Our van had a full bed, a two-burner stove, large water container, dishes and storage containers. It was quite basic but also quite comfortable.
We managed to see quite a lot of Tasmania, but weren't able to see the far reaches of the northeast and northwest as the roads were unpaved there. Roads in Tasmania are, overall, very tiring to drive anyway (windy, narrow and with speed limits so high that the local drivers take the curves in a pretty reckless manner; 80kph on really windy parts was not uncommon) so we opted to (mostly) stick to paved roads with the exceptions of access roads to National Parks or beaches.
We traveled clockwise around the island with the thought that we would visit the rainy west before the "rainy season" got into full swing. It was a good decision - we had generally dry and warm weather which might have even been slightly detrimental to our enjoyment of the mossy rainforests.
Rather than bore you with the day-to-day itinerary of the trip, I've opted to post our surprisingly long list of trip highlights (in no particular order) with some explanations.
THE HIGHLIGHTS
Whether it´s due to the hole in the ozone layer or not....the quality of light in Tasmania is unforgettable. The blue skies are more blue, the greens are greener and everything is sharply defined.
The amazing show of animals at sunset at Narawntapu National Park, called the Serengeti of Tasmania. We finally got to see lots of wombats, as well as wallabies and pademelons (and a GREAT sunset!)
The Overland Track: climbing Mt.Ossa, our camping spot at Lake Windemere, spotting platypuses at Lake St. Clair and a spotted quoll at dusk, pre-historical landscapes, pandani trees and buttongrass, Michiel taking a very cold swim in the Narcissus River, dodging skinks on the trail and our secluded camping spot in Pine Valley.
Wineglass Bay: This Tasmanian favorite was so overrun with tourists that we were sure that we´d have an awful experience, but once we climbed up and over the mountain, we were treated to pure, white sand and a quiet camping spot where we watched a ray on patrol at dusk and got a blackback salmon from a fisherman who couldn´t eat all the fresh fish he caught.
Cape Hauy hike: After a less than thrilling 3 day hike to Cape Pillar, we truly enjoyed the coastal cliffs of this day hike, especially because of our encounter with an echidna on the trail that allowed us to watch him closely.
Seeing both kinds of possums (ring-tailed and bushy-tailed) on our night hike at Mt. Field National Park. Though we didn´t fully experience the glowworms, it was really fun to hike in the dark without head lamps (the light upsets the glowworms and they stop producing their bioluminescent chemicals).
Diverse and entertaining bird life: cackling kookaburras (they sound like crazy jungle monkeys), ravens that sound like flying babies, hyperactive little birds and lots more!
Experiencing the groovy outdoor concert that occurs every Friday night in downtown Hobart - complete with sangria, beer and wine.
Going to the Antarctic exhibit at the Tasmanian National Museum - we actually learned quite a bit there!
Learning about Tasmania´s history as a location for deported British convicts and visiting former prisons and prison towns, such as Port Arthur (extremely well-organized and -presented information and buildings), the villages of Ross and Richmond.
Getting a very personal look at the fairy penguins on the northern coast. A local penguin enthusiast and self-appointed protector of the little critters offered an in-depth discussion and explanation of their behavior. We sat with him at the seashore at dusk to watch the rafts of penguins come to shore in order to return to their nests for the night. We saw possibly 80 penguins that night. Fantastic experience!
Visiting the limestone cave at King Solomon. Excellent tour and beautiful stalagmites and stalagtites.
Free camping and friendly people.
BARK! It is truly amazing how many different colors of bark you can find on eucalyptus trees and after a rain the colors are even more intense. Michiel took dozens of photos of the stuff.
Finally, one of the most memorable parts of our trip was meeting Peter and Anna, a couple from Hobart, whom we met during our Overland Track. It is common to get friendly with the people who are on a similar trekking schedule and over the course of several days on the trail, we learned more about each other. They gave us their phone number in the event that we needed a contact in Tassie and to catch up with them when we returned to the capital city. We looked them up and they not only invited us to their home for dinner but also to stay in their guest room. Their hospitality was amazing!
