BLOG UPDATE # 1
Hi Everyone,
just another blog post, which i thought i'd sneak in while i had some internet service and some TIME ha ha...we've been zipping around Tasmania like crazy. We HATE travelling fast but...we only had 6 weeks here and its not long enough at ALL. So much to do here in this pristine place.
Tasmania is like what the mainland Australia used to be 50 yrs ago i reckon.
Layed back, less overpopulated, lots of Wildlife living (lots of roadkill too) with minimal predators and almost no introduced species...The Ocean and the rivers and lakes are pristine, crystal clear water...just amazing...
We've seen so much amazing wildlife including TWO TASMANIAN DEVILS in the WILD. One in the day time (random) and one at night...EPIC!!
Not the most common animal anymore because of the facial tumours they suffer from which is killing them off...they've reduced by 80% :(
I've included a bunch of Great Ocean Road Victoria pics of our recent travels, before we boarded the Spirit of Tasmania boat with our Motorhome bus/coach and car to tour around in....
For those following this blog that are into birds and wanted to know, (non birders can skip the next bit)...the following list of new bird species has been sighted in the last month:
Rufous Bristlebird, Malleefowl, Striated Fieldwren, Crescent Honeyeater, Ground Parrot, Orange-bellied parrot, Beautiful Firetail, Pink Robin, Tasmanian Thornbill, Tasmanian Scrubtit, Tasmanian Scrubwren, Black Currawong, Green Rosella, Forty-spotted pardalotes, Swift Parrots, Yellow wattlebird, Tasmanian native hen, Dusky Robin, Yellow-throated honeyeater, Black-headed honeyeater, Strong-billed honeyeater....probably missed some but anyways...
Hope you enjoy the following pics/updates
Ciao for now
The Hardy's
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| One of huge rocks of the Twelve Apostles on the Great Ocean Road/Vic There is 8 Apostle rocks left now. We walked down Gibsons steps to the beach to get this view. Fun fact: Twelve Apostles used to be called 'Sow & Piglets' back in the day...Amusing!!! |
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| Huge rock of the 12 Apostles...interesting size comparison |
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| Sunrise over the 12 Apostles/Great ocean road/Vic |
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| 12 Apostles/Great Ocean Road/Vic |
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| Melba falls in the Otway ranges on the Great Ocean Road VERY pretty place, with a LOT of ferns and beauty. Kids saw the Otway fly (insect) and a Carnivorous black snail...interesting! |
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| Otway Ranges near Cape Otway Lighthouse is home to HEAPSSSSS of Koala's. We saw one Koala with its baby on its back climb down backwards from the tree and just sit on the ground while the tourists took its photo...then walked away slowly. Not scared at all.. Koalas almost in EVERY tree... |
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| Another sleepy Koala Cape Otway VIC |
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| Cape Otway Lighthouse We enjoyed a walk up to the top, overlooking the ocean and coastline, and some lunch at the Cafe nearby..for a price close to robbery... |
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| NEVER seen so many Rock Cairns...we had to build our own cairn and add to it of course...kids enjoyed that Great Ocean Road/Vic |
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| We camped at Lorne on the Great Ocean Road and had these delightful guests everyday - Sulphur Crested Cockatoo's Also Pied Currawong, Australian King Parrots, Kookaburra's etc |
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| Australian King Parrot (very young) |
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| Gang Gang Cockatoo... First sighting of one in my life...i was rather EXCITED!!! |
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| WOOHOO!!! Our Big rig cruising along.... Some were surprised we brought this along the Great Ocean Road due to its winding roads...it was all good...just took our time |
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| Went to the Surf Museum in Torquay....VERY interesting and very historical about old surfing days and origins to todays surfing elite... |
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| Went to the Wool Museum in Geelong...SOOOOO worth going to.. Very educational and the kids learned HEAPS. My little girl here is learning about Sheep shearing... |
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| The weird looking freaky bollards in Geelong. Weird but painted really effectively and really well |
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| Wreck beach VIC This is a huge anchor from a Shipwreck in the 1800's... Pretty amazing to be near such a historical piece of seagoing equiptment |
