What an incredible, albeit far too short, week it was exploring Hobart and its breathtaking surrounds with the Bendigo Camera Club from September 9th to the 15th. Honestly, the weather couldn't have felt more like home tracking almost perfectly with our usual Bendigo temperatures. It was perfect weather for lugging camera gear around and setting up tripods... right up until it wasn't.
In a twist of cruel irony, the skies decided to dramatically shift on my very last day. Just as I was heading to the airport, a cold front swept in and dumped a fresh blanket of snow right on top of Mount Wellington which was not visible until the following morning I found out. To completely miss capturing that snow-capped peak after a week of shooting is beyond frustrating, but if nothing else, it’s a brilliant excuse to book a return flight.
My last and first visit to Tasmania was way back in 2004 so this trip was something I was really looking forward to!
Day 1 - Arrival & Dusk Reflections on the Waterfront
Getting to Hobart wasn't exactly smooth sailing. Thanks to a 90-minute Jetstar delay caused by electrical issues on the tarmac, I completely missed our planned afternoon wander around the Hobart Waterfront and Constitution Dock. I finally touched down and scrambled straight to the Telegraph Hotel, sliding in just in time for our first group dinner. Fortunately, the evening wasn't a total wash for my camera. After dinner, another club member and I headed back out into the crisp Hobart air for some night photography, capturing long exposures of the historic docks, yachts, and reflections illuminated against the night sky.
Day 2 - Wilderness, Whipping Winds, and a Detour to Lake Dobson
Day two took us an hour and a half out of the city into the lush wilderness of Mount Field National Park, where we set up for silky long-exposure shots of the iconic Russell and Horseshoe Falls nestled among the giant eucalypts of the Tall Trees Walk. Since we were already so close, we decided to brave the dead end road up to Lake Dobson just to check it out. It was ferociously windy at the top, strong enough to literally whip curtains of water right off the surface of the lake! The gale was entirely worth it, though, as I spotted a dusting of snow on the distant mountain peaks and quickly swapped to my telephoto lens for a closer look. Once we finally returned to our home base in Hobart, I still hadn't had enough, so I grabbed my gear and headed back out into the city streets for another session of night photography and exploration.
Day 3 - Coastal Drama and Lookouts on Bruny Island
Day three was a massive full-day island escape, starting with the ferry from Kettering over to Bruny Island. We packed a lot in, balancing the sweeping 360-degree panoramas at The Neck Lookout and the dramatic, windswept clifftops of the historic Cape Bruny Lighthouse with a few excellent impromptu detours. We squeezed in a quick walk for some coastal photography at Two Tree Point. The route also took us through the prehistoric foliage of the Inala Jurassic Garden and past Bruny Island Premium Wine, and while I don't drink, the vineyard still provided some fantastic lines and textures for the camera. We finally capped off an exhausting but brilliant day of shooting by catching the ferry back across right at sunset.
Day 4 - Summit Panoramas and Historic City Streets
We kicked off day four right in the thick of it at Salamanca Place, exploring the bustling market and photographing the area's iconic sandstone architecture. From there, we drove up to the summit of kunanyi/Mount Wellington. The club's itinerary had explicitly warned us to dress warmly for the altitude, but we lucked out with absolutely incredible weather, there was hardly a breeze and it was warm enough that I was actually up there in shorts while shooting those sweeping panoramic wide-angle cityscapes! To wrap up another massive day, I set my tripod up close to the city for a dedicated night shoot, focusing my long exposures on the illuminated Tasman Bridge in the distance.
Day 5 - Sunrise Waterfronts, Port Arthur, and Remarkable Caves
I finally got my early morning sunrise shoot in, slipping out before the rest of the group stirred to wander the quiet city and waterfront as the light came up. Afterwards, we piled into the cars and drove out to the Tasman Peninsula, an area known for its heavy convict history and dramatic coastal scenery. We spent the vast majority of our day deeply immersed in the haunting architecture of the UNESCO-listed Port Arthur Historic Site, which provided incredible opportunities for historical photography against that rugged backdrop. While exploring the fascinating geometric rock formations at the nearby Tessellated Pavement, I stumbled upon and bought that amazing bottle of "pirate water" (Pirates Sky H2O). Time has a habit of slipping away when you are looking through a viewfinder, especially at a site as massive as Port Arthur so we unfortunately ran out of daylight to check out the Tasman Arch and Devil's Kitchen. We still managed to capture the the Blowhole at Pirates Bay, however, and navigated the stairs down to the surging, atmospheric waters of Remarkable Cave before heading back to Hobart.
Day 6 - Golden Hour Docks, Graffiti Alleys, and Battling the Wind
I was up early again for a sunrise shoot, and the lack of sleep paid off massively. On the walk back to the accommodation, the morning light hitting the boats in the dock was absolutely incredible. I honestly think I captured my best image of the entire trip right then and there. Later in the morning, I took a peaceful wander through the Hobart Botanical Gardens to photograph the diverse plant life and serene landscapes. Feeling inspired, I decided to pivot from the rest of the club's planned itinerary. Instead of heading to the Cascades Female Factory, MONA, or the wildlife sanctuary, I jumped on a boat cruise that took us right under and around the Tasman Bridge. Getting out on the water provided some fantastic architectural angles that are completely impossible to shoot from the land.
Later in the afternoon, while exploring the city on foot, I stumbled upon a hidden alleyway packed with amazing graffiti that made for some brilliant texture and street photography. Before our final group dinner, I headed up to a lookout to shoot the Tasman Bridge at sunset, waiting patiently for the city lights to flicker on. Afterwards, I ventured closer, right underneath the bridge on the far side of the city, for one last night session. The wind was absolutely howling off the river. Even though I was physically trying to shield my camera from the gusts, the extreme conditions caused just enough movement to blur a few of my long exposures, a frustrating, but fittingly wild, end to a brilliant week of Tasmanian photography.
Day 7 - Moody Skies, Puddle Reflections, and the Journey Home
While I didn't have to rush quite as much on our final morning, I still headed out early to squeeze in one last shoot before my mid-afternoon flight. The Tasmanian weather had finally turned, bringing in a sharp cold snap and dark, brooding skies. Mount Wellington was completely shrouded in cloud with snow on the way, which frustratingly, I knew I was going to miss! However, the overnight rain was a blessing in disguise, leaving behind plenty of puddles for me to shoot across and capture those glassy reflections I love so much, complete with a brilliant rainbow breaking through the gloom. With heavier rain rolling in, I caught the Skybus to the airport a bit early, using the downtime to grab some food, explore the small terminal, and get a head start on editing. Thankfully, there were no departure delays this time around. I touched down in Victoria around 6 PM, leaving just the familiar drive back to Bendigo to reflect on an unforgettable week of shooting.
Southern Tasmania 2026: The Complete Video Journey
If scrolling through the daily photo galleries leaves you wanting more, you can sit back and watch the entire week unfold in the video below. I’ve condensed our full 7-day itinerary with the Bendigo Camera Club into a 20-minute visual journey. From battling the howling winds at Lake Dobson and capturing the silky falls of Mount Field, to exploring the historic ruins of Port Arthur and chasing that incredible sunrise light on our final morning, this video captures all the landscapes that a still photograph can't quite convey. Grab a drink, hit play, and join me behind the lens.