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Published: March 8th 2011
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Maria Island wombat
No I haven't changed that much - it's one of the friendly wombats on Maria Island. So that you don't get too complacent about gaps in the blog, I thought that I would tantalize you with a few highlights of my latest little adventure.
Tassie (Tasmania), for those of you who may be geographically challenged, is anchored some nine hours by ferry from Melbourne (that's at the bottom of the big Oz). After a surprisingly calm crossing of Bass Straight, everyone on board had to endure a frustrating 1.5hr delay at Customs while searches were conducted of the hundreds of vehicles. Affectionately known as the Apple Isle for its abundance of fruit orchards, Tassie is mostly worried about the illegal importation of fruit and vegetables (particularly) in relation to Fruit Fly.
This small State is also concerned that some idiot might take it upon themselves to import feral foxes; Tassie being the only State (supposedly) free of that noxious pest. Sightings of this sly little bugger being almost as mythical as the long-extinct Tassie Tiger are exciting the local merino warriors into a frenzy of military activism, demanding that the Army be enlisted to hunt down and wipe out the fury beasties before they decimate the sheep industry. Bloody baaaaaabaric if you ask me (sorry)!
A warm-up walk on Maria Island
Though cold it was a great day for walking to that peak in the distance. After a few days wandering around in the car, I joined a group of bushwalking friends for a few days trekking on Maria Island. Originally a penal settlement for boys, some as young as nine, the island needed no bars on the windows and doors to keep the prisoners confined. Surrounded by waters nicely chilled by Antarctic currents, few managed to escape into the (then) deadly wilderness of the main island - Tassie being the 'mainland' for clustering islands around the isolated state while Oz is known as the 'big mainland'. Accommodation for campers now is in the original huts, which slept more than 30 convicts and in which the four in our room managed to spread out so it appeared crowded. Mind you, sleeping in such close confinement 170 years ago might have been an advantage in the bitter Tassie winters. However, sleeping among the ghosts of future Aussie generations in 2011 was not as intimidating as the bodily noises coming from my companions wrapped in their sleeping bags.
Moving on then to the Mt Field National Park the mob spent another three days trekking the surrounding area. Even in February (our Summer) the highlands of Tassie
On top of Maria Island
Gathering for lunch at the trig station, the highest point of the island. can be unpredictably cold with sleet and snow falls common and the threat of whiteouts something bushwalkers must never underestimate. Some very challenging walks were completed by my (mostly) mature aged and very experienced companions; a mix of NSW and Victorian clubs.
We then moved straight on to Lake StClaire NP for another few days. It is on the lake where most walkers finish the world renowned Overland Trail, a gruelling four day trek starting at Cradle Mountain. When I did that trek as a young (and bullet-proof) sixteen year old, the same route took six days, there being few huts then and virtually no boardwalks over the sucking mud of the button grass high plains.
One should not leave Tassie without a trip to King Island (KI) which is hardly a mecca for the lost tribes of Grey Nomads, who mostly discover Oz from the elevated height of a Winnebago seat. With only one roll-on-roll-off ship per week KI is really a fly-in-fly-out on small commuter prop planes from Melbourne (Vic) or Devonport (Tas) kind of place. A blob of fertile land in Bass Straight NW of Tassie, KI is only 64kms long and 27kms wide. While
From a beach on Maria Island to ...
The beaches might be beautiful but the water is freezing cold, even in summer. there is not a lot to do it is a nice place to veg out and read that big book you've probably started several times but run out of patience to follow the plot. Currie, the main settlement, squats snugly above a small harbour where cray boats take refuge most of the time. While quaint, don't expect anything to be open after 6.00pm and be prepared to mostly cook for yourself as the island is not exactly over burdened with restaurants. There are some good ones, it's just that they aren’t open very often!
The island however is world renown for the cheeses it produces, having more than five times the population of dairy cows than residents. Their Brie, long-matured cheddars and mighty Blues consistently win world acclaim. The Roaring Forties Blue in particular is superb, having taken its name from the constant winds, which blast the west coast along the 40th parallel (which disects the island), uninterrupted by land after leaving South America.
Returning to Devonport by an 8-seater plane, another surprisingly smooth crossing in the ferry delivered me back to Melbourne with a backpack full of washing - so what's new!
Ciao for now.
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Jenny Sorgini
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I enjoyed your Tassie story. Hope you have some fine weather to get that washing dry. See ya Jenny