Saving the best for last - Wineglass Bay Sail

We are nearing the end of our trip down under. But if I had to pick, I think our last two adventures rank near the top of the list for our month of travel.

Today I'll tell you about the Wineglass Bay Sail offered by the Tasmanian Walking Company. And tomorrow I'll post pictures of our 3 days of kayaking in the SW corner of Tasmania.

 The Tasmanian Walking Company was set up to offer walking tours but a few years ago they purchased a 75foot sailboat and initiated a sail and walk program. The boat has 4 cabins (8 people) and comes with a captain, first mate (his wife) and a guide. You eat and sleep on the boat (3 nights) but each day (for 4 days) put ashore for a 8 to 12 km walk.

The first day we were welcomed aboard by a pod of dolphins that swam under our boat as we departed.

The sunsets and sunrises were always a treat.

We noticed this bit of sea life (a ray) in the water just after we had waded ashore for one hike.

The beaches were as uncrowded as any I have ever seen. And warm enough that even I jumped in for a swim.

Our guide made sure we had warm water for tea at least twice a day on the walks.

One day we scrambled up this "hillock". About 600 feet but amazing views.



















And were rewarded with a glass of champaign and hors d'oeuvres on our return.

And on our last day aboard, we each got a chance to take the helm as we sailed in 30 MPH winds.

What a great trip!

Hobart

My apologies for the late installment, but we have been off on a sail/walk for a few days with only limited cell coverage...more about that adventure in my next post.

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Leaving Curringa farm we headed for Hobart. Only a couple hours a day and an easy drive. A few of the highlights of our visit:

1) A half day visit at MONA (the Museum of Old and New Art).  The patron (owner) made his money using a gambling system (millions of dollars by counting cards) and as far as I could see has no art bonafides whatsoever,  He just collects and displays what he likes.

MONA definitely some of the most unusual pieces I have ever seen. If you think Dali might have had mental issues, the art in one section of MONA which is the product of seers, psychics, and spiritualists makes him look tame in comparison. It defines the opposite end of the art spectrum from realism. But it gave me plenty of opportunities to think about how one defines "art".

2)  We spent Saturday morning at the weekly Salamanca market (over 300 stalls).

3) We walked through through the founding neighborhood on battery point.

4) We saw the Mawson hut recreation. Mawson was an antarctic explorer who spent 2 years in a small hut with 18 other men collecting data on weather, magnetic fields, and the antarctic continent. He was a scientist, not a glory seeker.  On his last outing before they were to leave, he lost his 2 companions and stumbled back to the hill just behind the hut just as the expedition supply ship was steaming away the season. Six men had volunteered to stay back and look for him and so the 7 of them got to spend a third year at the camp. It is the windiest place on earth (winds averaging 75 MPH)  and once a gust of over 200 MPH was recorded. It makes one marvel at the drive of the men that undertook those expeditions.

5) And finally we visited the Tasmanian StateMuseum. There was a special exhibit on the Tasmanian Devil and a great collection of aboriginal art.







































Next time, sailing and walking.

Mt. Field and Curringa Farms

The night before we left Lake St. Claire, we stayed up  (actually I took a little nap first) to see the triple header lunar eclipse. It was:

• A Blue Moon - the second full moon of the month
• A Super Moon - the moon was at its perigee (closest to the earth in its eliptical orbit and appearing 10 - 15% larger)
• A Blood Moon - with a lunar eclipse the sun's rays go through the earth's atmosphere before they illuminate the lunar surface and thus are orange in color.

It was warmer when we got up, but the weather was still unsettled. We said goodby to Lakew St. Claire and headed for our 3rd Tasmanian Park, and it's oldest.  Mt Fields.

The weather was sunny and the driving easy. Once again we were amazed that we seemed to be the only ones on the road. It is amazing how little traffic we encountered since leaving Launceston.  A nd on the A10 which  is the only highway that goes from the west coast to Hobart.

