Thought I'd put a few posts on a separate thread , to "sell" the uniqueness of Tasmania 
Endemic and local flowers ("Christmas bells" & Tasmanian purple star) and endemic dragonfly Archipetalia auriculata (Tasmanian redspot)
We just grabbed 2 nights in the uninhabited South West wilderness heritage part of the state, about 3 hours' drive from our home.
Almost had the quartzite beach to ourselves. Coarse sand in places 30cm deep keeps them away!
The lake impoundment is a massive hydro scheme. The history (controversial then and now)/engineering magic is summarised here
Walked up 2 of the "Poimenas" (Aboriginal word for hill (arbitrarily lower than the Abells (mountains higher than 1100m))
Enjoyed 5 swims in the lake (mainlanders staring at us like guppy fish at feeding time!). This part of the world gets 2.5m rain annually, straight off the Southern Ocean and much of it from Antarctica direction..
The big tree is a 2,200 year old Tasmanian endemic - Huon pine - grows very slowly and never rots (great for boat building, but now a protected species.)
Enjoyed superb weather, and then - as is often the case in this part of Tas - the heavens opened overnight. Red sky at night...weather goes shite!
So we drove back after packing up in the rain, at one point on a blind bend passing a ute on its side blocking one side of the road in wild conditions. Driver was unlucky , yet lucky...
The Grenadier performed effortlessly , towing a 2.5T hybrid van. Petrol , used about 3 extra L/100km, plenty of 3rd gear hills.
Endemic and local flowers ("Christmas bells" & Tasmanian purple star) and endemic dragonfly Archipetalia auriculata (Tasmanian redspot)
We just grabbed 2 nights in the uninhabited South West wilderness heritage part of the state, about 3 hours' drive from our home.
Almost had the quartzite beach to ourselves. Coarse sand in places 30cm deep keeps them away!
The lake impoundment is a massive hydro scheme. The history (controversial then and now)/engineering magic is summarised here
Walked up 2 of the "Poimenas" (Aboriginal word for hill (arbitrarily lower than the Abells (mountains higher than 1100m))
Enjoyed 5 swims in the lake (mainlanders staring at us like guppy fish at feeding time!). This part of the world gets 2.5m rain annually, straight off the Southern Ocean and much of it from Antarctica direction..
The big tree is a 2,200 year old Tasmanian endemic - Huon pine - grows very slowly and never rots (great for boat building, but now a protected species.)
Enjoyed superb weather, and then - as is often the case in this part of Tas - the heavens opened overnight. Red sky at night...weather goes shite!
So we drove back after packing up in the rain, at one point on a blind bend passing a ute on its side blocking one side of the road in wild conditions. Driver was unlucky , yet lucky...
The Grenadier performed effortlessly , towing a 2.5T hybrid van. Petrol , used about 3 extra L/100km, plenty of 3rd gear hills.
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thanks for sharing. Bookings to Tas. on the ferry are full for months...
