Western Wilderness

Sunday August 2nd

Another long drive to Cradle Mountain. This one took us through a lot of forests, mountains, and- surprise!- more narrow, windy roads. Coming into Cradle Mountain the landscape really changed as we reached higher elevations. There was a lot of tussock grass and everything had a deep reddish-brown color. It was grey and raining, not the best day for hiking. We weren't feeling particularly motivated, but the weather in this part of the island is unpredictable year-round, so we figured we might as well give it a go.

We stopped by the information center for a new park pass, and asked the girl at the desk about the chance of the weather clearing for the morning. She laughed and said there was a snow warning, but there had been plenty of those lately and no snow, so not really anything to worry about, but tomorrow could be just as bad as today. So with that exciting news we geared up and set off.

Thankful again for winter clothing, we did the 2 hour circuit of Dove Lake with great views (when the fog parted) of Cradle Mountain. It was kind of a spooky area in all the mist. The lake and sky were dark grey, the woods slightly foreboding. We had just watched Harry Potter where all the dead bodies come out of the lake, which wasn't the best thing to be thinking about at the moment, as the boardwalk dipped to the edge of the water in more than one spot.

This area is the start of the Overland Track, multi-day hike through the area (open only in summer). Tasmania seems so much more wild and untouched than any of the places that I've visited thus far, even than the South Island of New Zealand, definitely more so than any place in mainland Oz. It is really beautiful in that way, but there is a struggle between conservation groups and the logging and mining industries that have an interest in the 2/3rds of the island that is not protected as National Parks. Cradle Mountain and much of the land in the west is protected as UNESCO Wilderness World Heritage Area, and it is one of the last pristine temperate zones in the world.

After spending the evening sitting by the fire and drinking local brews at the rather posh Lodge just up the road from our little cabin accommodation, we woke in the morning to see... snow. And kind of a lot of it. Tiffany later pointed out this was the first time we woke up to white without getting exited. Instead we said "oh ****" because we had a flight out of Launceston late in the afternoon, and had a 2 wheel drive car with no snow chains. Luckily we were told the snow should melt on the roads by the afternoon, so we went for a little walk down the road and got to see some wallabies hopping around in the snow, which really was quite lovely.

We made it back to Launceston without any problems. We checked out Cataract Gorge, a beautiful park just on the edge of the city. It has the worlds longest single span chair lift (it didn't look THAT long, but I'm no expert) as well as a lovely bridge and lots of walking trails.

We got our little car to the airport and realized we didn't know where to drop it off. It was from a no-name rental place that didn't have a desk or spaces at the airport. We stopped across the street at the Budget mechanics to ask if they knew what to do. The guy there told us to park it in the regular lot, and leave the parking ticket and keys in the glovebox with the doors unlocked. He called the rental company to check, and assured us this was how it is done. Seeing the doubt on our faces he said "what, you've never done that before?" We were a little wary that a few minutes later he and his buddy he had called would run across the street, find the little red car, and have a new toy for themselves. So we took pictures of it in case the car company couldn't find it later, but apparently it all worked out ok.

The number one question I got when I told someone I planned on going to Tasmania was- "why?". It is the brunt of many jokes (from both the Aussies and Kiwis- they are really ones to talk) about hillbilly, inbred, toothless farmers. But I found it to be incredibly beautiful, full of friendly people, and almost unspoiled wilderness, activities, animals, with a healthy pride in local beer and wine. Really, there was no possible reason NOT to like Tasmania, and it is definitely one of my favorite places in Oz.

Hikes, Beaches, and Penguins

Friday July 31st

We drove up to the Freycinet Peninsula, a National Park area with good hikes and Wineglass Bay, rated one of the World's Top 10 Beaches by some fancy travel magazine. We stopped in Coles Bay, the town just before the park, for a pit stop and to pick up our Park Pass. The guy at the "information center", really the tiny town shop, was very helpful and recommended hiking Mt Amos instead of just walking down to the water like we were thinking. He said if we were staying in the area we should really do both, one this afternoon and another the next morning. He seemed so psyched on the walks we figured we should take his advice, as locals always know best.

The hike up Mt Amos was no joke. It is a granite mountain and there isn't actually a trail- you follow little yellow (probably the worst color choice possible) arrows up the side of a steep mountain, scrambling over boulders, through crevices, and trying our best to avoid any water, where the rock turns into a slip and slide (we had been warned of this by the guy in the shop). It was the most challenging hike I've done (glaciers included!) and there was a group ahead of us where we thought a few of them might not make it. 

We did finally reach the top (after about 2 hours of literally climbing with hands and feet, knees, bums...) and the views were magnificent. Wineglass Bay is as beautiful as the photos, and from this vantage we could also see Oyster Bay in front of us and Coles Bay behind. The weather was perfect, the views unbeatable, and we took a well deserved rest at the top with a few Aussie students who had taken a weekend trip to Tasmania.

