Tasmania

Tasmania

Hi, I am Linda and I am going to visit Tasmania in my vacation to visit my boyfriend Luckas who is studying at the University of Hobart. Together we are going to make a tour around Tasmania.
I will write a diary to show you guys my holidays. First we will stay in Hobart for a few days and Luckas will show me the town. Then we will travel further to Lake Gordon and subsequently we will drive to the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers Nationalpark which is directly near to the lake. Our trip continues in Cradle-Mountain-Saint-Clair-Nationalpark from where we will drive to Launceston after a stay there, we will visit Freycinet National Park!

I am looking forward to telling you my adventures and experiences! In the morning and/or in the evening I am going to write my diary!

Tamania

The Island Tasmania belongs to Australia and it is in the south-east of the main-island of Australia.
Tasmania is 68.400 km² big, that is nearly as big as Bavaria. On the island live about 502.600 people.

The warmest months are January and Febuary with 22C°, the coldest are June and July with about 12C°. Most of the island are National Parks with nature reserve. About a quarter of the island is UNESCO-world natural heritage.

The natives of Tasmania evolved themselves independently of the Australian Aborigines.

Until 1865 all natives were killed by the British.

On this map you can see where

the destinations of our travel

around
Tasmania are. →

Hobart

Hobart is the capital of the state Tasmania and the 2^nd oldest City, after Sydney, of Australia. It was founded in 1803. The town is on a height of 54m and has got a surface of 1.357, 3 km² . The city, having 205.566 inhabitants, is in the south of Tasmania.
The mouth of the Derwent River, like the foot of the Mount Wellington, are in the area of Hobart.
Out of the Tourism the city earns money with the making of Catamarans, the manufactor of wood and the zinc smelting.

25^th December
Salamanca Place

For our first day here in Hobart we planned a little shoppingtour on the Salamanca Place, the weekly market of Hobart, to shop some food for the next day.
In the afternoon we want to see the harbour of Hobart.
We´ve just had breakfast in a nice cafe next to the water, after a long sleep-because of the jetlag. The breakfast was a big buffet with all you can think of.
In a few minutes we are going to drive into the city with a bus, but there we are going to rent some bikes to be everywhere quickly.
The market is really big, there a lot of market stalls, which are selling things like food, but also a lot of souvenirs and handmade things, a lot of different things. We were for 2 to 3 hours there and then it was time to go on. I think you have to see it, when you are in Hobat.
After that we rode our bikes to the port of Hobart. We sat down and ate some food we bought on the market. A lot of ships and cruise ships passed by the sea. An hour later we made a boat-tour to see the coast from the front-site. In the evening we only got back to Luckas flat and talked about his studying, but we fell asleep fast.
The day was a great beginning of our holidays!

26^th December

MONA

Today we are going to visit the Museum of Old and new Art, the MONA. I am not that interested in Art, but I think it will be exciting to see.

It is the largest privately funded museum in Australia.

My first impression was very nice, even the building is a work of art.
The works of art in there were really great, my favorite one is the Sidney Nolan´s Snake. It is a 45m long wall with 1620 individual frames (each of them is unique). The colours are chosen, so that you can see a snake in the foreground. I´ve never thougt I would like art that much. In the afternoon we only went shopping. I bought a few garments for us and some souvenirs for our friends in Germany.

27^th December
Cadbury Factory; Sydney Hobart Regatta

In the Morning we went by bus to the Cadbury chocolate Factory. We went with a group of 20-30 people through the fabric and watched how the choclate is made. At the end you could buy all choclate of Cadbury, but it was very expensive. However there was something with normal prizes.

In the afternoon we were at the Sydney-Hobat-Regatta, it is a boat-race from Sydney to Hobart.
The boats started yesterday and Statistics are saying that the fastest boats need one to two days.

This is the beginnig of the race 

in Sydney!

Yesterday no boat came into the harbour of Hobart, so maybe today. Luckas is also sayling as a hobby, so he is very interested in it. In the course of the day we were sometimes at the harbour to see if a boat is on the way into the harbour. Apart from that we just walked in the city and looked here in this street and there in that path.

In the late afternoon the first ship arrived. A lot of fans and tourists came to see. All cheered and clapped their hands.
To celebrate the end of the time in Hobart we went to the restaurant:

We booked a table in the morning.

The oysters, I ate, were really fantastic. I have never eaten better ones. Especially the dessert, was really refined.Vanilla bean + rosemary panna-cotta with drunken apples,

candied granola and granny smith purée finished with rosemary flowers.
Fantastic.

28^th December

Today is the day of the departure from Hobart, but the journey is far from over. In the morning we are going to buy some food for the next weeks and pack our things. In the afternoon we will drive to Lake Gordon.

