In Search of the Tasmanian Devil

For as long as I can remember I have wanted to visit Tasmania even though I didn't know where it was. When I was watching Walt Disney as a kid I would be fascinated by the animal that used to drive Bugs crazy and I wondered what kind of place would have such a strange animal. when we found out last year that we would be coming to Australia I was determined to visit Tasmania. I was pretty sure that Disney was slightly inaccurate but wanted to check it out for sure. On the school holidays in April we flew to Tassie for 4 days. It was fabulous! We flew into Launceston, where we stayed for a night and then drove out little rental car down to Hobart for 2 nights.


There it is!!

Cute little house in Launceston.
Row houses in Launceston.

Mexican food for dinner at the Prickly Cactus. Yummy!

Night time in Launceston with our little car parked downtown.

On day 2 we took the girls to the Platypus House where we learned loads about Platypus including the fact that they weigh only about 2.5 Kg and poop once a week. Fascinating stuff!
At the Platypus House they also have echidnas. Despite their appearance they are actually not related to porcupines but are related to anteaters as they use their sticky tongues to eat their food.

Even though they are harmless it's a little disconcerting having them walking around your feet.

After we done checking out the Platypus House we drove back into Launceston and headed for Cataract Gorge. Right within the city is this beautiful little area. It was absolutely pouring but it didn't deminish the beauty of the place. Cataract Gorge reminded me a lot of BC, could've been the rain, might've been the landscape but it was a comfortable, familiar place.

See what I mean - It looks like BC!

Alex beside "her" bridge.

A shot of the bridge and the gorge. This place is beautiful in the rain, it's probably stunning when the sun is shining.

We climbed up a trail to get this shot. Funny thing about rain is that you get a lot of these places to yourself.

Probably the only time since we've been in Australia that we have actually needed our rain coats. It was raining so hard I'm not sure how useful they were.

Our own little drowned rat.

In the afternoon we headed down the Midland highway for the 3 hour drive to Hobart. We pulled into the little village of Ross for a pit stop and ended up spending some time checking things out. It was a very historical village with heritage buildings and a wool museum (yes we did the tour -yawn).

A building fom the 1800's





Ross is famous for this historical bridge.
The Uniting Church in Ross. It actually borders on the old Female Factory (prison) site.

Site of the old barracks. The spire from the Uniting Church is in the background.

We got settled in Hobart and the next morning we headed out to Port Arthur. We stopped at the Tasmanian Devil Refuge on our way. Finally I could see this strange little creature. Will it spin? Will it drill through trees? Are there any rabbits nearby?

The famed Tasmanian Devil. They have poor vision, poor hearing and are poor hunters. They are opportunistic feeders in that they will eat anything left over from other animals kills because they can't catch anything themselves. They can't really chase anything and catch it because they just aren't smart enough.
Tasmanian Devils do have really strong jaws that can snap large bones in half easily.

They fight amongst themselves a lot and have scars to prove it. They chase each other around the inside of their enclosure and then chew on each other.

The mystery of the Tasmanian Devil now solved we could move on to other parts of the refuge. We decided that the devils are a crazy but fascinating creature with their purpose on earth uncertain. We've put them in the "they're so ugly they're cute" category.

At the refuge they have a bird show. All the birds have been rehabed and live at the refuge. Some are missing feathers and claws from being in the wild that prevent them from flying away or catching their own food.

A Peregrine Falcon that has been raised at the refuge from birth. As a result he never learned to hunt for himself, so he never goes far from home.
Alex is holding Kermit,who is a Tawny Frogmouthed Owl.

Kermit camoflauges himself by staying very still and pretending he's part of the branch.

So cute they're ugly I say...

At the back of the refuge is a large penned in area that has numerous kangaroos and wallabies in it. They are very friendly and didn't seem to mind all the people walking around and petting them.

Lots of kangaroos and geese. Also lots of goose poop!

This picture still looks a little weird to me. It is a joey having a drink from it's mother. I didn't think they did that when they were that big. I think that's why it looks so weird...

Our entire afternoon was spent at Port Arthur http://www.portarthur.org.au/. Port Arthur is a historical site in Tasmania where convicts from England and Ireland were sent upon conviction in the mid 1800's. Their crimes included an assortment of crimes including "suspected of stealing bread" or "suspected of treachery to the King". It was a very renowned prison in it's time. Upon entering the museum part of the site you are to find the card that matches the one given to you when you pay. When you find "yourself" you can read about your crime and what happened to you after you came to Port Arthur. The kids really enjoyed this part of the tour.

Rhiannon found her match!
The penitentiary, originally built as a flour mill.
Small river that comes in from the
bay and winds through Port Arthur. It's quite a picturesque place despite it's history. It used to be a thriving community in the convict days.

Guard tower

Looking down behind the penitentiary.



Looking at the penitentiary from the bay.

Isle of the Dead where the convicts were buried.

Church built with convict labor.

Inside a cell in the Asylum.


Cell block "C" in the Asylum


The view from a cell.

When we travel we have been staying in cabins at caravan parks. They are great with kids as you can cook your own meals and have your own space.

A kitchen area, bathroom and a small bedroom for the girls with 2 bunk beds in it.

A small bedroom with a queen sized bed for us.




At the Salamanca Market in Hobart. Your 2 hours are up by the time you read all the small print.

Lots of different stalls at the market. You can buy food, jewellery, crafts or just about anything.












Market day is popular in any city. There is always a huge amount of people.

After a morning at the market we wandered around trying to find somewhere to eat lunch. Down at the harbour there were a few fish and chip places to choose from. It was delicious!

Waiting patiently for the food to be ready.

Steve and the girls at the very top of Mount Wellington, just outside Hobart.
The view from Mount Wellington. At 1270 metres tall the view is spectacular!

