The "West Coast Wilderness Way" and Cradle Mountain

Nelson Falls, Franklin-Gordon National Park

Pademelon coming for a visit to our campsite

How many more superlatives can we find for Tasmania? It gets better and better. Various walks in the rainforest and National Parks followed by a visit to Cradle Mountain.










A beautiful camping site among the trees, so well laid out, expensive perhaps but well worth it. We obeyed all the signs about not leaving food or SHOES outside at night. Didn't think chairs would be a problem, but in the morning one of our chairs clearly showed muddy footprints and the other was full of possum poo!! Thank you, possums, but we really didn't appreciate your presie. The pademelons who visited us while it was still daylight were much better behaved!



The walk round Dove Lake underneath Cradle Mountain was superb and we were blessed with beautiful weather. Photos will concur. The walk was classified "easy". Glad we didn't do a hard one in that case!

Dove Lake and Cradle Mountain on a perfect day

Hello? Not today, I think!

Part of the cradle as we get closer on the walk round the lake

I know I look fierce but I'm really not. I am only trying to communicate.
I am really very cute. I am 10 months old

A very informative session at the Tasmanian Devil centre gave us hope that the dreadful disease ravaging these animals may yet be contained. Otherwise the picture is very bleak, culminating in extinction. We were able to stroke a baby devil and watch several others and they are so cute.

The one blot on the landscape -- literally -- was Queenstown. After the density and luxuriance of the forests, the denuded hillsides around Queenstown came as a shock. It started with gold mining and then copper mining, when the forests were cut down to feed the furnaces for the smelters. Add to that regular bushfires which wiped out any remaining vegetation and the bare hillsides which we see now are the result.

We are back now in Hobart so that we can take Karen to Port Arthur tomorrow and the next day. Chrissie knows it well and is going to show us around.

We are still waiting for parts for the Winnebago so our time in Tasmania is being stretched out but we are not disappointed. Tasmania is worth it! We still have a bit to see but it will be as we head north to get the ferry back to the mainland.

Meanwhile we are also waiting with bated breath to see what happens in North Queensland when this new cyclone Yasi comes in. It looks as if it could affect our Dingo Beach house, and it's going to be a big one.

Wild Wilderness West Tasmania

Now on the west coast, at Strahan. A cruise (a leisurely one this time!) across the large Macquarie Harbour and through Hell's Gate took us to the open sea, then back through the harbour to the Gordon River. This is Tasmania's largest river in terms of volume of water (this part of Tassie gets between 3 and 4 metres of rain per year!) The water in the river is the colour of Coca Cola because of the tannin produced by the buttongrass plants. Therefore there are few waterbirds. A stop at Sarah Island showed clearly why Van Diemen's Land, as it was in days gone by, was such a hated penal colony - very little chance of escape and totally impenetrable forest if one was lucky enough to get away, not to mention the venomous snakes and other wildlife one was likely to meet. This explains the name Hell's Gate, as the convicts knew they were pretty much in Hell when they were sent there.

It was a great trip and a good way to spend Australia Day.

Australia Day picnic, small town-style (here the horseshoe-throwing competition!)

Strahan waterfront from the boat

Entering Hell's Gate

Sarah Island, wooded again now

Sarah Island as it was as a penal colony. Up to 500 convicts would have been here at any one time.

Remains of the three-storey penitentiary. 

Beware this one -- he's a tiger snake. Tassie doesn't have any friendly ones!

The buttongrass which causes the tannin in the rivers ............

.......... which looks like this

Impenetrable forest and deep river (looking back)

and the same  looking forward

Kelly's Creek waterfall among the trees

Hello People,

Just to let you know we are on the road again for a little over a week this time. Still waiting for Winnebago parts but should be getting fixed up soon.
Right now we are in a national park with the sounds of a multitude of birds around us including a very noisy kookaburra. Looking forward to walking a few trails tomorrow.
I am glad I was able finally to send the last message because it was about the opening of the museum at the winery where Karen works. 

Back in Hobart for the opening of MONA

We have accomplished a few day trips -- there is so much to see in the vicinity of Hobart -- but wanted to be sure we were here for the opening of the Art Museum, MONA, at the Moorilla winery. It is indescribable really. The owner, David Walsh, has put $100 million into setting up this absolutely unique art gallery, much of which is his own collection. It is as its name MONA suggests, a Museum of Old and New Art, all mixed so that you find Egyptian mummies side by side with ultra modern stuff. Much of it shocks, which is also his intention, yet very little offence has been taken to the place. It is worth a look on Google. 

Karen was very busy as there was a grand opening on Friday followed by two days of being open to the public. There were bands playing in the grounds and it created a general air of "fete". We were very pleased to be part of it.

All being well we will now set off for about ten days towards the west coast. We will then come back for Karen's days off and set off with her and Chrissie to Port Arthur for a couple of days. As soon as the van is fixed we will be heading north and making our way gradually back to the mainland. Where we go from there is still dependent on the floods which are making their way slowly down through Victoria and New South Wales.

The queue to get in -- fortunately it moved quite fast.

The stage on the lawn.

The Source Restaurant where Karen works

David Walsh, the owner and instigator of this whole museum thing.

More soon. 

