Bonding with Wombats

We left the winter wonderland at Cradle Mountain and drove toward the Freycinet Peninsula, on Tasmania's east coast, by way of one of my favorite places in Tasmania, the Trowunna Wildlife Park. I visited here a few years ago, and it's a magical place. If you've read my blogs, you know that I revert to being about eight years old where animals are concerned. The range and sheer number of animals in Australia is one of my favorite things about the country. And Trowunna's the place to be if you like Aussie animals. They combine a wild animal rescue program (injured animals, "pets" that were cute as babies but got too big/wild as they got older, etc.), a Tasmanian Devil breeding program (see earlier post from Cradle Mountain on why this is major), and a chance to interact with Australian animals in a beautiful wooded setting.

We bonded in particular with two wombats, my favorite Australian animal, cuddly as a koala but with more energy and personality - that had been orphaned after parents were killed on the road (over a million wild animals are roadkill in Tasmania every year - it's a problem). We were big kids holding, cuddling, and scratching these two patient wombats (actually they seemed to love the scratching). Trowunna's policy is to rehabilitate injured animals and release them into the wild, but some of their animals are so used to human contact they wouldn't stand a chance on their own. Such was the case with these two wombats, orphaned at an early age and reared solely by humans. Not a sad story, though, as they make great ambassadors for the species and seem to be living a very happy, cushy life. We also got to see Trowunna's Tasmanian Devil breeding population firsthand, and took a walk in their woods to get up close with the kangaroos that live on their property, also rescued/orphaned, and seemingly also living the good life. This is a fantastic place, a bit off the tourist trail but not to be missed on a trip to Tassie.

Another "don't miss" experience is lunch at Hobnob's in the very pretty village of Westbury, just outside Launceston on the road from Cradle Mountain. Doreen, the owner, and her staff create small miracles for lunch - homemade pies, delicious sandwiches, and possibly the world's best potato salad. They also have a great outdoor patio for dining al fresco, and we had a beautiful day. Places like this abound in Tasmania, but Hobnobs seems a cut above the rest.

We finally arrived at Freycinet Peninsula at dusk, and within five minutes of checking in, we were watching three southern right whales swimming in the bay about 200 meters off the lodge balcony. This is another stunning slice of Tasmania, where craggy mountains meet turquoise waters. A highlight is the hike (I must qualify for the "golden walking stick" award at this point for all of the hiking I've done on this trip) to the lookout over Wineglass Bay, a picture perfect crescent white sand beach on a bay shaped like...you guessed it, a wineglass! It's consistently voted one of the 10 most beautiful beaches in the world, and it can't be oversold - the views from the lookout above are stunning. Just another crazily beautiful place in Tasmania.

We head for the airport tomorrow morning with the long sequence of flights home ahead of us. I'd fly twice as far to spend time here. Though I'm partial, believing Australia and New Zealand to be as special as places can get, I'm leaving Tasmania again thinking that it's about as close to paradise as I will find. It's as beautiful as New Zealand at it's best, has marvelous people, and still feels like a well kept secret. I'm lucky to be here, and I'll always want to come back.

Six Degrees

We lived through the drive that even ceramic dog bowl makers here in Tasmania dread…the road into (or out of) Queenstown. It’s about 4 km of switchbacks, with scant guardrails protecting you from drops off sheer cliff faces. Add a howling wind, and you’ve come up with the antidote to any road trip. Truth be told, it amounted to about 1/100 of our drive from Hobart yesterday, and the nasty, rainy weather prevented me from seeing the aforementioned precipitous drops. I’ve done this section of road before, though, and in clear weather it’s no picnic. Glad it’s behind me.

The destination was Cradle Mountain, a National Park in West Central Tasmania. Six degrees was the temperature when we hopped into the car at 9 am this morning (Celsius, not Fahrenheit…it’s cold, but not that cold). This is the perfect place for a misplaced Floridian wanting a dose of frosty weather in the middle of hurricane season. I even sprang for a scarf and gloves, which will sink to the bottom of a drawer once back in Fort Lauderdale.

It was chillier than that last night when we visited Devils at Cradle, a breeding and information center for Tasmanian Devils that provides a truly wonderful experience. It’s easy to dispel the “devil” moniker when you see them up close – they’re small, furry, incredibly cute, and they love to chase each other around. They do let out a bloodcurdling shriek when hungry or displeased, though, far out of proportion to their size and cuteness. This very nasty sounding howl/shriek/scream scared the daylights out of early settlers and convicts who couldn’t identify the source but heard it emanating from the forest at night, leading them to believe that it had to be something demonic. Hence the name “Tasmanian Devil”.

