Sunday, February 24, 2008

Tasmania

Ok, i'm now near the end of my trip to Tasmania, it has been good although the first week was a little difficult. I travelled on a day sailing of the 'Spirit of Tasmania' ferry, it took about 9 hours and I found it to be quite a nice journey, most of the time I was planning how/where/what I was going to do in Taz.



The ferry docks in a place called Devenport on the North coast so I booked into a hostel for 2 nights with the intension of travelling west along the north coast using public buses. this plan was more complicated that you might think, the first bus ticket I bought was was for a service that did not run on a sunday, so I had to stay an extra day in Devenport before traveling to the Seaside town of Wynyard. Was not a lot to do on my extra day in Devenport so I just lounged around reading my book and unfortunatly got sun burnt for the first time is oz?! Anyway, moved onto Wynyard and spent a couple of days wandering around the area, quite nice. On my last day I had to wait until 5pm before my bus would take me to a place called Stanley (looks just like llandudno in wales), anyway, the bus never turned up! This messed all my plans up, as although a bus (in theory) would take me there the next day I would have to stay for 4 nights in a really quiet place as no busses run at the weekend that far up the coast, so I stayed 1 more night in Wynyard then got on the next bus to the city of Launceston (back the way I came).


Devenport Lighthouse


Me at Wynyard (before I was stuck there)


Took this on a walk up Fossil Bluff at Wynyward, trying to be arty again.

Sorry, going on a bit, but i'm still a bit annoyed with the awefull service RedLine bus service provided, I got my money back and booked onto a adventure tour of Tasmania to start the next day. I should have done this in the first place, I got to go to lots of places I could never have done on public busses and met some cool people.

Did lots -

First day of the tour we went to Cateract gourge in Launceston then travelled east to the Bay of Fires. In the evening we went to see Blue Penguins nesting at Bichino beach.


Cateract Gourge


Bay of Fires


Blue Penguin

Climbed Mount Amos, which looks over Wineglass Bay. Was very steep, good fun scrabbling over the rocks to get to the top. Stayed the night on the Port Arthur Peninsula.


Me at the top of Mount Amos

Visited Port Arthur (british empire convict place) then went to Tasmania Devel Zoo. Tour was in 2 halves so that evening went for a meal with people finishing the tour at a nice fish & chips restaurant in Hobart.


Tasmanian Devel

Travelled to the West Coast visting Mnt Feild National Park and Franklin Gordon Wild Rivers National Park. Did lots of walking around rain forest, quite nice but quite a bit of travelling. Stayed the night at Strahan.


Sunset at Strahan

Went to 'Ocean Beach' and the walked through the Henty Sand Dunes, about 20 hump back whales became beached there a few years ago. In the afternoon went canoeing on Lake St Clair (i think), which was good fun.


Me and a Humpback Whale

Did a 5-6 hour walk up Mount Hanson and then round just below Cradle Mountain, very spectacular. Stayed in Devenport again.


Canoeing


Cradle Mountain

Next day took bus via Launceston to Hobart, where I met Darren and Jamie (friends from the oz east coast) staying in the same hostel. Next day my brother Adam and Louise his wife arrived in Hobart. So spent the last few days with them.. Will get a lift in there hire car to Launceston before flying to Melbourne on Tuesday.


Adam, Louise and me sheltering from the rain in Hobart


More pics can been seen using the Tasmania link on the right menu.

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