As we approached Mt. Fields I saw the dreaded lenticular cloud over the mountain top. But ever hopeful we decided to head for our planned walk. It was in the tarn lake region, an ecology we hadn't seen yet. But the cloud refused to lift and we walked up into it.

After enough time to stretch our legs, we sat down next to the trail and had lunch. We then headed back to the car, with an occasional glimpse of the valley floor, but that was it as far as views for the day.

We were headed to Curringa Farms, a working sheep ranch that also has cabins that can accommodate up to 30 people. Believe it or not, these entrepreneurial ranchers have also developed a visitor center and offer tours! A tour of a sheep farm - not something that would sell in the US but the Chinese tourists seem to love it.
































































As an aside, we so far we have met only a single tourist from the US - a student on the trail to Mt. Rufus. Otherwise it seems that tourists are limited to a few europeans and a large number of asians - mostly Chinese.

I have to say that Kathy's choice for accommodations was amazing. We had a vast view from our porch as well as from the bed. It was a studio, but the most comfortable place we have stayed yet. I could easily spend 3 or 4 days just hanging out.

Tasmanian Weather - summiting Mt. Rufus

If you don't like the weather, just wait a few hours. This is a Pacific NW mantra, and we found it applies to Tasmania as well.

The day after our sweltering climb (humid and in the mid 90's) to Marion's Lookout at Cradle Mountain, we packed up and headed for our second Tasmanian National Park lodging at Lake St. Clair. We drove via the NW, an area that has a long history of mining and sports an open pit copper mine that rivals the one in Butte, Montana.

After a break for lunch at Strahan on the coast,  we pushed on to our lodging at Lake St. Clair. Our plan was to climb Mt. Rufus the next day and bag some views of the area including north towards our Cradle Mountain walk.
















As I was parking our car,  I noticed a brown lump amongst the fallen limbs and leaves. It was an Echidna!!  This was one of the many marsupials I had wanted to see on our trip. It is an anteater, and there it was, foraging for ants right next to our cabin. Score!!

We woke up during the night  to the sound of rain on the metal roof of our cabin, but about 5 AM it stopped (for at least 15 minutes).  When we got up it was in the 30s, and just below the cloud covering Mt Rufus we saw snow!!  But the forecast was for improving weather and the ranger said it should clear by the afternoon.

So we packed up the rain gear (including rain pants) and an extra fleece, and set off after breakfast.  It was a 5 hour round trip. About an hour into the walk we saw snow along the trail, but Mt. Rufus beckoned.




















We were lured onward, and although we summited, it was in a compete white out. The weather was intermittent rain/snow showers so we did get a few pictures during the occasional weather break, and actually met another couple on our way down who snapped a picture of us.





















It would have been nice to get a few more views, but we felt it was a fair trade trade for the adventure of a summiting in a snow storm. A first for Kathy.

On To Tasmania!

Sorry for the delayed post. We have been in the wilds of western Tasmania - no internet and no cellphone for 3 days.  We last connected in Melbourne, and now it is .....

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.......time to head for Tasmania!

We are going to start in the north (Launceston), rent a car, and visit three national parks as we work our way south to Hobart.

There isn't much in Launceston. Its highlight is "the gorge".  This is at the headwaters of the river that is Launceston's connection to the ocean.  An interesting fact: Melbourne was settled after (and )from Launceston.  The first settler's (convicts and free emigrants) went to Sydney and Hobart, and only after they were established did they headed north from Launceston to found Melbourne in SW Australia. 

The heat wave was in full swing and a swim was definitely in order. I tried to shame Kath into a dip by going first, but she remained strong (and hot!!)

We picked up our rental and headed for the our first Tasmanian park - Cradle Mountain. The weather was crystal clear ... but so hot!! We hiked to a viewpoint, got dehydrated, but got some great views of the mountains.

The net day we visited a center dedicated to protection of the endangered Tasmania Devil. 

And later  found a Wombat in the wild. A big furry guinea pig, about 15 to 20 pounds. 

Before we left Cradle Mountain, Kathy and I did get in a swim in Dove lake (you can see her sizing it up from Marion's Lookout.)