What is it that has lured us
back to Tasmania for the third time? Is it the strange mixture of wilderness; the
dark convict history; good food (especially the apples); beautiful old
buildings and quaint wooden cottages; the feeling of an earlier time and all set
against the tension between tree felling and conservation?
It was all of that.
Added to the above, was a visit
to MONA and Bathurst Harbour.
As in earlier trips we did some great walks:
·
The Tarn Shelf in
Mt Field with the turning of the golden leaved fagus (beech) and shifting
clouds was atmospheric.
·
The 18km/7 hour
tramp along Lake St Clair (from Narcissus Hut to Cynthia Bay) included
magnificent views of Mt Ida, Mt Olympus and the Acropolis (lots of ancient
Greek names in these parts), fungi of all colours and sizes and the towering
trees.
·
Mt Hartz lived up
to its reputation with gale force winds and freezing rain. People have died on
this mountain so we limited our walk to the Waratah lookout and a short walk to
Arve Falls.
We were inspired to take the
journey to Bathurst Harbour and Melaleuca after reading Deny King’s biography.
The small plane flew over rugged dolomite mountains, the D’Entrecasteaux
Channel, vast forests and the beautiful coastline. You can only get to this
area by boat, plane or foot – we hope it stays this way. The tour included a
boat trip on Bathurst Harbour/Port Davey (bigger than Sydney Harbour). It’s difficult to describe this area except
to say it leaves you feeling joyous, fully alive and humble.
A curious contrast was the
visit to MONA. It starts with a ferry ride down the Derwent and the 99 steps
climb to the museum. We spent over 5 hours exploring the 3 levels – you feel
like a kid taken on a weird and wonderful ride – totally engaging and aided by
your personal ipod to explain each installation, provide audio and then later
send you an email with the details of your journey.
The final 6 days were spent
in Hobart: markets, Salamanca Place, the quaint CWA shop, Tasmanian art
gallery/museum and the Cascade Female Factory 1825-56 (ie female convict goal)
with a moving performance by 2 actors in the pouring rain. It was a cruel and terrible
place little known about. http://www.femaleconvicts.org.au/index.php/convict-institutions/female-factories/cascades-ff
We were more fortunate
staying in our cosy nest ‘The Fireman’s Loft’.
May 2012
