Saving The Tassie Best For Last

We've been told by numerous folk that the massive shoreline cliffs at the southern ends of Bruny Island and The Tasman Peninsula are some of the most striking in all of Australia. Boat cruises will take you out to see the cliffs at either spot, but at $100 per person, we're unsure whether it is worth our while.

We inquire all about the cruise while on Bruny Island, even sign up for it. But in the morning, still uncertain, we back out. While in NZ, we experienced pretty amazing sea cliffs and as for seals, dolphins and seabirds, we've had our fill. So, we hop back on the ferry and decide instead to head over to the Tasman Peninsula for our last days and wrap up our Tasmanian visit over there.




It take only an hour from Hobart to get to the bottom of the peninsula. We do a quick obligatory stop in Port Arthur to spy on the original prison settlement from afar. ($30 per person to get in — would like to see more but at that price, no thanks, we'll take a pass...)

We retreat and veer down a very bumpy road to Fortescue Bay in the Tasman National Park, located on the south east tip of the peninsula. In the park, there is a campsite which we check into and prepare for our final hike in Tasmania — the four hour climb to Cape Hauy for views of the sea cliffs and in particular off shore rock columns, The Lanterns, and closer to shore, The Totem Pole and The Candlestick.

Setting out early in the morning, our last hike also brings great weather — a return of the sun and temps in the 20's. It's a bit of an uphill grind at times that gets us both puffing plus it's rocky underfoot and through some gnarly bush. We're on full snake alert!

It is the last hour of the hike in that provides the views we'd hoped for.











At the end of the Cape, it is merely boulders, scrub and cliffs that drop straight off, 300 feet. No guard rails here!




Taking in the view, I hear a shriek ahead of me and then the sounds of running.

"SNAKE!"

A white lipped snake, poisonous but small, sunning on the rocks. It darts away in one direction, Jenn shrieking in the other. You have to hand it to her, though, the combination of poisonous snakes and vertigo inducing drops didn't deter her. She got a good look at all the spectacle.

And what a spectacle it was!
















A great way to end what's been an uneven visit to Tassie. I asked Jenn the other day if she would come back to Tasmania and after thinking for a bit, she said, "I don't think so. New Zealand, yes, in a heart beat. Tasmania — I think I'd choose some other places first."

My sentiments exactly. But I am glad we made the trip and had this experience (we got to see live Tasmanian Devils, for chrissake!) Tasmania may not be the complete Australian experience, but we have a sense of what it's like and a feel for the "energy" here. (See the Underfoot entry for more on this)

Now we sit in our van just outside of Hobart our final night, posting up the blogs, getting things sorted. Tomorrow we fly to Sydney for a couple of days and then on to Buenos Aries.

Need to find somewhere to stay... did we mention the Internet here is CRAP!! So, if you are reading and looking to fill some time, how about finding us a small (cheap) apartment in BA? We need all the help we can get!