Our 3-month adventure in Tasmania has come to an end and we’ll soon be boarding the Spirit of Tasmania ferry back to the ‘mainland’ and the long drive home with a little detour through the Gold Fields of Victoria.

Brrrrr!

We can probably sum up our time here as becoming increasingly cold as Winter sets in. Very windy too with gales at times strong enough to shake the caravan and loosen fillings. But we’ve also had plenty of sunshine to enjoy the golden leaves of the deciduous trees throughout Autumn. There has been snow and rain too, lots of it, but mostly overnight and it hasn’t stopped us getting out and about and exploring what Tasmania has to offer the independent traveler.

Flora, Fauna and Roadkill

We’ve seen far less wildlife than on our previous visit. Plenty of bird life, sea life, sheep and cattle, the odd snake but also many, many wallabies, pademelons and possums apparently fast asleep on the roads and verges being watched over by hungry crows.

And trees, lots of those too, especially the giants in the Tarkine, Mount Field National Park and Styx Tall Trees Conservation Area. But also not forgetting the beautiful Fagus trees at Cradle Mountain and the Leatherwood and Myrtle trees and mosses and algae everywhere we went. Of course no forest would be complete without fungi and in Tasmania there’s no exception with more variety and colours than I’ve seen anywhere before.

We did get to see our first wild Platypus and Fairy Penguins – the world’s smallest, which waddle onto land overnight to shelter and feed their young. We saw Pink Robins and Fairy Wrens flitting among hedgerows, Black Swans gliding across the lakes and coastal shores and Egrets and Herons wading in the shallows. Even the Lonely Albatross put in an appearance during a feeding frenzy off the coast of the Tasman Peninsula along with giant Tuna rocketing out of the water chasing after bait fish.

Less popular though were the mosquitoes, seemingly fitted with silencers, putting in a late season appearance when you least expect them. Oh, and heat-seeking leeches ready to climb up your trouser leg if you stand still too long.

History

We’ve experienced the history telling of past explorers; Cook, Bass, Bligh, D’Entrecasteaux, Flinders, Furneaux and Tasman, of the indigenous people of Lutruwita (Tasmania) and the appalling way Truganini was treated. We discovered more about the Australian Convict era and the often petty crimes that brought the unwanted from the UK to Tasmania’s shores. And never to forget the modern day massacre at Port Arthur.

Scenery

For a relatively small island state Tasmania has an enormous variety of scenery. From rolling grassy hills, mossy forests, mountains, lakes, waterfalls, towering sea cliffs, the orange coloured boulders along the Bay of Islands, white sandy beaches, turquoise water and true wilderness – there’s something here for everyone.

We’re sad to be leaving Tasmania, our home for the past three months, but the warmer weather of Queensland is now calling us home. But, of course, there are more adventures to come. We still have so many more places to explore around Australia and further afield. Our 10-month ‘Big Lap’ around Australia in 2019/20 was just the start and we only skirted around the country – there’s a whole world to discover inland and off the beaten track.

For now we’ll be heading north and exploring the gold fields of Victoria and following the Australian Silo Trail.