Tasmania

7 REASONS YOU’LL LOVE TASMANIA THIS WINTER

In 1991 I enjoyed a couple of weeks driving around Tasmania with Mum.  We arrived in Launceston after a couple of days exploring the area then onto Evandale, Scotsdale, Derby, St Helens, Scamandar, St Marys, Ross, Bicheno, Freycine National Park,  Swansea, Port Arthur, Stewarts Bay, Hobart, Smithton, D’entre Casteaux Watering Hole, Huonville, Richmond, Lake Pedder, Lake Gordon, Strathgordon, Queenstown, Strahan, Zeehan, Cradle Mountain, Smithton, Burnie, Ulverstone, Devenport, Exeter, Beaconsfield, George Town and back to Launceston.

HOBART

Established in 1804, second city after Sydney and former penal colony built around Sullivans Cove.  A history of whaling and sealing nestled between Mount Wellington and Derwent Estuary.  Salamanca Place, MONA Museum of Old and New Art.

In the Allport Library and Museum of Fine Arts in Hobart – Morton Allport, possibly environmental photography in Australia.  Allport’s ‘Excursion to Lake St Clair February 1863 album’, a phonebook with text and images.  https://stors.tas.gov.au/AUTA001126254101

YHA Backpacker Essentials:  February 2016, Hobart

PORT ARTHUR

On the Tasman Peninsula, where Tasmania’s convict heritage is most pronunced with more than 30 buildings and Australia’s most famous convict site.  Between 1833 and 1877 the population grew to more than 1100 convicts and filled with history, an outdoor museum. There are nightly ghost tours, which I did and found interesting.  Walking tours, the church, harbour cruise to view the site, take a boat trip to the Isle of the Dead where more than 1000 prisoners are buried.

LAUNCESTON and TAMAR VALLEY

Sample English country-style cheeses, stroll through berry gardens and sample berry desserts and jams at Christmas Hills raspberry farm or taste the 26 sauces, mustards and preserves at the Tasmanian Gourmet Sauce Company in Evandale, south-east of Launceston.

RICHMOND

the well=preserved historic village, home to Australia’s oldest freestone road bridge and Catholic Church.

STANLEY

On Bass Strait, The Nut rises 152 metres discovered by George Bass and Matthew Flinders in 1798, naming it Circular Head, we chose to take the chairlift and not climb The Nut.  A fishing village, farming, penguin tours, seal cruises, Tarkine wilderness area and Aboriginal archaeological sites

STRAHAN

The harbour-side village, on the doorstep of the Tasmanian World Heritage wilderness and Aboriginal occupation can be traced back at least 35,000 years.   A history of convicts, pioneers, miners, miners and environmental warriors.  The narrow mouth of Macquarie Harbour was nicknames ‘Hell’s Gates’ by convicts.  Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park, largest expanse of temperate rainforest in the world, cascading waterfalls, wild mountains, dramatic gorges, Ocean Beach . One of my favourite trips in Tasmania was the Gordon River cruise.

GREAT EASTERN DRIVE

BAY OF FIRES near St Helens  on the Tasman Sea with white sands, turquoise water and red-lichen-splashed boulders, camping, birdwatching, spectacular views, guided walks, spot the dolphins, diving, fishing, crayfish, eat lobster or turn up some abalone, stay in eco-friendly accommodation.  Bay of Fires Lodge Walk true shelter, something that gives protection and refuge, simple and sustainable, clean and comfortable.  Our groups have the exclusive use of our Forester Beach Camp and award winning Bay of Fires Lodge.  No need to sleep in tents with uncomfortable mattresses and sandy floors, our accommodation is an important aspect of the walk and we believe it should be enjoyed and not endured.

BICHENO, history that includes whaling in the early 1800s, glass bottomed boat to spot the the sea dragons, penguin tour, scuba diving, fishing village with fisherfolk returning each day with their catch, blowhole, red-lichen-coated grant rocks, spot the whales, dolphins and sea lions, East Coast Natureworls , Douglas-Apsley National Park.  Lady Eugenie, Wineglass Bay Sail Walk our groups have exclusive use of Lady Eugenie – whilst travelling with us she becomes your home. We believe a sound night’s sleep is fundamental in making a good walking holiday a great walking holiday. Your accommodation should be enjoyed not endured.

