Tasmania's sumptuous south

“Tourists don’t know where they’ve been,travelers don’t know where they’re going”.Paul Theroux.Hobart in Tasmania’s sumptuous south?Well,here’s the thing….if I were Prime Minister of this planet,I would decree that no city can exceed a population of about 500 thousand and the size of Hobart.Then we would have sane cities not dominated by expressways,high rises,incessant noise,too many people and all those pock marks of the World’s big cities.Now that’s wishful thinking and dreaming which borders on insanity but Hobart respresents much of what city life should be all about.Traffic jams must be rare,the pace of everyday life is gentle and all the while there is this beautiful panoramic scenery to feast your eyes on.The harbour and waterfront is almost shyly tucked into a little corner as one enters the city which has a dramatic mountain gazing down from behind it.This is Mount Wellington which can be scaled in the comfort of a car on a good sealed road.The view from the summit is spectacular with clear 360 deg views and it provided a gentle reminder of the wonderful scenery seen in our travels throughout the west,north and south of the island.The Derwent River provides a silvery shoreline as it succumbs to the Tasman Sea which in turn hides and reappears around a number of islands and inlets.Lots and lots of shimmering water providing a picturesque mosaic against the treed islands,sandy coves and bright green rolling hills.Tasmania has been punching way below it’s weight for some time but there are clear signs that many people(including Aussie “mainlanders”)are now venturing there to see first hand and fully appreciate it’s stunning beauty.Four days in Hobart with the Irons family,who emigrated there some fifteen years ago,were just not enough to see everything on offer.Thankfully,Barrie and Di Irons had applied their minds to the challenge of showing us the main highlights of their city and it’s environs which they are extremely proud of.Justifiably so!Tassie,as it’s affectionately called,has some interesting marsupials and our trusty Lonely Planet Guide steered us to the Bonorong Wildlife Center just on the outskirts of Hobart.A huge bonus was the fact that Barrie and Di’s son,Greg,has run this wildlife park for the past few years and is about to take it over as his own business.This park will flourish and grow on his watch as he is incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about the “marsupial family” in residence there.Apart from kangaroo’s and wallabies,they’re all there but the little guys we hadn’t seen up until that point were bandicoots,quolls,possums and wombats.All strange but fascinating creatures.The Tasmanian Devil is a complex and very interesting animal.Their name derives from an eerie screaming sound they make when feeding and their mannerism and gait is not unlike that of a hyena.They are under the cosh at present with an estimated 80000 dying in recent years due to a rare form of cancer which scientists are baffled by.Anyone visiting Tasmania and wanting a superb guided tour of a wildlife park….do not miss a visit to Bonorong.About 15km’s out on the eastern side of Hobart is a little town by name of Richmond which could easily be uplifted and placed in the English countryside with no questions asked by the Brits.Most of the buildings date to the early arrival of British settlers sent out to keep the shiploads of convicts in check.Many of the shops and little bakeries suggest that things get pretty busy in the summer months when tourists arrive in bigger numbers.The weather is something to ponder in planning a visit to Tasmania as daytime temperatures rarely rose above 15 deg C and we were reminded that they were having a bit of a “warm spell”.Despite a wet and cold climate,Tasmania produces a fair amount of the good juice from grapes and sipping a very good Pinot Noir at a wine estate on a latish, sunny afternoon reflecting on the activities and beauty of this place was quite special.The one thing that is uppermost when planning a visit to Tasmania is it’s convict heritage and again the Lonely Planet Guide had “prepped” us well.The visit to Strahan and Sarah Island earlier in the week had provided a stark and chilling account of the convicts fate in the early 1800’s.Port Arthur was established at about the time Sarah Island was being shut down and over a 40 year period some 12500 poor souls were incarcerated there.What is impressive is the manner in which the numerous buildings have been preserved so that many generations will be able to absorb what happened there.A guided tour provided an insight into the harsh conditions and treatment of convicts and you will not leave there not feeling a sense of despair…..how was it possible that human beings could be so cruel to their fellow man?Mind you,some of the horrors of more recent times would suggest this question is still very pertinent.Out on the south east rump of Tassie is Bruny Island which is reached by way of a ferry service with cars on board.It is actually two islands connected by a narrow isthmus and home to about 600 people.If there are any readers of this blog who are on the run from the “feds” or want to escape and simply drop out,then do not overlook Bruny Island.It is idyllic……beautiful secluded beaches,green forests,few inhabitants and simply enchanting.It was with some sadness that we boarded the ferry to return to Hobart which also brought the curtain down on our ten day meander around Tasmania.This is one of those “Wow…I will return places” and that will happen…hopefully with some of the “Muddling Minnows” and other good mates in tow.The real challenge is to squeeze some beans into that ever filling bucket list.THERE HAS BEEN A DISCERNIBLE LACK OF COMMENTS/FEEDBACK TO THE BLOGS IN THE PAST 2-3 WEEKS.THIS CONJURES UP A WHOLE LOT OF POSSIBILITIES……HAVE WE BEEN FORGOTTEN,ARE THEY THAT BAD?YOU GET THE DRIFT…..LET US HAVE IT WITH ALL BARRELS!ALTERNATIVELY DO I NEED TO POST A PHOTO OF SUE IN LANGERIE TO GET FEEDBACK?

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