We went to Tasmania. Oh, let me repeat that for the sheer coolness factor: We went to Tasmania.
It was green and wet and chilly. And mossy and ferny and lichen-y. It has pademelons which are like rabbit-wallabies, all over. It had sheep and possums.
Yes, it has Tasmanian devils. But they're dying. Rapidly. -from a contagious cancer called Facial Tumour Disease, which is as ugly as it sounds.
It may have Thylacines which are a striped, marsupial, dog-like creature which can open its mouth really wide and may or may not be extinct. I hear it has wombats, but believe they are a fictitious creature invented by the tourism and stuffed toys factions. We only saw lots of what we were told is their cube-shaped poop. Lots. How could a rather slow, pig-sized animal on an island it only takes 2 hours to traverse stay hidden? Ask the Thylacines.
Tasmania brought to life my pre-visit idea of New Zealand. I think anyone who thinks they want to see New Zealand really wants to see Tasmania.
We flew into Hobart near the bottom and visited the weekly Salamanca Market of about 400 artisans, veggies and stuff.
We drove up through the heartland to near Launceston then veered west. Our nearness to Antarctica caught me off-guard again as darkness started falling about 3:30 in the afternoon. My driving got pretty slow to navigate pademelons, possums and hairpin curves up to Cradle Mountain National Park. In our snug cabin, we enjoyed good, simple food, heated beds (less electricity than heated air) and a possum trying to let himself in.
The tap water was light brown which is startling at first but the resort binder assured us it was safe and slightly tannic from running through the rainforest. Some of the best water I've ever tasted!
About 8 km from the cabin is Dove Lake, a glacial lake about 150 metres deep. Along the road is the Tasmanian Devil Refuge, Thylacine museum and some really good egg sandwiches and coffee.
Thomas's most lasting memory is of having a leech on his pant leg. Should have told him it was a caterpillar.
Everyone said we'd freeze. We didn't. Everyone said we'd love it. We* did.
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