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We haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on our list. Read more Sydney, Australia
  • Tasmania - April 2024
    1
    Day 14

    Stanley to Cradle Mountain

    April 25 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 5 °C

    We had an easier start to the day, although Helen did get up for sunrise. The kids had a play on the beach, checking out the various rocks before we headed east.
    We drove through Wynyard and then onto Ulverstone and went past the basketball stadium (where Daniel did a National Championships in 2009) and over the bridge where Daniel took a photo in 2009.... but the bridge has changed and the photo wouldn't be possible today.
    We headed back to Penguin to meet up with the others. When we arrived the ANZAC Day service was just getting underway. We listened to the speeches and paid our respect to those who have served to enable us to enjoy our way of life. Whilst the service was happening I saw a Vietnam Vet in bike leathers. He kept moving around and looked uncomfortable. At the end of the service he was getting his gear together to ride off. I approached him and asked if he was okay. We chatted for a while and we wished him well before he rode off.
    We then went to the Penguin Beer Company, just a few metres away from the service - having a beer paddle to sample their product and hamburgers for lunch.
    Then it was off to Cradle Mountain - some amazing sites along the way - steep and winding roads.
    Tonight we went to see Tassy Devils and Spotted Quolls being fed... tomorrow we climb Cradle Mountain!    Read more

  • TravelerTAS Road Trip 2024
    1
    Day 14

    Devils TAS

    April 25 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 6 °C

    Tonight we braved the cold to witness feeding time at Devils @ Cradle Mountain. It was fantastic even if I did lose feeling in my toes 🥶

    Upon arrival we wandered around the sanctuary admiring the mysterious Devils before joining the after dark feeding experience, showcasing Tasmania’s three largest carnivorous marsupials - including Eastern and Spotted-tail Quolls, all now threatened in one way or another in the wild.

    Throughout the evening, we learned some fascinating insights into the daily operation of the working conservation facility and gained an understanding of the life cycles of the Devils and current threats that confront them, such as Devil Facial Tumour Disease 🙁

    Still undecided whether I'd describe the vaguely bearlike Devils as cute, or perhaps the ugliest marsupials in the country - especially as we watched them bare teeth and growl in a feisty state of rage over having to share a single pademelon hindquarter!

    Quolls on the other hand, definitely cute ☺️    Read more

  • TravelerTAS Road Trip 2024
    1
    Day 14

    Penguin TAS

    April 25 in Australia ⋅ 🌬 15 °C

    We enjoyed a slower start this morning before exploring along the beautiful northwest coast towards Penguin, arriving just in time for the ANZAC Day celebrations by the waterfront, including the town mascot Penguin himself dressed in fatigues for the occasion 🐧

    After bumping into Ken & Pat we took their recommendation for coffee and pies at the Penguin Bakery, before Anth and Dan sampled the local brews at the Penguin Beer Co.

    Moving on, we eventually made our way through some more very pretty (and hilly) countryside to our next accommodation at the super cute Cradle Mountain Highlander Cottages, just opposite the Visitor Centre.

    We’re going to need all our warm clothes for our Devil feeding experience tonight. Already at 4 pm it’s a chilly 3 degrees with a ‘feels like’ temp of -5 degrees! 🥶    Read more

  • Tasmania - April 2024
    Day 13

    Journey to the Edge of the World

    April 24 in Australia ⋅ 🌬 14 °C

    Another day of driving through some breathtaking landscapes - from rainforest on the side of mountains to lush green hills filled with cows and out to the Edge of the World where the red jagged rocks cut through the thunderous waves as they roll in from Argentina.
    Overnight in Strahan there was heavy rainfall, but we awoke to blue skies. As we moved north we got to experience the true roaring 40s winds - so much so that the drone couldn’t handle some flights!
    The wind were so send that when we arrived in Stanley, the chairlift to the top of The Nut (a was not operating. We could have opted to walk to the top (143m) but we may well have been blown off!
    We headed an hour west to Arthur River, otherwise known as The Edge of the World - where it is the longest continuous stretch of water before hitting landfall - Argentina, some 20,000 km away. The rocks are jagged, the waves relentless and the beach and surrounds littered with driftwood from around the world.
    We headed back to our digs for the evening, a house with a spectacular view across to The Nut and the open water of Bass Straight - Victoria being on the otherside.    Read more

  • TravelerTAS Road Trip 2024
    Day 13

    Edge of the World TAS

    April 24 in Australia ⋅ 🌬 14 °C

    On the extreme west coast of an island state of an island continent with nothing but Antarctica further south, we've officially found the Edge of the World!

    It’s a dramatic and evocative, albeit fitting, name for this rugged section of Tasmania's coastline where currents sweep unimpeded more than halfway around the planet via the longest uninterrupted expanse of ocean on the globe until they hit this point.

    It was fascinating seeing the huge piles of driftwood that littered the beach, including massive bleached tree trunks demonstrating how powerful the storms in this part of the world must be.

