Tasmania: January & February 2007

Following their epic road journey from Perth to Adelaide, crossing the desolate, arid Australian Outback known as "The Nullarbor", Ray and Nikki make their first visit to the small, lush and beautiful state of Tasmania, an island off the southern coast of Australia. Once again, our Aussie guest journo, Chuck Maboomerang, caught up with them, to find out what they got up to during their stay.

In our next issue, to be published in a couple of weeks, we follow Ray and Nikki as they leave Tasmania and head for Melbourne, the capital city of Victoria.

Tasmania, a sovereign Australian State, is located 200 kilometres (about 125 miles) south of the eastern side of the continent, being separated from it by the Bass Strait. It has a population of about 500,000 and promotes itself as the 'Natural State' and the 'Island of Rejuvenation'. I caught up with Nikki, as her and Ray arrived in Hobart, to find out more about their plans.

"When my Aunty Margaret and Uncle Bryan invited us to come and stay with them, we were very excited" she told me. "We knew that the island was somewhat different from the mainland, with bucket loads of natural beauty, space and relatively few people, not to mention some of the best climbing and trekking in the world" she added.

Above: Map of Australia, showing Perth and Adelaide, the start and finish of Ray and Nikki's epic road journey (marked with a yellow *), and Hobart (circled in yellow), the capital of Tasmania

Ray and Nikki chose to fly direct from Adelaide into Hobart. "We wanted to start in the capital and climb Mount Wellington, for it's spectacular views across Hobart and the Derwent River" said Ray. "Neither of us had been to Tasmania before" he told me. "Our research had shown us that we could easily spend a couple of months here, as there are so many National Parks and beautiful places to go, but as we only planned to stay for two weeks, we had to make difficult choices about what to see and what we could bear to miss" he explained.

Above: Map of Tasmania. Hobart (marked with red and white star) located in the south, is the state capital and the most populated city on the island. Launceston (circled in yellow), where Nikki's Aunty Margaret and Uncle Bryan live, is in the north on the Tamar river

Hobart sits at the foot of Mount Wellington, and was founded in 1804 as a penal colony. It is Australia's second oldest city, serving as the home port for both Australian and French Antartic operations. The 19th century waterfront warehouses, for which the city is famous, once bustled with whalers, soldiers, petty bureaucrats and opportunist businessmen. These days, the main industry is tourism. "It is a pretty small place" Nikki told me. "We were able to walk around most of it in about half a day" she added. "People talk about it as Australia's most stress-free and engaging city" added Ray. "I can see why, and as nice as it is for a visit, it would probably be just a bit too quiet and too boring for me as a place to live" he told me.

Above: The city of Hobart, sitting at the foot of the glorious Mount Wellington, a "must climb" for Ray and Nikki

Mount Wellington is 1,271 metres high and although the lower slopes are thickly forested, it is criss-crossed with many walking tracks. "We decided to set off early to the foot of the mountain and find the best route to the top" recalled Nikki. "However, we were lucky to bump into an experienced local climber who told us there were many different tracks and we might get into trouble without the proper charts, so I dashed to the shop to buy one, much to our relief later on" said a very fortunate Nikki.

Above: Ray is 'chomping at the bit' as he points to the huge mast that sits on the summit. "I hope the weather holds out for us" he says, hoping that he and Nikki will capture the spectacular views from the top

Complete with provisions, including plenty of drinking water, Ray and Nikki set off for the two and half hour climb to the top. "The weather was changing fast as we ascended and grim looking clouds started swirling around our heads" said Ray. "This was a mixed blessing, as the cool temperatures are much better for the climb and it is a great feeling to be walking through the clouds - the downside was that we might miss the fantastic views at the top" added Ray.

Above: With their eyes firmly fixed on the mast, Ray and Nikki's chances of seeing the views over the city start to diminish rapidly as heavy clouds obscure their vision

By the time Ray and Nikki reached the top, the weather had not really improved that much, tragically robbing them of the visual reward they were hoping for. "It's one of those things" said a very philosophical Ray. "We can control some things, but the weather isn't one of them! - I guess you cannot always expect that things will turn out as you hope" he said.

However, as they started to descend, the clouds did eventually begin to clear and they were able to catch the view of the city from about half way down. "It was not as good as seeing it from the top" said Nikki, "but we were pleased that we did not have to do the entire descent in foggy cloud" she told me.

