Hello Everybody! Sorry it took so long for me to put up my pictures from Tasmania, but I have been very busy with final exams. I just got back from vacation with Mom and Dad. We had a great time. They are flying home right now. I will put up pictures from their visit soon.
During study week before final exams, the four American girls: Christine, Amy, Traci and me took a week long trip to Tasmania. We flew to Hobart where we met up with our tour group from Adventure Tours. Our tour was called the "6 Day Taste of Tasmania" and we circled the island of Tasmania for 6 days. Our first stop was Mt. Field National Park were we did the Tall Trees walk and saw the world's tallest flowering plant: Swamp Gum. It is the second tallest tree in the world behind the Redwoods. During this walk we saw two waterfalls, one of them being Russell Falls which is famous for its beauty. We then traveled on the Lake St. Clair, the deepest lake in Australia, for lunch. We then hiked to a lookout in Franklin and Gordon Rivers National Park. All of these national parks are located in a World Heritage Area, which covers 20% of Tasmania. It was gorgeous.
We went mountain biking in Strahan to a beach and also biked to Hogarth Falls. After we left Strahan, we went to the Henty Sand Dunes. They were really cool, and we almost succeeded in making a 4 story human pyramid.
Our next major stop was Cradle Mountain National Park, which is on the northern end of Tasmania's World Heritage Area. The hiking was intense but the views were worth it. We saw lots of wildlife while we were there included wallabies, wombats, brushtailed possums, ringtailed possums, echidnas and scary spiders.
After that we went to the Bay of Fires. It is named so because of the flaming red color of the rocks. It was gorgeous day to have lunch and walk on the beach. We then went to Wineglass Bay in Freycinet National Park. It was raining and cloudy, so the views and picutres weren't nearly as good as on the postcards. We still enjoyed it. That night we saw the Little Penguins again because there was colony in Bicheno, where we were staying that night.
On the last day of our trip we visited the historical Port Arthur Penal Colony. I wish we had more time to spend there. There were lots of interesting stories about the convicts and the buildings really set a feel for what it would have been like.
That afternoon we went to the Tasmanian Devil Park near Port Arthur where we finally got to see Tasmanian Devils! They are really cool, although they didn't seem to be any more vicious than my two Jack Russels. We also saw cockatoos, kookaburras, quolls and we got to hand feed kangaroos.
All in all, it was an amazing trip. We had two tour guides and we traveled around in a 24 passenger bus. We weren't the only people taking this tour. There was also a couple from England, a couple from Holland, a guy from India, a 70 year old man from Japan (he was so much fun!), a girl our age from South Korea, a woman from Italy, and for the last three days of the tour we were joined by three other Americans and guy from Ireland.
We rode on the bus a lot and got up early every morning, but the food was good, the beds were comfortable and the experience was once in a lifetime. I hope you enjoy just a handful of the hundreds of pictures that I have.
P.S. Happy Thanksgiving!
Traci, Amy, Christine and me next to a Swamp Gum.
During study week before final exams, the four American girls: Christine, Amy, Traci and me took a week long trip to Tasmania. We flew to Hobart where we met up with our tour group from Adventure Tours. Our tour was called the "6 Day Taste of Tasmania" and we circled the island of Tasmania for 6 days. Our first stop was Mt. Field National Park were we did the Tall Trees walk and saw the world's tallest flowering plant: Swamp Gum. It is the second tallest tree in the world behind the Redwoods. During this walk we saw two waterfalls, one of them being Russell Falls which is famous for its beauty. We then traveled on the Lake St. Clair, the deepest lake in Australia, for lunch. We then hiked to a lookout in Franklin and Gordon Rivers National Park. All of these national parks are located in a World Heritage Area, which covers 20% of Tasmania. It was gorgeous.
We went mountain biking in Strahan to a beach and also biked to Hogarth Falls. After we left Strahan, we went to the Henty Sand Dunes. They were really cool, and we almost succeeded in making a 4 story human pyramid.
Our next major stop was Cradle Mountain National Park, which is on the northern end of Tasmania's World Heritage Area. The hiking was intense but the views were worth it. We saw lots of wildlife while we were there included wallabies, wombats, brushtailed possums, ringtailed possums, echidnas and scary spiders.
After that we went to the Bay of Fires. It is named so because of the flaming red color of the rocks. It was gorgeous day to have lunch and walk on the beach. We then went to Wineglass Bay in Freycinet National Park. It was raining and cloudy, so the views and picutres weren't nearly as good as on the postcards. We still enjoyed it. That night we saw the Little Penguins again because there was colony in Bicheno, where we were staying that night.
On the last day of our trip we visited the historical Port Arthur Penal Colony. I wish we had more time to spend there. There were lots of interesting stories about the convicts and the buildings really set a feel for what it would have been like.
That afternoon we went to the Tasmanian Devil Park near Port Arthur where we finally got to see Tasmanian Devils! They are really cool, although they didn't seem to be any more vicious than my two Jack Russels. We also saw cockatoos, kookaburras, quolls and we got to hand feed kangaroos.
All in all, it was an amazing trip. We had two tour guides and we traveled around in a 24 passenger bus. We weren't the only people taking this tour. There was also a couple from England, a couple from Holland, a guy from India, a 70 year old man from Japan (he was so much fun!), a girl our age from South Korea, a woman from Italy, and for the last three days of the tour we were joined by three other Americans and guy from Ireland.
We rode on the bus a lot and got up early every morning, but the food was good, the beds were comfortable and the experience was once in a lifetime. I hope you enjoy just a handful of the hundreds of pictures that I have.
P.S. Happy Thanksgiving!
Traci, Amy, Christine and me next to a Swamp Gum.
Amy and I. This picture was a recommendation by the tour guide.
I think we look like hobbits.
Me next to a waterfall in Mt. Field National Park.
Russel Falls in Mt. Field National Park.
Me next to Hogarth Falls near Strahan.
Our almost finished pyramid at the Henty Sand Dunes.
Henty Sand Dunes.
Me on a lookout with Cradle Mountain in the background. It was very windy that day.
Cradle Mountain and Dove Lake. Yes, that is snow on the mountain.
Me at Crater Lake.
Crater Lake, a glacial lake in Cradle Mountain National Park.
The Bay of Fires.
Where we ate lunch one day. Pretty, huh?
The Bay of Fires again.
Me and the waves near Bicheno, Tasmania.
Amy and I enjoying the afternoon.
Wineglass Bay Lookout.
Me after a rainy lunch on Wineglass Bay beach.
A very friendly and hungrey Red Necked Wallaby at Wineglass Bay. It liked to have its chin scratched.
Little Blue Penguins coming in at night near Bicheno.
Short Beaked Echidna. (he is a baby)
Me and the baby echidna.
Port Arthur Penitentiary
Momma and baby Eastern Grey kangaroo.
Tasmanian Devils. Male on the left, female on the right.
Male Tasmanian Devil.
They don't look like devils to me. They are adorable.
Female Tasmanian Devil eating wallaby for lunch.
1 comment:
Three words: awesome, awesome, awesome! What an incredible experience you are having! I can't wait to see pictures from your time with your mom and dad!
Robyn
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