WARNING: This is not a sailing related entry. This, and probably the next 3-4 blog entries, reflect our effort to capture our experiences while we explored Australia and New Zealand by land with some air travel assists. We are metaphorically putting our memories in a bottle to savior on some future date. If you are not interested in reading an amateur attempt to document travel experiences you may wish to skip the next few entries. No offense will be taken. You were warned!
Greetings from Tasmania! What a wonderful place! As most of you probably know, Tasmania is an island state of Australia. It is located 150 miles south off the Australian east coast. It is comprised of a main island and about 1,000 small surrounding islands. Tasmania is roughly the size of West Virginia but there are only ~570,000 residents and the land is mostly untouched — 20% of the entire state is protected as part of UNESCO’s Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area and just over 40% of the entire island is a national park or reserve. It is this untouched wilderness that lured us to Tasmania (or Tassie as the Australians call it). We chose to spend half of our touring time in Australia there.
We were fortunate to visit five different locations in the course of our 2 week visit. Our first stop was Bruny Island, renown for its long and stunning coastline — replete with inlets and bays that ranged from rugged and dramatic to picturesque with fine white sandy beaches — its untouched remoteness (even by Tasmanian standards) and wildlife, particularly the white wallaby which can only be found on South Bruny Island, the pink robin and the forty-spotted pardalote.
We did encounter one glitch getting to Bruny. We woke up the morning of our scheduled departure from Brisbane (March 9) to an email informating us that our flight to Hobart (in Tasmania) was cancelled and the only other flights available that day on our airline, Virgin Australia, would get us into Hobart too late the catch the last ferry to Bruny Island. Thankfully, we found a flight on Quantas Airlines that got us in to Hobart about the same time as our original flight. After an entirely unsatisfactory discussion with Virgin Australia we made the executive decision to buy the Quantas tickets and sort things out with Virgin Australia afterwards. Between the call with Virgin Australia and buying the Quantas tickets we had to scramble to get to the airport in time for our flight (not the leisurely morning we had planned!) but we are accustomed to changing plans and salvaging the first day of our trip — particularly after how long we waited for it — was worth the mad dash. And, in the end, we made it to Bruny on schedule! Once there we stayed in the Blue Wren unit at Free Spirits Pods in North Bruny — accessible only after traveling on a gravel road for ~3 miles — which is best described as a self-contained, but richly appointed, tiny house. Our unit had incredible water views and a lovely deck from which to enjoy them. One of our favorite activities was sitting out on the deck in the early evening listening to the cacophony of bird sounds including the very distinctive call of the kookaburra which sounds like raucous laughter. (Fascinating but not entirely pleasant.)
We spent 3 nights and 2 days on Bruny Island. During our first full day we enjoyed a private guided tour that allowed us to visit the Inala Nature Reserve, Cloudy Bay Cove, Coal Bay and Adventure Bay (where we were mesmerized by the tide pools brimming with diverse life) as well as a rainforest as we strolled through the Mavista Nature walk. Our tour guide, Don, was incredibly knowledgeable about Tasmanian animal and plant life as well as history so he offered us a great introduction to our visit here. During day 2 of our stay we hiked along (and up!) the challenging Fluted Cape walk. This hike started with a walk across Adventure Bay Beach and took us on an “adventurous” path along the coastline through a forest as we climbed to the top of one of the highest sea cliffs in Australia. (Remember, this is the crew of Che Figata. Just because we are now traveling by land doesn’t mean we don’t have to find the highest peak of every place we visit!). Our efforts were richly rewarded. First, with truly spectacular coastal views. Second, with the highly civilized post hike indulgence we gifted to ourselves as we sipped wine and enjoyed a delicious late lunch at the small restaurant and shop operated by the Bruny Island Winery .
Finally, we can’t complete our summary of our Bruny Island visit without mentioning the critters we encountered. Though we continued to see these animals throughout our time in Tasmania, Bruny Island was our introduction to pademelons and wallabies and they both enchanted and entertained us as they hopped playfully around both fields and forest. Our deck gave us front row seats to the show. And, thanks to our guide Don — who knew where to look — we were fortunate to spot the elusive white wallaby! What a magnificent if not strange looking creature. Don also helped us find the forty-spotted pardalote, less elusive but still very special. Don’s only failing (despite his noble efforts) was not conjuring up a pink robin for us. Had he, we would have hit the Bruny Island trifecta!
