Today I behaved like a proper tourist, and did a guided tour, in order to get the "Classic Tasmanian Experience". For someone without a car, this is pretty much the only way you can get out of Hobart, and reliably back again the same day.
It was a small, nice group, with a family of 5 chinese, 2 lovely japanese girls, and 3 other people. And a very nice guide, who was a local, and so decided to brave the Tasmanian Summer in a T-shirt. Little did we know this was to cause an ongoing entertainment for us.
So off we drove, North along the Durwent river. It really gets empty fast once you leave Hobart behind. but the countryside is beautiful, with rolling fields in between higher hills. And the weather decides on a bit of spitting rain, making the greens brighter than ever, and creating a rainbow behind nearly every hill. There was only ever one visible at a time, but it was as if it was playing hide and seek with the bus, appearinf to the right then fading into some trees, before shining bright to the left at the next turn. It was wonderful.
As we seemed unperturbed by the sprinkles, the weather shifted grears, to deliver a mighty dump just as we arrived at Mout Field National Park. As we couldn't do the first walks in the rain, we headed up into the hills, to see a high plateau and an alpine lake. And, as we still seemed unperturbed, the weather really got upset (entirely because of the T-shirt, I am sure). So, as we drove out of the eucalyptus trees, a rocky and bare and, above all SNOW-COVERED plateau unfolded in front of us. The plateau was quite nice, but the alpine lake, under about 15cm of snow, was absolutely manificent.
Now this, according to our friendly guide, is not, in fact, normal weather for Tasmania in midsummer.
By then of course, the weather had pretty much exhausted all it's possibilities, so we had a dry-ish afternoon. We did many small walks in all the different types of forests they have around there. We got to see the world's second largest tree (or it was untill the tip got blown off), and walk through the odl eucalyptus forests, and through tree-fern forests.
And we saw Russell falls, which is a very impressive multi-layered waterfall, surrounded by huge fern rees and mosses, and small ferns.
Then we went to a small animal reserve, where we got to see tasmanian devils, kangaroos, wallabies, koalas, possums and wombats. They also have platypus in the stream there, but they're wild, and weren't fishing when we were there. I was really happy to be see some devils before they become extinct. And I absolutely fell in love with the wombats.
They're just as soft and cuddly as koalas, but are extremely intelligent. So when they're not sleeping, they will do everything they can to get into mischief. They are common pets apperently, and so they know that they also get hurt feelings if shouted at. And so for a while, they will be excessively cuddly and prop themselves on or behind your legs at every given chance. Then, when they feel they have excused themselves themselves enough, they will go and try and distroy something belonging to whoever had shouted at them! Now that's much more interesting than koalas will probably ever get!
As our tour guide had by now thawed out again and was turning a rosy pink colour again, the weather decided to give us a last little test.
So, up to Mount Wellington we went, and were greated by the colded wind I've ever felt (Antarctica included!). And snow, comming straight at you.
The tour guide finally gave up and stayed in the van, while we pushed our way to the lookout point. And, as the wind was so strong yu actually had a few chances to see Hobart through breaks in the clouds. And, as the final bouquet, a huge rainbow spread itself across the valley....
And, down in the port.... the Astrolabe!!! I guess my vacations are Hobart are over now.
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