Tasmania Australia's island state. An overnight car ferry journey from Melbourne across Bass Strait to arrive in Devonport Tasmania on the start of a new day. My first time in Tassie. Now I realise what I had been missing all these years. Fresh air, breathtaking scenery amongst mountains and lakes, waterfalls and lovely beaches. Vibrant colours and interesting features made for many excellent photographic opportunities. I was lucky that during my time there a stationary high pressure zone provided clear blue skies warm to hot weather and gentle breezes which created mirror-like surfaces on water for spectacular reflections. I took a circular route around the island: Devonport → Strahan → Hobart → Bruny Island → Port Arthur → Bicheno → Deloraine → Cradle Mountain → Devonport. Not only scenery but lots of birds and wildlife were also enjoyed.
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Goodbye Melbourne, departing on the "Spirit of Tasmania" ex Port Melbourne | A colourful rocky coastline in the early morning sunshine | ||
Taking a turn-off to explore I unexpectedly found a field of daisies with water and mountains in the distance. | A panoramic view of Stanley featuring "The Knob" | ||
Sign of better days past - a ruin overlooking Stanley | School of Mines and Metallurgy, Zeehan. One of the many old buildings in this historic town | ||
Hogarth Falls, Strahan | Early morning breakfast in Strahan | ||
Strahan Harbour, a scene of calm and tranquility | Hell's Gates - the entrance to Macquarie Harbour | ||
Cruising on the Gordon River. No sea-sickness worries travelling on the Captain's deck. | Many people enjoying the Gordon River cruise | ||
The lunar landscape of Queenstown | An interesting juxtaposition of ruined buildings and Cafe sign | ||
Lake St Clair | Eye-catching red lichen-covered rocks on the shore of Lake St Clair | ||
A cottage row in Hobart | Historic properties on Arthur's Circus overlooked by Mt Wellington, Hobart | ||
Accommodation on South Bruny Island | An albino wallaby. A resident of the Sanctuary on Sth Bruny | ||
Bush fires on Bruny Island. Here's a water-bombing helicopter. | Some ruins of the historic convict colony at Port Arthur. Here's more. | ||
This is the oldest bridge in Australia, at Richmond. Built in 1823. | One of the many fine coastal views enjoyed during the trip. This view is on the way to Bicheno. | ||
There's a very interesting evening ghost walk at Port Arthur. This is the ruined church. | The blowhole at Bicheno is a place of scenic interest...but don't get too close. | ||
The Tessellated Pavement found on the Tasman Peninsula | The automatic lighthouse on Freycinet Peninsula | ||
Wide panoramas don't capture the full spectacle of Wine Glass Bay, Freycinet Peninsula | Coles Bay looking towards the Peninsula | ||
A panoramic view across Honeymoon Bay, Freycinet Peninsula | Glacier Rock. Clear evidence of glacier action during the last Ice Age. | ||
The beautiful Cradle Mountain looming over the peaty waters of Dove Lake | Early morning reflections in Dove Lake | ||
A panoramic view of Cradle Mountain and Dove Lake shoreline | Departing Devonport on the way back to Melbourne | ||
Knyvert Falls; one of the many falls in the Cradle Mountain area | The end of the last day: goodbye Tassie - the sun sets on a truly memorable holiday in Tasmania |