FREYCINET NATIONAL PARK, on the peninsula, pink and red granite mountains, Hazards, Wineglass Bay, waling trails, Bryans Beach, Cooks Beach, Great Oyster Bay, fishing, snorkelling, rock climbing, scenic cruise, four-wheel-drive trips, Cape Tourville Lighthouse, kayaking, luxurious lodges.  Freycinet National Park

Tasmania Walking Company  has been operating for 30 years and have won a number of national and state tourism awards. We operate two of the ten Great Walks of Australia. Tasmanian Walking Company has the privilege of operating the only private hut accommodation along the Overland Track and we own the Bay of Fires Lodge bordering Mount William National Park. We own Lady Eugenie which is the accommodation on our Wineglass Bay Sail Walk.  In late 2018 we will launch the Three Capes Lodge Walk — being the only company offering private and exclusive accommodation within the National Park.

Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, Dove Lake

World Heritage-listed, majestic landscape, overnight hiking, reflective Dove Lake with the 6 km circut track, Overland Track, Tasmanian devil, quolls, platypuses, bushwalking, Cradle Mountain Lodge, devil sanctuary, helicopter flight and 350 km from Hobart.

SOME OTHER PLACES OF INTEREST

Tasmania for families: The best things to see and do

Lake Pedder  take a good sealed road 150 kilometres west from Mt Field National Park to reach Lake Gordon and Lake Pedder, set in Tasmania’s wild south-west wilderness and ringed with rugged mountain ranges.

Wild Pedder is a new adventure tour operator presenting the pristine wilderness of Southwest Tasmania to those who dare to venture. Owner operators Lou and Cody are passionate about sharing the incredible diversity and experiences that can be had in Tasmania’s wilds.  Combining bush-walking and kayaking, The Pedder Experience instills a sense of underlying connection with the land and an ongoing custodianship to the natural world. Designed to challenge and reward, with the comfort of a warm lodge, fine Tasmanian food and a glass of Pinot at the end of the day.  Wild Pedder is like no other.

Hartz Mountains  Hartz Mountains National Park is a window into the south-west wilderness, offering views of remote mountain ranges as far as the southern coast. As well as spectacular views of a landscape which has been shaped by glaciers during past ice ages, the park offers a variety of unique features. Waterfalls tumble off the dolerite range that runs through the centre of the park and small glacial lakes dot the plateau. The park contains a wide variety of vegetation from wet eucalypt forest and rainforest through to alpine heath on the exposed mountain tops.

Southwest National Park  the magnificent Southwest National Park is the heart of the Tasmanian wilderness and contains some of the finest and most remote wilderness found anywhere in the world.  At a massive 600,000 hectares, this national park is Tasmania’s largest, and with wild rivers, jagged mountain ranges, button grass plains and ancient rainforest, forms part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. The park includes stands of rare Huon pine and a myriad of plant and animal species.

Mt Field National Park  is Tasmania’s first national park, with stunning vistas, great walks, abundant wildlife and excellent visitor facilities. An easy drive from Hobart, Mount Field has been popular with nature lovers for well over a century.  Twisted Lakes, Tarn Shelf Track.  “tam” is a lake at the tightest point of a facial valley.  Nothofagus gunnii is Australia’s only cold-climate deciduous plant, a small beech tree reaching no higher than 5m, growing nowhere else in the world. Lake Newdegate, Sprent Basin, Gordon Dam, Gordon River, Macquarie Harbour, Franklin and Sentinel ranges, Mount Wedge and Mount Anne, Wilmot Island, White Spur Point, Trappes Island, Strathgordon Bay, Mt Eliza, Condominium Creek, Lake Pedder, Sentinel Range, Mount Wedge, Deception Ridge, Western Arthurs, Frenchmans Cap and the Upper Florentine Regional Reserve, where some of the tallest trees on earth live – the swamp gum or E.regnans.