Above and below: On a clear day, the view of Hobart from the top of Mount Wellington is one of the most spectacular you are likely to find anywhere in the world, as these pictures show.....

Below: ... and seeing Hobart by night is also very special

Having seen Hobart from a distance, Ray and Nikki wanted to get stuck into the heart of the place, and there is no better way to do this than a visit to Salamanca Market, which takes place every Saturday come rain, hail or shine and draws huge numbers of people each week. "What I particularly loved about the market was that we were actually meeting the people who create, grow or make the things they sell on their stalls" said a very excited Nikki.

"We really loved it" added Ray. "They sell everything here, from locally grown organic fruit and vegetables, freshly cut flowers, Tasmanian art and an array of odds and ends" he told me. "We even managed to eat some of our favourite Vietnamese food" said a very happy Ray.

Above and below: Salamanca Market, operated by the Hobart City Council, has become something of an institution in Hobart. It began with humble beginnings in 1972 with just 10 stalls and has grown into the vibrant, sprawling and colourful place it is today. "The market traders even have their own blog!" said Ray

Below: Another spot in Hobart worth visiting is Constitution Dock, where a number of small barges moored by the quayside sell traditional fish and chips. "We both try hard to eat carefully, but we had to make an exception here!" said Ray, after he and Nikki gobbled down a plateful

Leaving Hobart by bus, Ray and Nikki headed for Launceston, eager to link up with Nikki's Aunty Margaret and Uncle Bryan who were going to meet them at the Bus Terminal. "Although we had spent some time with them in Perth before Christmas, we were both looking forward to staying with them at their home" said Nikki. "They have lived in Launceston for a couple of years, having moved here from the countryside" she added.

Above Nikki's Uncle Bryan and Aunty Margaret live in a converted rectory near the centre of Launceston. Here, "Father" Bryan greets Ray as he enters the house - "May the Lord bring you good weather while you are here" says Bryan

Launceston is a small city in the north of Tasmania (see map above), with a population of around 100,000. It was named after the UK town of the same name, in Cornwall, although it is pronounced differently in conversation. Nestled between the Tamar River and scenic Cataract Gorge at the start of the beautiful Tamar Valley, it has managed to retain much of it's heritage, architecture and streetscapes since it was founded in 1805.

"Bryan and Margaret's house is actually a stunning example of a typical period home" said Ray, "and Nikki and I felt very priviliged that they invited us to stay with them" he added. "We had the rare luxury of being able to soak in the bath, which we had not done since we stayed in the Four Seasons Hotel in Bangkok last August" said Nikki.

Above: Ray and Nikki join Bryan and Margaret in the dining room at their wonderful home. "They provided loving, five star service for us" said Nikki, "and since we are budget travellers, a welcome break from some of the shabbier hostels we have endured on the road!"

Bryan and Margaret also have a tremendous amount of knowledge about the area, which they were keen to share with our travelling pair. "They suggested we visit Cataract Gorge, right in the heart of the city" said Nikki. "Ray and I arranged to take the 'zig zag trail' into the gorge and meet them for lunch at a restuarant about half an hour away" she told me.

The Cataract Gorge is one of the regions premier tourist attractions. The chairlift crossing the gorge, built in 1972, is the longest single span chairlift in the world. "We didn't actually take a ride in the chairlift, preferring to walk instead and get the exercise" Ray told me.

Above: The first basin on the southern side of Cataract Gorge is a beautiful open area surrounded by bushland

Below: Peacock's strut their stuff around the Gorge and have become quite used to the visitors, especially those that feed them at the restaurants!

Above: Nikki chats with her Aunty Margaret and Uncle Bryan, prior to having some lunch at The Gorge restaurant

Below: The lower gorge, in all it's glory

Making the most of the opportunity to be in nature, Ray and Nikki did plenty of walking whilst they were in Launceston. "So far, Tasmania has been one of the highlights of our three month visit to Australia and the natural beauty of the island is awesome" said Nikki. "I really notice how clean the air is down here" said Ray, who had been having trouble with his eyes in some of the cities. "In Adelaide, there is a bit more pollution in the air, which I tend to notice because I wear contact lenses and my eyes get a bit red and irritated" he told me. "In Tasmania, my eyes really healed and I forgot that I was even wearing my lenses after a couple of days" said Ray.