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| The local Kangaroos checking us out... |
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| Our Motorhome bus boarding the freight section of the Spirit of Tasmania boat on the left...doesn't look like it fits i know...but it does... Caleb drove the bus into the freight section. I parked the car in a different section of the boat |
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| Melbourne on the horizon...Goodbye Melboure/Mainland Australia.. See you in 6 weeks...Bound for Tasmania... |
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| Arrived in Devonport Tasmania...Drove to Hobart that day I had to catch this Par avion plane two days later to fly to the remote Sth West Tasmania Wilderness, to see and photograph the Orange bellied parrot (Critically endangered), the Ground Parrot and others... |
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| I flew across this Wilderness to the Remote Sth West of Tasmania towards Melaleuca The flight had been cancelled once due to bad weather...i had a two hour window to fly in before it closed in again....very unpredictable weather down here...part of the adventure..LOVE it!! (LOTS of turbulance though...which i don't like) |
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| Bathurst Harbour coming into Melaleuca/Tasmania |
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| This is Melaleuca...the airstrip is on the left... AWESOME experience to come out here....so remote |
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| My plane ride to Melaleuca...as soon as we landed the pilots were racing to leave again as the weather was closing in and they didn't want to be trapped for the next few days... |
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| I stayed overnight here...experienced Gale force winds, 4 storms, hail 7 times... interspersed with some filtered sun.... |
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| I'm not going to post my best shot of these for obvious internet security reasons but...you can see the very Orange colour on the belly...This is the Critically endangered Orange bellied parrot. Yes...looks like a glorified budgie to some but, its way more special than that...Almost extinct in the wild :( Orange bellied parrots only breed at Melaleuca Tasmania, and fly to the mainland of Australia in April roughly to escape the cold cold winter in Tasmania. There are 33 OBP's in the wild left in the whole world...22 of those are actually wild and 10 of those are Captive bred to add to the population to try and boost their numbers to breed.. Situation is grim. At one time i had 13 of the OBP's at a feed table outside...a huge chunk of the worlds population in front of my eyes....sad but exciting.... |
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| This Beautiful Firetail finch was feeding alongside the parrots and they both get along together Beautiful finch.. |
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| My cabin at Melaleuca shared with others...had great laughs with some other hiker/walkers, doing the West Coast Track...VERY difficult 7 day hike |
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| A very endearing Pademelon...so CUTE!!! Melaleuca/Tasmania VIC |
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| Striated Heathwren...Gorgeous thing.. Not colourful but i love the patterns |
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| When i got back from Melaleuca in the remote Sth west... That same day we raced up Wellington Mountain in Hobart to see Snow in SUMMER!!! |
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| FIRST time our kids had seen snow...They made snowmen and snow angels and had the best time... |
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| Some random image of one of the relaxing areas on the Spirit of Tasmania boat |
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| We've been up Mt Wellington in Hobart a few times now...one time without snow, the other WITH Snow...two times there has been a beautiful rainbow of the city. First time i'd been ABOVE a rainbow looking down on it... Hobart is a pretty city.... So that was part 1 of Tasmania....more to come...i'll try and post next week or sooner...don't know. See how much time i get....Feel free to comment down below if you have time. A trip to Tasmania is definately recommended Ciao for now The Hardy's... |
Wow Kirri, what an amazing adventure to the South West to see the birds. How fun is it staying in a hut overnight. We made so many new friends staying in huts. If you get a chance to do any of the Overland Track it's amazing. How cool you got to see that beautiful bird almost extinct, that would have been so amazing. So many of God's creatures have left the earth. Makes me wonder what heaven will be like, so many glorious animals to see for the first time. Love you guys xx
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