    The experience was breathtaking, almost literally, as we opened our car door to the blustering gusts of the infamous Roaring Forties. However once acclimatised with beanies and hoods snuggly in place, we could appreciate the sights, sounds and unsung beauty of this truly wild place. It was definitely a multi-sensory experience.    Read more

  • TravelerTAS Road Trip 2024
    1
    Day 13

    Stanley TAS

    April 24 in Australia ⋅ 🌬 11 °C

    Today we left the wild west and headed for the civilised northwest and the charming little seaside town of Stanley.

    Unfortunately, The Nutt chairlift wasn’t operating due to high winds. Instead we enjoyed a lovely local produce lunch at the Stanley Hotel before making our way out to Arthur River at the western most point of Tasmania - crowned the 'Edge of the World'. It’s so remote that if you were to set sail and head west, you wouldn’t make landfall until you reached the coast of Argentina some 20,000 km away!

    Our accommodation tonight is the Stanley View Beach House at Cowrie Point. A beautifully scenic cottage right on the water’s edge, complete with a lovely warm outdoor fire place on the deck looking back over The Nutt. Who needs to climb the mountain when you can enjoy happy hour looking at it 😁🍷    Read more

  • Tasmania - April 2024
    Day 12

    Franklin-Gordon Wild River National Park

    April 23 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    Today we boarded another river cruise, but this one was a little bit different.
    We joined the Gordon River Cruises for a 6 hour cruise out through Devil's Gates into the Southern Ocean and then along the Franklin-Gordon River, into a World Heritage Area.
    We heard about the engineering to create a faster water flow to ensure that the mouth of the river didn't get silted up and the treacherous stories of the ships coming into the Harbour. The Harbour, which is larger than Sydney Harbour has very little industry around it - but one of the activities is fish farming, a big change from the days when the mighty Huon Pine was felled and floated downriver for milling.
    The Pine is a very slow growing tree, taking around 100 years to become around 20 centimetres thick. But it had great properties, including being resistant to rotting so it was almost harvested out of existence.
    We sailed into the Franklin-Gordon Wild River National Park, entering a UNESCO World Heritage area. As the diesel motors were cut and we went under electric power you could hear a chorus of bird song, including the Glossy Black Cockatoos.
    We stopped at an elevated boardwalk for a walk amongst the rainforest. We noticed so many of the smaller details of the rainforest, such as the mosses and fungi.
    Once back on board we had a smorgasbord lunch as the boat set sail for Sarah Island - the site of a former penal colony and one of the harshest to have existed in Tasmania (or anywhere else for that matter).
    We toured the island with Lyle from the Round Earth Theatre Company whom we had seen perform the night before.
    At the end of the tour the adults booked into 42º Restaurant for a smorgasbord of wonderful seafood, salads, hot food and deserts whilst the kids had chicken rolls and chaos back at the accommodation. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves that night!    Read more

  • TravelerTAS Road Trip 2024
    Day 12

    Macquarie Harbour & Gordon River TAS

    April 23 in Australia ⋅ 🌬 15 °C

    Living it up in the Wild West!

    We were extremely fortunate to score another magnificent blue sky day to cruise the waters of Macquarie Harbour from Hells Gates to the notorious ex-convict settlement on Sarah Island and the magnificent world heritage listed Gordon River, all aboard ‘Spirit of the Wild’ operated by Gordon River Cruises. It was a fabulous experience on a sensational purpose-built boat, complete with hybrid electric engines for ‘silent’ cruising down the river.

    In spite of the calm and sunny day, it was easy to see why the deep black waters of Hells Gates and Sarah Island were feared by convicts and free settlers alike. The Gordon River on the other hand was peaceful and serene, thanks to one of the great victories of the environmental movement.

    A highlight of the day was stepping off the boat for a close-up experience of the older-than-time rainforest on an elevated boardwalk through the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park. The guided short walk showcased some of Tassie's endemic flora including the ancient slow growing Huon Pines - once heavily exploited as the best boat building timber in the world, they were nearly wiped out entirely by the 'green gold' logging industry in the early-mid 1900s. Thankfully these magnificent trees are now protected after a consensus that it was neither sustainable nor prudent to cut down trees that were 1000 years old!

    We also disembarked for a guided tour of Sarah Island where we learned of its reputation as a place of unspeakable horrors and a living hell and heard tales about some of its more colourful characters - such as Alexander Pearce, the Cannibal Convict.

    Back in town, Dan, Helen, Anthony and I celebrated our unique time on the west coast with dinner at View 42º Restaurant (sans kids) and a seafood buffet as expansive as the view! The kids had chicken rolls and chaos back at the accommodation - fun all round 😁

    Fun facts: Sarah Island was established in 1822 as a place of 'secondary' punishment in an attempt to control the uncontrollable. Located in the middle of nowhere with no regular water supply and horrendous work conditions, the settlement verged on bureaucratic insanity - so much so that by 1834 the place was abandoned with the convicts moved to the new settlement at Port Arthur.