Tedder Wilderness Lodge, Strathgordon   is located right in the heart of Tasmania’s Southwest National Park which is part of Tasmania’s World Heritage Area. Recognised as one of the world’s extraordinary natural wonders by the World Heritage Commission, it is to be protected forever from human intervention. One tree, which now sits out the front of the Lodge, was cut down in the 1970’s before this protection was in place. The great Huon pine, which is about the width of a car, has its rings marked all the way back to the birth of Christ.

Some interesting information and links from an article in July/August NRMA magazine by Suzanne Monks:

Hobart, a small city on the Derwent River and at the foot of Mount Wellington is Australia’s second-oldest Australian state capital and was established as a penal colony in 1803.  Many or the original sandstone buildings built by convicts remain.  Constitution Dock is where the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race finished, the 630 nautical mile challenge. The famous Salamanca Place with its weekend markets.  Antarctica is 7246 km away, Australia’s Antarctic icebreaker aurora has onboard laboratories, carries supplies, equipment and workers to latitudes south of 40 degrees and can withstand 10-meter waves and 150km/h winds. Explorers such as Douglas Mawson and Ernest Shackleton sailed from Hobart to explore the largely-unknown Antarctic area directly south of Australia. Hobart is a hub for much of the world’s Antarctic research activity and is home to the headquarters of the Australian Antarctic Division.  Cape Dension on Commonwealth Bay in the Artarctic, the famous Mawson’s Huts have been replicated in the Mawson Hut Replica Museum. As part of the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens, Australia’s second-oldest botanic garden after Sydney’s you will find the sub-Antarctic room.  Visitors can see plants collected from Macquarie Island, which is a subantarctic Australian territory managed by the Tasmanian Government Parks and Wildlife Service.  Also interesting is the heated Arthur Wall, commissioned by Governor Arthur in 1829, built by convicts to spread hot air through the wall to keep the plantswarm in the cold Tasmanian winters.

Australian Antarctic Division: Leading Australia’s Antarctic Program  Australian Government, Department of the Environment and Energy, Australian Antarctic Division.  Antarctic Webcams and Time-lapse Video

Australian Antarctic Festival 2-5 August 2018 – Hobart Tasmania  Polar Pathways Tours.  Join your expert guide for a fascinating walk along Hobart’s waterfront, visiting significant sites in the city’s long Antarctic history. From Douglas Mawson’s pioneering 1911 Australasian Antarctic Expedition to the thrilling drama of Raould Amundsen’s announcement from the Hobart GPO that he had conquered the South Pole, Hobart has played a key role in many Antarctic stories.  It continues to do so, with Antarctic supply vessels from several countries using our deep water port to provision their remote scientific bases.

Tasmanian Museum & Art Gallery  – Islands to Ice  Islands to Ice examines the definitions, perceptions and mythology of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean. It explores the places, the people, the creatures and the phenomena that make the great southern wilderness a world of its own. It is an invitation to journey south from Hobart across the oceans to the frozen continent of Antarctica.

Antarctic Photography Exhibition  If you are reading this in time this looks interesting.   Opens 02-08-2018,  closes 19-08-2018  As part of the Australian Antarctic Festival, the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery (TMAG) is presenting the biannual exhibition of works created as part of the festival’s Antarctic Photography Competition.  See stunning images of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean, finalists in the competition, and cast your vote in the People’s Choice Award.  For more information about the festival, visit www.antarcticfestival.com.au.  Image details: Chris Wilson’s first prize winner from 2016, Iceberg with Penguins.

View the Aurora Australis

Tasmania is one of the only places in Australia where you can glimpse the southern lights. Best places to try would be Coles Bay or Cockle Creek.

Cradle Mountain

The Cradle Mountain is a mountain in the Central Highlands region of Tasmania, Australia. The mountain is situated in the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park.

Port Arthur

Visit the old convict town of Port Arthur, the destination for the worst British prisoners in the 1800’s. Ghost tours are also offered.

Wineglass Bay

Take in the pure white sand and turquoise sea at Wineglass Bay, long regarded as having one of the most beautiful beaches in the world.

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Bruny Island

King Island