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.