After finishing my cycle tour of Tasmania, this wonderful island had one more fun experience in store for me – the Spirit of Tasmania. You can fly to Melbourne from Tassie fairly easily but the more adventurous option is to take the ferry.
Most days there are two sailings, day and night. In either case, it takes 9 to 11 hours to cross the often rough southern seas between Devonport and Melbourne. I love seeing the open ocean stretching forth endlessly into the distance so I chose the day crossing for the best views.
At night you’d probably want a cabin (even though they’re expensive) but during the day an extra $25 gets you a little bit of luxury. I enjoyed relaxing in the recliner seat area. With a special access card, it felt very exclusive.
Even the free open areas are quite nice compared to being on an airplane. There’s lots of space to move around and no shortage of seating (well, at least after peak season is over).
It’s easy to stay entertained too. If you get bored with watching the ocean go by or playing on your phone (there’s reception for most but not all of the crossing), you can watch a movie in the on-board cinema or burn some time (and cash) at the casino/arcade.
Of course, I spent much of my time outside looking back toward Tasmania wondering when I’ll return…
Food options are limited so you might want to bring some of your own but I was impressed with the lunch selection. For $25 you can load up a plate with as much food as you like and there are plenty of healthy options. I felt for the two German girls who didn’t quite get the concept and took nothing but french fries.
It’s nice to look back on where you’ve been. My day aboard The Spirit of Tasmania let me do that, both literally and figuratively.
Have you enjoyed a good ferry trip lately or do you prefer the speed of flying?
Eating Snow Around the World 
You got lucky Justin. Beautiful skies and seas. The last time I caught a ferry to Tasmania (admittedly years ago) we caught the tail end of a cyclone. Needless to say it wasn’t a smooth trip and I arrived feeling decidedly sick.
I can only imagine how rough the crossing is when the seas are angry. I sure was lucky to have such calm and warm weather.
Awesome! Glad you had a smooth, calm crossing.