Tasmania - Devils, Platypus, and Rare White Wallaby

Sky watching in Tasmania

Week three in Tasmania started on the Northwest side of the island.  We wove our way south and east from Stanley, through  Cradle Mountain National Park, Queenstown, Lake St. Clair, Strahan, Mt Field National Park, down to Hobart on the West coast and on to Cape Bruny close to the most southern point of Australia.

We are currently in Adventure Bay on the Island off of the main island of Tasmania in a caravan holiday park on the beach of Captain Cook's 1777 landing here in Tasmania.





















On our Tasmanian adventure we've spotted devils,

wombats (couldn't get a good night time shot of these guys),  tiger snakes (one slithered right across our trail, very venomous creature),

platypus,

and a rare white wallaby on Bruny Island.  We thought we had been sent off on a "snipe hunt" to try and find a white wallaby.  But indeed, just at dusk we found ourselves just like Alice chasing after the great white rabbit, glimpsing a both a rare white and black wallaby together.

We've hiked numerous trails enjoying cobalt lakes, towering mountains,

Dove Lake and Cradle Mountain

tall gums,

fern forests,

waterfalls,

Russell Falls

Horseshoe Falls

Russell Falls - Just had to to see this one for some reason!

sandy beaches,

Crab art....rosettes

 headlands, lighthouses,  and ocean vistas.

Incredibly beautiful skies!

Robin Red Breast

In Tasmania, the people here are used to all four seasons in one day.  It can change from clear skies and shorts, to wind, clouds, and rain all in one day.  Consequently, we wear lots of layers and shed our skins as the sun comes out.

We've explored the history of Hobart, visiting the oldest jail in Tasmania,

Bricks border cell size...communal tub and toilet

13 knots - 12 jurors and 1 judge

the MONA (Museum of New and Old Art)

MONA - CONFRONTING ART

the Maritime Museum, The Royal Tasmanian Yacht Club, the Salamanca Market, quaint cottage lined streets,

fisherman's' wharf,

Crab traps

and the Sea Shepherd's sealife protection boat, the Bob Barker.

Bob Barker named for Price Is Right Host who donated $5,000,000 to the the cause. 

Bob Barker just returned from the arctic water whale sanctuary where they successfully saved over 700 whales from being illegally poached by Japanese whalers.

We are off here in a little while for a hike around the peninsula at Adventure Bay and to the Bligh Museum.  Tomorrow, we will head back to the mainland and up the east coast and central part of Tasmania back to Devonport where we started to catch the ferry back to mainland Australia next Sunday.

All is well with the 2 Land Travel R's.

Hello Tasmania

Tasmanian Sunset and Moonrise

After a week of rain and dodging flooded roads, we drove into Melbourne on a Friday afternoon.

Artistic Sound Walls
A long the way south, we visited three astronomy sites...The compact array radio telescopes,

Siding Springs Observatory,

Scientists reserve the telescope years in advance at $28,000 a night for basic setup.  Too bad if it's raining!

and the Dish.

We also spent a night in the Warumbungi National Park

and in Glenrowan where the notorious thief Ned Kelly lived and was captured.

Ned's Body Armor Made from a Plow

Replica of Kelly Homstead

We had been in touch with some other cruisers from Tahina Expedition who were also doing some land traveling and met up with them at the campground in Melbourne.  Since our friends had already been in the city for a couple of days, we had different agendas for Saturday.  Russ and I spent nearly the entire day keeping out of the downpour at the Melbourne Museum which was very enjoyable.  

Love the "Flat White" Coffee

Aborigini Artwork

Beautiful Mineral Collection

Recreation of fossilized dinosaur bird

Early Sunday morning, March 4,  We wove our way through the predawn, wet and shiny streets of Melbourne towards the harbor, and boarded the ferry for Tasmania.

The weather was thankfully benign or so it seemed on a large ship.  I am sure the 2-3 meter seas would have looked quite different from Worrall Wind.

Friends from Tahina, Frank and Karen, sailed across with us.  We enjoyed a day of reading, conversing, and playing Fiji Rummy.  The day trip does not provide a supper menu and Tasmania quarantine prohibits bringing in fresh fruits and vegetables, so we found ourselves in Devonport late on a Sunday evening with few provisions, stores closed, and restaurants closing.  Fortunately we found an open Noodle Box, and were the last customers served.

Karen and Frank

On Monday morning, Karen and Frank headed southeast, and we did a short trip south to do some exploring in the small town of Sheffield and environs. Sheffield is known for its murals.  We loved this little town.

Walk to Alum Rock

Sacred Grounds of Aborigini

We also took an enjoyable walk to view Alum Rocks.

On Tuesday, after spending the morning at an Aborigini Cultural Center in Devonport,

Aborigini's in Tasmania suffered brutally into extinction by European Settlers.

we headed northwest to the "Nut", a large rock on the end of a peninsula where the quaint little town of Stanley is nestled.

On our way we took a fern walk and looked unsuccessfully in the river for duck billed platypus.  We did see some beautiful reflections in the water and enjoyed other people's art.

Nature's Water Colors

Yesterday, when we arrived, the sea was flat and there was only a slight breeze.  We took advantage of the nearly windless day on the headlands observing the calm sea.

By evening the clouds were building, the wind was beginning to blow, and we were treated to a magnificent sunset and a howling wind night.

Now we know why Stanley was built in the lee of the Nut or it would have been blown away.  We will be exploring Stanley and climbing the Nut as soon as I have posted this blog.

All is well with the 2 Travel R's on Awaltzing Matilda.