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Tasmania, is it an island, a
country or a state? Tasmania is the island state off the south east coast
of the Australian mainland. It is the most beautiful part of Australia we
have been to and the only part we would consider living in, probably
because the people are more like New Zealanders than Australians! It's
also known as The Apple Island as it used to be the major apple producer
in the world.
It is also one of only a few
populated, commercialised
places in the world to be officially disease free, with regards to food
and crops. Something they are very proud of and understandably fiercely
protective over. We were witness to their efforts to stop any type of
fruit or vegetables coming into the country as all your bags are
sniffer-dog searched and before you are allowed to collect your luggage
the same totally adorable little beagle clambers all over the luggage
sniffing out any fruits, nuts or vegetables!
We flew into Hobart and spent the evening down
on the harbour where we sampled magnificent Paella, accompanied by several
different local Tasmanian beers!
I, Nik, was born in Kettering and
the following day we went to Kettering. However, this Kettering is thirty
minutes south of Hobart and is a harbour town, whereas the Kettering I was
born in is in land-locked Northamptonshire and the only ferry you will
find there is on Wicksteads Park lake!
We took the car-ferry over to
Bruny Island and headed to Adventure Bay. Both Captain Cook and Captain
Bligh, infamous for the Mutiny on the Bounty, sailed here many times.
Bruny Island has national historic significant for Australia for many
reasons.
For us, it was an opportunity to
see the rare White Tamar Wallaby, which is only found in the wild on this
island, visit the Bligh Museum and eat the most divine, freshly picked,
Red Cherries. We also managed to see another couple of Echidnas up close
and personal.
After we got the ferry back to
Tasmania, we drove through to Cygnet and up to Huonville, which had some
breathtaking scenery. Then it was off to Blackmans Bay to meet a very
dear friend of my parents, Vin, who also lived for many years in
Kettering, Northamptonshire and now funnily enough lives only ten minutes
north of Kettering, Tasmania!
We had a fantastic evening with
Vin where much reminiscing was done and even more beer and wine was
drunk. We were told many a funny tale about my parents, well, more about
my dad really! The material we now hold against him thanks to Vin!
The next morning we set off to
Launceston, via Bonorong Wildlife Park, Bicheno and Elephant Mountain.
Bonorong Wildlife Park is near
Brighton and on the way into the carpark we saw yet another Echidna just
wandering around, I think they can only be rare to see if you drive fast
as they will shoot off the minute they are spooked! If you drive
carefully you can get to see them going about their daily business quite
easily! Anyway, inside this rescue and rehabilitation sanctuary we were
lucky enough to see Kangaroos, Koalas, Tasmanian Devils, Wombats,
Blue-Tongued Lizards, but much more importantly Potoroos, Pademelons and
The Spotted-Tailed Quoll. Potoroos are a highly endangered species,
thought to be extinct at the beginning of the last century and not
re-discovered until 1994. The Spotted-Tailed Quoll is also highly
endangered, only really found in Tasmania now due to declining habitat, it
is the second largest carnivorous marsupial, the Tasmanian Devil being the
largest!
After I managed to drag Angela
away from feeding the Roos, although the cute, tiny ones were adorable, we
headed up the east coast to the town of Bicheno. Bicheno is a beautiful
place where we managed to get drenched by a great Blowhole, saw some
penguins and nearly stood on the most docile Blue-Tongued Lizard we had
ever seen! Well worth a visit if you are ever in Taz!
After lunch we headed to Elephant
Mountain, not realising
how close it was to Bicheno. At the top of the Pass there is Elephant
Mountain Pancake House and they serve the honest to goodness best pancakes
we have ever eaten in our lives! Hot chocolate sauce, melted marshmallows
and warm nuts, whilst Angela had warm Bananas, Maple Syrup and Walnuts,
both served in an enormous pancake with cream and ice cream! Not
fattening at all!
In Launceston we visited a place
called Cataract Gorge, where we took a Chairlift up over the Gorge to see
the Peacocks and Wallabies. We then went to the old gunpowder museum
where I managed to get a pretty nasty powder burn on my thumb whilst
trying to light a canon. From there we went and played a game of
mini-golf on a crazy eighteen hole course, which was hilarious and
frustrating all at the same time! Then we took the scenic route back to
Launceston, via the Tamar River which was spectacular.
Did we mention Dulche De Leche
when we were in Argentina? It is like a chocolate toffee spread, which
people have on bread or toast and anything else they can really! Well in
Launceston, we bought some local Plum Jam for our toast and I have to say
it would be a hard decision as to which one to choose if you put them both
in front of me! Just like my Nan-Nan used to make!
Our final day we drove west and
found Ashfields Cheese Farm, where they make all their own flavours and
types of cheese. Lavender, Wasabi and Chili were our
favourites! So much so
that we bought loads to take to Melbourne with us to have whilst we
watched the cricket!
We then casually drove back to the
airport, through all the forest tracks we could find, searching for
wildlife. We managed to find another Echidna and also a Kookaburra, who
just sat watching us on a fence post by the side of the road.
Oh,
we also found a town called Sassafras! In Tasmania! How funny is that!
Suffering Sassafras! |