Above: Ray crosses one of the many suspension bridges that give visitors access to some spectacular walks through the gorge

Below: The gorge at night, looking towards the city - the residents are very lucky to have something this beautiful literally on their doorstep

Margaret and Bryan continued to share their knowledge of the area with Ray and Nikki over the next few days, taking them to some of the more unusual and interesting places in the northern part of the island. "We went for a drive one day to a town called Sheffield" said Ray, "stopping on the way at a fifties style diner for some coffee" he added. "We were all quite impressed with their collection of memorabilia from the era, given this place is so far away from the rest of the world" added Nikki.

Margaret and Ray (above) take their seats in the booth at the fifties style diner, whilst Nikki (below) takes a closer look at some of the memorabilia that the owners have accumulated in the restaurant

With plenty of time on their hands, Ray, Nikki, Margaret and Bryan had a fun time at The Honey Farm, in a small village called Chudleigh. "This place is like a shrine, totally dedicated to all things honey" explained Nikki. "You can taste hundreds of different blends and varieties that they make - I hadn't realised there were so many combinations" she said. "My favourite was the Lemon Myrtle" added Ray, which was great for me, because Aunty Margaret already had a jar of it in her pantry at home!"

Above: Our intrepid explorers arrive at ... The Honey Farm, in Chudleigh!

Below: Margaret (centre), Ray (left) and Nikki (right) pose for Bryan, so that he can proudly add their picture to his photograph collection, under the section marked 'ridiculous, infantile and corny!'

Arriving in Sheffield, Ray and Nikki were intrigued to find out what was special about the place. "Not much, really" said Bryan. "In fact, because there used to be no reason at all for people to visit here, someone came up with a smart idea to commission some artists to paint a series of murals on the sides or fronts of all the buildings" he explained. "Ironically, Sheffield is now famous locally for it's collection of murals" joked Bryan.

Above: No, it's not a gimmick. These places on the signpost really do exist. Nikki considers whether to go to Paradise, or fly off to the Promised Land, and chooses the latter!

Above: At first sight, it may be hard to believe that this is one of Sheffield's 'famous' murals - this one is painted on the side of one of a shop on the highstreet and depicts some of the beautiful mountaineous countryside in the vicinity of the town

Below: The same mural, in full view. Like all of the Sheffield murals, they cover the entire walls of the buildings that they are painted on, and their unique appeal brings many visitors into the town

After taking in the diner, honey farm and the murals, I asked Ray and Nikki how it was going at this stage of their visit. "You know Chuck, touring Australia is quite a different type of travelling to that which we have been used to in Asia" said Ray. "We spent a lot of time there looking at sites which are thousands of years old, or where the energy of the place is compelling and special" he explained to me. "We enjoyed the things we saw today, but what is most compelling here is the natural beauty of the landscape, and access to exploring the wilderness, which I think we will concentrate on for the remainder of our time in Tasmania" added Nikki.

Above: Pausing for a moment during the car journey on the way home from Sheffield, Nikki stares in awe at the imposing Mount Roland - "I think we should come back and climb it while we are here" she says to Ray

Having committed the rest of their time in Tasmania to get closer to nature, there was time for just one more, typically 'touristy' stop on the way home - this time at the House of Anvers chocolate factory, in Latrobe, near the northern coastal town of Devonport (see map above). It is located in the property formally known as "Wyndarra Lodge", a stylish Californian bungalow house which was built in 1931. The property has a garden which features trees from around the world. "During our visit, as well as having the most gorgeous cup of hot chocolate, we could see the staff tempering, moulding and enrobing fine couverture chocolates, truffles, pralines and fudges" said our sweet-toothed traveller, Nikki.

Above: The Californian style bungalow, built in 1931, is where the 'House of Anvers' make their fine range of chocolates

Above: "I know I shouldn't really" thinks Nikki.....

Below: .... "Oh, go on then - just one while no one is looking!" says Nikki as she tries one of the delightful treats on offer

Curious as to which areas they had identified for their nature treks, I called Ray and Nikki to find out what their plans were. "We have chosen two areas that we really want to explore" said Nikki. "The Cradle Mountain/Lake St. Clair National Park is one of them, and the other is the Freycinet area on the east coast" she told me.

