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.