Cute as they are, the sobering fact is that Tasmanian Devils are in severe decline and face extinction. This is due to a freak disease called DFTD – essentially a communicable, cancerous facial tumor, the only one of its kind known in the world – that is decimating the wild population. The disease is horrific, appearing at first only 15-20 years ago and now covering 65% of the island. It’s always fatal, as the facial tumor prevents the animals from eating. Essentially they starve to death.

That’s why breeding centers like Devils at Cradle are so important. They are guaranteeing a disease free “insurance population” as wild numbers decline, while research is performed to try and control the disease. It’s also just a great place to visit, with a chance to learn a lot about these fantastic animals, get up close, see them feed, and hear a bit of the infamous shrieking, too. Definitely a highlight, and we donated to the cause afterward. It would be a travesty to see these animals disappear.

Then early today, braving a six degree (celsius) morning, we headed to the most well known and scenic of the hikes here, around the base of Dove Lake to the foot of Cradle Mountain and back. This has to be one of the most beautiful places in the world…and I’ve been around. The hike is amazing, combining jaw dropping views of the lake, mountains and waterfalls with intermittent walks through temperate rainforest. Since it’s the end of winter/beginning of spring, there was snow everywhere in various stages of melt, meaning white peaks and raging streams, which made the setting even more stunning. This is the time of year to be here – we had this perfect place virtually to ourselves. On one of the most iconic walks on the island, we didn’t pass another hiker for two hours. An amazing day at a ridiculously beautiful place. And that pretty much sums up Tasmania.

The Inner Zsa Zsa

For those of you who are old enough to remember the TV show "Green Acres", I'm a little more Zsa Zsa than Eddie Albert (I acknowledge that this isn't the most masculine of self-assessments...). I get allergic smelling hay, I just adore a penthouse view, etc. Give me Park Avenue anytime. Though I love nature, I'm probably more of a city guy when push comes to shove.

This trip was very heavy on the great outdoors, so I made sure to plan a couple of nights at the halfway point in Hobart, the capital and largest city in Tasmania. That's all relative; there are only about 200,000 people in the city, making it smaller than Reno or Des Moines. But it has to be one of the most enjoyable and sophisticated small cities in the world. Hobart has a beautiful natural harbor with water seemingly everywhere and is framed by mountains. The physical setting is stunning. It also has an amazing selection of great restaurants, galleries, parks and gardens. History is everywhere, too, with many buildings restored and dating from Australia's convict/colonial past. Mostly, Hobart is Tassie, with tremendously warm people and a laid back feel. It's a great place to spend some time.

Saturday is outdoor market day at Salamanca Place, an area of restored warehouses in the center of the city, dating from when Hobart was a major shipping port. There are hundreds of stalls with locals selling crafts, food, produce, and "stuff". The market buzzes with people, and it's a blast. We definitely did some shopping damage, and became the poster children for the variety of purchases the typical visitor can make - a wallet and belt, two ceramic pet food bowls, a flower pot, and most of the souvenirs we'll be bringing home.

We're leaving the urban landscape behind today, traveling west and then north to Cradle Mountain. Along the way, there's a notorious narrow switchback mountain road that is daunting. Even the guy selling the ceramic pet food bowls at the market - a big guy, local, and not outwardly wimpy - said he avoids it whenever he can. Unfortunately, it's the only way to get where we're going today. There's a fine line between adventure and idiocy, and hopefully we're not about to cross it...

I'm No Sherpa

I survived the hike from hell today. I’m in the Grampians, a beautiful mountainous area about three hours west of Melbourne, with green countryside, dramatic rock outcroppings, and as much wildlife as I’ve seen anywhere in Australia. There are loads of opportunities to hike up into the wilderness, and we picked one trail classified as “medium to hard” that ventured through the “Grand Canyon of the Grampians” to an overlook called the Pinnacle.

If this hike was “medium to hard”, then “very hard” would have to be scaling a cliff using your fingernails. It was more like rock climbing, and alternated between scrambling across wet rocks and a consistently vertical ascent up a little bit of dirt path and a lot of rock. The one constant was that it was nearly vertical the whole way up. Adding to the drama was the fickle weather, which was alternately sunny and rainy every fifteen minutes or so – I layered and unlayered several times in both directions. Nearing the top – but not near enough – I felt compelled to yell “I’m not a Sherpa!” I’m not, but I have a whole lot more respect for those Nepalese who’ve made it their career.