Following our awesome stay on Bruny Island we were off to Thousand Lakes Lodge. But first we decided to take a few strategic detours to break up the 3 hour trip. Our first stop was the Royal Tasmanian Yacht Club. As sailors we decided that we needed some swag so we purchased a burgee for Che Figata and a few RTYC monogrammed caps that will become gifts for some TBD friends. As long as we were there though we decided to order lattes (we read online that they had great coffee — the lattes did not disappoint) and we enjoyed them while sitting on the patio overlooking their fleet. It was a crisp but sunny day and we couldn’t help thinking, life is good. Our next stop was the Royal Tasmania Botanical Gardens. It was a brief visit but we enjoyed strolling through the manicured grounds and we spotted our first bandicoot, an adorable gerbil-like creature.
We arrived at the Thousand Lakes Lodge mid afternoon. This small, 9 room lodge, is situated at the Northern end of Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area within the Central Plateau Conservation area. This area is often called the isolated heart of Tasmania — it is rugged and dotted with lakes and ancient boulders. It is also very diverse. During our 3 night/2 day stay we hiked (and hiked and hiked – 20,000+ step days) through flat plains very reminiscent of a prairie with reddish/brown dirt, dry grass, brush and boulders. But we also hiked through areas that looked like an alpine forest — big patches of bright green mossy mounds, delicate blue and red flowers liberally sprinkled among the green, low verdant trees and vast open areas around small crystalline lakes. Most of the wildlife remains scarce during the day so that was not the main feature of our hikes. That said, we did have a few great sighting. We spotted a couple of shy wallabies as they hopped away from our path upon hearing us approach. We were also very fortunate to catch a few glimpses of a platypus swimming across a lake. The platypus is notoriously skittish so as soon as our little friend peered up and spotted us on the shore he popped back down underwater. Still, we got several good looks as he stopped to stick his head up to see if we were still there. Finally, we got a great view of an echidna who just happened to be crossing the road in front of us as we completed a hike. True to form, when the echidna saw us he curled up in a ball. While we were careful to respect this personal space, it did give us an opportunity to get a good look at this fascinating creature.
Though the wildlife may not have been the focus of our hikes, it was the main attraction from dusk until about 9 PM back at the lodge. The perfect post dinner entertainment. As if on cue once we surrendered at the dinner table, the wallabies, quolls and Tasmanian devils all presented themselves at center stage — a large open lawn just outside an indoor observation area with a wall of windows. We watched as the quolls scampered about and ate insects, the wallabies jumped about as if it was playtime and the Tasmanian devils searched for food and occasionally decided to engage in a game of tag. For those not familiar, the quoll is a small carnivorous marsupial native to Australia and New Guinea. It looks very similar to a ferret but is is covered with dime to quarter sized white spots that look as though they were painted on. The Tasmanian devil, also a carnivorous marsupial, is an adorable creature (when it’s not bearing its teeth) that looks somewhat like a cross between a miniature teddy bear and a pudgy short-legged cat with its feline-like tail. Very different in appearance from what those of us who were raised on Saturday morning Buggs Bunny cartoons have grown to expect.
After our stay at Thousand Lakes Lodge it was off to the Mountain Valley Wilderness Holidays in Northwest Tasmania (Loongana). This was another very remote property accessible only after a long (long) drive on a gravel road. The nearest small town was an hour away. Mountain Valley Wilderness Holidays is a no frills sort of place. Just 6 rustic cabins with basic appointments (the charming but very dated and somewhat dilapidated appliances and cookware were a far cry from the Smeg appliances at Free Spirit Pods and the green shag rug only enhanced the 60s vibe) surrounded by a protected wilderness area.
With the closest grocery store and restaurant far away, we needed to “self-cater” our personal dining experiences at Mountain Valley Wilderness Holidays. Of course, this something we are quite accustomed to living on a boat and sailing to remote islands. So we planned a route to MVWH that would have us driving through a town with a grocery store and, as long as we had to make a stop, near a point of interest. During this transit between accommodations we chose the Trowunna Wildlife Sanctuary. They have a Tasmanian Devil breeding program to help preserve this endangered species and our stop there gave us an opportunity to learn more about this fascinating animal. Among other things, we learned about the tumor disease that is further threatening the population and the rather violent mating process that female devils endure. (On a sad side note, we also learned the very sobering statistic that 2 million animals are killed on the roads in Tasmania every week!)
