Although Tassie is part of Australia it is certainly different. It is a heart shaped island around an hour's flight south from Melbourne and measures around 220 miles long and 200 miles wide. Its milder climate means that it is not as arid as the "Big Island" and we certainly saw some rain and even snow on our travels, even though it is late spring down there.
Its topography is quite diverse, from the sunny beaches and bays on the east coast to the wild and rugged, windswept north and west, with mountains and rainforest inbetween. In fact, the south west of the island is still largely untouched and virtually impassable.
What I loved about it is its sheer diversity, with so much to see. As well as the beauty of its landscape and the abundance of rare wildlife roaming free, there is also a rich cultural heritage from the pioneer days.
I posted a few photos on my blog during the trip, when I could get access to a reliable WiFi connection, but I am going to post a few more over the coming days, mainly so that I can look back on my blog in the future and remind myself of what a great time I had!
Here are just a few that I don't think I posted before - but apologies if I have.
Mount Wellington, high above Hobart on a very windy morning.
The caves of the south east coastline
Deserted beaches of the east coast
The west's wilderness, and springtime snow.
Super pictures. Where will you go next year?
ReplyDeleteAh thanks. My not-very smartphone doesn't take particularly good photos so I am thinking of upgrading to one with a better camera. Next year we shall probably not be travelling quite so far!
DeleteGeographically very interesting photographs. Did you see much farming? I remember seeing some Brits on TV who had moved there to run a shop and it was like Great Britain in the 1950s. They weren't sure whether they loved it or not. I think one half liked it and the other hated it. I didn't see them lasting long as a couple, or perhaps it was the family who didn't like it. Thanks for sharing the photos, I am enjoying them.
ReplyDeleteThanks Rachel. Yes we saw quite a lot of farming areas all over. I am told that around a quarter of Tasmania's land area is given over to farming, although I suppose most will be in the eastern areas as the west seems too rugged. They have a thriving agricultural economy and their produce is pretty good quality, from the examples we tasted.
DeleteVery interesting. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteAwesome scenery. I can just imagine those beaches. Thanks for the photos
ReplyDeleteA super photo gallery. I wonder if I will ever get to Tasmania. An intriguing island. Did you know that the original Tasmanian aboriginals did not know how to make fire? They relied on lightning strikes and carefully guarded embers. I can't remember where I read that.
ReplyDeleteI hadn't heard that Mr P.
DeleteThere is, however, a very graphic account of how the white settlers slaughtered and virtually wiped out the indigenous population here if you are interested...
https://www.nationalgeographic.com.au/australia/the-last-indigenous-tasmanian.aspx