Wildlife wonders

What a beautiful island Tasmania is! We did not have to go far from Hobart on a two-day trip to find the most superb scenery. We set off on a fine day but the wind was strong and gusty and we had some doubts about the stability of the Winnebago. No worries, though, it was as sturdy as a rock. We went largely off the beaten track and it was so scenic. We did our first "free camping" night - i.e. not in an organised campsite but in a space available to caravans and camper vans. We met some lovely people and shared our space with quantities of ducks, black swans, gulls and many others.

Our echidna, unfortunately being shy about showing his face

The icing on the cake came today when we caught up with an echidna crossing the road just ahead of us. He posed on the verge for a photo. Then to our delight and amazement as we drove along a forest track, along came a Tasmanian devil, loping towards us. We stopped the van and watched him as he trotted along in our direction before disappearing into the long grass. As nature lovers we were thrilled.

Here he is! Not terribly clear but we were lucky to get him at all.
The Tasmanian Devil.

Back now at Karen's with wonderful smells coming from the kitchen. It is such a hard life this!

Roast lamb dinner. This is life with a chef!

Back to Hobart in the rain

We have always believed there was a resemblance between Tasmania and Scotland. As we travel around the island we see it indeed. So many parts, particularly some river valleys, could just be Scotland, until we look at the vegetation. Yesterday even the weather was Scottish as the rain poured down and the hills were shrouded in mist! However, considering what is going on in Queensland, I could not make any complaint. We learned of the Toowoomba disaster yesterday when we bought "The Australian" and since we arrived back in Hobart the television is showing pictures of the Queensland floods constantly. We are relieved to know that Derek and family are safe as they live in a suburb of Brisbane which is high above the river, but are obviously nervous while all this is happening.

We are now back in Hobart for a few days while Karen is on her days off.

Bruny Island Cruise

Well, I did expect this to be a more successful photo day, but was not quite prepared for what we saw. We had booked a "Bruny Island Cruise". Sounds peaceful enough? However, when we were issued with full-length hooded raincoats and seasick tablets, it became clear this was no leisurely cruise. There was a big crowd and we went out in four speedboats. It was like a James Bond film. Spray in our faces, we crashed across the waves of first the Tasman Sea and then the Southern Ocean. The scenery was stunning. Much of the island is made up of columns of dolerite and looks rather like the Giants' Causeway. It drops sheer into the sea below. We stopped speeding long enough to take photos here and there before flying off again. We visited seals and birds of all kinds, and even had an escort of a school of dolphins on the way back. It was so much fun.

Staying tonight again on Bruny and will see what tomorrow brings.

Caves on Bruny Island

A sheer drop to the sea

Through the gap

Through a different gap -- at full speed!

A blow-hole

We did NOT go through this gap, thank goodness.

Difficult to see but there is a kelp gull chick roughly in the middle of this photo

One of the other boats -- note the red raincoats

Fur seals in residence

Out and about in Tasmania

Hello People,

We are on the road again -- at least for a few days. We are fitting in short trips while Karen is working, and getting back for her two days off, Wednesday and Thursday. It is such a joy to see her enjoying her new job so much -- a fantastic kitchen and a great atmosphere of teamwork among the chefs there. We ate at the restaurant the other night with her and wow! what a meal. This is really the kind of cooking she was trained for and the bonus is she gets on extremely well with the head chef, who is indeed a nice guy.

We are now on Bruny Island, off the south-east coast of Tasmania. It is almost two islands, joined by a very narrow strip of land. We have just come back to the campsite after watching a huge flock of shearwaters (sometimes called muttonbirds) arriving back on land as they do every evening, and loads of fairy penguins also coming "home" after their day out at sea. The two lots of birds manage successfully to share the same hillside and it was fascinating to watch them finding their own nesting holes. Not good for photos unfortunately as flash was not allowed and it was virtually dark when they started to arrive.

Tomorrow we do a boat trip round the island, which by all accounts is spectacular. Hope to get some photos then.

Cheers.

Wine-tasting at Moorilla Winery, where Karen works at The Source Restaurant

Very nice wine

After a splendid meal in The Source, with Karen and Chrissie. Neil (Chrissie's husband), opted out.

The first month -- Perth to Tasmania

We are already a month down the road since we left Perth. The blog starts now, with Karen's help.

It's been interesting, fun and frustrating all at the same time. Interesting to see the countryside change from a very hot and dry Perth, over the Nullarbor, where it was barren, empty and dry, but often quite windy and cool, to a very wet Melbourne and a cold but very green Tasmania.

Fun meeting other campers and caravaners and getting to know the tricks of the trade: also dealing with the huge trucks and road trains with which we were sharing the road - or having to give them the whole road!

Frustrating as many things went wrong with the Winnebago, mostly minor irritations but too many of them, and a couple of major problems. This necessitated a visit to Winnebago, Adelaide and today she is at Winnebago, Hobart for repairs. May this be the end of the problems.

Glad we got past him while he was still parked!

No sharing here!

Great Ocean Road -- stunning scenery

After a break with Karen over Christmas and New Year we will soon be on the road again.

Watching the world's weather has been an experience and although it is less warm here than we might like it, we are perhaps not in the worst place.


There will be regular posts on this blog from now on.

Happy New Year to everyone.