After our stops we arrived at MVWH at about 5 PM. Just enough time to get settled, eat dinner and, along with other guests, meet the proprietor, Len, for a stroll at dusk down to a nearby river to watch for platypuses. This was a dusk-time ritual at MVWH. As dark descended it was time for us to return to our cabins and that’s when the magic really happened. We were instructed to leave our porch lights on but turn off all internal lights and stay inside. Len then put out food for the local critters in front of each cabin (chicken for the Tasmanian devils and grain pellets for the pademelons) and, as the night progressed, we had prime viewing seats to Tasmanian wildlife. It was like a reverse zoo — the animals we roaming free in their natural habitat while we were captive in our cabins until the morning. We saw all the usual suspects (including Tasmanian devils and pademelons) but the Oscar for best supporting role went to the cool looking Tawny Frogmouth (Google it), a nocturnal owl-like bird, that swooped in for some chicken, posed for us and then flew off with its prey. The Oscar for best special effects went to the small Tasmanian rat that purloined large chicken wings with breast meat twice its size — and probably more than double its weight — and effortlessly dragged it, with the sweetest little hop, off to its burrow.
Finally, not to be missed, was Len’s guided tour to a glowworm cave. Getting there was, shall we say, a little tricky. The cave was located at the bottom of a ravine just a short walk from our cabin. To reach the cave entrance we had to hang on to a rope and, in essence, repel down the side of a steep and slightly muddy cliff. We were reminded that we were not in the USA when we weren’t asked to sign a liability waiver, there were no harnesses or hard hats and the only thing Len used to keep those not accompanied by him out was a thin dead branch that he laid across some bushes positioned on opposite sides of the narrow path. Not exactly an impediment. The somewhat harrowing trip down (and back up) was definitely worth it. Once inside the cave we were treated to tiny specs of light that made the inside of the cave look like the night sky on a clear evening. When we shined a dim light on the glowworms — truly minute creatures that look like the smallest inch worm you have ever seen — we saw a handful (sometimes several handfuls) of long, incredibly thin, vertical silky strands covered with tiny moist droplets that glistened in the light making them look like a miniature curtain of clear crystal beads. (Very 1960s.)The glowworm uses its light to attract insects who get ensnared in the thread. Fun fact: glowworms are not actually worms at all but rather the larva of a tiny fly. You can read more about glowworms here: https://www.caveanimaloftheyear.org.au/2023/glow-worms.
In addition to wildlife viewing, we did some epic hiking during our stay at MVWH. This included the 26,000+ step hike up the Black Bluff trail that took us up to an elevation of ~1,300 meters. This was a challenging hike up a very steep and rocky dried riverbed through an alpine forest to a small lake. Though every aspect of the hike was exquisite, we became fascinated by lovely patches of small white and lightly mint green “flowers” that looked like tiny snowflakes with numerous intricate, netlike perforations. On closer inspection though these “flowers” — which appeared to be soft and delicate — were hard to the touch. They felt and very much looked like above the ground sea coral. In fact, they reminded us of the breathtaking white coral that formed the White Wall we dove in Fiji. When we got back from our hike we asked Len about it. It turns out that what we saw is called pulchrocladia retipora, commonly known as the coral lichen. If the white coral on rainbow reef is, as the locals claim, Fiji snow then we decided that what we were so captivated by is Tasmanian snow. (The only difference is that it actually does snow in Tasmania. Details, details!)
Next on our Tasmanian hit parade, following our stay at Mountain Valley Wilderness Holidays, it was back to the coast and also a bit more civilization (we had mixed feelings about that) with two separate and final stops. The first stop (which was actually our 4th stop in Tasmania) was the Freycinet Peninsula Region where we stayed at the Freycinet Resort, about 20 minutes from Coles Bay and a few restaurants, coffee shops and convenience stores. Freycinet Resort was lovely and just far enough away from the center of the Freycinet Pennisula area to make it feel remote. We stayed in one of the Bush Retreat lodges which was a self contained unit with a lovely living area (which had an unrivaled water view out through the hills overlooking Hazards Bay), a large veranda for enjoying the outdoors, a sizable spa-like bathroom and a separate bedroom with its own sliding door access out to the veranda. It was very much like the tiny house we stayed in at Free Spirits pods (with high-end appointments), just much more spacious. If there was not so much to explore you could just enjoy a few days of solitude on the resort property.