Of course they had to climb all over the rocks at the top. What's a mountain if you can't climb it?


This is the sign in the little info booth at the top of Mount Wellington. It tells you how your car may not start and your remote locks may not open due to the elevation. You get to read this after you've gotten out of your car, locked it and walked across the parking lot to the info booth to read the signs inside...

Of course they give you emergency numbers to call but will you get a signal on your mobile????

Family photo op.



Steve in leg irons at the Richmond Gaol just outside Hobart. Not a bad idea when he just doesn't listen...

...or maybe when the kids are having the same trouble.

Tasmania was one of my favorite places to visit so far. It's rugged and beautiful with just enough history and culture to be really interesting. The places we visited were just a few of the many that Tassie has to offer. We were there for 4 days and it really was not enough, there is so much more to do and see. We found the Tasmanian Devils that we were searching for and discovered that they are a good fit for such a unique part of Australia. They don't spin or drillholes through large trees. But I think I saw a wabbit...

http//www.youtube.com/watch?v=bi5EcXjfzro

The 12 Apostles and Other Big Rocks

There are many beautiful sights along the Great Ocean Road but one of the most famous tourist stops is the 12 Apostles. Even if you don't recognize the name you would recognize the pillars. There is probably millions of photos out there of the 12 Apostles taken by people from all over the world. The 12 Apostles are the kind of natural phenomon that makes you really appreciate the true force of nature and helps you understand all that stuff about weather and erosion over millions of years that you learned in high school.

Not all of the 12 Apostles are still standing. The ones that are still there are awe inspiring. Who would have thought that rocks could be so interesting and yet you can stand there staring at them for endless amounts of time.

London Bridge (at least it used to be). There was a piece of rock that joined these 2 pieces. Years ago a group of people were out on the rock on the right and the bridge collapsed. Oops!

Loch Ard Gorge - the bridge on this rock collapsed a month ago so now it's just 2 rocks standing alone. The waves in the ocean erode the rock and form the bridge piece in the middle. It's really cool to see in real life when you see the waves crashing on the rocks and witness the constant wear and tear.

A small portion of the beaches all along the Great Ocean Road. They're all beautiful but you could spend weeks checking them all out.

The Grotto. When the tide comes in, the water comes crashing through here.

A beautiful shot of the ocean.

There are all sorts of visitors on the beaches...

If there is a beach my kids always feel the need to get wet.

We only spent 2 nights while travelling along the Great Ocean Road but it was 2 nights well spent. It is close enough that we may go back for a weekend when the weather gets nicer. It's a great place to just while away the time and enjoy some fish and chips on the beach. There are a lot of wonderful places to stay. The girls have become beach rats and would go in the water regardless of the temperature. They're ready to go back, we just have to say the word. I say the word is "let's go!!"

Otway Fly

One of our favorite stops along the Great Ocean Road was the Otway Fly (http://www.otwayfly.com/). The Otway Fly is in the rain forest area along the coast of Victoria. It is a 600 metre walkway that is an average of 25 metres above the ground that gives you a birds-eye view of the trees, plants and little things that grow and feed on trees and plants. There is also a tower that is 45 metres high with a spiral staircase around the outside to reach the top. Fabulous!!

This will give you an idea of how high the walkways are. The height of the walkways reduces the amount of damage to the rainforest flora and fauna.

Taken from the top of the 45 metre tower. After walking up all those stairs it's hard to stop shaking long enough to take a picture!

The girls and I at the top of the tower. Can you tell that Alex was complaining that her legs were sore?

Looking up to the top of the tower. You can see the staircase that wraps around it. You actually get a little dizzy walking down the stairs if you're not careful!

The girls and I heading to walk out the springboard
cantilever. It shakes when you walk on it which is a little freaky but apparently the kids don't notice that type of thing.

Looking up towards the springboard.

Near one of the walkways is really tall tree trunk that people have been throwing money in attempt to have it land on top. There is a ton of money on the ground around the base but I want to know how they get this money off the 25 metre high stump???

The total walk, including ground level, is almost 2 kilometres. One of the worst things is the big hill you have too climb to get back to the starting point and then on to the parking lot. The Otway Fly is a little off the beaten path of the Great Ocean Road but well worth the extra time it takes to drive there. We enjoyed every moment that we spent there even if we had to bribe the kids with ice cream to walk up the hill at the end!

Alex Turns 7

Alex turned 7 on the 22nd of April. We have two April birthdays in our house but I like to do separate things for each girl as they each have their own style. Alex's choice of theme this year was "Fairies". I don't go all crazy with a theme but do my best with the cake, napkins and plates. The weather was different for us this year as it was raining the day of Alex's party. Late April is late autumn here. Normally it is quite sunny on her birthday and we are able to send all the kids outside to play. This year we had 12 kids inside, which was truly a test of decibles and noise tolerance.

Half smile in the first photo and half in the second. They are a great bunch of girls (and boy) and the party was a lot of fun. They ate a ton of food!!!

My latest edible masterpiece! I found this fabulous book that gives step by step directions for some great kids cakes. I thought I did OK for someone who had just come home from a night shift and was decorating at 8 am.

Alex loved her cake.

Time for opening presents and of course everyone wants a front row seat.

All in all it was a fun day and Alex had a blast. Rhiannon is already planning a "disco" party for her birthday in November - yikes.

Cruise control

Do I really have to type anything?? It is amazing that these signs, and many more, including:

"Micronaps kill, powernap now!" are everywhere! They appear about every 5 kms along the highway. Apparently there is a serious issue with drivers trying to catch a few Zzzs while driving. It would have nothing to do with the fact that almost every highway is flat with the same scenery for hours on end!!!!