Heading back down was possibly harder than coming up. All of us actually slid down sections on our butts because that seemed a safer alternative to trying to walk. I had a major wipe out where there was a trickle of water and my feet flew out from under me. I got a bruise the size of a salad plate on my hip. I don't think Tiffany understood why I was being such a baby about falling until she saw the evidence. 

We made it to the town of Bicheno (bee-shen-oh), north of the park, where we stayed for the night. We had read about a surf shop that organizes penguin tours and had to check that out. A group of 6 of us were driven out to the coast at dusk where we met our penguin guide. He told us we were going to see Little Blue Penguins, formerly called Fairy Penguins until it became un-PC. The little guys spend most of their time at sea where they feed and can sleep. During breeding season they all come to shore at night, but since this was "off" season for them, only a few would be coming in. They have to be careful of predators in the sea- mostly seals, and also on land- typically birds of prey. As a group they make a beeline for shore, then hang out by the rocks until they think it's safe and waddle inland to their burrows. The penguins have no innate fear of humans, and will happily walk between your legs if they think you are in the way.

We watched them come in from a couple of different spots. It was a pretty full moon, so there was a lot of natural light (which they don't like) and the guide had a flashlight with a dullish bulb so as not to blind them. The birds are super cute, and let us get quite close. They are a protected species, and their biggest threats are domestic or feral dogs and cats, which can wipe out large portions of the colonies. Since they aren't historical predators, the penguins don't know to be afraid of them.

In the morning we hiked down to Wineglass Bay, another fairly challenging walk, but no where near as difficult as the day before! It was spectacular on the beach. The sand was white and stretched out in an arc in front of us. The water was aquamarine and crystal clear. And the best part was we were the only people on the beach for at least an hour. We went paddling in the water, which, as usual, was much colder than it looked. We had a picnic on the beach, then had to make the hike back up before our park pass expired.

We made the drive to Launceston, Tassie's second largest city. We found a cozy place to spend the night, did a bit of exploring, and got some good sleep after 2 days of solid hiking.

Van Diemen's Land

Thursday, July 30th

We picked up our rental car this morning, a sporty red Hyundai hatchback. We managed to find our way out of Hobart and stopped for the morning in Richmond to see Australia's oldest bridge, church, and cemetery. It was a quaint little spot, and after an hour or so of wandering headed on to the Tasman Peninsula.

It is a beautiful drive through wineries and along the coast. Going onto the peninsula you pass through an area called Eaglehawk Neck, a very narrow stretch of land. There are some interesting natural sights here, including the Tessellated Pavement- an area of sedimentary rock on the coast that, due to some unlikely geological events, now looks like it was cut to be tiles or used as a quarry. It naturally formed perfectly square edges. I didn't really understand what people were talking about until we got there, and it looks fairly unremarkable until you realize it is all natural, and then it becomes slightly amazing.

On the peninsula we also stopped at the Tasmanian Devil Conservation Center for feeding time. These animals are the size of a small raccoon, and while they hardly resemble the whirlwind "Taz" from the cartoons, the awful noises and slightly crazy temperament are pretty spot on. The two housed together made an awful racket of snarls and growls at each other over the hunks of meat thrown into their pen. They tried to steal the meat and run away, got into tug-of-wars and generally beat each other up for the few minutes it took them to consume it, bones, fur, and all. Tassie Devils have a bite pressure similar to a saltwater croc, and it takes the same amount of pressure to open their jaws too. So you really want to avoid making them angry! In general they will stay away from humans, but will fight if backed into a corner. 

The devils used to live on the Aus mainland as well, but now exist only on Tasmania. There is an epidemic sweeping through the population called facial tumor disease, and it is killing the little critters much faster than any scientists can figure out what to do about it. The population is dropping severely, and combined with habitat loss and high rates of roadkill instances, the devils are declining quickly. Even if they aren't exactly cuddly, it is sad to think of the state of their future.

Only another 20km further on, we get to the main attraction of the day. Australia has a colorful convict history, but perhaps no place more so than Tasmania, where the troublemakers of Australia went. The penal colony or Port Arthur saw over 12,000 men between 1830-1877. These were inmates directly from England who couldn't be trusted in Australia, or where semi-free Australian convicts were sent when they got in trouble. There was a separate camp for boys, and the youngest inmate was 9.5 years old. It was an isolated area, so in addition to the actual prison and work areas there was an entire community of workers and administrators and their families. The whole area is a designated historic site and is open to the public now. Some of the houses are restored, but the main buildings are left in a state of semi-ruin. It is almost a beautiful area, until you think about the dark history there. 

The Port Arthur "experiment", as it is referred to in the visitors information, serves as the foundation for much of the modern reform system. It was one of the first places to use solitary confinement, constant surveillance, and hard labor to reform convicts. In many places in England at the time, the prisoners were thrown into crowded jails to sit and wait out their sentence. While Port Arthur could not really be called successful (though I don't know what penal colony really could) it led the way for much of what we have in place even today.