But there was so much to see so we were up and out both days of our 3 night/2 day stay. On out first day we took a 4 hour cruise around the bays that comprise the peninsula. It was a great way to enjoy the exquisite coastline which alternated between beautiful white sandy beaches and rugged coastline lined with large granite boulders covered with the most magnificent bright orange lichen. And, included in the price of admission, was some wonderful wildlife spotting including a huge pod of dolphins (huge as in hundreds) that playfully criss-crossed in front of tour boat’s wake as we headed out to sea and then back in again. We also saw sunbathing seals, two white-bellied sea eagles (listed as vulnerable in Tasmania) and a few albatrosses in flight. Such graceful birds. The most interesting sighting though was man made. We came across a submarine that seemed to follow our path for quite some time. (The captain of the boat teased us — the only American’s aboard the vessel — that the immigration authorities were after us.). Coincidentally, we met a former USA naval officer while we were eating breakfast in the common area at the Freycinet Resort. He overhead us telling the hostess about our submarine encounter and came over to learn more. Based on his knowledge of the Australian submarine program he was quite astonished when we showed him the pictures we took of the partially submerged sub.
By the time we were off the cruise it was mid-afternoon so we only had time for one or two short hikes before dinner. We chose the short walk around the Freycinet lighthouse and the trail to Sleepy Bay. The walk around the lighthouse was okay and did give us some beautiful views of the bay below but the walk to Sleepy Bay was the gem of the day. Sleepy Bay is a beautiful little bay with a gravel beach, turquoise waters and encrusted with the orange lichen rocks that the area is so well known for. Despite its name, Sleepy Bay often experiences wild and rough seas and we got to witness those as we continued the hike across large red granite boulders on the far end of the bay. We sat high on top of the boulders for a long time just watching the powerful waves crash through the rocks along the shoreline below.
For our second full day in the Freycinet Peninsula area — without any formal tours planned — we had time for a longer hike and chose the Wineglass Bay overlook and Wineglass Bay & Hazards Beach circuit hike. This combination hike was a total of just under 9 miles. It starts with a very steep climb up to the Wineglass Bay overlook which gives you amazing views of Wineglass Bay, Mount Graham and Mount Freycinet. After descending back down a natural staircase you reach the spectacular Wineglass Bay beach — a quintessential horseshoe shaped bay with a deep white sandy beach. It truly looks like it jumped out of a postcard. After walking the length of Wineglass Bay you enter a trail that crosses an isthmus and takes you through a Baksia, She-Oak and Coastal Gum forest and across a boardwalk over a lagoon. A short climb over a dune brings you to the beautiful Hazards Beach — another picture perfect white sandy beach. As we walked across Hazards Beach we saw literally thousands of oyster shells — the shell remnants of oyster feasts, some dating back 400 years, and now resembling polished rocks. Once across the beach we picked up the trail which then followed the peninsula affording us stunning views of the coastline as we hiked up through the forest and back down back closer to the shoreline (that up and down repeated itself multiple times!) for the remaining 3 – 4 miles of the hike. This hike was described by All Trails as the best day walk in Freycinet, incorporating “spectacular beaches, amazing views and lovely coastal vegetation. “ We would have to heartily agree!
Our second coastal stop, and our fifth and final destination on our Tassie tour, was the St Helen’s and Bay of Fires region. This area was just a short 2 hour drive north and east from Freycinet Peninsula so with check in time at our next accommodation not until 3 pm we took a longer route that had us passing through the small towns of Bicheno and St Mary’s. St Mary’s particularly fun. As we would say in the States, the town is very “crunchy granola.” (Of course, we mean it as a compliment.) Among the local business we found the Purple Possum Cafe and Vortex Healing Centre. Didn’t have time for vortex healing (maybe next time) but we did visit the Purple Possum with its big sign proclaiming Whole Foods including fruits, nuts, grains and spices. Naturally, we left with a refreshed stashed of various nuts and nut mixes — great for our hiking. Enough to keep us happy for at least the next week or so. (One of us also left with a dense but moist lemon bar which had a hard frosting layer nearly as thick as the cake-like layer underneath. We won’t out the one with the sweet tooth other than to say that this treat was most definitely not vegan.)
