#2 Tasmanian Update
Hello out there!!
We've now completed our travels of Tasmania.... for now (we MUST go back for longer next time).
We were there for almost 6 weeks and spent a decent amount of time in the Sth and East of the Island..we managed to go across to Queenstown,Strahan, Stanley & Smithton in the West as well but, didn't touch a lot on the centre and other areas except for Cradle Mountain. A lot of places like the Walls of Jerusalem were shut and Derwent bridge area... closed due to fires would you believe.
I posted a blog update a couple of weeks ago that i don't think was received into everyones email
inbox for some reason...i think i stuffed it up somehow..anyways...
When you've looked at this update, be sure to check out the one before (#1) of the Great Ocean Road
and the beginning pics of our arrival in Tasmania.
The pics below are randomly in order in some places so...can't help that.
There are pics of Bruny Island, Bay of fires, Port Aurthur and other highlights.
VERY difficult as always, to select the most appealing images from the 1000's i take.
Hope you enjoy
The Hardy's
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| Camp spot at Bruny Island |
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| Went for a walk on the beach near our campspot in Bruny, and found this very dissorientated, young, sick looking Black-faced Cormorant just standing on the beach...not normal. I reached down and picked it up easily....which is not normal either obviously. Wildlife carers were contacted on the mainland and i kept it overnight, put it in a box the next morning and put it on the ferry to be taken from Bruny back to the mainland of Tas to be collected on the other side for rehabilitation... Its in great hands now :D |
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| Cape Bruny...stunning! |
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| Bay of Fires - Love the Orange Lichen all over the rocks |
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| Cataract Gorge/Launceston - Had a nice ride on the chairlifts to the right.. Great place to relax on a Sunny Sunday, with a free pool. Swam in the gorge too... Fresh but invigorating |
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| Beaconsfield mine This is where the 2 men were trapped under the ground for 14 days before they were rescued...MIRACLE. It was all over the news years ago... Amazing interactive place to explore with the kids. They LOVED it. |
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| Stopped in at Inala Sanctuary on Bruny Island Spoke to the lovely lady in charge who looks after wildlife. This was a little pademelon that was rescued...still a joey. Mother hit by a car. Very friendly and enjoyed licking the kids feet... |
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| Lunch on the beach, with our Camp kitchen all set up for offroad camping.. |
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| Stayed a night at Maria Island. This is just as you get off the boat at the jetty. The White sand in the distance is where we watched a Tasmanian Devil in the day time and in the WILD, bolt up the beach and into the sand dunes. Amazing!! Saw another that night at the camp kitchen, much younger one. Amazing creatures. OH, and there are no cars to be brought across...only walking and riding bikes exists on the island. We took our bikes over. |
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| A crazy looking bridge that convicts built with jagged rocks on it Lots of historical things over there. |
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| Looking out over Wineglass bay after we walked up to the lookout Freycinet N.P |
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| Douglas-Apsley gorge area Crystal clear AMAZING water... |
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| Walking across the 100 yr old bridge, looking down at the gorge.. We walked across that overflow and swam at the bottom... |
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| The water on the left is where you first come into with the Spirit of Tasmania boat. Huge boat. You would think it was too shallow for it... Quite deep in fact. Devonport Tasmania |
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| An old bridge... |
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| A bay at Bruny Island |
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| The echidna's in the Sth of Tasmania seem to have more fur between the spines, for added warmth against the cold, compared to the mainland echidna's.. You can just see the beak/nostrils sticking up to see if i'm still standing there. |
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| Green Rosella (Largest Rosella in Australia) Looks more Yellow i know but, when i fly's, you can see more green on its back lots on Bruny Island and around Tassie mainland |
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| 'The neck' at Bruny Island On the left, the steps lead down to the Penguin viewing area where we watched Short-tailed shearwaters (Muttonbirds) and Fairy (Little) Penguin chicks and parents communicate with each other...Wonderful experience. |
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| The kids off on an adventure together to do the 'Fluted Cape Walk' We accompanied them of course...great walk. |
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| Forgotten the name of this walk but, its on Bruny Island. I was able to find 3 Endemic Tasmanian birds on this walk (Endemic means, only found in Tasmania and nowhere else in the world) Tasmanian Scrubtit, Tasmanian Thornbill, Tasmanian Scrubwren AND...some leeches |
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| Albino Bennets Wallaby....Randomly in a paddock.. So excited to see one.... Bruny Island |
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| Think of Donkey, from the movie SHREK |
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| DONKEY...from Shrek he he |
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| Feeding the Donkeys....i love Donkeys... |
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| Went down to the Sth of Tassie to Cockle creek Walked out to the West Cape...14 km walk. Kids legs were tired after that... This is the Ida bay train at Cockle creek... |
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| Beautiful Waterfalls at Mount Field NP |
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| Giant trees...remnants of trees anyway... |
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| Port Aurthur.. Interesting, historical place...sad too |
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| We went on a boat cruise near Port Aurthur and this was taken as we were coming back to the dock. Great reflections on a overcast, rainy day... Until next time.......stay tuned for Tasmanian update #3 The Hardy's |
