Take me to Tasmania!

After the rigours of Te Araroa it was time for some R&R - campervan time in Tasmania!
For a video sample of what this amazing Island has to offer click below - but be warned the song will get in your head and drive you nuts!

Click here for YouTube Video

After picking up the campervan in Hobart it was 3 weeks of wandering around Tasmania's beautiful beaches and amazing forests. The whole island is basically one big National Park - freedom camping (ie pitch up where you like and enjoy the view) is pretty universal here so you are free to wander to your heart's content!
The first few days were great weather wise so it was up the east coast - most famous for Wineglass Bay (top left in the picture below) but to be honest everywhere you looked there was a pristine white sand beach with no one on it - a relaxed attitude to freedom camping meant you could plonk your campervan by the shore - falling asleep to the crashing of the waves and breakfast outside the van with a view of the ocean the next day. - happy days!

Just got a glimpse of a Tasmanian Devil but plenty of friendly wallabies around...

Top left - Bay of Fires  - named because of the red pigment to the rocks. Bottom left - average Tassie beach :-) Bottom right - breakfast time on the beach

Occasionally ventured into towns for food and beer. The right hand picture is a shearer at work - he is not sexually assaulting the sheep (well I don't think he is...lol)

It was then inland to the lush forests and then the awsome scenery of Cradle Mountain National Park.

Beautiful Cradle Mountain - Meeting Wombats - Another idyllic campsite...

Cradle Mountain

It wasn't all paradise - I nearly stood on this guy...!

The island is compact and driving distances are not huge. The south of the island has some amazing historic sites on the Tasman peninsula - mostly connected with the transportation of prisoners to Van Diemens Land as it used to be known. Port Arthur is the jewel in the crown...

Flaming Galahs in the pic bottom right!

Some scary cliffs in this part of Tasmania so obviously I had to perch on one of them!

Tasman Peninsula is home to Port Arthur Prison - destination for the most hardened English, Irish (and Scottish!) prisoners who were transported here in the 1850's

Of course Tasman Peninsula has it's share of beautiful beaches too...

One of the best days in Tasmania was a visit to a traditional Tasmanian country show at Bream Creek - Tasmania's wood choppers are something else!

Top right cooking damper - a form of outback bread on the open fire. Bottom right - the prize pumpkin - 453.5kg!!!

Tasmania is famous for woodchopping - 2 months after this event the guy on the left, Daniel Gurr won the world championship!!

Then it was off to Bruny Island - wild coastal scenery, lots of craft breweries and artisan food manufacturers make a good mix!

So that was it for Tasmania - an amazing island and well worth tacking onto any Aussie holiday. It was also the end of my 2017-18 travels - another awesome trip - 'til the next time...WanderVet