    In the late 1970s there was an official belief that hydro-electricity would be the economic saviour of the State and with this in mind the Government of the time proposed to dam the Franklin River with a huge dam on the Gordon River 40km upriver from Macquarie Harbour. This prompted some of the most divisive protests in Tasmanian history with more than 1,200 protesters arrested in the summer of 1982/83, before the dam proposal was ultimately overturned by a decision from the High Court in Canberra in 1983. The saga ultimately led to the area being listed on the UNESCO World Heritage Area register, saving the pristine wilderness for generations to come 🙏    Read more

  • Tasmania - April 2024
    Day 11

    Western Wilds

    April 22 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    Today was a driving day, leaving Hobart and heading to Strahan.
    After a brief stop in Nee Norfolk to check lottery tickets (we didn’t win except for $3 on scratchies) e stopped at a picturesque spot along the banks of the Derwent River for a drone shot.
    We headed west along the Lyell Highway, with a detour along a dirt road (a shortcut) that took us through some amazing forestry regions - some native, some plantation.
    We arrived at Lake St Clair and had a very brief walk in the bush to the edge of the lake (you can walk all the way to Cradle Mountain). Taking a heap of photos of some of the finer details of the plants in the region, and one Black Currawong that was obviously up early!
    Just down the road is The Wall in the Wilderness. One man’s interpretation of Tasmania beautifully hand-carved in a beautiful shed. Unfortunately he also requests no photos, which is a shame… but google it!
    We set off again for Strahan, stopping to get a few photographs of a mountain (with glorious yellow vegetation in the foreground and clouds passing the peak) and spectacle waterfalls in rainforests. We walked along a swing bridge over the Franklin River.
    Driving through what is supposedly 99 bends, but felt like 999 bends we arrived at Queenstown, a copper mining town. The hills are denuded and sharp jagged rocks. A while ago I read about the first convict colony in Tasmania and the story of some of the convicts who tried to escape, having their clothes shredded by the bush and bodies cut up by the sharp rocks. Another indication as to how desperate some of the convicts became to escape their wretched time in Macquarie Harbour.
    In the evening we went to see The Ship That Never Was. A play based upon true events that has been showing for 30 years. A great show, with full audience participation.    Read more

  • TravelerTAS Road Trip 2024
    Day 11

    Strahan TAS

    April 22 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    Today was an interesting travel day between Hobart and Strahan on the west coast.

    Leaving Hobart we travelled through some beautiful countryside, home to the happiest cows in the world (or so they claim), before happening upon the Surveyor’s Monument marking the geographical centre of Tasmania. We posed for the obligatory photo before moving on.

    At Derwent Bridge (a town aptly named for its bridge over the Derwent River) we stopped to check out The Wall in the Wilderness, one man’s artistic interpretation of Tasmania’s history beautifully hand-carved out of Huon Pine. The carvings included tales from as far back as when the indigenous people inhabited the area, through to the pioneers and modern-day workers of the Hydro-Electric Scheme and forestry industry. They also depicted the environmental plight of the wedge-tail eagle and extinction of the Thylacine (Tasmanian Tiger). It was pretty impressive. Unfortunately, the policy was no photos so you will have to imagine the 3m high, 100m long wall of carvings - or Google it!

    From Derwent Bridge we headed for the west coast and the port town of Strahan, stopping along the way to complete a couple more of Tassie’s great short walks, including a swing bridge across the Franklin River and the picturesque Nelson Falls.

    After negotiating what is described as 99 bends (but felt like 999 bends) we descended into Queenstown, possibly one of the bleakest towns we've encountered anywhere in Australia and a sad reminder of our capacity as a species to pollute and destroy the planet. The weird denuded landscape was both confronting and disturbing, especially in contrast to the beautiful and densely timbered wilderness we travelled through to get here. It is understood to be the result of a combination of a severe bushfire in 1896 and the pyritic smelting process at the old Mt Lyell Copper Mine, followed by destructive logging and erosion from the heavy west coast rains leaving the hills bare for decades. Thankfully nature has an endless capacity for renewal and current reports are that the trees are finally growing back and the moonscape will be returned to Tasmanian wilderness within our lifetime 🤞🏼

    After finally arriving at our next accommodation at the BIG4 Strahan, we set sail for ‘The Ship that Never Was’, a live and interactive performance by the Round Earth Theatre Company, guest starring yours truly as a parrot! It was a hilariously entertaining true story of the great escape from the notorious Sarah Island by ten convict shipwrights aboard The Frederick, the last ship built at the penal settlement. Amazingly, the production is Australia's longest running play, having just celebrated 30 years of continuous performances in January this year!

    We ended the day with some competitive fun in the communal games room followed by a lazy dinner at the house.    Read more

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