"We are very lucky, because Nikki's Aunty Margaret has said we can borrow her car, which is very generous of her and will really help us make the most of our time during our two little expeditions on the island" added Ray.

First on their schedule was a two day trip, with an overnight stay, to Cradle Mountain, which is a two and a half hour drive from Launceston. The area is one of the most popular natural areas in Tasmania with glorious views across Dove Lake from the mountain itself, which is a jagged, dolerite peak rising 5,068 feet above sea level. The track to the top of the mountain is an eight hour return walk. "We knew that the weather was changeable and depending on what happened, our plans to climb Cradle Mountain could be thwarted, so we just hoped it would hold for us the day after we arrived" Nikki told me.

Above: Dove Lake, with the impressive Cradle Mountain in the background. It's jagged contours epitomise the feel of a wild landscape, while ancient rainforest and alpine heathlands provided a range of environments for Ray and Nikki to explore

Below: Ray and Nikki discovered that there are many trails that have been carefully marked out for visitors - they chose the two hour walk around Dove Lake on the day they arrived at the National Park

Sadly, for our two excited explorers, the weather was not going to be very kind to them during their stay in the area. "Even on the day we arrived, things were looking pretty grim" said Nikki. "It was very cloudy with intermittent rain showers - we decided to start with the Dove Lake walk because the weather was too unfavourable for a climb - and although our walk was a great experience, it was a relief to return to the warm sanctuary of Aunty Margaret's car" added a windswept Nikki.

Above: Ray dons the protective gear as he and Nikki take the two hour walk around Dove Lake in less than ideal conditions

Although the weather was proving to be a major dampener on their plans to climb Cradle Mountain, there were still other areas of the park that Ray and Nikki could explore. "There is always a silver lining in every cloud" said a philosophical Ray. "As we were leaving Dove Lake, we decided to go and have a look at 'Weindorfers Forest', which turned out to be a rather magical little experience we might otherwise have missed" he told me.

This particular forest walk has an interesting history. In 1912, Kate and Gustav Weindorfer built a rustic home and guest chalet at Cradle Valley on crown land they purchased. They named the chalet "Waldheim" (meaning Forest Home) and sited it in a sheltered position on the fringe of a forest near a running stream, using only local materials and traditional bush carpentry to build it. "We went to visit the chalet, which is actually an authentic replica of the original structure" said Nikki, "and we learnt that Weindorfer and a small group of ardent supporters campaigned actively to have the Cradle Mountain area preserved" she told me. "I hadn't realised that there were environmental activists back in those days" she said, sounding a liittle surprised.

Above: Nikki wanders through the enchanting 'Weindorfers Forest', and takes in the pungent aroma of the King Billy pines and myrtles

Below: At the start of day two of their trip, the weather had deteriorated even further into a cold windy, sleet blizzard, making a climb of Cradle Mountain impossible for Ray and Nikki - "Ah well, perhaps this means we will have to come back another time..." mused Nikki

Unbelievably, less than an hour away, the weather was significantly better. "We couldn't really believe our eyes" exclaimed Nikki. "As we drove away from Cradle Mountain, the weather changed almost in front of us to bright sunshine with scattered clouds, as if the bad weather we had just witnessed was completely localised over that particular spot" she told me. "We didn't mind too much though, as it meant that we could attempt the climb at Mount Roland instead, which was about 35 kilometres away" she added.

Above: "That's much better" - the weather in Sheffield, at the base of Mount Roland (pictured in the distance) was greatly improved and meant that Ray and Nikki were going to get their climb in after all

Mount Roland is another one of Tasmania's conservation areas. Although not quite as tall as Cradle Mountain, it rises to 1,234 metres and there are a number of well marked trails that lead to the top. "By the time we got there, we were really gagging to get going, as we had been held up by the weather for nearly 24 hours, and we had to be back at Maragret and Bryan's that evening" Ray told me. "It was a pretty challenging climb, especially as we reached the highest areas, as the track gave way to steep, slippery rocks" said a quite exhilirated Nikki.

Above and below: A very satisfied Ray climbs the last few metres of Mount Roland to reach the top and enjoys the amazing view and fresh air of Tasmania

Returning for a 'Sunday Lunch' rendezvous with Margaret and Bryan the following day, Ray and Nikki made their way back to Launceston at the end of their climb. "Aunty Margaret had made plans ages ago to visit her elderly mother, my Nana, in the UK, and she happened to be leaving Tasmania before us, so we wanted to make sure we were all together for her last day, knowing we wouldn't see her for some time" said a slightly emotional Nikki.