Lake Gordon


Lake Gordon is a lake to the south of Franklin-Gordon-Nationalpark. It’s 24 km long and 21 km wide. The lake is a basin; the dammed river is the Gordon River, a river which has drinking water quality, although the waters’ colour reminds you of tea, because lots of tannin is in the water. 
The basins’ dam, which is about 153 yards high and 217 yards long, has been built since 1974. It was built for making electrical energy for a hydro station. 
We were at the lake for 3 nights, we stayed at a nice B&B on the rivers’ coast.

29^thDecember
Kayaking

Because we really like kayaking, we chartered kayaks for our first day. The lake is beautiful! When we started our tour, there were a few other people. But after a few minutes of canoeing, there was nobody and we enjoyed the view: Around the lake there are impressive mountains and cold-moderate rain forests. We canoed on and we wondered: there’re jut out trees of the water! It looked interesting; I’ve never seen such big trees in the water. We found a beach soon and had a break. On the beach were some other people too, and because we haven’t already found an answer why the trees are there, we asked a man. He explained that the lake has a maximum depth of 28 feet, so big trees jut out the water. The trees were there already before the flooding in 1974, and there was no reason to put them away, so they are there to date.

After the break at the beach, we canoed back. 


30^th December
Dam

For today, we planed a visitation of the dam. I’m not so interested in buildings like dams, but this one is really impressive! I can’t describe the feeling, but the dam seems like a colossus, because it’s so high and made of cement. We walked a bit around and went pretty early home, ‘cause on the next day we wanted to drive to Franklin-Gordon-Nationalpark.

Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National park

Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National park was founded 1908, it is 4463,42 km² big. The name is because of the two main rivers in the park, Franklin River and Gordon River. The park belongs to the World Heritage Site of Tasmanian wilderness. There is just one highway in the park, Lyell Highway, it is 56 km long.

We will drive along the Lyell highway and stop on some places to hike to nice and famous places or to stay at the night there.

31^st December
Frenchman´s cap

Today we started our tour through the national park. The first place we visited was the Frenchman’s cap.
 Frenchman’s cap is a rock, which is 1446m high. The name is because the rock reminds of a Frenchman’s cap.
Normally, the hike is 53 km long, so you walk 3-5 days on it. But because Luckas and I aren’t the best hikers, we decided to hike just a part of the tour. 
As we walked a short cut, it was a bit difficult to find the right way, so we asked a woman who looked like she knew the area for the way. Her answer wondered us: She didn’t say Frenchman’s cap, the said Mabarlek. We thought she meant another rock, but then we found out that she was an Aborigine, and they call the rock Mabarlek!
A few hours later, we arrived at the top. The view was fantastic, although it was pretty foggy, because of the height of the rock. 
Our way back needed more time than we planned, because there was a storm, what is quite normal at the rock...but we arrived!

1^st January
Nelson Falls; Donaghys Hill Wilderness Walk

Happy New Year!
For today we planned a walk to the Nelson Falls.

We parked our car at an easy-to-spot car park, from which we walked to the Nelson Falls. Nelson Falls is an awesome waterfall; it is some 30m high. The water tumbles in water basin which looks like an upside down wine glass shape.
We walked about 20 minutes to the waterfall; it was a nice walk in a part of the rainforest there.

When we arrived below the fall, we were surprised: sure, the waterfall isn’t the biggest one, but of course the nicest, Luckas and I decided. Because it rained a lot last night, there was a lot of water. After a picnic in the beautiful scenery we walked back to our car.

We drove a short distance with our car, than we walked the Donaghys Hill Wilderness Walk; the destination of this tour is the Donaghys Hill lookout, that is a rock.
We walked around 20 minutes to the lookout. Both during the walk and at the rock, you have a great view. On one place, you have a 360° view-wonderful! We saw the Frenchman’s cap, the Franklin River and other nice places of the park. Then we arrived at the lookout. Luckas´ comment was that it looked like in the movie “Jurassic Park“, and that there were just missing the dinosaurs…We had lunch at the rock, then we went back.

2^nd January

Rafting tour

It is our last day in this beautiful national park. For today, we planned a rafting tour in the Franklin River. We started with a small group at Collingword River, that we rafted along the Franklin River. It was a rapid drive on a roaring river, there were cataracts etc. But there were also nice and out-of-the-way places which were lovely. It was a varied tour; a nice close for our time in this national park.

