I felt like in New Zealand?

Wild wallaby at Fernglade near Burnie

Fossil Bluff in Wynyard

Sulphur Creek on a sunny day

Not the kid friendliest beach…

…but certainly worth a visit from a geological point of view

Wilderness magic at Leven Canyon

Great view point in Leven Canyon (not a drone photo!)

“Bacon” formations in the Gunns Plains Caves

The “wedding cake” in the Gunns Plains Caves

Penguin spotting during sunset hour at Lillico Beach

Tassie devil up close

Wings Wildlife Park discovery: white kangaroo

There are no koalas living in Tasmania’s forests; this little fellow was imported from the mainland

Couldn’t.Stop.Photographing! #CutenessAlert

South (Hobart and around)

Hobart, Tasmania on a cloud free day

Sightseeing in Hobart

Cool camouflage

Funny clouds

Remote beaches are so typical Australia

Shell galore East of Hobart

Look who found their new balance ;)

Tessellated pavement at Eaglehawk Neck — believe it or not, this is a 100% natural rock formation; nothing man-made

I did not expect the Tasman Arc to be that big — quite impressive and a great surprise

Russell Falls in Mt. Fields National Park

Mt. Fields National Park, Tasmania

What other remote work places would you recommend?

My standards would be:

• a reasonable internet speed
• the modem nearby, to be able to turn it off and on again if needed
• an affordable place to rent for work and living (I’m working from home, not at the beach like people tend to think)

If you like this post, you might also like Dancing Butterflies In Tasmania… (also not in Africa!)