So the next visitor to arrive was Andrea. Our first big trip
was to Tasmania! I wasn’t sure what to expect about Tassie. To be quite honest
I didn’t think it was a state in Australia but rather a separate country before
I started talking to Wendy and learning more about Australia. Now, thankfully I
know each state and at least one major city/place in each…and I am well
informed on the geography of New South Wales from my job. Anyway, we picked to
go to Tasmania pretty much because it is exotic sounding, no? Really there
wasn’t a lot of research behind our choice I wouldn’t say. It usually works
better that way I think. From what I had been told at work, Tasmania is freezing
cold, lots of nature, and two headed people. Basically exactly what the Trolls
(people from Lower Peninsula of Michigan) say about Yoopers. Therefore, I was
not too concerned.
Arriving in Hobart we picked up our rental car which was a
white SUV number just in case we encountered a lot of snow. Andrea had to drive
as I have been in Australia too long now in terms of using my American license.
We left the airport and I navigated us to the hotel. Okay maybe the GPS and
Andrea did the navigating while I was busy eating the snacks she brought with
her…I knew I liked her for some reason….hehehe. She did good driving and there
were only a few brushes with death which is basically like driving with me in
the Sault.
The scenery on the way there was beautiful. After we checked
in at the hotel we went to Mount Wellington. Basically this is the big beautiful
mountain that can be seen when arriving in Hobart. When we arrived it had
snowed some so we were only allowed to go up about halfway. The cool thing was
that the snow made it look prettier I thought. The view of the summit was
really mysterious looking with the snow and clouds. The view down the mountain
reminded me of Porcupine Mountains.
The second day we decided to drive up to Wineglass Bay which
is approximately 3 hours North of Hobart. It is listed along with the drive to
get there in the 1000 places to see before you die. It was a beautiful drive.
Lots of water, mountains, and green fields. We stopped to take photos at a
beach and of the spiky bridge on the way there. The bridge is an odd looking
thing that was made by convicts.
Once we arrived at Wineglass Bay we stopped at the visitor
center to purchase our park pass which was a bit pricey but worth it I suppose.
Then we drove to the carpark where we saw wild wallabies hopping around. We
climbed to the lookout which was quite the climb but we made it. Then we walked
down and drove to the lighthouse which was 100% beautiful. We were the only
ones there and the views from the boardwalk surrounding it were breathtaking!
Then we started the long drive back in the dark. Thankfully, Hamish and Andy
provided us some entertainment.
Alrighty, the third day was by far the best! We went toBonorong Wildlife Sanctuary. Main reason for going there was that Andrea needed
to see some Australian animals and I wanted to spend time with a wombat!!!!!
Yes, my wish came true! Actually, I cant say enough good things about this
reserve. The staff was friendly and knowledgeable. They put the animals first
which I loved. Very conscious of how the animals were feeling. Tasmania has
some unique species and is missing other species because of the fact it
is separated from the mainland.
The first stop was to spend one on one time with Tina the
wombat. Poor Tina was at the reserve on account that her mom had been hit by a
car when Tina was still in her pouch. She has slight brain damage so she might
be a lifelong resident of Bonorong but they hope she recovers enough to release
her. Wombats are interesting because they are the sweetest animals while young
but once they turn into teenagers they are fiercer than a Tasmanian Devil. Unlike
most human teenagers, they stay that way. This is why it is so hard to be able
to get too close to a wombat because they must be young ones and also why we
chose this particular “zoo”.
After that, we hand fed a big Kangaroo some pellets that we
were given at the entrance gate. We then got to watch the Tasmanian Devils
being fed. They were much cuter than the other ones I had seen. The keeper was
leery of them though so I don’t think they are super tame. Finally, we got our
picture taken with a koala. It was cool because the koala was really cute and
you could see how much she loved her keeper. It was an awesome experience!
We had a lot of trouble with the hotel (Travel Lodge), an
unpleasant returning experience with the rental company (AVIS), and a bad
experience with the airline (Jetstar) but it couldn’t spoil the time we had! Tasmania
reminded me a lot of home and that was nice. It is a beautiful state and I
would for sure return.
Pictures coming…check Flickr soon…