Cradle-Mountain-Saint-Clair-Nationalpark

3^rd January

Lake St. Clair

Well, in the morning we came to the most popular national Park of Tasmania. The Cradle-Mountain-Saint-Clair-Nationalpark! Short: CMNP
The whole 127,500 ha big NP is nature reserve. One mountain, Mount Ossa, which is the highest of Tasmania, is also in the Park. Beside there are glacial lakes, canyons, alpine moores and also mountain tops. One Attracion is the Lake St. Clair, which is with 180m the deepest freshwater lake.
The area of the Nationalpark is good to walk and make boat trips, but one thing is not that good: There are a lot of Tourists, it is because of the popularity.

For our first day here we planned a trip to the Lake St. Clair. The lake is very big, but the water is quiet clean and fresh. We are going to swim there and walk. There are nice routs to walk. Like the

Lake St. Clair tour, but this is only 80 minutes long. We are going to walk on the Echo Point. There we will go first by ship and then we will walk three hours. Some people think that it is quite long, but on the way you can see a lot of animals, special Tasmanian/Australian animals and some „normal“ ones. Not like in a zoo, in the real wilderness. One is the Wombat, it belongs to the Marsupials. It looks like a little bear and it olny eats plants, but in Tasmania traditional Australian Koalas do not live.

4^th January
Visitor-Center

Today we only go to the Visitor-Center to buy some food and ask how the weather will be in the coming days. Tomorrow we want to walk on the top of the Mount Ossa so the weather has to be good.
Normally the weather in Tasmania, in CMNP is good, like about 20C° in this season, but on mountains the weather is changeable all the time. Tomorrow it will be good, the saleslady said .

5^th January
Mount Ossa

Well, today it is time to walk in the top of Mount Ossa. The Mountain is 1617m high and it is in the Pelion Range. That is a mountain range, which is in the centre of the CMNP. In principle the mountain is easy to walk and climb on, except just a short time before you are on the top, you have to climb across some rocks.
Early in the morning we start and in the evening we come back. The view at the top was fantanstic: You can see the untouched nature of the Pelion Range and the CMNP. Absolutly wonderful.

6^th January

Overland Track

The day of the depature from CMNP. In the morninig we can walk around, see the nature and just relax, but in the evening we have to leave the wonderful nature. However we will drive to Launceston. There it will be also fantastic. I hope so.
Now we are here! In the morning, noon and afternoon we will walk a part of the Overland Track!

The Overland Track is 74 km long, but we will only walk some kilometres.

If you want to walk there you have to book it; we did it. And the places are often booked quickly. Moreover you have to walk from the north to the south in the winter.

On the track we saw impressive waterfalls, little wonderful lakes and big mountains from underneath.

The time here is over.
CMNP is impressive and you can see a lot. You have to see it, if you are on the Island Tasmania.

Launceston

Launceston is the 2nd biggest city in Tasmania, it has got 71400 inhabitants. The city was founded in 1806 by the lieutenant colonel Wiliam Paterson who called the city Patersonia. But he changed

the name to “Launceston” to respect governor Phillip King.

7^th January

We stay at a nice and famous hotel, „Batman Fawkner Inn”. It was built in 1820, so just shortly after the founding of Launceston. It is in the centre, but even so calm. In the evening, we wanted to eat in a restaurant. The chief of our hotel recommend us a Mexican restaurant near the hotel, it is also his favourite one.

8^th January

Queen Victoria Museum & Art Gallery

Today, we visited the Queen Victoria Museum & Art Gallery. It is one of the most famous museums in Launceston. It was arranged in 1891 because of the throne jubilee of Queen Victoria.

The building is very nice: it was built in the late-colonial time and looks very noble. In front of the museum, there is a front garden which is also nice and classical.

We bought tickets and had a look at the exhibition, which doesn’t change. My favourite work of art is a Chinese temple, which is decorated with beaten gold. It is spent by some immigrants.

Luckas is interested in Australian Aborigines, so we stayed a long time at the exhibition of them…there were discoveries of archaeologists, for example shell necklaces, swords and other Aboriginal accessories. There is also an exhibition about the Tasmanian flora and fauna, but we didn’t look at it.

9^th January

Penny Royal World

Today we’ve planned a visit of the Penny Royal World. That is a mixture of a theme park and an open-air museum of historical houses. We decided to have a look at the historic things of the park, so first of all we looked at old wind- and watermills which are the centre of the park. They are reconstructed, in the 19th century they were on duty south of Launceston.

From there, we drove with a little historic railway, which belongs to the park, too, to the Royal Gun Powdeer Mill. That is an old black gun powder factory where we had a guidance

At the end of our program we shipped with a historic paddle steamer, “Lady Stelfox” on one of the lakes at the park.

So I think, the Penny Royal world is very nice for all people, who are a bit interested in history. But families who were at the park explained me, that there are also nice places for children to play!

10^th January

The city

We did a lot at the last days, so in the morning, we just relaxed a bit. In the afternoon, we visited the city of Launceston.