To be fair, we saw some amazing rock formations, hiked through two narrow canyons, passed two waterfalls, and had quite the view from the top (though it was sleeting by the time we hit the summit…we didn’t have to pay extra for that). But we worked for it.

The best news was that we got to head straight for our accommodation at Boroka Downs, a 5 villa luxury retreat near Halls Gap in the Grampians, but truly in the middle of nowhere. In our cabin – which overlooks a sloping field filled with grazing kangaroos and emus most of the day – we had a wonderful two person spa tub with a view waiting for us in the villa, and a nice roaring fire to warm up. This place is heaven. The setting is as beautiful as you’ll find anywhere in Australia. You can take a walk through the woods and fields of the property first thing in the morning or at dusk, and literally see hundreds of kangaroos. Inside, it’s the best sort of splurge, with lots of creature comforts, a fully equipped kitchen they stock with lots of goodies for breakfast and otherwise, and that hot tub. I love that hot tub. Especially right now with my weary, old man bones after climbing the Grampians version of K2….

Lorne Greens

I live in Florida, and it's pretty miserable there in September. While the rest of the lower 48 is gearing up for fall and starting to feel a little nip in the air, the Sunshine State is still sweltering through the middle of hurricane season. My glasses fog up when I walk outdoors this time of year. So, after finishing up at Tourism Australia’s North American Corroboree this weekend on Hamilton Island, what’s a Floridian to do? Hop on a plane to Melbourne, where the temperatures are cool, crisp and invigorating this time of year.

I’m a fan of all the Australian cities, but Melbourne is my favorite. It is has the best quotient of “sophisticated place to friendly people” of any city I know in the world. It’s fun, you’ll eat really well, and there’s tons to do. We only had one night before hitting the Great Ocean Road, but we spent it well, with dinner at Taxi Dining Room, a truly phenomenal restaurant with views over Federation Square. Want a world class meal with a skyline through floor-to-ceiling windows as your backdrop? This is the place.

The next morning we rolled out of bed and loaded the car for our road trip down the Great Ocean Road and to the Grampians. Once out of the city, you hit the coastline in about 90 minutes, and it’s stunning. Think forested mountains descending to deserted beaches, with lots of spectacular views. It’s amazing this time of year, with no crowds or traffic. And as a Floridian who needed a break from the humidity, 60 degrees and a sweatshirt on feels great.

The Great Ocean Road is also peppered with some really fun, hip little coastal towns that provide great diversions during the drive. My favorite thus far is a town called Lorne, early on in the drive from Melbourne. Loads of great shops and restaurants – two favorites were a local produce and gourmet shop called “Lorne Greens” (the clerk had no clue that their name was a double entendre, and had never heard of “Bonanza”) and perhaps the world’s best burger – and I’ve sampled a lot of them in my time – at a mobbed little lunch spot called “The Bottle of Milk”.

After lunch, we detoured at a place called Kennett River, an “off the tourist trail” spot where you can reputedly spot koalas about half a mile up a dirt road into the forest, off the coastal highway. The tip paid off – we saw loads of koalas, including a mother with her baby, and one very entertaining acrobat contorting his/her body to reach a branch of eucalyptus leaves in ways that must mean we witnessed the first known double jointed koala. Lots of fun.

We ended the afternoon by checking into a place in Apollo Bay that can only be described as pure bliss called Chocolate Gannets. They bill themselves as luxury accommodation, and that’s underselling. Four villas, with floor to ceiling views of the ocean, a two person spa in the villa looking out on the beach, a working fireplace, a basket of breakfast provisions, and even a killer pillow menu. It’s not cheap, but what a way to close out a day of driving. I’ll be back here.

Big Aussie Adventure 2010 Begins...

...with a surprisingly mild case of jet lag after a great flight on VAustralia (Virgin's subsidiary that flies between LAX and Australia), a shower in the Virgin Lounge at the Brisbane Airport, and a really long layover here before boarding a flight for Hamilton Island and Tourism Australia's 2010 Corroboree, the 3 day annual conference for Aussie Specialist travel agents and their partners in the tourism industry.

After hobnobbing with industry types for a few days, we're off to Melbourne and a few nights exploring the Great Ocean Road and The Grampians (a stunning wilderness area about 3 hours from Melbourne - popular with Aussies, largely unexplored by Americans) before spending a week getting reacquainted with Tasmania. It promises to be a big adventure, and not just for the other cars on the road when I'm driving through mountains on the left hand side.

I'll post updates and observations throughout. It's great to be back in Oz, and we can't wait to get out of the airport and get going.