Bushwalking in Tasmania

It feels like a very long time since my last update. Every day here in Tasmania flies by so quickly. Since my last post I spent a week hiking in the bush, spent a dew days visiting Hobart, the largest city in Tasmania, and now I am back in Launceston getting prepped for two weeks of touring on a bicycle.

My hiking adventure was really amazing, I actually wasn't ready for it to end even after 7 days of not showering and eating dried and rationed food. It was also my first totally solo hike which was an exciting new experience. The landscape was beautiful, so different from hiking at home. I would not have looked twice if a dinosaur had walked by as I felt like I was in the middle of Jurassic Park. Crazy plants, huge trees, giant cliffs and rocky peaks.

The trail was one of the most well maintained I have ever been on. Each campsite had a hut with tables and wooden sleeping platforms that you could use if you didn't want to set up your tent. It was such a nice perk to be able to dry out wet gear each night and not have to keep everything in my tiny tent.

On Day 1 I started the hike just as the sun came out. I was so excited since it had poured rain for most of the previous day. About 2 hours later I had sideways rain pounding me in the face as I tried to not got blown off the skinny little boardwalk that traversed a totally exposed ridge. An early introduction to just how variable the weather is here. The views on the high parts of the trail were amazing and I'm sure even nicer if the clouds would have cleared from the surrounding peaks.

Day 2 and 3 the rain stayed away which made for really pleasant hiking. I saw a number of animals including wallabies, padmellons (big rodent that kind of looks like a small wallaby). There were also a lot of colorful tropical birds that I got fleeting glimpses of. The most common bird was the currawong, a crow like bird. There are signs all over the trail warning that if you leave your pack unattended that the currawongs will undo your zippers and find your snacks. Fortunately, I did not see any of the 3 poisonous snakes that live in Tasmania. I was not really comforted by the sign that said if you get bitten there is no need to kill the snake for identification as the same anti-venom is used for all 3. I will take the chance of running into a bear over the chance of stepping on a snake any day. I trekked through giant eucalyptus forests and one area that smelled so delicious that I was trying to breath in as much air as possible through my nose while I walked.

Day 4 I was really hoping for a nice day as the hike went through some of the best views on the trail. I woke up instead to the sound of rain on my tent. I hiked in the rain up a pass and then decided to take a small detour to hike to the summit of Mount Ossa, Tasmania's tallest mountain. I managed to make my way up the trail which had become more of a stream and climb through some big boulder fields to the top. I was assured by one of the ladies that had done the trail before that in good weather the views from the top are incredible. Mine were obscured, but it was still worth the hike. By the time I got to the next camp my clothes underneath my rain gear were completely drenched. I was basically a drowned rat. I had to strip down on the covered porch of the hut to get out of my wet gear.

Day 5,6 and 7 were less eventful. More great views, but most of the hike was through forested areas. I had a possum visit my tent in the dark. I could hear it thumping around outside and he even left a pile of poop on the corner of my tent platform. On the last night there was an Aussie Bushwalking Club staying at the same campsite as me. They were a lot of fun to talk to once I could figure out what they were saying. They used a lot more slang than most Aussies I have met. The one guy has been bushwalking for over 40 years and he was hiking with his wife and two sons.

The hike finished at a beautiful lake where I experienced one more amazing sunset before heading the next morning to Hobart. The bus ride was twisty and windy and made me totally car sick which doesn't normally happen to me.

Arriving in Hobart with it's busy streets was a bit of a shock. After I got over the busy hustle I found Hobart to be quite nice. It is a port city with a pier and market, seafood and lots of old buildings. I visited the most interesting art museum I have ever been to, it is called the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA). The museum is privately owned by a guy who describes it as "subversive adult Disneyland" and it is definitely not for everyone. The building itself is crazy as it is built into the side of an ocean cliff. There are creepy tunnels and crazy staircases as you go through 3 levels of basement. Only the entrance is above ground. One of the big attractions is a machine that acts as a mechanical digestive system. Food gets put in one side and poop literally comes out the end. The smell was terrible, but it was really interesting. Another piece was titled "Kitten Trophy Rug" and is exactly what you think it is. There was also a lot of interesting pieces that were less controversial. The best part was that it was mostly devoid of pieces that you have a hard time figuring out why they are art. Strangely, there were also really old things like mummy statues randomly interspersed amongst the new art.

That about sums up my last bit of travel. Tomorrow I set off on a bicycle with my tent, some food and my clothes to explore the East Coast of Tasmania. I am excited to try out cycling touring and the coast drive is supposed to be pretty spectacular. Can't wait to write all about it.