Today we are so excited to feature this guest post from Paige, a social media whiz and talented blogger. Read on to discover her unique take and photos from the gorgeous Tasmania!

Tasmania, or as the locals have affectionately nicknamed it, Tassie, is a must-make-trip for all those visiting the land down under. Although traditionally the butt of jokes made by those of mainland Australia for its remoteness, Tasmania is slowly coming out into the spotlight for its stunning physical beauty and unique blend of wilderness, beach and city life.

I made my way to Hobart, Tasmania’s capital, with four other friends for a long weekend with little idea of what to expect. We rented a Wicked Camper’s SUV with a tent attached to the roof and set off for an adventure to the Bay of Fires and back. We explored the farmers markets in Hobart before road tripping to Binalong Bay and the Bay of Fires. The beach there, like most other Aussie beaches, took your breath away. What made this different from those of Sydney and Cairns was that it was empty. Binalong Bay is pristine in the way that makes you immediately apprehensive about setting foot on the sand for fear of destroying the serenity. The water was clear enough to see the pebbles dotting the ocean floor, the sand was white and extraordinarily fine and the rocks were covered with bright, fire truck-red lichen, giving you the feeling that you stepped out of your car and onto Mars. As dusk set, we set up camp in Freycinet National Park. An early sunrise led us to explore Friendly Bay, which happened to be down a quick path near our campsite. The sun peeked through the clouds onto a massive and calm ocean with big rolling waves. The rocks were the same extra terrestrial red and the bay was so deserted and peaceful that we contemplated never leaving.

Ultimately, we found our way to Tasmania’s iconic Wineglass Bay. We quickly hiked up to the overview and then found and explored Sleepy Bay, which was a small and dazzling cove. We ran around at each new place like little children, desperate to discover each hiding spot and climb each rock, taking full advantage of what each new place had to offer. From there, we drove to Lake St. Clair in Cradle Mountain to camp out for the night. Here, we encountered wildlife from wallabies to possums, all of which were entirely unafraid of us.

We explored Lake St. Clair at dawn before our hike. The early morning mist and the absolute stillness that permeated the air created a haven – the kind that you want to escape to when the world becomes just a little too much to handle. From there, we hiked up Mt. Rufus, which was gorgeous – the scenery constantly morphed from forest to bush land with eerie white claw-like trees, to moss covered areas complete with gentle, wistful trees straight out of a fairy tale. This stunning hike was the last stop of our trip before returning to Hobart to fly back out for the rest of our Australian adventure. Tasmania exceeded any expectation I had of it by leaps and bounds and I can only hope that I can return one day to discover the rest of it!

Paige is a Native New Yorker and Tar Heel and has her heart set on changing the world while seeing every little bit of it. You can follow her journey on her blog.