Thursday, November 17, 2016

Tasmania Day 5: Hobart - Strahan

On today's agenda was getting places. We both are on a tight schedule, something always ill advised on a holiday, but the Spirit of Tasmania was waiting for us in Devonport on Friday evening. The next aim was Queenstown in Tasmanias Western Wilderness. Mum had heard something about a steam train in the area and the scenery looked really mountainous, so good for me.
First off we had to get out of Hobart, not that much of a problem actually, as Hobart has turned nearly all it's roads in to one way roads. The countryside outside of the city was stunning, as expected. Mountains, rivers, farms and the lot. Winding roads, though, so the drive proved interesting. Not just setting the cruise on to 100km/h and getting somewhere fast. Ocasionally I set the car modus to Sport to get that extra bit up a hill.
In the mountains we stopped at a touristy sort of area and saw large constructs of power generation, also known as hydro-electric dams. With the amount of water Tasmania has stored in lakes, completely understandable. We stopped for lunch at one of the lakes and enjoyed a sandwich at the side of a New Zealand looking scenery. The echidna sniffing around for ants sort of ruined the New Zealand felling, but it was a welcome guest anyway. Wasn't bothered about us in the slightest and we got a few good pictures. Seems like the animals were really looking for us that day. Further along the road we saw a wombat which we got some pictures from as well. I myself have never seen a live wild one, so happy I got that one. Further along I reckoned I saw a snake, too, but by the time I had turned back around it was either a stick or had gotten of the road. 
We got more and more in to Tasmanias Western Wilderness and the terrain turned increasingly rugged. Forests got replaced by swamps which were replaced by rugged bushes and rocks. On the highest spot we passed two lakes surrounded by mountains with no trees close by. A bit further on civilisation popped up again (sort of) with the mining town of Queenstown. Supposedly the steam engine runs here, but we had missed it for the day. Queenstown didn't look to bad, but we had some time to spend and carried on to Strahan, the nearest port. And on that way I finally introduced mum to something you must have seen in Australia. Coming round a corner I screeched to a halt and mum and me watched a tiger snake slither across the road behind the car. Just missed him, as he was on the other side of the road. Can't come to Australia and not see a snake.
In Strahan we lodged our booking with the tourist information and went for some fish and chips before taking a walk to the familiarly named Hogarth Falls. They don't know why it is named that way, but the name is the same.

In the evening we managed to grab some nice sunset pictures of a pier and I showed mum how to eat TimTams like an Australian.  

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