After our leisurely drive, we arrived in St. Helen’s around 3 PM. For our stay in the Bay of Fires region we rented a beautiful house, the “Art House,” just steps from one of the many gorgeous beaches in the area. Being a house we needed to self-cater any meals we didn’t plan to eat out so we stocked up at the local St. Helen’s IGA before heading to the Art House. We had worked with a travel agent, Travel Essence, to set up our 9 week itinerary and we must say they, once again, hit the ball out of the park. The house was spacious with a long open kitchen and living area that runs along a wall of sliding glass doors allowing views of the bay only obstructed by the thin forest running between the house and the beach. Another property that you could just savor, enjoying a book on the oversized couch near the Franklin-like stove, if the lure of hiking along the bays was not so great!
Our first full day started with a 2 hour eco boat tour that allowed us to see all of the bays in the Bays of Fire which stretches out over ~30 miles — not a distance we could cover by foot — while also learning a bit about the region’s history, geology and animal life. It addition to viewing the area’s gorgeous coastline (which included more of that orange lichen covered granite) we got to see 4 shy albatross (that’s actually the bird’s name, the “shy albatross”) up close as our tour boat lingered around the coastline and the birds came close and landed in the water right next to our boat thinking we were fishing and they might get some cast offs. When you see these great birds at that distance their 6 foot wing span is very impressive. Following the boat tour we took our own coastal tour, walking down the beach adjacent to our rental, getting in our steps and just appreciating the finest of white sand on the deep beach with the most perfect clear blue sea. We ended our day with special treats. For Zack that was a visit to the local cinema in St. Helen’s — the Easy Tiger with just 40 seats — which was playing Dune 2 at 8 PM. Much to his chagrin Jill booked our return flight to Australia on March 1 — the Dune 2 release date. Of all the indignities! Anxious to make up for this egregious lack of judgement, Jill encouraged Zack to see the movie when we saw it was playing in St. Helen’s. While Zack enjoyed the movie, Jill (definitely not a Dune fan) curled up in front of the Franklin stove and got caught up on some administrative tasks (e.g., bill paying) and also did some reading. We were both very satisfied with our respective evenings.
On day 2 we traveled to the Eddystone Lighthouse which is located at the farthest Eastern end of the Bay of Fires. To get there we had to travel on a dirt road for about 45 minutes but the bumpy ride was worth the effort. (Besides, we were traveling in a rental car!) The lighthouse, which is still in operation today, is really magnificent. It was constructed entirely from the striking local pink granite that is plentiful in the region. (The feature photo for this blog entry is a picture of the lighthouse we captured through orange lichen covered granite.) But the lighthouse itself is only part of the attraction to visiting the Eastern tip of the Bay of Fires. Unlike other bays in the area, the bays near the lighthouse are totally undeveloped and the long ride on the gravel road keeps away most visitors. We had the place mostly to ourselves as we climbed all over the prodigious orange boulders lining one of the beaches and walked along one of the deepest white sandy beaches we have ever seen. A few words about the white sand here since we’ve mentioned it a few times. It is not like any sand we have ever encountered. While we waxed poetic in blog about the fine white sand across the South Pacific, this sand makes that look like gravel. The sand in Tasmania is more like a very fine powder and it squeaks when you walk on it. Of course, we had to Google that because we have never heard sand squeak under our feet before. Apparently, it is a thing that happens in various places along the Australian coast. The sound is the result of the friction between the tiny uniformly sized sand particles. Between our visit to the lighthouse and our hikes along two separate beaches we filled our day. We returned to our accommodation with just enough time do laundry (you got to take advantage of those stops with laundry facilities!) and get packed up for our flight to Melbourne the next day (March 24). We are looking forward to a final cozy evening — together this time — in front of that Franklin stove!
Our next stop will be Melbourne where we will spent 3 nights/2 days before we drive up the coast to Sydney, visiting some great spots to experience nature along the way. We then fly out of Sydney to reach New Zealand on April 9. We will most likely post our next blog entry after we complete the Melbourne to Sydney part of our journey. Cheers!