We took a short guided boat tour of the harbor, passing the Isle of the Dead where convicts and civilians were buried, learned about a number of escape attempts, and were told that if you head straight out of the harbour, the next land mass you will hit is Antarctica. After the boat we spent time wandering through the buildings and around the grounds. We decided to stick around and go on a ghost tour in the evening.

The ghost tour was sufficiently spooky with out being hoakey. The grounds are creepy enough at night, and we went out with a guide and a group of about 15. We learned stories about different historical events from the place as well as tales of people seeing or interacting with the ghosts that remain. We got to go into the church with no roof, and it was pretty spectacular being inside a building but looking up at all the stars. We also went UNDER the doctors house to his "dissection room" where he could examine bodies of the recently deceased. It was against the law at the time to study bodies, but apparently convicts were exempt, so the doctor at Port Arthur was a lucky man indeed. The room under his house had no windows, no lights, and no ventilation. Other inmates had to hold candles or lanterns while he worked, which is a pretty gruesome thought. Apparently many people think they smell formaldehyde in the room, even though it has been centuries since any has been used there. 

We didn't see any ghosts on our tour, but did see a bunch of wallabies hopping around. We got certificates that say "I survived the Port Arthur Ghost Tour", so maybe some people aren't so lucky. We drove back to Hobart, being careful not to hit the plethora of animals out on the road at night. It was a successful trip, and we didn't kill anything.

Tasmanian Tigers and Tasty Treats

Tasmania! Or Tassie (Tazzy) as it is more affectionately known. We had another ridiculously early morning (for the record, 7am flights suck) and navigated Melbourne's crazy streets once again. This is another city that loves toll roads, which are all fine and good except here they don't have toll booths- you have to call or go online to pay for your pass, otherwise you get a fine, and the rental car company gives you an even heftier fine because they are the ones charged for you. Luckily you have 3 days to pay, but unluckily you are supposed to know your exact point of entry and exit on the toll road (even though there are no clearly marked entrances to even really let you know you are on a toll road at all!!) otherwise you have to pay for the whole entire thing... like we clearly ended up doing. Humph.

But anyways, on to Tasmania. We arrived in Hobart and took the airport shuttle into the city. We checked into our hostel which was right downtown in the heart of the action, and Mike the manager was very friendly and talked us through any number of different routes we could take in our week in Tassie while pointing to a giant map on the wall that was taller than me. Those that laugh at what a small island it is though should know- it might look small compared to the rest of Australia, but those driving distances are much longer than they look!

We had breakfast at a place called the Underground, presumably named so because it is underground. Tassie people are some of the friendliest I've ever met. Our first foray into the city we pulled out our little pocket map and the first guy to walk by asked if we needed any help, and after pointing out the appropriate direction, wished us a good stay. In the little cafe the girl working overheard our conversation about where to go and recommended heading north Freycinet Bay because it is so beautiful, but not to stay at the lodge there because it is way overpriced. I think in most cities locals would have looked at us and snorted, sometimes under their breath, "stupid tourists". I like friendly people.

After a wander around town, we hopped on a local bus that took us to the

 Cascade Brewery right at the base of Mount Wellington. This is the oldest brewery in Australia, and we went on a VERY informative tour of the brewery, making sure to don our yellow vest and safety goggles beforehand. We saw all the different barley and roasts, smelled the hops, visited the vats and the bottling operation, and of course the best part- tasted the beers. The actual brewery is in the original stone structure built in 1824 and the tasting room is in a very modern stone and glass building with great views and beautiful gardens. 

The logo for Cascade features the Thylacine, or Tasmanian Tiger. This animal is classified as extinct, but there have been hundreds of reported sightings since its demise. It is also an exciting creature because there has been much talk of trying to resurrect the species through cloning, if they have sufficient genes. This talk has been going on for a while, but is probably the most serious in the discussion of bringing extinct animals back to life (probably more practical than the wooly mammoths or even Neanderthals that have also been discussed). A woman on the tour with us grew up in Tasmania, and her mother remembered seeing the last Tasmanian tiger in the zoo when she was a child. It died in 1936.

On a less sobering note, Cascade has a (faux) Tassie Tiger on display named Trixie and they let us go behind the bar and take pictures with her. 

After our tour and ample tastings we wandered back into town. I was pleasantly surprised by the weather, which I would describe as mild. We checked out Salamanca Place which apparently is very popular for its Saturday market and is full of little galleries and restaurants, and got a drink at a low key place- most people in Hobart do it up pretty classy in the evenings, even on Thursday. We inevitably met a friend, giant Jimmy (Jimmehhh) from Scotland, who reminded me very much of a walrus. A slightly inebriated walrus. He was very excited we were from the US, as he doesn't have a particularly high opinion of the States (and this was a view shared by a number of adult Australian's we met that day). They thought, on the whole, American's didn't pay enough attention to what was going on in the rest of the world and were too caught up thinking they were at the center of the universe. And this is coming from TASMANIA, a place even Aussie's joke about being inbred and backwards... some food for thought.