Other tourists advised us to discover the city by bikes, so we rent them near our hotel. The city of Launceston is very nice, although it is not the biggest…there were nice cafes and pubs, mills and restaurants.

Luckas decided that Launceston is a city which is not focused on the downtown but on the nature around it, so tomorrow, we will walk at Cataract Gorge.

11^st January

Cataract Gorge

Today is our last day in Launceston.

We were at the Cataract Gorge, that is a nice gorge the South Esk River made in the rock. The gorge is in an animal protection-reservation and the nature is nearly untouched.

While having a picnic near the gorge, we saw some people who bathed at the river.

After the picnic, we walked over a rope bridge which crosses the gorge. It was exciting to stand over the gorge and look down…then you see, how deep it really is!

On the other side of the gorge, we met a couple, which lives at Launceston. They suggested us to stay till it is night, because when it is dark, the gorge is especially beautiful. So we had dinner at a delicious restaurant, “Gorge Restaurant” near the gorge, from where we had a great view to the gorge. And the couple was right: at night the gorge was lighted and it looked impressive!

The trip was a nice close for our stay at Launceston.

This is the rope bridge we walked over→

Freycinet Nationalpark

Finally arrived in Freycinet Nationalpark! (Short: FNP)

The Freycinet NP is in the east of Tasmnia. It has an area of 168 km² and is founded 1916.
Very special in it are the bays. Wineglass Bay and Great Oyster Bay. Cities and villages in or near the NP are Swan Sea and the village Coles bay, which is next to Great Oyster Bay.

12^nd January
Coles Bay

The first day here in Coles Bay. We want to shop here and stay here for two nights.
On the first day in Coles Bay we want to see the village, on the second the beach and on the third we drive to Swan Sea. The village is surrounded by pink granite and from the village you have a great view on the crystal clear blue water. In the village are not any plastic bags and only 200 people live here permanently. However every year a lot of tourists come here and then it is full here.
We sat in a cafe and talked about how the day has to end and what exactly we are going to do tomorrow.

13^rd January
Coast of Coles Bay

After a long sleep we had a long breakfast. We were really tired because of the long journey yesterday, but soon we packed our things and drove near the coast and walked the last part.
The Coast is natural, beautiful, the water is clear and the beach has got white sand. The beach is dream- and heavenlike.

I had never seen anything like that. We both swam, snorkeled, surfed and fished a bit (not exactly at the coast, but nearby) the whole day. It was an exhausting but also relaxed day! In the late evening we drove back to the hotel.

14^th January
Swan Sea

Time to drive to Swan Sea! As well like in Coles bay, here live about 500 people, but in Swan Sea 25,1% of the inhabitats are over 65 years old. That is the highest proportion of the old people in whole Tasmania.

We want to see some historical houses like Schouten House, Meredith House and Morris's General Store. Schouten House and Meredith House are hotels and Morri´s General Store is a department store.
In the evening we are going to go in the cinema, also this little village has got one.

15^th January
Freycinet NP, nature

The third day in Freycinet NP and we walk today through the fantastic nature to a big rock.
From there you have a stunning view over the NP. The walk we chose is about 3-4 hours long. One way. When we are on the rock we going to have some lunch.
In the NP there are 49 species of endemic plants of Tasmania, which are founded there.
Also the Tasmanian devil lives there. The Tasmanian devil is a carnivorus marsupial of the family Dasyuridae.

16^th January

Wineglass Bay

The last day here, but the most perfect event. Early in the morning we drive to Wineglass Bay. Wineglass Bay is the most popular beach in Tasmania and it is not only popular, it is wonderful. Like in a dream. All around are hills and fantastic mountains. And in the „valley“ there is the beach with the clear turquoise water and the sand is warm and clean. Next to the sand beach there are the hills but also a bit jungle. Like in a dream. Wonderful!
We surf, lay, swim, wak and have a nice day. I packed delicious food for enjoing our last day.

17^th January

Driving back

The day for driving to Hobart, flying back and saying Goodbye to Luckas!:-(

The trip was finally amazing! I got to know a new landscape, which you cannot compare with Germany´s.

Particularly well I think was Wineglass Bay, the natural blue water and the sand were wonderful, but also the walk to Mount Ossa was great.
In the Nationalparks there was a fantastic atmosphere, so I could relax and have nice holidays.
Even the towns, especially Hobart and Launceston were pretty nice but not like Berlin or London-

pretty nice.

Maybe I will write you when I am going to visit Luckas again, but now I have to say Goodbye to him. I will miss him.

All information about buildings (etc.) are true. Also restaurants (Monty´s on Montpellier), menues (of Monty´s on Montpellier) and recommendations ( favorite restaurant of the hotels chief (Launceston): Mexican restaurant) exist.