Part 1
To start off with, Tasmania has the cleanest air in the world. I could go on about cleansing the mind and soul…but really it’s just damn fun to explore the state.
Luckily, most of Australia overlooks the island to the south making it much less crowded, especially when comparing Hobart to Sydney. Having a friend who lives there gives me a great excuse to visit whenever I can. The relatively short distances mean most destinations are in easy reach with a hire car or Wicked Van if you dare.
On our first trip, we took a hire car and headed straight to Cradle Mountain. We were beyond lucky to experience the best it had to offer- crisp blue skies with cool weather that made the sometimes strenuous walking enjoyable. I only have these pictures to express my joy – show not tell right?
Tasmania feels like a different world. Lush and green, we only had to look down to see wombats, wallabies, and echidnas – a strange experience for a city-sider. Choosing which trails to take was the hardest part about this trip, but we managed to hike from the entrance of the park to just below the peak, and I managed to convince my friend to take the sheer cliff face down (sorry).
Besides the spectacular walking experience (which I intend to repeat along the Overland Track), we visited the nearby Tasmanian devil sanctuary. This was the first time I had ever seen one. They were gorgeous! Too active for a good photo, they represent the tenacity of Australian wildlife. I was constantly awed by the actions of Tasmanians in the fight for animal welfare and the preservation of Australian wildlife. Our AirBnB near Port Arthur was actually a small wombat sanctuary. The owner rented out a room and the profits from which supported her wombat rehabilitation program. They often stayed inside the house.
To have a wombat hang around my feet while I cooked dinner was the best (don’t tell my dogs).
Port Arthur was next. Traditionally occupied by the Pydairrerme peoples, it was a penal colony created in the 18th century, it housed the worst of the worst, and they were treated as such. While the treatment convicts received would violate any standards of decency we have today, the violence and disease rendered on the Pydairrerme peoples living there was catastrophic.
Currently a UNESCO world heritage site, Port Arthur Historic Site is the best preserved convict site in Australia, and displays the actions taken by early settlers in stark detail (further supported by well placed speakers and ghost tours for extra effect).
It is also known for the 1996 massacre – the event that triggered the enforcement of Australia’s current gun laws. 35 people were killed and 23 injured, with the national repercussions for gun owners.
Tasmania is rich in history, much of which is not even recognised. The land, peoples, and nature all have their own story to tell – we just need to listen.
roads go ever on 