Tasmania – Week Two

Traversing the various ‘Touring Routes’ of Tasmania we have spied countless possums, pademelons, quolls, rabbits, wallabies and other furry critters. Unfortunately, they are all dead. Some research has surprisingly revealed that Tasmania is the roadkill capital of the world, that the number of animals killed on the roads here each year lies somewhere between 300,000-500,000. These are unbelievable statistics and I would not believe true unless I hadn’t observed it with my own eyes. Tasmania for me, unfortunately, has now become somewhat synonymous with roadkill.

 

 

Its day thirteen of our fourteen-day whirlwind tour of Tasmania, and we are currently holed up with the heating set high, in a little hotel in Launceston. Outside the temperature has plummeted to around five degrees offering little enticement to do any further exploring today.

It’s been an amazing and extremely informative fortnight. We have been pleasantly surprised to discover that Tasmania is absolutely satiated with vineyards. At times we have passed no less than seven vineyards in a short twenty-minute drive. We have also been startled at the sheer amount of timber plantations here. Passing plantations, tree felling equipment, trucks full of logs in all areas we have travelled has disclosed that sustainable timber is big business in Tasmania.

 

Leaving Port Arthur last week, we continued our travels northward through towns such as Richmond and Sorrell before alighting the Great Eastern Drive. Hugging the coast for most of the time we gazed in wonder at the near flat sea and stopped at small towns such as Swansea to seek treasures in their antique shops. We feasted on delicious meals found in small roadside cafes and overindulged on fudge. At Cape Tourville lighthouse near Coles Bay, we left the warmth of the car and following an incredible walkway, were delivered some amazing views of the celebrated Wineglass Bay. Accommodation was found at Bicheno where nightly tours enable those who wish, the opportunity to see penguins up close in their own environment.

 

 

 

From Bicheno we continued to hug the coastline stopping at St Mary’s for some Mt Elephant Fudge – apparently the best fudge in Tasmania. From here, a short drive further north delivered us to the Bay of Fires. Whilst understandable, it’s not the orange-hued lichen-covered rocks that give this Bay its name, but rather the fires of the Aboriginal people, seen from the decks of passing vessels back in 1773. It’s a beautiful spot – desolate and windswept and we had it all to ourselves!

 

 

Overnighting in St Helens, the following day finds us heading westwards along the North East Trail. Our mornings drive up narrow, winding, mountainous roads heavily encased by thick trees ready for logging, cumulates in the wide open, sheep strewn, agricultural areas of Scottsdale and its surrounds. We overnight at Beauty Point a short drive from Beaconsfield – site of the mining collapse that so captivated Australia back in 2006. Now a museum it was easy to spend an informative morning exploring.

 

 

From Beaconsfield, we follow the Great Nature Trail west finding intriguing little antique shops at Devonport and Ulverstone. We should have just bypassed Burnie but ignorant, choose to stay there the night. It’s grim and expensive but an easy departure point the following morning for Cradle Mountain. Bleak, desolate, windswept and barren all aptly describe Cradle Mountain as also beautiful, alluring and bitterly cold.

 

 

Our 200-year-old B&B located at Deloraine is eagerly greeted after a day spent on the frigid peak and the sight of platypus cavorting in the nearby river only adds to our elation. Undoubtedly the highlight of our adventure, the vision of platypus swimming in the wild is something we both will never forget.

 

 

We farewell our ancient B&B and on our way to Launceston, spend time admiring the Sheffield Murals. Appearing on the surfaces of every available building face, this outdoor art has reinvented a once dying town. Our final few days are spent in Launceston where we enjoy our walk through the nearby Launceston Gorge nearly as much as we enjoy the scones, jam, and cream found in the cafe at the end of the Gorge. The Launceston local museum is informative, the op-shops interesting.

 

 

 

So that’s Tasmania in two weeks. A state of empty roads, plenty of parking and friendly people. A state of yesteryear where a good wine and a good cheese can be found around every corner and roadkill and forestry are abundant. A place that I have been happy to visit. In all – rather an enigma of a place really.