Tasmania

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Picked up a tough but gas-guzzling 4x4 from Hobart, driving through fire-scarred forests and homes to world-heritage Port Arthur, a 19C penal colony for deported British convicts by a beautiful natural harbour. A fascinating tour to the "Isle of the Dead" graveyard and interactive museum provided brief vignettes of the deportees lives and treatment.

Next stop was the wildlife haven of Maria Island, climbed "Bishop & Clerk" mountain for fine views from the vertiginous, rocky summit before racing back to the tree-line ahead of a big storm breaking; found shelter and a very bedraggled Wombat at Darlington penitentiary, and then had a wave-tossed crossing back to the mainland. Headed up the coast to Freycinet National Park for a circular hike to the perfect arc of Wineglass Bay, hiding amongst the rocks from a persistent lunch-snaffling wallaby.

Drove down dirt roads deep into the primeval wilderness for day-hikes to the "Walls of Jerusalem" cliffs, and then a challenging climb up Cradle Mountain, scrambling over huge dolerite boulders to reach the cloud-shrouded summit, just missing putting hand on venomous green snake en-route down. Final stop was the Triabunna wildlife park, where the BBC were trying to film a Tasmanian devil birth, great close-up views of devils, kangaroos (including brief devil-kanga fight), wombats and quolls before heading to Launceston to catch flight to Sydney...

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Photos

Solitary Confinement
Prison cells, Port Arthur

View from Bishop and Clerk moutain
Maria Island

Scary drop
Maria Island

Bedraggled Wombat
Hiding from the rain...

Hungry Wallaby
Stalked us looking for sandwiches...

Lake
Walls of Jerusalem hike

Rock-scrambling
Top of Cradle Mountain

Echidnas
Triabunna wildlife park

Tasmanian Devil
Not very friendly...

Comments

[Tim]

Tasmania Scenery
Great to see you enjoying Tasmania, including the hike up Cradle Mountain and Freycinet National Park. Brings back many memories !