The Expedition

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Hobart is in the East of Tasmania, I set a course anti clockwise around the island. My first stop was at a farm where I stayed with a lovely couple called Helen and Revel.

I'd been studying the native Australian Mammal population, it's important to have a broad understanding of all indigenous wildlife in order to track just one species otherwise I might spend three days on a the trail only to then discover I'd been tracking a Pademelon (and then I'd just look stupid!).

The farm seemed an appropriate place to start, if the Thylacine (Tasie Tiger) had been attacking sheep and were shot and killed off by farmers then it stood to reason that they must have inhabited the surrounding woodlands and even if they were no longer there having possibly been driven deeper into the bush it would give me an idea of their preferred natural surroundings. I needed to learn more about the Tasmanian landscape and Revel was just the man to help me out with this.


As with most Australian homes the farm house was built all on one level with no upstairs, I guess this is because there is not the same shortage of land here that we have at home. The house is built up on a hill and my bedroom, the same as every other room, had floor to ceiling windows to take full advantage of the spectacular view of rolling fields which turn into distant forests and mountains on the horizon. When I awoke the first morning I could here that Helen and Revel were already up, I got showered and dressed before going through to the kitchen. As I opened the door I was greeted by a fantastically appetising aroma, Helen was just taking a batch of home made blueberry muffins out of the oven, made with blueberries picked fresh out the field that morning - breakfast!

Soon after eating we prepared to leave, with Revels assistance and guidance, today was going to be my first venture into proper bush territory.

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