I took the "long way round". The trip started with an obvious visit to the raspberry farm, Ashgrove Cheese Factory and Anvers Chocolate Factory. Food supplies also came from Turners Beach Berry Farm and Tasmanian Pickled Onions.

Also, I obviously, made time to pop in to Hellyers Road Distillery for gin. A few hours into the drive from Launceston, I questioned whether I should have taken everyone's advice and taken "the short cut".

I under estimated how much driving there would be, and wondered it would be worth it.

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Seeing the sign for Guide Falls was a welcomed relief. It was the first of many waterfalls I'd see over the next few days.

A short five-minute walk was the best sort of introduction to the wilderness I was about to see as I got further down the west coast.

It was mid-morning and there were people everywhere despite the rain.

Photographers were carrying gear down the stairs and setting up to get the perfect mystified shot, and two families were planning how a bride would walk down the isle.

I thought it must be pretty spectacular if there was going to be a wedding here. I got to the first view of the waterfall, and my breath was taken away for the time for the day. The Waterfall towers over you. I felt minuscule.

As I drove deeper into the coast it got greener and greener. The roads also got more windy.

Tullah was a name that had always been familiar to me from my Aunty's time with the Hydro. I was excited to see this tiny town that had helped her develop so much of her life, but before I got there I found myself taking a sharp left to visit the Mackintosh Dam.

There were people camping, fishing and boats everywhere. But again, I was too speechless to talk to them.

I can see why it is dubbed Tasmania's wild west. The trees, and there are plenty, make you feel like you're the only person on earth. It has this isolated feel to it that made me feel at peace.

Tullah itself was not that exciting. But I imagine in its hayday it would have been a hive of activity.

Expecting all small-town bakeries to be good, I was excited to arrive in one town and see a sign for a bakery. However, I had some of the most questionable savoury toast of my life that was cooked in the microwave.

So, for tourists who are trying the delicacy for the first time, I urge you to give it a second chance if you fall across the same business.

In a bid to do all of the touristy things, I drove through Zeehan. The first person looked at me and it was like they looked straight into my soul and saw that I was an outsider. The reception I got upon arriving in Strahan was of stark contrast. It was after 3.30pm and there were people everywhere.

The Gordon River Cruise had just docked. Tourists were astounded by the experience they had just had.

I checked into a water view room at RACT's Strahan Village, while the lack of signage took me a while to find my room, the view made the wait worth it. The room itself was yellow and green and a little outdated and dark, but it was home to the most comfortable bed I've ever slept in.

And a shower base roomy enough for me to lay flat in it. For dinner, I went to the hotel's restaurant. I watched the sun set over the bay and watched the tiny town underneath me fall asleep. For any seafood lover the buffet would have been paradise.

After night full of thunderstorms and rain, the Strahan I woke up to was a very different on from when I went to sleep. The sky over the bay was grey, but it was still as beautiful as ever despite the very cool temperature.

I took on the rain and strolled up to Hogarth Falls, and while I was warned there might be a resident platypus, I was not lucky enough to see it.

The road to Queenstown was a lot of fun, with many twists and turns. I would urge anyone who gets motion sickness to be thoroughly prepared. There were plenty of pullover areas for caravans and trucks, which shows the area is somewhat tourism conscious.

I walked up the Spion Kop Lookout at Queenstown. By the time I was at the top, there were some icicles on my jacket (and the tip of my nose), but the view was completely worth it. The mining town looked like a literal walk back into history from above. Watching the West Coast Wilderness Railway train come in from above made it look like a child's play ground.

It was then on to what is arguably Tasmania's most visited natural wonder; Cradle Mountain. The roads only got more windy, and the weather colder. A warning sign, about the slippery conditions, was covered in snow. The sign had frozen.

I checked into the Cradle Mountain Hotel and firstly tested if I could once again sleep in a bed which is too comfortable to describe. I was right. RACT had done it again with their A H Beard beds (yes, I looked - take it as a public service announcement).

I turned my heater onto high, and went to see Cradle Mountain. I often wonder how it would feel to see something like the Cataract Gorge, or Cradle Mountain, for the first time again, because each time it is just as spectacular.

The new lookout is great, with people lining up to get that iconic shot. The bus network works in such a fascinating way, and is a complete stroke of genius. I could not imagine having tourists driving in and out of there constantly.

I would highly recommend making a booking at the hotel's restaurant for dinner. However, despite being booked out, the manager organised my meal as room service. The eye fillet was a strong 10/10.

The West Coast was more than I could have ever expected. If tourists are contemplating whether they should spend those extra couple of days to check it out then I would highly recommend.

Even better, I would recommend staying a week because there is too much to see and do. Bring your walking shoes. If they choose not to, then it's their loss, and the secret of the West Coast will remain.