It was on the way back from lunch that another of those unlikely chance events occured that seem to happen around Ray and Nikki so often. "On the way home, Nikki spotted a caravan parked off the road, that looked very familiar" said Ray. "We yelled out to Bryan to stop the car and turn around - lo and behold, we quickly confirmed that it was a couple who we had stopped and chatted to - in the middle of the Nullarbor two weeks earlier!" said an astonished Ray.

Above: Ray introduces Bryan and Margaret to Rosemary (left) and John (centre), whom he and Nikki met whilst they were halfway across the Nullarbor. They both travel extensively throughout Australia in their motorhome and have custom built their mobile bookshop (right) to combine business with pleasure as she loves reading with a passion

Below: Lookout for Rosemary and John and the 'Paperback Express' - coming to a town near you soon!

After Nikki's Aunty Margaret had left for her trip to the UK, our travelling pair set off for the second of their two Tasmanian 'expeditions', this time to the beautiful scenic coastline on the east of the island known as Freycinet. It is a huge National Park and its name comes from a French navigator who explored Tasmania with the Nicolas Baudin expedition between 1800 and 1805. "It is a stunningly beautiful area" Nikki told me. "Pink granite mountains, white sand beaches, grey-green causarinas and sea water as blue as sapphire" was how she described it to me.

Ray and Nikki had arranged to stay in nearby Coles Bay, renting a basic cabin for the night. "We decided to go for one of the most spectacular views in the Southern hemisphere on our first day, making the most of the sunny weather" said Ray. "This meant climbing the relatively steep, pink granite Mount Amos, in order to take a look at Wineglass Bay and capture a picture of it in our minds forever" added Ray.

Above: "We are going up there!" says Nikki, as she sets off with Ray to reach the top of Mount Amos, in the Freycinet National Park, to get a glimpse of the world famous Wineglass Bay

Below: Halfway up - the view over Richardsons Bay, on one side of the peninsula is great, but not as cool as Wineglass Bay, which is not yet in sight....

Above: Once you reach the top of Mount Amos, you are treated to one of the most beautiful coastal views in the world, and what could make this picture even better?....

Below: .... "Nikki being there with me to see it" says a very romantic Ray

Above: It is hard to capture the raw beauty that confronts you at Wingelass Bay - these two pictures were taken from the air.....

Above: "Top of the world, Ma" shouts Nikki, as she enjoys her special moment at the top of Mount Amos

Below: "The mountains are great" says Ray, "and the sea is brilliant too" as he stands in the clear, silky smooth waters of Wineglass Bay

Freycinet National Park has a series of wonderful bushwalks and Ray and Nikki made sure they covered as much as they could in the little time they had in the area. "There was a marked out track that took us most of the second day to complete, connecting the beach in Wingelass Bay to the 'Hazards' beach across the isthmus, on the other side of the peninsula, and then through the forest and over the cliffs, back to the visitor centre" said Nikki. "By the time we got back, we were pretty exhausted but felt really satisfied" she added.

Above: Nikki sits down for a well earned rest after completing one of the trails in Freycinet National Park, and makes friends with a Wallaby near the car park - although they are wild animals, they have become so used to visitors that they seem almost domestic!

Editors Note: Thanks once again to Chuck Maboomerang for keeping us up to speed with Ray and Nikki's visit to the land 'down under'. In our next issue, due online in a couple of weeks, we follow Ray and Nikki as they leave the natural beauty of Tasmania and head for the sophisticated culture of Melbourne, the capital city of Victoria.

Its All in the Name

This is one of our new features for 2007 in The Daily Lama. From time to time, we will publish photographs of different places or things that Ray and Nikki have come across on their travels. If the name of the place or thing in the photograph matches with your name, you are invited to send us an email telling us, and we will include your name in a prize draw to be made at the end of the year, in our final issue of 2007! Here is the picture for this issue:

Above: Ray stops for a breather as he treks to the summit of Mount Roland in Tasmania

If your name matches the one shown in the picture above, please email us at The Daily Lama office to let us know, and be entered for our prize draw!

AMBER SOLAIRE AND MOZZIE BYTE

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