Easter in Tasmania

With two days off of work for the holiday (can you believe it!), we decided to take advantage of the long weekend and head to Tasmania with our good friends, Pat and Nicole. Given that it is a bit further south than Sydney, the weather was a bit colder and almost felt like a late fall day back home. Being a bit unprepared for the crisp air, Katie had to make a run to the mall to buy some sweatshirts and long pants for the trip.

We flew into Hobart and spent the morning there with a stroll through the wharf and historic buildings. It was really cool that most of the buildings around the wharf have been remodeled recently, but still manage to retain their colonial charm. Mt Wellington looms above the city and the harbour stretches along the other side, which makes for a pristine backdrop to the little town. We made a few stops in the afternoon including the Cascade Brewery and the Cadbury Factory where we picked up some easter chocolate for the trip (Cadbury eggs!).

Next stop Port Arthur, which is literally a ghost town. It is a historic penal colony that was known for some pretty harsh treatments towards the prisoners that resided there. There haven't been residents there since the 1870s, but they decided to preserve it and turn it into a tourist attraction. I think Katie was all camped out from our Outback trip so we stayed at a B&B right on the water and kept ourselves warm with the fireplace all night. We also stopped by the Tasmanian Devil Conservation Center where they breed healthy devils and take in orphaned/injured ones. The devils are endangered due to mouth cancer that has been spreading lately. Devils only have a life expectancy of 4-6 years! They are slow movers, can't see too well, and are pretty stupid animals. They were pretty cute though until it came to feeding time when they turned their fangs on each other. Naturally, they are scavengers and eat everything off their finds....bone, hair, organs...ugh!

Freycinet National Park

Next day it was a long drive to Freycinet National Park but we saw lots of sheep farms and some beautiful coast along the way. Freycinet National Park holds Wineglass Bay which is said to be one of the best views and beaches in Australia. And it lived up to its name. We caught the sunset and managed to spot a few rock wallabys feeding at dusk.

Unfortunately we didnt have much time in Freycinet as the next morning we had to hike it west across the state to the lower portion of Cradle Mountain National Park where Lake St Clair lies. It was a refreshing day with hikes through the forest and along the lake. The vegetation here is very green, mossy, and dense but as we were getting farther and farther away from civilisation our options for accomodation and dining were sparse to say the least. We managed a great cabin with another fireplace for warmth and made the local dinner hours (6-8pm only) at the only restaurant in miles.

Western Tasmania

Further west on our last day, was the small town of Strahan. To get there we drove through the Franklin River National Park and Queenstown, a tiny logging and mining community in the middle of nowhere. The drive was gorgeous with a blanket of mist rising over the mountains and dense green forests. It looked something like Jurassic Park. Strahan seemed to be at the edge of the world as we know it. It was the only sign of civilisation for hours with the wilderness (literally - this is one of the only peices of wilderness left) surrounding the town east and south and the ocean on the west just daring someone to pass Hell's Gates (the name of entrance to the harbour) and the huge waves of the southern ocean. The only thing on the other side is Antartica. Until recently the only way to get here was by boat (if you can make it) or helicopter. We spent the day on a cruise of the Gordon river and the surrounding wilderness and a visit to the Henty Dunes. The Henty Dunes are 30m high sand dunes along the ocean!

The Henty Dunes