Tasmania

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I am surely not the only person whose earliest memory of “Tasmania” as a place is entirely derived from the Looney Tunes cartoon character, Taz the Tasmanian Devil.

A state in the commonwealth of Australia, Tasmania is a heart-shaped island south of the mainland whose people have an independent streak. Its remoteness leant it an air of mystery, exoticism and wildness…. In reality, it is populated by educated people who mostly live in regular houses with flush toilets in communities with grocery stores and zoning disputes. But it is indeed beautiful there. Clean, neat and sparsely populated with thoughtful citizens who are sincere about keeping it that way.

Here is (somebody else’s) photo of a real Tasmanian devil…..

This cat-like marsupial, rarely-seen, is endangered; their population was severely depleted due to disease several decades ago. We did not see one, but we are helping fund their survival…

The beaches on the north part of the island were reputed to have agates! They do indeed have lots of stones….

….. including just a few specimens of interest.

Other things found on the beach…..

Friendly people along the way….

This lady was cruising through the coastal town of Burnie along with her beloved companion, Charlie Brown.

Boris has a rock/mineral/lapidary shop on the south side of Tasmania. He pointed out some likely spots for agate-hunting.

Virtually every person wanted to talk about the upcoming US election, as they recognize how their own fate is so tightly related to the policies and actions of our country. The presidential debate was aired live throughout Australia, and most people watched it! A news show called Planet America is aired twice a week in Australia, where two well-informed analysts discuss US political events with no apparent partisan bias.

It’s humbling and a little embarrassing to realize that people in other countries are often more thoughtful about the impact of our actions than some of our own citizens!

Back to the travelogue…… One area in the heartland of Tasmania featured whimsical mailboxes…

Speaking of which, the bouncy marsupials abound in Tasmania too…. These were taking a well-deserved rest after a busy morning.

This tribute to the whales whose numbers were greatly depleted by early settlers is located about as far south as you can go in Tasmania, and hence Australia,

Not far away is the charming rustic shack where we stayed with a much-needed wood stove…. And a gorgeous sunrise view over Hastings Bay.

We ended our sojourn with a few days in Hobart, Tasmania’s capital city of about 200,000 people. It is a beautiful place with a thriving waterfront and a colorful Saturday market.

Another prime attraction is the Museum of Old and New Art, or MONA – which was built by a native son who made a fortune – not in tech, but in gambling! It’s an eclectic collection of fascinating and often confusing pieces. It’s well worth a few hours

And so ends our time in Tasmania…..

And indeed farewell to Australia!

It’s been a great time crisscrossing the continent – by air, sea, rail and automobile. One more stop to make before heading home – back to New Zealand and the South Island.